ThatPoshGirl

It seems some of the better schools that match my stats are Christian schools. I'm a very non-religious person and interested in earth sciences. I've avoided Christian schools because I'm afraid of how science education is effected. Do biology classes at Christian colleges teach evolution? Do geology classes deny the age of the earth? How are sciences handled at Christian colleges in general? As a science major would am I right to avoid these schools?

carcar

I'd say a large percentage of Christian colleges will teach you actual biology (including evolutionary theory) and geology (not old-earth crap). In many Christian schools, especially the better ones which you're looking at, your understanding of these fields would not be left with any gaps.

That said, if you aren't a Christian, don't go to a Christian college. You won't enjoy it, and even if you're looking to become a Christian I don't think that's the right place to start.

gravitysrainbow

"That said, if you aren't a Christian, don't go to a Christian college."

That would really depend on the school. Notre Dame, BC, and Georgetown? A non-Christian could probably be perfectly happy at those places. Wheaton (IL), Liberty, and Bob Jones? Probably not.

PRUNEFACE

If they're catholic they'll teach about evolution

OperaDad

I thought College was about having an open mind to opposing ideas

ThatPoshGirl

To me college is about starting a career. If I want a career in the sciences I need a science education. Religion has nothing to do with science, which is why I am asking. If Christian colleges censor science education it is important for me to know that.

applicannot

Well, there's kind of a difference between Christian colleges and religiously-affiliated colleges. For example, American University is technically Methodist, but there certainly isn't a strong religious showing (in the student body or the administration) as there is at other schools. You need to not just see if a college is religiously-affiliated, but you need to know if it is actually religious or just affiliated. The same goes for the vice versa (i.e., I think Georgetown is technically secular but I've read it has quite the Catholic feel). For example, you'd be safe with a science curriculum at even religious schools like Villanova or Fordham, no doubt. But if you're looking at Bob Jones or Liberty, think twice.

jhall557

I suppose it depends on which school. However, Wheaton College (IL) was recently rated as one of the top 25 schools for science in the nation.

grayfalcon89

As gravitysrainbow said, what's going to come down is whether you will like it. If you are very non-religious person, it should be anticipated that you will not always enjoy hardcore Christian setting in the College campus. The schools might have great science programs but just imagine this: every Sunday, ALL of your friends go to church/cathedral while you sit all by yourself working on lab reports and telling them for 1328942th times that you are not Christian.

Do you see the point? It's all about having a good time and learning. If you are going to have miserable four years, then don't go for it.

I mean, you might end up becoming Christian due to the environment but you have to decide what you will like. Not what'll get you lots of money.

PRUNEFACE

And most Christians are NOT fundamentalists, there are only a few groups. Most people realize that you can't take every word of a book literally becasue it has been translated so many times. If you make a time machine, speak Aramaic (sp?) and travel back to biblical (new and old) times okay, but until then fundamentalism = the result of the "Protestant Reformation" which diluted Christianity. Catholicism is still the "original".

Hunt

The bottom line here is that a lot depends on the specific school you're talking about. There will be signficant variation in how science is taught, as well as the general comfort level of a person who doesn't share the dominant religious views of the campus. As I've posted here before (sadly, to little avail), when most people ask about a "Christian College," they mean a more-or-less evangelical Protestant school on the scale from Wheaton to Bob Jones. There are a lot of differences between Bob Jones and Wheaton, and there are even more differences if you are including Catholic schools, or other schools that are nominally affiliated with denominations but aren't especially religious.

WendyMouse

What Hunt said. You could rattle off the names of some of the schools that keep cropping up (if people haven't mentioned them already), but there's such a breadth of what's meant by Christian and how secular a school is, that it would be worth individual investigation. For the most secular of Christian schools, not-Christian=non-issue.

ALewis16

what about Westmont college?

Montegut

Check out Loyola University of New Orleans. It's a Jesuit college that has a great biology program. Amazing research being done there. And definitely will teach evolution. The department chair does a lot of work in evolutionary biology. And the faculty is so attentive to the student body. It is right next door to Tulane, and many Loyola/Tulane students share cafeterias, hangouts, ECs. A hidden gem in New Orleans.

Benetode

Loyola University New Orleans, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Boston College are all good catholic schools to consider.

TCU, Millsaps, SMU are some good non-catholic Christian schools to consider.

All of these are going to teach you the same things you'll learn at every major university. I wouldn't worry about the "Christian" thing. There are going to be just as many wack job religious fanatics at every major university regardless of religious affiliation. Keep in mind that Harvard University was originally founded to train Puritan ministers. Christian colleges and Christians in general get a bad rep because of a few very vocal nuts. The only difference might be that they usually require 1 class in religion. That class, ironically enough, is usually comparative or Eastern religion. Best of Luck!