My first foray into the college world was when I was 16. A friend of my mom's asked if I wanted to join her in a photography class over the summer. It was a continuing education course, so it wasn't worth any credits, but I still got a lot of it. Strangely enough, I don't think I learned much as much about photography as I learned about how to counter belief systems that were contrary to my own. Sometimes I even debated the professor himself in the middle of class, while other times I would just rant about where he got his crazy ideas on the way home.
I have now taken several college classes with teachers varying in their beliefs. The interesting thing is that while everyone is preaching tolerance, they really only mean, "listen to what I have to say and consider my ideas acceptable while I discount everything you have to say because it just isn't the truth." But even while this is the case, I have had professors that I have come to love, simply because they have a sincerity about them that lacked in the others.
One of the things my parents taught me before I graduated was to make Christ my foundation, and then to build my beliefs on top of Him. As long as I continue to go back to what He is, my faith will stand strong through the fiercest of storms.
I don't go to the mat over everything now, but rather just let their arguments slide away. Truth be told, it just isn't worth it to start an argument debating Freudian psychology. Yes, there are times to defend what you believe -- like when you have a photography prof who refuses to believe that art can be made simply out of pleasure and joy (may I refer you to the week of Creation?) -- but then at others, it seems to be best to be seen and not heard.
My next semester starts in a little over one week, and while I may not be ready for all the studying, testing, and more studying that will be required of me, I am ready to see what God has in store for me. How will He choose to strengthen my faith and trust in Him? We shall see...
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