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<\/a><\/div>\nSometimes us wealthy young college boys don\u2019t have the education enough to admit when we are wrong. \u00a0And wrong we are. \u00a0Often. \u00a0Who can forget that part of the legendary movie\u00a0JAWS<\/i>? \u00a0The rough and tumble, ill-fated shark fisherman with a personal grudge against sharks vs. the wealthy young scientist, money handed to him, studying sharks for the love and admiration of their nature. \u00a0The clash between them was one of the more meaningful story lines in the movie, and it added to the depth of their characters, especially as mutual admiration eventually takes over and builds a bond between them. From what they say, a similar course of events happened between the actors Dreyfuss and Shaw, who apparently weren\u2019t on best terms, but who at least came to regard one another positively during filming (at least Dreyfuss appears to have built a lasting respect for Shaw the actor).<\/div>\n
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Thinking on that, the working class guy vs. hip educated kid, I\u2019ve been kicking things around for a while. \u00a0I work more or less as a bean counter in a giant, multi-billion dollar corporation. \u00a0My ministry and education days a thing of the past. \u00a0There is no union, and at any time I could go in and find my position has been cut. \u00a0It\u2019s already happened there, just as it happened to my wife a couple years ago. I get the problems with unions, but sometimes working in large corporations sans unions does engender an appreciation for collective bargaining. \u00a0Anyway, because of that, there is no shortage of people on edge about their jobs, talking about this job or that job, asking about other jobs and trying to find ways to solidify their positions while always keeping one ear open for other opportunities.<\/div>\n
Listening to the conversations that take place has made me realize something. \u00a0Most everyone I work with has a college education. \u00a0The average age seems to about about mid thirties, with a few in their later 20s, and some my age or older. \u00a0But from what I can tell, I think everyone has a college education. \u00a0That would be because most companies require college degrees even for the most menial positions. \u00a0Based on this article, this is because of a Supreme Court decision that made any other way of measuring potential workers unconstitutional. \u00a0I\u2019ll get back to that little phenomenon down the road.<\/div>\n
But for now, it\u2019s enough to say everyone in my department is a college graduate. \u00a0And what I hear! \u00a0A few weeks ago, my supervisor, who happens to be Catholic, set out some rosaries she picked up somewhere as sort of a witness. \u00a0One afternoon, a coworker looked at them and asked \u2018is that one of those chastity belts\u2019? \u00a0Now, I\u2019m not being mean. \u00a0To be honest, I hear things like that all the time. But think about it. \u00a0The guy has a college degree. \u00a0He\u2019s working on his Series 7 exam. \u00a0College educated. \u00a0And he asked that? \u00a0Again, it\u2019s not just him. \u00a0The things I hear people say are stunning. \u00a0The things people don\u2019t know. \u00a0I once quipped to a manger that I had been in the eighth circle of hell regarding a task I was finishing. \u00a0The person looked at me puzzled. \u00a0I explained I was referencing Dante. \u00a0Blank stare.\u00a0<\/div>\n
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All of this has shown me something. \u00a0On the internet, you read stupid things. \u00a0Appalling things. \u00a0Unbelievably stupid, brain dead, moronic things. \u00a0Not just on atheist blogs, or fundamentalist blogs, or ABBA <\/i>fan blogs, or even Catholic blogs. \u00a0It\u2019s everywhere. On one hand, people will discuss things with an attention and grasp of detail that would shame a prize winning physicist. \u00a0On the other, you can see some of the most stupid things ever written.<\/div>\n
For some time, I thought it was some Internet phenomenon. The Internet must make us stupid. \u00a0People can\u2019t be that dumb, not with college degrees. \u00a0Not in an era that boasts more college graduates than at any time in history. Something on the Net must be tainting our smarts. \u00a0But then I thought of it. \u00a0It isn\u2019t the Internet making us dumb, it\u2019s that the Internet is giving us a false sense of smart when we were dumb already. \u00a0<\/div>\n
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You see, I have a college degree in history and education. \u00a0I went back to school and got my Masters in Biblical studies and Church history. \u00a0I began a PhD in Systematic Theology (I wanted historical theology, but the school had recently gutted its professors in the name of doctrinal purity, and the options were limited). \u00a0I didn\u2019t finish (woe is me for that decision) because it was at that time I began toying with leaving Protestantism altogether and looking for other (read: Catholic) options. \u00a0<\/div>\n
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That means in the realm of history, particularly modern 20th century American history as well as Medieval history, I\u2019m not altogether bad. \u00a0I also have a decent grasp of Biblical interpretation. \u00a0Handy stuff for a former pastor. \u00a0I also have an appreciation for the development of Scriptural texts as well as the development of historical theology (with less concern about the systematic nature of it). \u00a0Along the way, I noticed I had a knack for geography (always loving maps) and since my original thought was going into political science, I have followed and studied politics for decades. \u00a0In those areas, I\u2019m not bad and can hold my own. \u00a0In addition to all that, I enjoy music and, for no particular reason, enjoy art. \u00a0And each year, at least for many years up until recently, I always tried to pick a subject and study it (language development, archaeology, architecture, a particular country). \u00a0<\/div>\n
During that time, I had to take other courses: Chemistry, biology, economics, and other such courses which were BER (Basic Education Requirements). \u00a0Out of all of those I took, there are about seven things I remember. \u00a0But here\u2019s the thing. \u00a0For whatever reason, timing, the era I grew up, the fact that my parents were older, I don\u2019t know, I feel I have a more rounded education for the simple fact that I know what I know, and am keenly aware of what I don\u2019t. \u00a0Just because I have a degree, doesn\u2019t mean I know everything. For that matter, it doesn\u2019t mean I know everything about the subjects I know much about. \u00a0It certainly doesn\u2019t mean I know chemistry, or nuclear physics, or how to make a quilt, or a million other subjects.<\/div>\n