Teacher Sued For Bashing Christianity -- Will Others Be Censored?

[Sunstone]

It's not bashing, if it's true.

 

[Alceste]

The students, not just the student who sued, seem to have come to the conclusion that he has something against Christians, and held this opinion prior to this lawsuit.

As for creationists being in a minority, I don't think that gives people with authority over them, permission to single them out in the workplace and school and ridicule them, or their beliefs. I would hate to see it get to the stage where people had to closet their beliefs. I don't think the creationists have the right to try and force their doctrine to be taught in school either, and to be honest, that this is even a possibility, is an aspect of US culture , that I, and I believe a lot of people, find bizarre.

I will say this though, I think in a way Dr Corbett was saved by the religious bias of the student and his legal team, I think their inability to distinguish between an attack on his religion and opinions that were merely contrary to their religious belief, weakened the case against Dr Corbett.

Well, I'm not reading that whole article and the court documents again to confirm - I'll just say that the impression I got was that the teacher had a bone to pick with religion in general. Not Christian individuals. Not only that, but it was a legitimate bone, IMO, and valid in the context of the discussions.

I agree that the student's inability to distinguish between political opinion (of Bush, abstinence ed, ID, etc) and advocacy of irreligion not only hurt their case but also displays their own disregard for the first amendment.

 

[AxisMundi]

Education should be the same throughout so that the jumps between each stage of learning are mitigated. Thats how it is here. Maybe thats another issue in your "awesome" system of learning.

The constant comparison i make to Aussie schooling it to highlight just how rediculous American education really is. I couldn't imagine learning science without examples, it would detract from the beauty of science itself. If some stupid christian doesn't like his rediculous beliefs getting challenged his place is in a dark cave somewhere, not in the real world he is being prepared to join.

American education, before PC was introduced, was the fienst in the world.

It will be again, as soon as we can get education back to actual education.

 

[monta]

It's not bashing, if it's true.

I'll have to remember that the next time I want to call someone a **** sucker.

 

[Sunstone]

It's not bashing, if it's true.

If that were not the case, then you could not -- for instance -- call Ted Bundy a rapist and murderer without being legitimately accused of bashing him.

 

[monta]

If that were not the case, then you could not -- for instance -- call Ted Bundy a rapist and murderer without being legitimately accused of bashing him.

Should the gaurds in the prison where he was held be allowed shout this at him, what about his lawyer, the judge at the trial, the jurists or the press while he is on trial.

Up to the day he was convicted he was as a point of law innocent, it doesn't make the label of rapist or murderer untrue, but society has decided that in order to function, we need the truth, even on objective matters to be situationally inappropriate at times.

Imo, Mr Corbetts truth about Christians is situationally inappropriate to the classroom.

 

[Sunstone]

Should the gaurds in the prison where he was held be allowed shout this at him, what about his lawyer, the judge at the trial, the jurists or the press while he is on trial.

Up to the day he was convicted he was as a point of law innocent, it doesn't make the label of rapist or murderer untrue, but society has decided that in order to function, we need the truth, even on objective matters to be situationally inappropriate at times.

Imo, Mr Corbetts truth about Christians is situationally inappropriate to the classroom.

I don't buy into the legitimacy of your "situationally inappropriate truths". I would regard such treatment of truth as a failure on the part of society.

 

[monta]

I don't buy into the legitimacy of your "situationally inappropriate truths". I would regard such treatment of truth as a failure on the part of society.

You believe it would be appropriate for a judge to state his belief that a defendant was guilty during a trial?

 

[Sunstone]

You believe it would be appropriate for a judge to state his belief that a defendant was guilty during a trial?

Stating his belief that a defendent is guilty before that conclusion has been arrived at through proper methods is inappropriate. But the fact it is inappropriate does not alter the other fact that telling the truth about someone or thing cannot be bashing them.

 

[monta]

Stating his belief that a defendent is guilty before that conclusion has been arrived at through proper methods is inappropriate. But the fact it is inappropriate does not alter the other fact that telling the truth about someone or thing cannot be bashing them.

To bash someone is to abuse them, for example, telling fat person that they're fat everytime you see them, in my view would be abusive.

There are numerous situations where we ration the truth, and in my mind rightly so, such as in court, where a judge shouldn't be seen to have an opinion on a defendants guilt or innocence during the trial, and in my opinion in a school environment where a teacher should not be seen to have a bias against an group of people, whether they are in the minority or majority.

 

[Riverwolf]

American education, before PC was introduced, was the fienst in the world.

It will be again, as soon as we can get education back to actual education.

Do you have any real evidence to support the supposition that the computer has caused a decrease in education?

Here's another pet theory that I think has a bit more weight (it is not my own, but I agree with it): education is in the pits because all that's shoved down childrens' throats is facts, facts, facts, facts, facts, with little to no emphasis on meaning.

 

[dawny0826]

Teachers should not talk about religion in class- whether it is for it or against it. If they teach a class about various faiths, they should remain neutral about it.

I agree.

Personally, as a parent, I'd be ticked off if this guy said such things to my child (or to a class) but I wouldn't waste my time with a lawsuit. A parent/teacher conference would be sufficient enough for me.

His arrogance would annoy the heck out of me but I see a lot of arrogance in the lawsuit as well.

 

[darkendless]

Teachers should not talk about religion in class- whether it is for it or against it. If they teach a class about various faiths, they should remain neutral about it.

Religion is a big part of our experience in life. It should be discussed in detail as well as being debated. If kids don't like having their beliefs challenged they will not be prepared for the real world. You can't bubble wrap them forever, so the earlier they get used to the harsh realities of life the better.

 

[darkendless]

Do you have any real evidence to support the supposition that the computer has caused a decrease in education?

Here's another pet theory that I think has a bit more weight (it is not my own, but I agree with it): education is in the pits because all that's shoved down childrens' throats is facts, facts, facts, facts, facts, with little to no emphasis on meaning.

Thats why examples and debate is required. If children don't challenge these facts with the ideas they've theorized (no matter how old they are), they won't understand why these facts are indeed facts.

Simply babbling information is no use to anyone, kids need to be involved, they need to develop their ideas as a group as multiple minds theorize better than a single one.

 

[AxisMundi]

Do you have any real evidence to support the supposition that the computer has caused a decrease in education?

Here's another pet theory that I think has a bit more weight (it is not my own, but I agree with it): education is in the pits because all that's shoved down childrens' throats is facts, facts, facts, facts, facts, with little to no emphasis on meaning.

PC = Political Correctness.

Texting could account for the decline in proper grammar though.

 

[AxisMundi]

Religion is a big part of our experience in life. It should be discussed in detail as well as being debated. If kids don't like having their beliefs challenged they will not be prepared for the real world. You can't bubble wrap them forever, so the earlier they get used to the harsh realities of life the better.

Religion is indeed a big part in some people's lives. However, religion doesn't belong in a secular institution as part of the curriculum.

There are plenty of venues for religion outside of the classroom.

 

[darkendless]

Religion is indeed a big part in some people's lives. However, religion doesn't belong in a secular institution as part of the curriculum.

There are plenty of venues for religion outside of the classroom.

Yes, but not many with the ability to provide controlled means of debate and discussion. Lets face it, not many kids would come to a place like this to learn more. They stick to what they know and get a shock when someone turns around and laughs at what they believe.

This is not directly related but at my university a few of the catholic school kids got a shock in first year physics when the lecturer suggested that that if atomic processes were an act of God, he would sell his soul to the devil. My point is that the sooner kids can be exposed to such comments and ideas, the sooner they will be able to recognise the intent of the comments.

My opinion is that there isn't a more organised place than school to do such a thing. However, i'm not American and i don't really understand the who PC thing and how intense you all get about religious beliefs.

 

[AxisMundi]

Yes, but not many with the ability to provide controlled means of debate and discussion. Lets face it, not many kids would come to a place like this to learn more. They stick to what they know and get a shock when someone turns around and laughs at what they believe.

This is not directly related but at my university a few of the catholic school kids got a shock in first year physics when the lecturer suggested that that if atomic processes were an act of God, he would sell his soul to the devil. My point is that the sooner kids can be exposed to such comments and ideas, the sooner they will be able to recognise the intent of the comments.

My opinion is that there isn't a more organised place than school to do such a thing. However, i'm not American and i don't really understand the who PC thing and how intense you all get about religious beliefs.

Any percieved lack of venues for "debate and discussion" doesn't evolve a default of "Public School".

 

[darkendless]

Any percieved lack of venues for "debate and discussion" doesn't evolve a default of "Public School".

Your education system and current problems are evidence enough that kids are protected far too much by political correctness and lack of life experience within the school system.

People can and will say what they want in the real world, so why stop teachers and students doing so in the classroom? Sure, i'd be angry if a christian fundie taught my kids, but it would give me an oppurtunity to teach them why he's an idiot and how they can challenge him.

 

[ChristineES]

Religion is a big part of our experience in life. It should be discussed in detail as well as being debated. If kids don't like having their beliefs challenged they will not be prepared for the real world. You can't bubble wrap them forever, so the earlier they get used to the harsh realities of life the better.

You believe that the place to challenge a child's religion is in a classroom? I send my children to school to learn the curriculum that the school provides. They will have plenty of chances of having their faith challenge outside of a classroom. I just don't believe a class should be used for that purpose.

Not even my faith was questioned in my Physical Anthropology class. And I did not keep my faith a secret, although I did not talk of it during class time or even outside it during breaks- except for little snippets of exchanged information between classmates.