Dear Philosophy Student
It was with interest that I read the article about a program that helps underprivileged and underrepresented students continue on to graduate school. But I’m worried that you are being encouraged in some flawed ideas. Witness this quote from the piece:
“For Vernon, however, his research has become more than an academic interest. It has become his passion. “I looked around the planet, and I see people hating other people, and I think a lot of that has to do with religion,” he said. Vernon said he has come to believe that the universe itself is God and that each individual within the universe is a part of that deity. His mission, he said, is to unite all religious traditions ? Christianity, Buddhism, Wicca ? under this one theological view.“
Yes people hate other people, if only it were as simple as a difference of theology. But sadly hate is also bred by economic status, race, gender, politics, war, sexual orientation, greed, lust, and a host of other factors. Plus (and I hate to tell you this), but I don’t want to be united theologically with different faiths. I like being a Pagan and I like my theology. I don’t want to water mine down to please some ur-faith and if I don’t want to you can bet my evangelical friends won’t want to. Heck we can’t even get theological agreement within major faith traditions!
But at any rate, good luck with graduate school. I wish you a deepening of wisdom and knowledge.
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