Religion Class

So I'm an atheist college student at a liberal arts college taking a religion class because I believe that religion has a huge impact on our world today and that to have a better understanding of the world a basic understanding of religion is required.

That was my thinking behind taking the course in religion, I thought it would be something where we'd gain a basic knowledge of the history of religion, and spend a lot of time discussing our own opinions. Turns out, the class is not at all about being open minded about religion as I'd hoped, but is over specific details that you could argue over if you already had a blind acceptance of Christianity. For example, we spent 2 days of class time discussing whether or not it was right for the Virgin Mary to be called "theotokos" from various viewpoints, specifically focussed on the Eastern Orthodox.

Finally, in the last class, we moved on to the discussion between Luther and Erasmus on free will where Luther argues that we have no free will, while Erasmus believes the opposite. Both based their arguments solely out of religious texts, but whether or not you believe in any specific religion, I believe it is fairly obvious that we have no free will. Essentially, my belief is that the things we call "choose" when we are given what we believe are choices are determined by some innate set of characteristics about ourselves. Whether you believe it is your soul, or personality, or the chemical makeup and reactions occurring inside your body, none of these are things you have chosen, you have no choice in these things which are responsible for how you make choices, which essentially means you are not making any choice whatsoever. Anyways, I was very frustrated on how my class discussion was going on Luther and Erasmus because my class seemed too narrow minded in their own religious beliefs to be able to imagine arguments for anything else, so I wrote the following:



"

Seminar of Silence

“We have no free will,” he said. That is what we are taught. I watch the smirk grow upon my neighbor’s face, and watch several students dismiss these views through their loud nasal exhalations. These are my beliefs they are dismissing so carelessly. No, they are not just beliefs to me. I am sure of them; I can prove them to myself, and others if I so wished, but I dare not speak up and have my opinions dismissed as carelessly as Luther’s. My grade is determined by my participation in the class, but participation is determined by one’s ability to respout the views we are being forced. Thinking on one’s own is called being a “disruption” and is penalized. Would I rather throw away my views and echo what everyone else blindly shouts for points, or do I stay quiet and stick with what I believe? I’ll choose morality, this school can decide whether or not it chooses to reward free thinking.
"

I'm thinking about sending it in to my professor or the school president, but I'm not sure I should. What do you guys think?

[JesuitArtiste]

Not to be a dick, but that is what a religion class entails. You learn about religion, and then argue using those points of view, and argue against them using other points of view. In an exam YOUR views are not important, you can easily grasp what you believe (I suppose), but the views of the material you're learning are the important part. Or at least that was the focus over here.

But then again we'd have pretty good discussions when I was in my own Religious studies class about the interpretations of what was being said, maybe you just have a class full of dicks

Do you live in the US? Here, in the UK, people are generally pretty vague about there beliefs, and there are very few people of set religious beliefs anyway, so maybe that's it.

Of course, if you live in the UK, owned :P

As for what you've written, maybe you should tr and justify your views, a written protest is all well and good, but maybe you should present your actual argument as clearly as you can.

Out of interest, how do you justify a lack of free-will? Not that I really agree or disagree.

[Anirak]

Originally Posted by JesuitArtiste

Out of interest, how do you justify a lack of free-will? Not that I really agree or disagree.

He said already.

Originally Posted by T-BagBikerStar

Essentially, my belief is that the things we call "choose" when we are given what we believe are choices are determined by some innate set of characteristics about ourselves. Whether you believe it is your soul, or personality, or the chemical makeup and reactions occurring inside your body, none of these are things you have chosen, you have no choice in these things which are responsible for how you make choices, which essentially means you are not making any choice whatsoever.

[23]

Originally Posted by T-BagBikerStar

Seminar of Silence

“We have no free will,” he said.

Then why do people commit sins? If God controls us, then he is the sinner, no?

Originally Posted by 23

Then why do people commit sins? If God controls us, then he is the sinner, no?

God is always right. If God controls you and makes you sin, you are still the sinner. The act would be on you. To that view of god, there is no right or wrong. There is only what god says.