Secular Studies Hits Higher Ed

The New York Times recently reported on Pitzer College's new department of secular studies. This is terrific news. It's baffling that legitimate places of higher education include theology departments along with science-based programs. That's like offering a major in astronomy with a concentration in astrology. At least the medical school programs that are dipping their toes in non-traditional therapies are making efforts to study their effectiveness, or lack thereof. How can any university--other than a religious one--proudly offer religious studies outside of their sociology or cultural anthropology or history or literature or music programs? Because religion is definitely worth looking at as an historic and cultural phenomenon (I would have said oddity, but it's obviously the secularists who are the odd people out, numbers-wise). But please, let's not offer theological courses as part of a fact-based field of inquiry. Thank you, wise people of Pitzer!