Student suspended for not blaspheming...

[draco664]

Link

I'm an athiest, but this astounds me that it's even considered part of a syllabus. I shudder to think what Fox news is making of this.

[HYHYBT]

I wish the story had included context. Does nobody writing news articles ask WHY anymore?

[s_stabeler]

I'm sorry, but this doesn't NEED context. The kid refused to perform an act that, according to his religious beliefs, was a sin. ( blasphemy is universally considered a sin) This is roughly a parallel to making a Muslim eat pork. Even if the kid is an asshole, I can't see how refusing to commit a sin can be reason for suspension.

[TheHuckster]

I'd love to know the whole purpose of this exercise. Blasphemy or not, it sounds like a rather hateful thing to teach. Disagree with religion, criticize religion, but don't pointlessly stomp on symbols of religion. I don't care if you're talking about Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, or anything else that has religious connotations or symbolism.

[Talon]

I also fail to see what educational value there is in stomping on a paper with Jesus' name. That sounds more like vandalism and blunt stupidity than anything else.

[Rebel]

This story has so many holes it's not even funny.

According to this article, the exercise was part of the teachers manual, but it doesn't say that the student had to stomp on the paper.
The manual reads:

“This exercise is a bit sensitive, but really drives home the point that even though symbols are arbitrary, they take on very strong and emotional meanings. Have the students write the name JESUS in big letters on a piece of paper. Ask the students to stand up and put the paper on the floor in front of them with the name facing up. Ask the students to think about it for a moment. After a brief period of silence, instruct them to step on the paper. Most will hesitate. Ask why they can’t step on the paper. Discuss the importance of symbols in culture.”

I'm not saying that the student is lying about being suspended from class or that the professor in this case wasn't a dick. I don't have reliable information about that. No-one outside of the school and the student does and they both have different stories.

However:
If they did the exercise as outlined in the manual, then I see no reason for the student to complain.
It's an exercise about the importance of symbols (religious or otherwise) in our culture. It was meant to explore why the word 'Jesus' is so important to you, but not important to other people.
The student wouldn't be required to stomp on the paper, but they are required to talk about why they won't.

[MadMike]

I also fail to see what educational value there is in stomping on a paper with Jesus' name. That sounds more like vandalism and blunt stupidity than anything else.

I've had a few teachers who, rather than just teaching as they should, push their values onto the students in the classroom, who are basically a captive audience.

[TheHuckster]

However:
If they did the exercise as outlined in the manual, then I see no reason for the student to complain.
It's an exercise about the importance of symbols (religious or otherwise) in our culture. It was meant to explore why the word 'Jesus' is so important to you, but not important to other people.
The student wouldn't be required to stomp on the paper, but they are required to talk about why they won't.

I at least have more understanding of the lesson at hand, and what the message is trying to convey. However, now it's really hard to tell whether the teacher was a dick or if the kid overreacted, made a scene, and his outburst of anger over the exercise is what got him suspended, not the fact that he refused to do it.

I still think a better course of action than suspension was warranted, though. Like even a heart-to-heart talk about what happened. Do schools even do heart-to-hearts anymore?

[PepperElf]

I've had a few teachers who, rather than just teaching as they should, push their values onto the students in the classroom, who are basically a captive audience.

Yep. Had a teacher push his views on biology with a dig about "virgin birth". etc.


and it wasn't always just religion. had a music teacher lecture us on healthy food choices once. (middle school). like that had ANYTHING to do with music.

[Duelist925]

I at least have more understanding of the lesson at hand, and what the message is trying to convey. However, now it's really hard to tell whether the teacher was a dick or if the kid overreacted, made a scene, and his outburst of anger over the exercise is what got him suspended, not the fact that he refused to do it.

I still think a better course of action than suspension was warranted, though. Like even a heart-to-heart talk about what happened. Do schools even do heart-to-hearts anymore?

Do schools even have heart anymore?

Ma-ti would be saddened.

[Gravekeeper]

None of this makes any sense even with the most recent update. He wasn't suspended in the class, but rather 2 days later when he went to the professor's superior. Apparently due to uttering threats ? But now after enough backlash the university is folding completely?

Its amazing for one article to have so many words yet still not give any information ;p

[HYHYBT]

I'm sorry, but this doesn't NEED context. The kid refused to perform an act that, according to his religious beliefs, was a sin. ( blasphemy is universally considered a sin) This is roughly a parallel to making a Muslim eat pork. Even if the kid is an asshole, I can't see how refusing to commit a sin can be reason for suspension.

Not even close to what I meant. Rebel's post fills in the context nicely.

[Seifer]

The manual reads:
Quote:
“This exercise is a bit sensitive, but really drives home the point that even though symbols are arbitrary, they take on very strong and emotional meanings. Have the students write the name JESUS in big letters on a piece of paper. Ask the students to stand up and put the paper on the floor in front of them with the name facing up. Ask the students to think about it for a moment. After a brief period of silence, instruct them to step on the paper. Most will hesitate. Ask why they can’t step on the paper. Discuss the importance of symbols in culture.”

Okay, now this makes more sense. I wonder how it was handled - if the teacher explained it correctly and the answer they gave to students who refused to do it. Did the teacher actually try to force the student to step on "Jesus", or did the student fly off the handle and go into a rage?

[Rageaholic]

Yep. Had a teacher push his views on biology with a dig about "virgin birth". etc.


and it wasn't always just religion. had a music teacher lecture us on healthy food choices once. (middle school). like that had ANYTHING to do with music.

The problem is that too many teachers and professors think that their opinion = fact. It's not always easy to pick up on since you're trusting them to give you accurate information, but teachers can mix in their political views with real data. They make it so that anyone who disagrees are just buying into the other side (black and white thinking).

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

I agree it needs context. Still, I wonder why a lesson like this is even in the manual frankly. You are asking for incidents like this. Just get a teacher having a bad day who pushes it too far. Or a kid having one who JUST got asked to blaspheme against something they take very seriously. Not to mention, some students aren't yet on speaking terms with their professor so they'll go ahead with it just to not rock the boat.

IMO, you can just as easily discuss this phenomenon without demonstrating it. I'd probably toss that as a lesson. Debate it. Discuss it. Move on. It's not like the fact that some people are unsettled by certain acts is exactly revelatory.