Can a teacher really make me do this for a midterm?

Question

i feel like this question needed updating so sorry if u have already answered this i am taking a college history course us history 101 and our midterm is on the Mormon faith movement in history
we started the course on the civil war and what caused it but that's not even on the midterm nore is the forcing of the native Americans off there lands we have to pick from 3 questions and write a paper on two them
the questions are

how were the Mormons persecuted for there religion

what separated the Mormons from other faiths

how were Mormons falsely accused of block voting

and why was Joesph smith murdered for something he didn't do

now i am not Mormon but as u can see these question are biased to make the Mormons look good he also said we are not allowed to talk about the moutian medow massicer because it was carried our buy some Mormons and not the higher ups can he make me do this paper or can i refuse to do this since. it is forcing his religion on me

Answer 1

I don't believe he is forcing his religion upon you, if it is even his religion. I am not Mormon, but Mormon's played an important part in the westward expansion of America during and after the Civil War. It is a relevant part of history. I am sure that you learned about the voyage across the ocean in the Mayflower, right? Well, that is also a religious-centered event, and yet it is considered to be a VITAL part of American history. Same thing with this. If it really bothers you, then speak to an advisor at your school. If you just think it's a lousy assignment, suck it up and do it anyway. You'll forget what you've learned ten minutes after the test is over anyway.

Answer 2

Very strange. Seems biased since you are only allowed to represent the Mormons in a positive way. I've never really heard of a history course that spent that much time on the Mormons and it seems a little ridiculous. Are you in Utah? Is this Brigham Young University? Those would be places I'd expect something like this. If this is not a private Mormon school then it may be inappropriate for history 101. He's not exactly forcing his religion on you though there is a problem if everything he teaches is only from a Mormon standpoint. Take it to a higher up in the school. See what they say.

Answer 3

What is the important question here ,,,, ? Issues about the questions asked of you or the question of your graduating from college ,,,, ? I can't see that they are forcing you to do anything including completing the assignment ,,,, What you do is entirely up to you whether you do it or not ,,,, That's the issue here not the content of the question ,,,,,I see no biase here what so ever,,,, You are merely being assigned to do something required to complete the course under the stipulations that he requires ,,,, He's the teacher here not you ,,,, If you take exception to the questions then discuss this issue with the him after you've completed the assignment ,,,, The important thing here is that you complete the assignment ,,,, What difference does subject matter covered prior to this make ?,,,, Maybe they aren't looking for an answer to the question as it appears ,,,, but merely looking for your ability to just answer the questions that they put before you ,,,, Sometimes the purpose for a question is not looking for a specific answer but the way in which the question is dealt with ,,,, Sounds to me like you are looking for implications that aren't even there ,,,,It doesn't necessarily have to follow that mid term has to cover civil war or plight of the American Indian issues ,,,, And the mention about the Moutain Medow incident just might be a curve to throw you off ,,,, Quit looking for some hidden purpose ,,,, take it at face value and just do the research needed to answer to the best of your ability ,,,, Your making an issue of the content is not going to change history or the requirements ,,,, You do have options though ,,,, If you want to complete the course then do what he requires ,,,, Or you can refuse and choose to drop out ,,,, Or you could raise hell which would make you look foolish and isn't going to do any good ,,,, Or you can attend a different college ,,,, The choice is yours ,,,,, The ball is in your court ,,,, so to speak ,,,, What are you going to do with it ,,,, ? ,,,,,,, Yoda said this ,,,,,

Answer 4

Putting a question on a test isn't forcing a religion on you. Since the test IS about the Mormon faith, questions about the Mormon faith are reasonable. Would you expect questions about Karl Marx? Refrigerator repair? Why not just answer the questions, and get on with your education? Trust me, answering a couple questions doesn't somehow make you any particular religion.

Answer 5

I've been in college for 3 years now and I have never felt that an instructor has 'forced' issues on me. My English teacher offered many of his own opinions about his views on certain topics AND in my religions class, I was given a mid-term and a final on all the religions that we studied throughout the semester. BUT, the final essays had to do with the Sikhs and their personal views of 'religion'.......my teacher was not 'forcing' it upon me. I made an adult decision to sign up for the class and was mature enough to understand that what I was learning was 'history'...not just in America, but all over the world. I attend a public college and I am not Mormon, but I live close enough to Utah to not be offended about what the history of that state holds. There is such a level of sensitivity in the last decade or so, people's 'feelings get hurt' and then they want to sue.....
By the way, I don't recall you saying that any time during your semester the instructor informed you that 'his' religion is Mormon...is this just an assumption? Please don't misunderstand me....I'm trying not to sound like I'm bashing you, I'm just trying to understand this situation a little better. My final thought is that maybe you have learned alot this semester and your instructor doesn't want to overwhelm you with the facts of ALL that you have studied in his class, so he figured that giving you just one subject to concentrate on would make the essays easier. It's been known to happen like that at my college.....

Answer 6

First of all it depends on whether or not it is a private school or a state school. If it is a private school it is assumed when you registered for classes/ signed a financial agreement or whatever you did to make you and official student of that school that you would abide by all school policies,whether you knew about them at that time or not and they can have whatever rules they want to because it is a private school and it was not compulsory that you attend there. In which case consult your student handbook to find out what your rights or lack thereof are. As a general statement at a private school they have to follow certain accreditation guidelines and then add to them as they see fit. If it is a state school you may have more options but for the most part they are also allowed to teach as they see fit. But once again, you need to consult your student hand book to find out what those options are. In either case go to the Dean of Students and discuss the matter and that may get you somewhere or if you have the money consult a lawyer. Keep in mind, ultimately they can make you do nothing. If you feel that strongly about it don't do the assignment at all (they can't force you) and suck it up and take a lesser grade.

Answer 7

I would do the mid-term and then take the issue up with the head of his department. With the broad scope of American History, focusing an entire mid-term around one single religion is ludicrous and can be argued as prejudicial. Although, if the professor gave a series of test and counted this one as the midterm after you have just studied the topic, there’s not much that can be argued.

At the least, you can call attention to him. Perhaps it is just a random test, but if it isn’t then his superiors can decide.

Answer 8

You can honestly answer the questions above. It is true that the number of questions is suspicious.
Mormons are separated by their own doctrine and Joseph Smith telling them that large parts of teaching have been "lost" He siad that without any evidence and that makes them look like buffoons.
The Kirtland banking/ antibanking society does not help the Mormons look any better!

Answer 9

The Mormon religion has played an intrigal part in our history. Just because they are asking you to study it doesn't mean that they are promoting it. You will study many interesting things in college. This website I am including is a great site for the questions you are asking.
www.mormon.org

Answer 10

They are not forcing religion on you, they are asking you to go into detail about the situations and how religion effected the outcomes. You are not being forced to practice a religion, you are being asked to come up with an intelligent answer.