Degree from a Christian university: is my app a joke?

  • This has become our largest and most active forum because the physics GRE is just one aspect of getting accepted into a graduate physics program.
  • There are applications, personal statements, letters of recommendation, visiting schools, anxiety of waiting for acceptances, deciding between schools, finding out where others are going, etc.

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Andromeda
Posts: 127
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:17 pm

Re: Degree from a Christian university: is my app a joke?

Post by Andromeda » Fri Jan 18, 2013 6:42 am

I find this thread fascinating because I went to a top 20 physics school for my undergrad/M.Sc., and one of the guys there who taught many undergrad courses, was the grad student adviser, and one of the most successful researchers was also an Orthodox Jew- of the "so devout you don't turn on the lights or shower after sundown Friday" variety. Now if you look into Shabbat the reasoning behind this is because electricity is a form of fire because it's a chemical reaction that releases energy... but then any physicist knows if you're not allowed to do that you're screwed because everything falls under this distinction, so I think people who do this are a bit crazy, but as I said the guy was a great researcher who clearly understood physics.

At the end of the day though I didn't care because at the end of the day my questions of faith for scientists come down to whether they're good at what they do and are they a good colleague, and if the answer is yes to both I have better things to do than worry about people's personal beliefs so long as they don't go around infringing on mine. Anyone on this planet who is going to be personally affronted by those who don't agree with them is set up for a life of disappointment and frustration once they get out and see a bit of the world.

So yeah I don't think the OP particularly needs to worry about he'll be received so long as he's a good scientist and colleague unless he's inserting his opinions where it's inappropriate, making him no longer a good colleague... but then I'd say the same about many a grad student who, say, is an ardent Democrat or is obsessed with Local Sports Team.

King Vitamin
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 5:01 pm

Re: Degree from a Christian university: is my app a joke?

Post by King Vitamin » Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:20 am

I'd like to chime in here to reiterate that there's a big distinction here between being religious and being anti-intellectual. I know many religious scientists, including some devout fellow grad students at my school (a top 5). This doesn't interfere with their scientific capabilities. The problem is that BJU teaches anti-intellectualism - they try to discount critical thinking in favor of scripture, which has no place in science.

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twistor
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Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:47 pm

Re: Degree from a Christian university: is my app a joke?

Post by twistor » Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:32 am

I'd like to chime in here to reiterate that there's a big distinction here between being religious and being anti-intellectual.
And I'd like to point out that you are one of the tastiest cereals.



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