intellectuals and evangelicals

In my last post, I talked about and posed many questions about what the choices I’m facing for the future. Jake was so kind as to give a very interesting reply in regards to the post relating to a book he is reading. The book says, from what a gather, that Christendom today doesn’t hold a high regard for the intellectual contributions of the current period. This is an interesting thought, something that I have–and I’m sure Jake also–come across before. There are many questions and thoughts on this that I would enjoy thinking about.

Firstly my post wasn’t thinking about what the “christian” job choice would be when I was writing before. I’m not sure if my post has been influenced subconsciously or not by the moral influences of the current day. I would say the influence is definitely at least indirect. Let me explain this. For the majority of the cultural, their is an emphasis upon a person’s results, judging by a person’s fruits, i.e., are they “saving souls.” People are pushed into an ideology where unless you are Billy Graham you are probably one step away from hell it seems. This kind of ideology can easily be where my worries stem from. For me, I feel that there is satisfaction in working with one’s hand because of the concrete visual representation of one’s work. As in the church no one is congratulated for their hard work trying to understand a certain piece of scripture unless their is some known end insight, i.e., saving some poor soul. The same would go for the college life–who goes to school for the enjoyment of learning, isn’t it just to get a good job? It seems that the ingrained idea is that one goes to college only as a means to the white collar job.

Their is a line by many educators of how knowledge does so much for people. I just wonder what it is, it actually does–besides allowing for higher skilled employees in society. What can an education really do for someone? Many go to college believing and participating in their local church. They leave without a faith because of frustrated professor who killed their Santa Clauses and Jesus Christs, worried only about their work and family lives forgetting about the majority of the world living in poverty, and in the wake of the years of school having worsened livers & lungs from too many parties and pretentious attitudes to the laborer because they are know their boss.
The belief that education is the solution to all problems is as old as Socrates. When I look at the intellectual community it’s hard to convince myself that there is a reason for any of it sometimes.