Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
"The teacher is distraught by this incident, as some commentary has gone as far as to vilify her without knowing her, her Christian faith, or the context of the classroom activity."
The ungraded activity was meant to spark critical thinking and dialogue, but "its intent had been misconstrued," the statement said.
Very hard to believe that a Christian teacher was using that exercise to "spark critical thinking" in 12-year-olds. Somehow we are not hearing "the rest of the story," as Paul Harvey used to say. I had a similar incident in college many years ago. A Philosophy of Religion professor delighted in ridiculing conservative Christian beliefs. I put together a very persuasive complaint to the head of his department. Suffice it to say, by the time the dust had settled Mr. Professor's job was hanging by a thread and he was literally begging me on a personal level to back off. I did, and he retired from the institution some 40 years later; we actually became pretty good friends. It was quite enlightening, however, to see someone who had been so confident about ridiculing others' beliefs so completely lacking in the courage of his convictions and so desperate to tap-dance away from what he had said. Something like "trying to spark critical thinking" was pretty much exactly the excuse he offered, but that was clearly not his purpose or agenda. I doubt it was here either.
Not sure what really happened here, but worth a discussion.
Awe, I thought I did it out of respect, but it seems that out of "unbravery" I allowed at least 7 of my teachers growing up to blatantly say that God was real.
I should have freaked out and thrown a hissy fit, it seems.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Bo Pepys
"The teacher is distraught by this incident, as some commentary has gone as far as to vilify her without knowing her, her Christian faith, or the context of the classroom activity."
The ungraded activity was meant to spark critical thinking and dialogue, but "its intent had been misconstrued," the statement said.
Very hard to believe that a Christian teacher was using that exercise to "spark critical thinking" in 12-year-olds. Somehow we are not hearing "the rest of the story," as Paul Harvey used to say. I had a similar incident in college many years ago. A Philosophy of Religion professor delighted in ridiculing conservative Christian beliefs. I put together a very persuasive complaint to the head of his department. Suffice it to say, by the time the dust had settled Mr. Professor's job was hanging by a thread and he was literally begging me on a personal level to back off. I did, and he retired from the institution some 40 years later; we actually became pretty good friends. It was quite enlightening, however, to see someone who had been so confident about ridiculing others' beliefs so completely lacking in the courage of his convictions and so desperate to tap-dance away from what he had said. Something like "trying to spark critical thinking" was pretty much exactly the excuse he offered, but that was clearly not his purpose or agenda. I doubt it was here either.
I never had any "conservative Christian" professors, therefore never did I hear any snarky comments against liberals or against atheists that I could have taken up to a likely religious head of the department.
What was this teacher of 12 year olds doing talking about Religion? You are supposed to let the Sunday Schools do all the propaganda. School isn't for this kind of sick stuff about Heavenly Dictators and Death.
It seems this child is going to destroy this teacher that claims to be Christian also... in Texas. This is what you get for living in Texas. It went all the way to the School Board, unlike the incident of the 1st grader and kindergartener that were sadly ostracized and railed against for their decisions not to follow the teacher-lead prayers on their parents' advice. Both of these situations are grotesque, the teachers involved in both of these situations should be fired and the schools held heavily accountable, but we know who is going to get the privilege and who isn't.
Last edited by LuminousTruth; 10-28-2015 at 06:12 PM..
"The teacher is distraught by this incident, as some commentary has gone as far as to vilify her without knowing her, her Christian faith, or the context of the classroom activity."
The ungraded activity was meant to spark critical thinking and dialogue, but "its intent had been misconstrued," the statement said.
Very hard to believe that a Christian teacher was using that exercise to "spark critical thinking" in 12-year-olds. Somehow we are not hearing "the rest of the story," as Paul Harvey used to say. I had a similar incident in college many years ago. A Philosophy of Religion professor delighted in ridiculing conservative Christian beliefs. I put together a very persuasive complaint to the head of his department. Suffice it to say, by the time the dust had settled Mr. Professor's job was hanging by a thread and he was literally begging me on a personal level to back off. I did, and he retired from the institution some 40 years later; we actually became pretty good friends. It was quite enlightening, however, to see someone who had been so confident about ridiculing others' beliefs so completely lacking in the courage of his convictions and so desperate to tap-dance away from what he had said. Something like "trying to spark critical thinking" was pretty much exactly the excuse he offered, but that was clearly not his purpose or agenda. I doubt it was here either.
Cool story. I doubt he was tap dancing away from his convictions. What you fail to grasp (and perhaps critical thought may have been to your benefit) is agnostics nor atheists do not hold some deeply held emotional connection to mythology. It is simply not real. We have no AGENDA. Lol.
Personally, I don't care what you believe, but I guarantee I would not allow your imagination or imaginary friends to interfere with my career. If you can't handle someone with an opposing point of view, you shouldn't be in college, and you certainly will not be able to function in the world. Trust me, a non-religous person has much more exposure to the religious attempting conversions. I had many differing positions than several of my college professors, but I didn't need someone else to intercede. Perhaps, that head of the department (called a Dean in real life) did you a disservice.
Cool story. I doubt he was tap dancing away from his convictions. What you fail to grasp (and perhaps critical thought may have been to your benefit) is agnostics nor atheists do not hold some deeply held emotional connection to mythology. It is simply not real. We have no AGENDA. Lol.
Personally, I don't care what you believe, but I guarantee I would not allow your imagination or imaginary friends to interfere with my career. If you can't handle someone with an opposing point of view, you shouldn't be in college, and you certainly will not be able to function in the world. Trust me, a non-religous person has much more exposure to the religious attempting conversions. I had many differing positions than several of my college professors, but I didn't need someone else to intercede. Perhaps, that head of the department (called a Dean in real life) did you a disservice.
Dear, I am not in college. I have been a lawyer (litigator) for 35 years. I know a bit about handling opposing viewpoints and exercising critical thinking skills. You might exercise your own critical thinking skills to acknowledge that you have no idea what forms of ridicule my old professor engaged in or what convictions he held; the fact that the Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at a major American university felt that the professor's conduct had been highly inappropriate and that his intercession would be appropriate, up to and including termination of the professor, might speak volumes to someone with critical-thinking skills. You do not even know that my old professor was an atheist or an agnostic; you are assuming this - and you are wrong, as I myself was surprised to learn at the time (1970).
One would have to be delusional to believe that atheists do not have "deeply held emotional connections" to their own beliefs and do not have "agendas." The New Atheists are almost comical in their fanatical, high emotional positions and their obvious agenda; indeed, many Christian pastors wish their own flocks were as committed. Atheists obviously do not have deep emotional connections to Christian beliefs, any more than I as a Christian have a deep emotional connection to atheistic beliefs. You regard Christian beliefs as mythology, I regard atheists as misguided and lost, and never the twain shall meet. But at least I am not living in the fantasy world of an atheist who denies he has deeply held emotional connections and is agenda-driven.
Looking at the paper - the choices were - fact, common place assertion or opinion. What the teacher was apparently saying was that There is a God is a commonplace assertion, not a fact or opinion. It's a fairly murky assignment and certainly not one that should have been given to 7th graders, imo. Still it is NOT that the teacher said There is no God, she just tried to differentiate the statement that there is one from other possibilities.
Have you noticed that Atheism is becoming more of a religion than any other faith... Not by numbers but in conviction and pushing their beliefs on other people...They are more annoying than Witnesses on a Sunday morning
I guess "any other faith" is just a failure, since Atheists don't even use door to door salesmen tactics. I mean, I hate atheists just for being atheist as much as the next guy, and I hate vocal atheists even more since they speak up; But care to elaborate?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
