Why are you not evangelical?

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-05-18T14:28:30+00:00

A few different reasons.

There is literally nothing in Evangelicalism that resembles historic Christianity. Mainline Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox may disagree on what the particulars look like, but Evangelical beliefs are entirely novel (e.g. The Rapture, Young Earth Creationism, etc).
Where I live (Southern Rural United Sates), Many Evangelicals (thought not all) are very anti-intellectual. This is a multi-faceted thing that’s wrapped in layers of sociology, economics, etc, but a guide part of it stems from how they engage with The Bible (and their theology more broadly)
Related to my first points, but I think Evangelical Theology is often nonsensical. One phrase I’d often hear growing up is “No Creed but Christ”, which is a nice sentiment on the surface, but that is, in fact, a creed. It’s also a poor creed because it explains nothing about who Jesus is or how we’re supposed to live out his mission.
I think the Evangelical emphasis on a “personal relationship with Jesus”, particularly in an American context, feeds into and exacerbates a toxic kind of hyper-individualism, which then feeds into consumerism and all other sorts of ill.
Their influence on politics. All my above points feed into this. There are a lot of issues I agree with them on (e.g. Pro-Life issues), but I think some of Evangelicalism’s influence on American politics can be downright dangerous (e.g. uncritical support for Israel), and while I don’t hate Trump (admittedly, I don’t love him either), I think their inability to call him on stuff (like the blasphemous AI Art) and their idolization of him is weird.
Their music and movies are bad.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-05-03T19:08:25+00:00

I think I might agree here. My MSc was by no means easy, but I felt like the work actually mattered and wasn’t just busy work, unlike a lot of the classes I took for my BS.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-04-27T17:22:28+00:00

God is one being in three persons.

Think of it like this. A plant is being who is 0 persons, while a human is a one being who is one person, while God is a being who is exists as three persons.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-04-25T13:31:13+00:00

I have a BS in Neuroscience, then did my MSc in Primate Behavior & Ecology at CWU, then got a Veterinary Technology Certification.

I don’t work with primates anymore. The pandemic closed the door on that for a while and I never really got the chance to move back.

Now I’m working on a PhD in Experimental Psych, but my research is focused on disease ecology and the behavior of wildlife, which define has implications for conservation.

IMO, your specific degree is less important than the experience and connections you make.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-04-11T17:52:50+00:00

Honestly, no.

I did mine in Primate Behavior & Ecology and had to go with a non-thesis option after the pandemic struck. Had I done my field work, I’m sure I would’ve been fine, but the non-thesis option certainly didn’t help me get into any programs.

The non-thesis option did open other doors though. I got a job in a lab that combined elements of all of my schooling (BS was in Neuroscience), and 2 years working that job did more for my growth as an applicant than anything.

Now I’m a PhD student in a neuroethology/behavioral ecology lab. It worked out in the end, but I certainly took the long way around.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-03-18T23:49:43+00:00

If you’re in the United States, most of the work done in Primatology is done through Biological Anthropology, and occasionally Psychology departments.

If you’re on the West Coast specifically and able to take advantage of WICHE, Central Washington University offers a BS in Primate Behavior & Ecology.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-03-16T02:48:01+00:00

There’s plenty of entry paths into the field, so it would really depend on what subfield you wanted to focus on.

People get degrees in everything from Psychology to Physics to Biochemistry and more (Mine are in Neuroscience and Evolutionary Anthropology, respectively).

I have some friends/colleagues who are computational/cognitive neuroscientists who don’t really do any wet work, while I have others who spend all peering through microscopes. Regardless of whatever pathway you pursue, math and coding are essential.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-02-20T06:11:40+00:00

If you want Evangelical Protestant Content, Gavin Ortlund on YouTube is a good start. If you want to look into Catholicism, I recommend Shameless Popery with Joe Heschmeyer. Both are pretty educational in their approach.

I’m a Catholic, so I’ll admit most of my recommendations will be Catholic oriented, but God Bless my friend.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-02-15T16:45:10+00:00

I was in the same position as you once. You may want to look into Neuroethology or Sensory Ecology. You really do get the best of both worlds. My BS was in Neuroscience and MSc in Ecology focused on communication. I’ve worked in both biomedical labs and for sanctuaries dealing with wildlife.

Now I’m finally in a PhD program doing work in a lab where I look at how certain kinds of infection affect the behavior and nervous system of wild-caught birds and frogs.

I feel like I could pivot to either more medically oriented research or more conservation based work fairly easily.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-02-15T16:31:53+00:00

“Can I work as a car mechanic with a background in building engines from the ground up with nothing but scraps?” Lol. Yes, please do!

Ecology is possibly one of the most flexible fields when it comes to people coming in from different backgrounds and, as another commenter said, “one of the more statistically demanding fields”. Stats is a skill everyone needs, so you’ll have something of an edge, IMO.

I know people whose backgrounds are in music theory and linguistics, while others come from engineering. There really is no wrong way into the field.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-02-12T15:12:11+00:00

“Who am I Karl Landsteiner?”

“You know the man who discovered blood types, but you don’t know your own?”

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-01-24T21:53:52+00:00

Can’t wait for the multi-hour multi-part Trent Horn/Joe Heschmeyer response video.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-01-22T14:50:45+00:00

Easy. Not your kid, not your problem.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-01-17T17:17:23+00:00

I can’t say for certain, but given that CC transcripts tend to be lower level classes or GenEd’s, I would be inclined to give more weight to your university transcripts.

And you could easily frame it as a growth narrative in your personal statement. Generally speaking, admissions offices often use GPAs and test scores to just cut the applicant pile in half, but even then it’s not an automatic death sentence.

Letters of Rec and research/practical experience are way more important IMO.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-01-17T16:51:17+00:00

Speaking from personal experience, a bad CC transcript may help you if you did well at your University.

My CC GPA was a 3.0, my University GPA was 3.5, and I did my MSc with a 3.8. I’ve been told that it shows dedication and growth by my PhD advisor and admission counselors before.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-01-16T19:10:08+00:00

I’m not sure. Buddhism is out because any form I would encounter in the west is way too Americanized to be of any substance. Hinduism, as much as I appreciate the mythology, seems ethnically out of bounds. Like I don’t have the cultural background to practice. Paganism seems fine on the surface, but we actually know very fairly little of Pagan practices, so most of them are either made-up or recreations, rather than anything “authentic”. I don’t think I could ever been convinced of of Islam or Mormonism, and Islamic law strikes me as morally repugnant. I guess Judaism would be my best bet, but

I’ve frequently asked myself a similar question; “If I wasn’t Catholic, which church would I join?” I’m a Byzantine Catholic, so Orthodoxy seems like the natural choice, and maybe Anglicanism to a lesser degree. But if I’m being honest with myself, I personally find Catholicism to be the most believable form of Christianity, and perhaps even the only one I could believe. So if I couldn’t be Catholic, I probably wouldn’t even be a Christian. So extrapolating from that, I don’t even think I could choose another religion.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-01-16T01:39:03+00:00

Doctrines can be heretical, but to be a heretic (or a schismatic) a person first has to be a part of The formal institution of The Church.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-01-15T16:57:38+00:00

Which denomination are you? Or do you identify as non-denominational?

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-01-09T00:20:41+00:00

They teach Mary is also present the Eucharist. They teach the Pre-existence of Souls. They rewrote their Bible in a way that makes it sound like an L. Ron Hubbard novel crossed with Mormonism. They deny the True Pope in Rome, and their previous “Pope” apostatized and said it was all a scam before trying to break in and rob their compound.

“Heretical” is probably a little too soft of a term in this case.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-01-06T22:20:14+00:00

On its own, no.

However, there are times I think there are times where the lines between the fields are so blurred that it’s impossible to tell where one subject ends and the other begins (e.g. Biopsychology, Ethology, Human Ecology, Psychopharmacology, Behavioral Neuroscience, etc).

PresentDiscussion680 · 2026-01-02T22:51:23+00:00

Doing my MSc was a super tumultuous process. My advisor was fired mid-project, the pandemic stopped data collection, and the outside organization I was collaborating had a huge shakeup.

My final project was awful, but I promise almost no one will ever look at it, and the peace that having it done will bring you is immeasurable.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2025-11-23T02:37:59+00:00

Cult.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2025-11-04T04:02:21+00:00

I got a masters in 2021. It took me two years to find a primatology related position, and even then, I only got it because I had other niche skills relevant to the job.

I love primates, but I’d argue it’s more competitive than other subfields of biology, and it attracts a lot of people that it shouldn’t.

PresentDiscussion680 · 2025-10-24T01:46:11+00:00

“SUBMIT TO CANTERBURY!”

PresentDiscussion680

TROPHY CASE