Thursday, January 24, 2008

Grad school begins

I have just completed my first two weeks of graduate school. So far, I've got mixed reviews over the whole thing. What is good is that I've made some friends who are interesting and fun to talk to. Also, it is nice to have something to do that gives me a sense of movement in my life towards my broader goals. I would say that, all in all, I am more happy now than I was last semester.

But, like I said, my reviews are mixed. Since I've always considered myself a liberal, I didn't think I would be bothered by state schools and the beliefs of the faculty. However, I have had a difficult time with the way religion is dealt with in the classes. It is assumed that all religions are myths in the same way that unicorns are mythical creatures, and it is assumed that we are all in agreement on this issue. What is difficult about this for me is that all things tend to lose their meaning for me outside of the Christian narrative. This shouldn't be shocking. Every other student has a lens they're looking through. Some are Marxist, others feminist, some deconstructionalist. These are acceptable lenses. Mine is not. And what is frustrating is that no one is willing to admit that Marxism, feminism, and deconstructionalism are their religion. The good news is that after years of my faith not being challenged at ACU, I had forgotten that I still care. I do.

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