High school student tapes teacher preaching God in class Opionions?

Question

Shortly after school began in September, the teacher told his sixth-period students at Kearny High School that evolution and the Big Bang were not scientific, that dinosaurs were aboard Noah’s ark, and that only Christians had a place in heaven, according to audio recordings made by a student whose family is now considering a lawsuit claiming Mr. Paszkiewicz broke the church-state boundary.

“If you reject his gift of salvation, then you know where you belong,” Mr. Paszkiewicz was recorded saying of Jesus. “He did everything in his power to make sure that you could go to heaven, so much so that he took your sins on his own body, suffered your pains for you, and he’s saying, ‘Please, accept me, believe.’ If you reject that, you belong in hell.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/18/nyregion/18kearny.html?ex=1324098000&en=87af8b74af1e13cc&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

Answer 1

In my state, the student would be criminally prosecuted unless she advised the teacher he was being audio recorded. I'm glad somebody still teaches the truth.

Answer 2

It's not a good situation. If the parents of the students question why an adult, who is an authority figure, hangs out with teenagers what could he say? He should be going to the movies with his wife. Also, if he does hang out with his students and is ever accused of inappropriate conduct (whether ir's true or not) he will have a difficult time denying it. Teachers are not in the classroom to be friends with their students. Also, how does he know that any advice he gives is the correct advice? Unless he is a trained psychologist he is not qualified to counsel students with their personal problems. For his sake, the sake of his career and the sake of your marriage he needs to modify his behavior. Also, if you have not done so, you need to speak with your husband regarding your concerns. His heart may be pure and he may feel that he is accomplishing something positive;but, as i said, the situation is not good.

Answer 3

He clearly crossed the line, and should be reprimanded. He must teach according to the guidelines laid down by the school board, the state, and the federal government. If he wants to teach about God, he can do so in a privately funded school, but not in a public school.

What would children who are brought up in other faiths - Bhuddist, Jewish, Wickan - or those who's parents are raising them as atheist or humanist - have made of this lesson? Teachers cannot undermine the religious and moral teachings of parents.

Answer 4

I am not a Christan, but, what I don't understand is how or why do people who don't want to believe there is a god or dead set against Christianity? I don't know of a single Christan who contemplates blowing some one up or killing them, and be honest , if you go by the tenants of the Christan faith you will certainly be a better person and not as apt, to get in trouble, had you rather your kid became a murder, rapist,prostitute, or even worse, at least by teaching children the basics of human decency, they have a better chance of growing up to be decent people, don't you think since we can't teach about god any more is one of the reasons we are having so many problems with the children today? I can't imagine a boy sixteen years old is so delicate that he would be offended by some one teaching about god , even if he is told at home there is no god, I would bet he hears a lot more dirty filthy and abusive language in the boys bath room , than any teacher will teach in the class room, sounds to me like some one is searching for their one minute of fame, Also. pray tell what you do believe in , as one who doesn't believe in something surely must be a very miserable person.

Answer 5

it's not a matter of church state "separation" because that does not in fact exist. To go down that existential road will not be worthwhile. It's a matter of a teacher not doing their job and I'm sure there are grounds for dismissal or reprimand at the lowest level.

Answer 6

Even though the teaching choice is obviously improper in the court of public opinion, it is not going to be an easy case to make in a court of law.

The attorney will need to choose the legal issues carefully and balance legal advocacy with the way the issues (and plaintiffs) will be perceived publicly (assuming they don't want to move).

The family needs to be wary of advocacy groups that will look to exploit this situation to advance their causes.

Answer 7

I think the parents should be aware of this in the event that they don't want religion taught in their schools, but religion was a basic part of education for students for the first hundred years or so in this country. the answer is a charter system where parents can establish schools in the manner they wish, hire and fire teachers without interfenrence by a teachers union which often does not allow bad teachers to be fired and we can have christian schools for the christian, athiest schools for the athiest, and even muslem schools for those of that faith.
the act of forbidding prayer in school is and of itself a violation of the amemdment forbiding laws regarding church and state..

Answer 8

what I find amazing is that the majority of people quoted in the article are on the teacher's side. It is so clearly a violation of church and state I can't imagine being on his side.

Answer 9

This sounds like an Establishment Clause problem.

Answer 10

Shouldn't send kids to public scruel anyways. Work 10 jobs if you have to just to afford to send them to a decent private school or do what you can to homeschool them.