The nature of college is academia. Colleges began as a group of curious minds that came together for the purpose of proliferating and refining new ideas. Therefore, college could be effectively reduced to two classes – Philosophy and Communications. To be successful, one needs to learn how to create great ideas. But, great ideas are useless if left unheard. One must also be able to distribute that idea as purely and completely as possible. All other satellite skills are best learned in the workplace where that specific skill is the nature of the environment.
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Spirituality Power Struggles.
I am a college student. When I walk between classes there are ALWAYS student organizations trying to raise money through bake sales. They set up little booths. They bake, buy or cook various types of food and also usually supply drinks. Sometimes there will be a salesman yelling out the deals, just like a classical market square. He yells out that his product is really cheap and tasty. Sometimes a hot dog will only be fifty cents. All baked goods twenty five cents. And of course, these are snacks that everyone likes; sugary, fatty, salty delights.
I really am not a fan of all the hassle. After trying to ignore the noise and keeping my distance for so long, today I decided to let it slip into my mind and I thought about the whole concept of selling cheep, popular things for fundraisers. These fundraiser goods are not especially good quality. Most times they are made quick and are average in nutrients and texture. From this we can gauge that the goal is not top quality. They do not want to woo us with their baking skills. They just want to lure us in with them. Like a lot of fund raisers the focus is not on the product of service being sold, but rather the idea behind it and the donations to that idea. The idea here on my campus is obviously some student organizations vision. They probably want to get a guest speaker to speak to their group or they might want a new projector for their meetings. The snacks could be anything and they could be any quality. They just want people to come and talk to them and for them to hand them money.
A parallel came into my mind after realizing this concept. This sounds a LOT like how religions do business. This concept is a lot more profound, but still the same principle. Religion I believe is a front for spirituality just like a bake sale is the front for a group’s vision. Spirituality and visions are very delicate abstract things. They need a vehicle to spread them so that they can grow and manifest in people – in groups. These vehicles are often undesirable. Religious organizations usually have secret agendas, and end up abusing their power; possibly even turning a once peaceful idea like spirituality into violence. Bake sales, like religious organizations are also uncomfortable and also usually have a secret agenda outside of the fun loving smiles and cookies and are the brawn of the vision. Someone may become corrupt and steal group property or money but they generally wont turn violent!
My question then is one directed at religion. Is it necessary? Do we need such an organization that is liable to become corrupt or power hungry to spread a great idea? If an idea is worth while, should it not make its way through mankind naturally? Do we need it to be sold to us or forced upon us? What do you think?
My Perception Exposition 