Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Knowledge

From God

There is something majestic and grand about urging newly graduating students to use their knowledge for "the glory of God and the honour of your country."

This is what the chancellor of the University of Alberta traditionally advocates on graduation day.

But, a group of students of the University's Atheists and Agnostics society want to abolish this statement, saying it discriminates against them.

This is normal talk in today's modern society. I am used to it.

What interests me, though, is how knowledge is (was) so intertwined with God in traditional universities, that chancellors felt compelled to advise, or even warn, students that their knowledge be used for the glory of God, since otherwise it could (can) be used for the glory of Satan.

Surely, that was the very first sin that caused the downfall of mankind. Eating the apple from the tree of knowledge, after the explicit prohibition by God to do so, and thus aligning knowledge with Satan rather than with God.

Universities understood the adverse nature that knowledge could take, and prefaced the final days of students by alerting them to keep God's presence nearby, so that knowledge can come from His guidance rather than from his adversary.