Religion on Application

sovereigndebt
Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:55:35 +0000

Moustache: That won’t happen in college. Take your curiosity and thoughts and go for it…I have known agnostics to become theology majors! Nobody is going to condemn you. They may challenge your ideas, and ask you explain, and then you have to be prepared for their responses. e.g. perhaps suggesting you are blaming God for the problems in the institutional Church, which is common. The point is to embrace your questions, take them to a course and write about them, study all the angles, ask questions. Be open to criticism (academic criticism).

Your thoughts and feelings are normal at this age. We all get disgusted by bureaucracy, institutionalism, intolerance, insensitivity, and obfuscation of the truth. But that is part of life. The Jesuits are big…as in huge…proponents of taking the Gospel into your daily life and out into the community…in other words, doing what it says and helping to challenge social injustice. Just like people with depression often find a miraculous cure when helping others…there is a magical effect when we become more concerned with our fellow man…so too in religious, theological terms. When we live the faith we have been taught, instead of being passive pew sitters, we can reach an Epiphany.

For example, at a school like Fordham, you can do this in the Bronx by helping with internships in social justice causes, or you can take summer Go! trips to Latin and South America, where they live a rustic life but help others in Peace Corps like settings. Living your faith.

I don’t know you, but I sense you are just struggling with the absurdity of institutionalism of Church. I fully agree. Sometimes I wanna jump up and scream! LOL. “Don’t you fools and hypocrites see what you are doing? Is anyone here really paying attention? Is anyone doing ANYTHING about our problems?”

Take that same “rage” (controlled and channeled appropriately) into the classroom and challenge the doctrine, precepts and all the stuff everyone takes for granted. Professors love live discourse and healthy debate. (not pedantic and annoying distraction).

You might be very surprised how many share your fears and doubts and outrage. But that process is very healthy…and shows your faith is actually quite alive within you.

Its the process…the journey that matters. Try a Jesuit college. There are 28 to choose from.

Good luck.