Yorick: Time out...you're not a nun, are you?
Beth: Ha! The opposite, pretty much. I'm a flight attendant. Was, obviously.
But I majored in theology back in Georgetown. Sorta fell away from the church after I graduated.
Hey, have you heard of Agnes Snoth? I did my thesis paper on her.
Back in the 1500's, she and three other women used to preach against auricular confessions. They thought it was sinful to ask a man for what only God can grant.
Yorick: How'd that go over?
Beth: Not too great. The Catholics doused them with oil and set them on fire.
- Y The Last Man #24
by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
Someone once told me they sincerely hoped I didn't become an atheist after I went to seminary. It sounds odd, I know, but it's actually completely understandable. I've heard stories of people that go through religious education on a higher level and become so disillusioned with the church and the faith from what they learn that they just abandoned it all. You learn a lot of unpleasant things when you study theology and the history of the church. Well, unless your educations consists solely of denominational indoctrination or something. Then you might be all fired up and gung ho for your particular brand of faith. But I'm not sure it would be for the right reasons.
Someone once told me they sincerely hoped I didn't become an atheist after I went to seminary. It sounds odd, I know, but it's actually completely understandable. I've heard stories of people that go through religious education on a higher level and become so disillusioned with the church and the faith from what they learn that they just abandoned it all. You learn a lot of unpleasant things when you study theology and the history of the church. Well, unless your educations consists solely of denominational indoctrination or something. Then you might be all fired up and gung ho for your particular brand of faith. But I'm not sure it would be for the right reasons.
The more I studied theology the more I wrestled with my faith. And I think that's a good thing. Sure, it allowed for the opportunity that my faith would lose in the struggle. But how strong is your faith if you're never willing to have it tested?
My views, opinions, and even beliefs have drastically changed since I entered the academic world of religious studies. For better or worse, it happened. I think it's for the better, but I can understand how some might argue otherwise. I mean, is writing a blog about theology in comic books really better than being a squeaky clean blind follower of the faith? I mean...there's mad swears in these quotes sometime!
I think my thesis is pretty solid though. But I must admit, Beth's thesis about Agnes Snoth sounds pretty interesting. And that probably led to a lot of wrestling with her own faith. Probably more so than mine did.
Okay, I wasn't even going to write much about this one, but I guess I ended up writing a bit. So....lucky you.
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