Amid the attempts of the White House to narrow birthright citizenship to children of parents with permanent legal status in the United States and the reversal of the Justice Department on protections under copyright law, not to mention the chaos over mail-in ballots, a small and seemingly insignificant story has merged regarding the decision of Virginia Tech University to eliminate its Department of Religion and Culture (RLCL).
Nestled in the town of Blacksburg about 3 ½ hours south of Washington a and about 45 minutes from Roanoke, Virginia Tech, one of the land-grant colleges, announced that the closure of RLCL was to save money, but the college had no financial problems. The real issue was to focus more on STEM courses, which really do not involve using critical judgment. That is what humanities courses are all about: learning how to think.
What is the purpose of a university? Surely more than developing skills for making money in our technological age. The point of any education is to teach people to think, to form critical judgments, not just to become robots. In that way the university will contribute to the common good, the common weal of which we are all a part.
Prayer for the Day
Caught by conflicting forces around us, O God,
We come to you to help us see beyond ourselves;
Told that technics will rule the world, O Lord,
Expand our minds so we think critically.
Move us beyond narrow interests into the world outside,
And help us understand conflicting realities.
In the name of the One wo always asked questions,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Cultivation to the mind is as necessary as food to the body.
Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman orator (106-43 BCE)
Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her,
And is found by those who seek her.
She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.
Wisdom of Solomon 6: 12-13