Diogenes the Cynic

My advice is start trying to get some stuff published if you can. Publishing early is something that can get you attention right away and give prosepective hirers something to look at. Being a good writer is one of the most attractive traits you can have when you're trying to land a job.

I definitely think you should pursue this. You're a good researcher, you ask the right questions and you seem to able to keep an open mind and keep your eye on the ball when it comes to academic inquiry.

Alas, the BA in Religious Studies and Classical languages was as far as I ever got. I had plans to get a Masters in Ancient Middle Eastern Religions but kids came along and bogged me down. One day I'll get back into it....sigh...

Apikorus

Good plan, good schools. You'll make a fine scholar, Peter. Best of luck to you.

Johnny Skeptic

I had assumed that you care what people believe. I guess I was wrong. On the other hand, maybe I was right. If you have children, I assume that you do care what they believe and have influenced them with your views on religion. Do you care whether or not intelligent design is taught in public schools?

You do not believe that Jesus physically or tangibly rose from the dead, right?

Peter Kirby

Mr. Skeptic,

Drop the other one. If I had said, "I would pledge myself and my Ph.D. wholly to the destruction of the dark forces of Christianity," wouldn't you...um...HAVE...to describe me as being unhumanistic in spirit and hopelessly agenda-driven?

I would submit that our best defense against error in all forms is a commitment to excellence in education, not to any particular creed. If a student understood biology well, there would be no need to 'inculcate a worldview of evolutionism' or some such rot.

--
Peter Kirby

Johnny Skeptic

Regarding "excellence in education", don't you intend to use education to encourage people to reject religion?

Please do not misunderstand me. I am well aware that science and education are destroying religion. The destruction of religion by any means is a good thing. One of those means is philosophy. I am a strong supporter of philosophy as a means to destroy Christianity. Millions of people have refused to accept Christianity, or have given up Christianity, for philosophical reasons regarding the nature of God.

Regarding "the dark forces of Christianity" I believe that fundamentalist Christianity is a dark force, and that it is a threat to society. No matter what the religion, fundamentalists are usually trouble.

Peter Kirby

True religion, we are told in James 1:27, is "to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." If someone's religious attitude were based solidly on that verse, would you regard the destruction of that religious attitude as being a good thing, something for which to strive?

--
Peter Kirby

Malachi151

Oh boy. Come on Peter, that isn't a real definition of religion. :banghead:

Peter Kirby

Johnny Skeptic finds it good to destroy religion, without qualification. But cannot a person's religious attitude take the form described?

--
Peter Kirby

Johnny Skeptic

Your question is ridiculous. Either the Bible is the word of God or it isn't. You believe that it isn't, and you never try to convince anyone that it is.

Johnny Skeptic

It is most certainly good to destroy religion in cases where people wrongly interpret it to interfere with the rights of other people. Many bad things that happen in the world are the direct result of religious writings. Surely you are aware that millions of fundamentalist Christians believe that homosexuals will go to hell.

Are you mainly interested in religion in general, or primarily in Christianity? Is your main motive for getting Ph.D. in religion to encourage people to be skeptics, or are you content that people follow various religions? I am still not sure what you are trying to accomplish.

Would you ever consider marrying a Christian? If so, how about a Southern Baptist if one agreed to marry you?