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.
There are adults all over the United States, including on this very thread, who are incapable of critical thought. She certainly shouldn't have expected it from Texan 7th graders.
It's a shame because it should have prompted a proper discussion. Kids were slamming their books and crying? My goodness. I guess in Texas you can only teach what they want to learn. These days people want to believe their opinions are a fact through, and cry that they can do so because 'Murica!!
There are adults all over the United States, including on this very thread, who are incapable of critical thought. She certainly shouldn't have expected it from Texan 7th graders.
It's a shame because it should have prompted a proper discussion. Kids were slamming their books and crying? My goodness. I guess in Texas you can only teach what they want to learn. These days people want to believe their opinions are a fact through, and cry that they can do so because 'Murica!!
You CAN'T teach kids anything that even suggests a religion is false in any way in schools, actually, yeah. Public schools are not supposed to touch upon religion is such a way.
Maybe some kids thought God's existence was a fact. Maybe some thought it was an opinion. Maybe some thought it was a common assertion. The issue is using God as an example of this in the first place. This isn't separation of church and state. This is bringing God into a public school and forcing them to acknowledge what she says is the right answer. Opinion wasn't even correct, like I would think, it is common assertion that is the right answer. She is telling them that the existence of God is not substantiated. Even IF that's true, that kind of stuff is supposed to stay out of public schools.
I don't know why this is even being debated. The principal and district agreed and so would most people who recognize separation of church and state, as public schools fall under state. This was not a secular question. She could have made the exact same point using another example. You can teach the principles of Christianity but you cannot declare a status on the existence of God. Those are two completely different subjects.
If I was a parent, I would be mad too that a teacher so easily debunked what I had told my child. It's kind of the parents fault for explaining the whole God thing so poorly to their kids. They should be smacked upside the head with a ruler.
Until that rock has a substantial number of followers, has a background story to its significance, and has a centralized or designated place of worship, at the least, that rock is in no way comparable to an actual established religion. But you know that. It's just more fun to pretend they're the same and make religious people look like idiots. I know this game and I'm not falling for it.
Its no game..you believe in your fairy tale..and I'll believe in my rock. Its cool.
In the guise of teaching them English, she taught them the God many of them accept as existing, may not exist. God's existence is debatable, per her. Whether you think it's debatable or 12 is a good age to give children a different angle is irrelevant. Bad question in the wrong place, as the school district and principal acknowledged.
No. I don't get it. I would have never posed such a controversial statement in a test, merely to avoid the resulting drama. But I'm not a teacher. If the seventh graders can't take a simple questioning of their belief
(which is not a fact) then they are in for one helluva ride in this world.
Its no game..you believe in your fairy tale..and I'll believe in my rock. Its cool.
Except you don't believe in a rock and once again you're being condescending and pretending like a rock and an organized religion that is 2000 years old are the same.
If you can't see how incredibly condescending it is to call someone's faith a fairytale then it is hopeless. And I'm not even a religious person. I identify with a religion but I'm not that into it. If it makes you feel better about yourself and what you believe to make others seem or feel inferior to you, then that's on you. But I don't play that way.
Except you don't believe in a rock and once again you're being condescending and pretending like a rock and an organized religion that is 2000 years old are the same.
If you can't see how incredibly condescending it is to call someone's faith a fairytale then it is hopeless. And I'm not even a religious person. I identify with a religion but I'm not that into it. If it makes you feel better about yourself and what you believe to make others seem or feel inferior to you, then that's on you. But I don't play that way.
I believe you should believe in whatever gets you through the day...
No matter how illogical or unrealistic. That is a personal choice.
And for that matter if my little rock were to help me feel better about myself then that's okay too.
See religion is all about personal belief..the teacher in this case was wrong. If we don't want schools teaching religion then we are best to not bring it up in any way shape or form.
I believe you should believe in whatever gets you through the day...
No matter how illogical or unrealistic. That is a personal choice.
That is what everyone should believe. What we don't need, from any side, is the snarky and condescending comments we see so often. It's rude and unnecessary.
That is what everyone should believe. What we don't need, from any side, is the snarky and condescending comments we see so often. It's rude and unnecessary.
But I wasn't doing either! I never once said you or anyone should not believe in your "god". I just said to respect my rock!
"Quid est veritas?" There is no true/false answer.
Epistemology is not a 7th grade level discussion.
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.
