The continuing saga of my religions teacher

[luciazephyr]

"Thanks for the explanations, but I have to ask if you truly believe your statement that you "have no reason to believe any of these faith-based ideas. . ." It can be argued that showing compassion to another person is a faith based idea."

Yes, I do truly believe it, thank you.

And no, it really can't.

Comments

[polarisnorth]

*headdesk*

No it isn't! Faith in a higher being is not required to have a sense of morality!

I am so sorry about your religions teacher. I've actually had an excellent time whenever I've studied religion, but that's largely because my professors don't assume belief. (I wonder if that's because I study Judaism rather than Christianity? But even then, there wasn't an assumption that I believed in some God even if it wasn't the same one.)

[luciazephyr]

I am actually really pissed the fuck off. I walked into the class so hyped about it because I love tossing bits of mythology into my characters and I especially love dropping hints about my character's faith (hello, relapsed Catholic!Marcone). I wanted to expand my understanding so I could write better. But now I just do the bare minimum of work, submit it, and focus on my other classes. Because this just...


Sometimes it's just so frustrating to be treated this way.

[polarisnorth]

D: I'm really sorry hon. I know how much a bad professor can kill your enjoyment of something, and the fact that he's being personally insensitive is just awful. I enjoy the mythology thing too (possibly a bit too much, judging by the current number of books I have checked out from the library on Jewish folklore and eschatology)... Is the reading for the class at least useful, or is it primarily lecture based?

[luciazephyr]

The book is really good, actually, except for it's complete non-mentioning of agnosticism/atheism, but I can forgive that because I like it when atheism isn't grouped with beliefs, as it's a lack of belief. I may keep the book, actually.

[samjohnsson]

Make a note, bring it to the chair at the end of semester. Because obviously, this prof is beyond cause.

I can't name names, but there's like a dozen philosophers (Kant, for some reason, is on my tongue) that would disagree.

[luciazephyr]

Sartre too. :likes Sartre:

[samjohnsson]

Heck, I think Nietzsche would, if read in the entirety.

[luciazephyr]

Oh definitely Nietzsche. But I think mentioning him to my United Church of Christ reverend teacher would be a bad idea, hmmm?

[samjohnsson]

Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
This twit you've been complaining about is UCC? REALLY? I've never met a UCC minister that clueless.

[luciazephyr]

You'll have to elucidate. The only branches of Christianity I can recognize are Catholic, Unitarian, and the basic Protestant.

He's minister in a town that was one a KKK haven. So. :not surprised:

[samjohnsson]

United Church of Christ

If, on the other hand, she says "Church of Christ", she's any one of a dozen options, many of which are stupidly fundamental.

In general? Christianity? More fractures than a stained glass window.

[luciazephyr]

Oh, they are kind of interesting, aren't they? Yeah, kind of shocked my teacher is such a idiot, being part of the UCC.

:checks out website of teacher's church on a whim: No mention of any of that forward-minded thinking here, sadly. Don't see how they're different from the Baptist church I attended for a month.

[samjohnsson]

Send me a link? Cause that sounds much more Church of Christ than UCC.

[luciazephyr]

I'll give it to you in a comment, then bahleete the comment. I'd love you opinion, but don't want to paint a target on the guy.

[samjohnsson]

That's...bizarre. Just bizarre. Joys of the congregational model.

[luciazephyr]

I'll take your word for it. I am squashing the urge to go to their service tomorrow and sit in the back and listen to my teacher. That's probably really rude, treating Christians like some interesting science experiment.

Like Joss said, I am a hard-line, angry atheist. Yet I am fascinated by the concept of devotion. :chinhands:

[samjohnsson]

They treat you like an experiment, I see no reason to not return the favor. Tell her you're trying to understand her flawed point of view.

[luciazephyr]

Him, actually. The guy on the Pastor's Message? That's the guy who's teaching me.

[sarken]

For what it's worth, I don't think it's rude. In fact, it was one of my theology assignments in high school. As long as you're respectful, it should be fine.

Also, in response to this post as a whole: your professor is an asshole.