Your High School Friends

[Gustavus Adolphus]

I'm looking to do something Theology related.

Ideally something with Biblical languages. But I've also thought about doing systematic Theology (ethics of the Bible and stuff).

So unless I wanted to go to seminary (which, as of right now, I don't), I'd be almost limited to teaching. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think I could be a decent professor, but hearing that it's tough to find a job really worries me.

Maybe I'll just work at Chick-fil-A until I'm ready to retire.

Where talking junior high and high school. I can't comment on colleges, but in all honestly, I can't imagine theology professor is a tough market. Hell, I'd work my ass off and see if I couldn't get something at Notre Dame.

 

[EnjoyYourTiger]

Where talking junior high and high school. I can't comment on colleges, but in all honestly, I can't imagine theology professor is a tough market. Hell, I'd work my ass off and see if I couldn't get something at Notre Dame.

Yeah. Idk about ND (or other private, religious schools) though. I want to teach Theology, not Bible school.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see in 2-4 years after I have my masters.

 

[dabynsky]

Completely different market though between secondary school and post-secondary. And really if you are a math, science, or special education teacher it is a lot easier to find a job. Not easy per se, but I think there is close to a 1000 more people who are qualified to do my job versus the number of jobs available in the state.

I do know a little bit about how the post-secondary market works since my mom and step-dad are professors of history and my brother is an English PhD student right now, but I wouldn't begin to pretend to guess what the market for theology majors is.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Yeah. Idk about ND (or other private, religious schools) though. I want to teach Theology, not Bible school.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see in 2-4 years after I have my masters.

I just mean to say, how many theology departments are on a typical campus? You might have to go a route like ND.

 

[EnjoyYourTiger]

I just mean to say, how many theology departments are on a typical campus? You might have to go a route like ND.

Yeah, that might be true.

I guess I've always assumed that most school's require a couple of Theo classes for undergrad stuff.

Maybe not.

 

[dabynsky]

Yeah, that might be true.

I guess I've always assumed that most school's require a couple of Theo classes for undergrad stuff.

Maybe not.

I went to two public universities and a theology class was not required at either, and as far as I can tell my alma mater doesn't even have a theology department. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case at most public universities.

 

[EnjoyYourTiger]

^ Hm, alright. We'll thanks for the heads up, lol.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

None of this is meant to discourage you EYT. I wish you the best of luck.

If you don't mind me asking, why theology? I can't say I am overly religious, but theology is an interest of mine.

 

[EnjoyYourTiger]

No, no worries. I figured it would be tough. Especially with a major/ interest that isn't in that high of demand.

_____________________

Well, it's just something that's interested me as well.

Second semester of my freshman year (Spring of '09), I took a Bioethics class, that was aimed towards pre-med students, like I had been at that time. So we discussed stuff like euthanasia, health insurance, and just the overall contributions of ethics to the medical field.

And it was a Theology class and the professor was/ is the Theology department head, so she twisted my arm into declaring a major with an emphasis on ethics. And at this time, I was still planning on doing medical school, so I figured that it would look good on a resume and also be a good GPA buffer.

Well, I still had to take a lot of Bible classes. And what I was learning was so much different from what I had been taught in Sunday school (I was raised Presbyterian/ Baptist). So it just led me to ask so many questions about what I believe(d) and why. So, I've basically just gone from pre-med, to ethics, to "theology" in a matter of a few years. And I just feel so strongly pulled towards it because of what I've learned and how it both answers questions about what I believe religiously, but also brings up more questions to answer in that same light.

And also being a Biology major, it really challenges me to think about how science and religion can coexist and what connections lie there. And there are a lot more than I initially thought there could be. And I guess I've found myself in fortunate place that I can say in my own heart that science and religion don't refute each other, but rather strengthen and support one another.

So in short, I guess why I chose Theology is because it's something that can't be answered. Like biology, chemistry, physics, etc. it's always expanding, growing, changing, and it's so open ended and can lead to some fascinating conversations about free will, predestination, morality, life after death, and all of that.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Well, it's just something that's interested me as well.

Second semester of my freshman year (Spring of '09), I took a Bioethics class, that was aimed towards pre-med students, like I had been at that time. So we discussed stuff like euthanasia, health insurance, and just the overall contributions of ethics to the medical field.

And it was a Theology class and the professor was/ is the Theology department head, so she twisted my arm into declaring a major with an emphasis on ethics. And at this time, I was still planning on doing medical school, so I figured that it would look good on a resume and also be a good GPA buffer.

Well, I still had to take a lot of Bible classes. And what I was learning was so much different from what I had been taught in Sunday school (I was raised Presbyterian/ Baptist). So it just led me to ask so many questions about what I believe(d) and why. So, I've basically just gone from pre-med, to ethics, to "theology" in a matter of a few years. And I just feel so strongly pulled towards it because of what I've learned and how it both answers questions about what I believe religiously, but also brings up more questions to answer in that same light.

And also being a Biology major, it really challenges me to think about how science and religion can coexist and what connections lie there. And there are a lot more than I initially thought there could be. And I guess I've found myself in fortunate place that I can say in my own heart that science and religion don't refute each other, but rather strengthen and support one another.

So in short, I guess why I chose Theology is because it's something that can't be answered. Like biology, chemistry, physics, etc. it's always expanding, growing, changing, and it's so open ended and can lead to some fascinating conversations about free will, predestination, morality, life after death, and all of that.

That's a pretty good answer. I disagree that physics can always be answered, but a pretty damn good answer.

 

[EnjoyYourTiger]

That's a pretty good answer. I disagree that physics can always be answered, but a pretty damn good answer.

Well. That's pretty true.

Most of it's cut and dry, like optics, mechanics, and all that stuff.

But when you get into like string theory, relativity, black holes, antimatter, dark matter, quantum mechanics, etc. that you start getting into stuff that can be a little more debatable.

But that's why they call it theoretical, haha.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Well. That's pretty true.

Most of it's cut and dry, like optics, mechanics, and all that stuff.

But when you get into like string theory, relativity, black holes, antimatter, dark matter, quantum mechanics, etc. that you start getting into stuff that can be a little more debatable.

But that's why they call it theoretical, haha.

I love that stuff. Probably why I a respect for theology. So many theories on things. Love it.

 

[EnjoyYourTiger]

I love that stuff. Probably why I a respect for theology. So many theories on things. Love it.

Yeah, it's nuts.

At work the other day, I was discussing if God is held to human morality standards. A coworker and I we're discussing what happens to people in third world countries who never hear about Jesus, aborted fetuses, children that die at too young of an age to comprehend that sort of stuff and if because they aren't made righteous by faith, are they sent to hell?

And then we started talking about predestination and whether or not it's Biblical. And that led to discussion about if we actually have free will. Which lead right back to whether or not God is moral according to a human definition.

We didn't come up with a single answer, but just discussed how the Bible differs from what I personally feel a higher, supreme being should be held to.

But, it's really just stuff like this that I think about when I'm at work, or bored on a Sunday night that draws me to Theology.

And it's so much easier to follow than Philosophy and all the cookyness that goes on in there.

 

[USCChiFan]

I'm still in high school, so I do hang out w/ my high school friends

 

[derosabomb]

I'm still in high school, so I do hang out w/ my high school friends

trust me you probably wont once you get to college

 

[Jysen]

No. The closest thing to be considered as still friends with anyone from H.S. is via Facebook. 2 I hung out with all the time. 1 moved during H.S. and I just recently got a friends request. The other I worked with for a few years after H.S., but that died out after he hooked up with his now ex. Though we do have eachothers cell. Actual friendships, the list is extremely thin, and none I claim loyalty to are from my past.

 

[FirstTimer]

My 4 closest friends are friends from HS. Those guys are like brothers to me.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

My 4 closest friends are friends from HS. Those guys are like brothers to me.

Yeah, kind of the same here.

I get the feeling the people in here saying you'll never be friends with people from HS again are friends with them now based on ease.

 

[HeavyD]

If you don't hang out with douchebags during you High school time then you have a waaay better chance at staying friends with them.

I have been friends with most of my closest friends since before high school though. Almost all between grades 3-8. I made virtually no new friends in high school actually.

 

[Iwritecode]

I have one good friend that I've been friends with since 2nd grade. We were the best man in each others weddings. My wife graduated the year after me so I guess I can count her. I also graduated with my uncle and I still talk to him every once in a while too. Other than that, I really don't talk to many people from HS.

My wife has one friend that she talks to that went to high school with us but we weren't really friends back in HS.

I never really had the whole college experience because I had my first kid when I was 18 and just got a 2-year degree from the local community college. After that we pretty much settled into the family, career, mortgage lifestyle and just kinda drifted away from everyone else. Even the few people we do still hang around with don't have kids of their own.

I have a lot of HS friends that I am friends with on Facebook and I'll see them around town sometimes but that's about it.

I also have one friend that I knew in grade school and then he moved away. I rediscovered him through Facebook and found out I was actually good friends with his cousin. Now he's my financial adviser.

For my wife and I, our kids will be starting to graduate HS in the next 4-5 years. We'll be in our late 30's and "kid-free" for the first time in our adult lives. But most other people our age will still have kids in grade school.