Justin Smetters

1-21-04

ISSI402

Prof. Sienkewicz

Why is an ISSI class important?

            An issue and ideas class is important that an ISSI class, because it basically keep the Liberal Arts idea alive. As we know, the Liberal Arts education is supposed to make a person well rounded by giving a study in a variety of different subjects. An ISSI class is the last chance to get the Liberal Arts idea through to the student body with this message. An ISSI course brings together an unrelated group of students who might not normally converse within different majors. History, Classics, Philosophy, Music, Education, Science, Communications, and Business majors can get together, each with their own interesting and different views and have discussions in a broad forum.

Why will this ISSI be harder compared to others?

            Due to the fact that the class is talking about religion, I think that very fact will make at least, class discussions more difficult. Religion is still a hard topic to talk about. People do not want to hear other people’s beliefs, and some feel only their own belief matter. Looking back only a few days ago, Matt Underwood and I were arguing points about religion. What is religion? I talked about how religion is non-scientific process. He proceed to argue that science is religion and to make

a long story short, I pointed out that the major difference is that science is revised and changed all the time while religion usually does not. This going to be one of only many heated topics in this class. Another thing that will make this class harder is that people already have different backgrounds in religion. People already have prejudices and beliefs that are hard to change.

            By our senior year it is believed that we students will have some flexibility in our thinking. This is why you would think that people can talk about these heated issues. Unfortunately, some people just do not have the flexibility it takes. Religion is a sensitive subject but yet on this campus and in society in general, focuses on the Judeo-Christian thought, leaving out world religions all together.  Even when religion is talked about, one person can, and has, broken the conversation down. I heard about this one instance where a debate about religion took place and in the middle of the conversation someone said, “But Jesus loves us.” The problem is that some people do not have the flexibility and maturity to take about emotionally charged issues such as religion.

            Religion, as I said once, is “as dangerous as any drug or addiction. To much isn’t healthy,” and I have been saying that well before I read Karl Marx’s famous “religion is the opiate of the masses” phrase. Religion has caused more wars than anything else on the planet and still is a sore spot in society.