Lets get this out of the way- I dislike writing profiles, so this page will probably evolve over time (and by that I mean months) until I am satisfied with it.
Now we can proceed.
Who am I?
I am a philosopher, or rather, I am learning to become a philosopher. I am an undergraduate at Simon Fraser University, currently attempting a double major in Philosophy and Humanities. It irks me that ‘philosopher’ is no longer a relevant or even realistic career path, especially when people look at me with mild amusement and inevitably ask,
“So what are you going to do with a degree in philosophy?”
I am going to become a philosopher, it is quite simple. I will write books, create new ideas, and even implement them from time to time. It is one of my oldest dreams, and I hope one day it will be fulfilled.
Whats all this, then?
I started the Year of Faith not only to learn about the world’s religions, but to answer a question I am fascinated by: Why are some people religious, while others are not? Is it simply a difference in how we are raised, or something else? There is only so much I can learn by studying religions from the outside. To really understand it I think it helps to be able to live it, to study it, to do my utmost to believe it.
My parents did not adhere to any religion, and thus I was not raised to believe in anything specific (outside of what I was taught in school). Though I was baptized Roman Catholic I never followed any specific belief system, spending most of my time in a fascinated state of agnosticism. Only recenlty have I made a decision to become an atheist, though that has far from impeded my quest to explore and understand religions, and I am still not completely certain about that conviction.
I have always been interested in our ideas, our culture, our religions and our memes- how they effect us, how we shape them, how they grow, and how they behave. I hope through this project I can gain a greater understanding of our ideas, our religions, and of myself.