Derrick, this is a thoughtful and challenging post, thank you. You remind me a lot of my son (who's 20) who struggles a lot with the formal education system and I think often feels like he's in a cul de sac. He tries to learn a lot off his own bat and I guess that gives him some of the intellectual freedom you're pursuing on your own now. It's a brave step though, and I applaud you for it - and hope things work out for you.
After watching it last night, my husband and I agreed that Wallis DID come out ahead. Perkins' divisive language was not full of grace and respect like Wallis', and I think that is key to credibility as a leader claiming to be a Christian. Wallis made more sense, and, as has been mentioned, didn't refer to anyone as a 'dead skunk'.>