Suggestion to Moderators

Since the MIGS forum is basically inactive, would it be possible to place it in the DegreeInfo archives, and in its place create a forum for religious/theological programs? Just a thought!

 

Amen (no pun intended) on the forum for religion/theology degree programs; though I think it should play a role more comparable to the IT forum, where some overlap with the other forums is acceptable.


Cheers,

 

Partial concurrence, partial dissent...

For once, I actually agree, at least in part, with Russell.

(I disagree with the need to replace the MIGS forum with it. Unless Russell intends to enroll in MIGS and doesn't want the world to expose him, I can't explain his sudden fixation with MIGS.)

As for me, I'm tired of seeing theological mumbo-jumbo in the general forums. Evangelism should be reserved for street corners, churches (where they love to evangelize the converted), and brothels.

Nothing against religion (hell, I did both of my grad degrees in the field), but it should be kept in a religion/theologyl forum where it belongs, just like sex should be kept in the bedroom where it belongs. (And the kitchen, and the living room, and adult book stores. But I digress . . . )

I agree with Tom - there will be some natural overlap from an academic perspective, but the religious nuts on this board are clearly coming up with posts that are a little too esoteric for the central focus of the forum (yeah, like our readership will understand premillenial dispensational presupositional Arminianism). Let's banish 'em to the wilderness, and leave the general forums to people who won't get so upset when I act obnoxious.

(What, you thought I could reman serious for a thread like this?)

 

Personally, I did not even consider that to be a remote possibility, of course.

I concur with the creation of another forum for theological programs.

 

Pastor John Bear

This forum will soon be flooded with religous nut cases seeking theological DL degrees (if it isn't already). What do you think, Pastor Bear?

Maybe the MIGS forum could be replaced with a religious degrees forum where all those esoteric questions and comments could be properly directed?

Having a religious forum would "gather together" all those religious nut cases, of which I am included, so we could ask eachother questions about the degree programs that are available. If a religious forum were created, one of two things would happen:

• The religious nut cases would all be directed to the religious forum, thus diverting their postings away from the traditional DL forum, to the joy of levicoff and others.
  
• Even more religiouis nut cases would come out of the closet and would somehow manage to find this forum. This forum would then be flooded with religious nut cases who are interested in theological DL degrees. LOL

I know a religious forum will never be created, but I liked the idea.

 

Re: Partial concurrence, partial dissent...

 

It might be okay to have a separate forum for religious degree discussion if it meant that the people interested in that stuff felt less inhibited to discuss their interest. On the other hand, it doesn't bother me when those discussions break out in the other forums.

 

Re: Pastor John Bear

...........................................

As Israel was regathered, so be it here..but us pharisees get the higher seats, right??

 

A Pharisee is as a Pharisee does.

Oh yeaa, give me a really high seat!!!

But we still need the advise of Pastor John Bear.

< Yeaa Yeaa Yeaa, I know that John is an unbeliever. >

 

Axhandles, anyone?

 

We still have room for more forums (above & beyond what's already here), so there would be no need to delete the MIGS forum to create another one.

I'll bring up the idea of a religion/theology forum with the other admins, and we'll see what we can do.


Bruce

 

Re: Re: Suggestion to Moderators

Thank you, Bruce. Just a thought.

Since we already have several special interest forums, the addition of one for religion/theology discussion, IMO, might be helpful.

Of course, I will always visit the "Off Topic" forum.

 

I seriously question the suggestion that a religion/theology forum be created. What concerns me is the linkage of religion and theology.

Theology, at least as it is conceived on Degreeinfo, is *Christian* thology. In fact, it is overwhelmingly *evangelical protestant* Christian theology. Religion, on the other hand, is a much broader subject. The general heading of religion includes all of the non-Christian religions, as well as philosophical, historical, phenomenological, psychological, sociological and other scholarly approaches to the subject.

The problem arises when all religion questions are banished from a general board to a board that is completely dominated by one particular approach to one particular religion. Even if a Muslim, Hindu, Jew, Buddhist or whatever decided to post a question to the new forum, he or she would be posting to a forum of little interest to like-minded compatriots and probably not even read by anyone able or willing to respond.

I'm not even clear how one would draw the line as to what's appropriate on each forum. What about a discussion of transpersonal psychology programs? What about using TRACS schools or CA-approved Buddhist schools as examples in discussions about accreditation? What if somebody suggests a sectarian school like Regent for a secular degree, and the religious orientation issue is raised?

The issue seems to me to be whether or not the threads are on-topic on a DL board. If people are asking about or discussing DL programs on any subject, including religion, I see no reason why they shouldn't use the main forum. That would naturally include discussions of religious accreditors and whether or not particular degrees meet particular career objectives including ordination.

But when the threads veer off into discussions of particular theologians or the subtleties of Greek grammar, then perhaps they are more suitable on a different forum.

So my suggestion would be to create an *off-topic* religion forum if that's what people want. The off-topic forum would be just the place for all the posts about Jacobus Arminius and stuff like that.

I'm not suggesting that anyone be shut up *or* shut out. I'm just suggesting that Degreeinfo's main forum be the place for discussions relevant to distance learning.

Personally, I will probably continue to discuss religious DL programs on the main forum. That's because the points I'm making will be about DL programs on religious subjects and not about the doctrines of the particular religion they teach (except when those doctrines influence a student's choice of school or the school's eligibility for particular accreditation).

 

I’ve never had a collegiate level bible class nor even a simple bible study

I’ve been pretty wishy washy about pursuing a doctorate. First I am, then I’m not. I haven’t even finished a masters degree.

I only want a doctorate for personal enrichment and so I can be a doctor. I don’t plan on using it to pursue a job or to become a professor. There is the truth in all its infamous but regal nobility.

Then someone here suggested that I pursue a religious doctorate in a non-research program. If I choose this route, I will have many questions, as I have no answers. A DL religious forum would be a wonderful place to ask all of those esoteric questions that can best be answered by those who are familiar with that field, either as a practitioner, a student or a professor. Since religious people would hopefully conglomerate in a religious DL forum, the probability of getting a wide variety of responses is increased.

At this point, it’s all just speculation. An RA doctorate in religion? At least it would be interesting, if not academically overwhelming from a scholarly perspective.

 

I agree with Bill Dayson.

My interests are a lot broader than religion, I'm not an "evangelical protestant," and I don't see where religion equals monomania.

If the mere presence of religious discussion offends somebody, that's unfortunate. I don't know a damn thing about computer stuff, it reminds me of something unpleasant to whom I was once married, but it doesn't bother me if it "strays" from the IT section.

I figure I can learn something from posts and threads that have little or nothing to do with my professional interests. For example, I got interested in John Spies' deliberations about where to do a master's in hospitality/resort administration--and I haven't gone on a vacation in 10 years and belong only to the Carpathia Country Club, of which I am president and Rich Douglas is vice-president elect (although he is in hiding and everything is a mess here and now there's a foot of snow and I just try not to think about it very much or I start to cry...)

"Off-topic" is broad enough to cover a multitude of sins, religious and non-religious.

 

Re: I’ve never had a collegiate level bible class nor even a simple bible study

California approved?

Ouch! I bit my tongue.

 

I totally disagree with Bill on this one.

The posts about Augustine of Hippo and John Calvin should be in the "Off-Topic" forum. Those regarding James Arminius and John Wesley should remain in the "Main" forum.

 

By burying religious discussion, I would miss out on all that Calvinist/Arminian humour that I have come to know and love. I guess that's my destiny - sorry predestiny.

 

---------------------------------

Don't think you're getting away with this Bro Russell. I'm just too busy with subordinationism in the 3rd century to deal with the Arminian heresy now Glad to see you still have a sense of humor. Course Arminians must be a little silly to start with.

 

Most programs in theology are implicitly Christian; Jewish and Islamic theology would generally be addressed by programs in Jewish or Islamic studies, or by a religious studies program. Hindu theology is virtually always religious studies, unless you're lucky enough to find a program hosted in India. So the identification of theology with Christianity doesn't bother me much, even if I'm a bloody 'eathen myself.

But you may be right in that religious studies and theology have so little overlap. What I suppose I'm looking for is a way of setting up a (perhaps implicitly Christian) theology forum that won't "ban" Christianity from the other forums, or "ban" other religions from a sectarian Christian forum.

As you've been one of the more vocal advocates for keeping theology out of the main forum, perhaps you have an idea--that does not involve repression of religious ideas by the moderators--on how we might distinguish the discussions without creating an enclosed sectarian forum. Otherwise, "Theology and Religion" is likely to be as close as we can get to useful. We can only hope that us Buddhists and Unitarians can reassure newcomers of other faiths that they're not the only ones on the board.

For my part, I make an effort to respond to all enquiries regarding degree programs relevant to non-Christian faiths precisely because I know there aren't a whole lot of Zen priests running around here. I guess I would keep doing this in the T&R forum, too.


Cheers,