The "L" word

I found interesting Peter's latest post where he talks about the uneasiness felt by religious Christian families (like his) about getting a secular university education. I can sometimes see a certain parallel within Muslim culture, not so much about getting a secular university education (in fact if you don't get one that's considered to be a huge problem), but about getting educated in certain areas, in particular philosophy. I've often encountered puzzled or suprised looks from acquaintances and family friends when I would tell them I was studying philosophy. The reactions ranged from the most common (and expected) "Philosophy and Computer Science? That's an odd combination," to expressions of admiration, to a peculiar kind of muted response where you know the other person disapproves or thinks you're weird or something. One of my high school teachers - a Catholic nun - was delighted to learn that I had decided to take on philosophy, and another - this time a religious Muslim - was all praise and in fact (seriously) wanted me to tell her the secrets of the universe that philosophy had revealed. Certain other people have wondered if philosophy can lead you 'astray' and whether you can or cannot prove the existence of God through it and if not where does it leave you.

Back to Peter, the concern he's had to face is having become a Liberal:

So they say going to university makes you a liberal. It has the potential to destroy your faith. They say that the more education you get, the more you tend to be liberal. In Evangelical circles, Liberal is a bad word.

Is Liberal a bad word in orthodox Muslim circles? I'm inclined to think it can be. It can imply having lost your religious grounding, having compromised your faith's principles and having accommodated too much. I, like Peter, don't think Liberal is a bad word, for much the same reasons as he lists:

Does more education 'turn you liberal'? Maybe it does - if what education does is open your mind to properly and careful examine one's belief such that they are appropriately justified through some logical mechanism, even if that logical mechanism leaves some gaps or holes to be filled in by faith. Does education 'turn you liberal'? Maybe it does - if it teaches you to understand that people are different and that one view of the world is not the only view held, and that the diversity of views is a good thing.

I'd ask what my readers think about the "L" word, but I think most (all?) of you share this perspective to some degree or another.