I got kicked out my political science class for saying atheist people should never run the country?

Question

Is this fair? Does anyone agree with me?

I am from San Jose, California.

lol....I am not in high school!

You guys are missing the point. (This incident happened months ago and we just got our grades back and teacher gave me a F in the class which dropped my GPA.) I have every right to express the way I feel. It's not fair.

Golden thank you. That's what I am going to do. I wasn't in the class, so my how can I be graded on my academically if I wasn't presence for most of the class. If anything they should give me a "Withdraw"

http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/soc-spring/rec-602.html
http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/PoliSci/

Answer 1

No it is not fair, and I hope you get the chance to challenge the instructors actions.

Political science (oxymoron) kinda like millitary intellegence. Nothing is scientific about politics, Politicians either kiss babies or kiss... well you know.

I'm fumin for ya friend, prayin for ya, and asking you to keep on rockin the boat in San Jose.

al 4 now B

PS: If any of us here in California can help with a petition or somethin give us a shout OK.

Answer 2

I'm sorry that your 'teacher' was so 'wrong' as to 'kick you out' of that class ... but I can also tell you that in 'his/her eyes' what happened was 'right' ... because our Constitution says there is a 'separation of church and state' ... and to your teacher, it 'seemed' that you were making a 'totally religious statement' in his POLITICAL SCIENCE class. To him, that made your statement 'unacceptable' ... but you should have some way to 'challenge' your grade, especially if you were 'kicked out of class' and then given a 'final grade of F' for your 'religious statement' ... but you will have to say that it was 'just a statement' and that you didn't REALIZE that you could not 'discuss religion in a political setting' and PROVE IT in some way. You may not 'totally win' and be given a 'passing grade' ... and if you 'need' this course to get your degree, you may have to take it again (and if it is a 'small college' you may have to take it from the same teacher) ...
BEWARE though, because you don't 'know' what the teachers may 'see' about this incident, even if you get it 'expunged' from your 'record' ... so DO NOT SAY ANYTHING AGAINST ANY RELIGION AGAIN. Many college teachers are ATHEISTS and this may be that he 'took offense' at your statement because he was an atheist, and thinks that all atheists are 'very scientific' and would make 'better rulers' than the 'conservative Christians' now in power.
By the way, I 'don't agree with your statement' ... AS STATED HERE. Perhaps what you 'really meant' was that you don't think that a 'government' should be made up of ALL ATHEISTS ... but that really 'doesn't matter' ... I've given you a CHANCE to get your 'record expunged' of that grade, and you should 'know better than to make religiously oriented statements in a Poli-Sci' class again. Good luck ... but I do 'hope' that if you want to go into 'politics' that you are going to be 'only a political science teacher' and not 'run for office' ... but that is my 'personal opinion.'

Answer 3

Well simply stating an opinion shouldn't get you kicked out of any class. Maybe it was the method of your communication? Were you rude or did you use inappropriate language or were you disruptive?

My guess is the answer is probably yes, or you go to a very rigid school.

You are entitled to your opinion of course, but your viewpoint in inherently incorrect.

Our country was founded on the principals of separation of church and state, and also founded by people seeking relief from religious persecution.

Our constitution was set up to protect followers of all religions, or of those who choose not to follow.

Therefore it follows that an atheist should have no issues running our country given that religion, as dictated by our founding father's laws of the land, should not and connot be part of the political process.

In recent years this separation has been overlooked and stepped on, particularly by the Republican Party, but that does not mean that the documents under which our country was founded are no longer valid or somehow incorrect.

This is my opinion of course, but given it based on facts and how our country's legal documents are written, it is really the only valid opinion to have on this subject.

Bear in mind I am not an atheist, nor am I a politician, and I am sure there will be many who disagree, and the ability to have a difference of opinion is another thing (like freedom from religion) that makes our country great.

Answer 4

Depends on what you did. Did you just make a statement and sat there saying nothing or becoming emotional, or did you actually back up your beliefs?

If you were respecting the other people within your class and giving a proper debate/discussion, then you should not have been.

If you were only saying a controversial topic to inflame your fellow classmates, then the teacher acted properly if he/she felt that it would detract from the schedule they had concerning classtime.

Edit:
So... why didn't you talk to your prof then? Since you're not in high school, I'm assuming you're in college. If you sign up for a class, attend it, and do not drop it, you are liable to get a grade. Thus, since you seem to not have returned to class, turned in any work, nor done any participation, then you deserve your F.

Answer 5

If that is the only reason for your getting kicked out of the class then it's not right. I'm not agreeing with you that athiests can't run the country. Religion or lack of it shouldn't be a major factor in the qualifications of a politician. But I hope we never get to the point an athiest is in charge.

Colleges are where people should be thought to think, not just agree with what the instructor says. If voicing your poinion in a polysci class (or any other class for that matter) is all it takes to kick you out--Get a lawyer.

Answer 6

You have a valid point. Someone asked for a reason and here it is. This country is based on a idea, a belief unlike any country before or since. This idea is the basis for all else that America stands for. Here it is: ."..all men are CREATED equal and ENDOWED by their CREATOR with certain unalienable rights..." This means purely and simply that every individual has certain rights that he gets directly from God not from any politician, not from any bureaucrat not from any king or government but directly from the Creator Himself. That means they specifically do not come from the government and cannot be taken away by the government. This basic self-evident truth is the basis for all else that follows.

Atheists do not accept the premise that there is a "creator", therefore they cannot be expected to accept that people are endowed by someone or something that does not exist. It stands to reason that if man has any rights at all he must get them from other men, since that is all they believe in.

If men are the source of our rights then men can take them away. Most people don't realize how important that one simple statement in the Declaration of Independence is. It is the only thing that stands between you and tyrany.

Socialism, for instance, must strictly enforce atheism. No religious beliefs can be tollerated. The reason for this is that in socialism, the collective or society as a whole is the most important thing to consider. In America, each individual is equally as important as any other. In Tyranies, the will of the tyrant is most important. In America the will of the people is the most important.

Atheist have removed the creator from the equation. Without a creator there are no moral absolutes. There is only moral relativism. Basically, moral relativism means that there is no higher authority than man or man is god. If you accept that premise than any decision man makes that benefits him at any given moment, regardless of how heinous, can be considered legitimate. In other words right and wrong are relative not absolute.

In summary, someone who does not accept that there is a Creator has no moral absolutes to guide them and cannot uphold a constitution that requires a belief in the Creator. They may be perfectly acceptable to lead other nations but not this one. If a person does not believe in democracy he is not suitable; if someone does not believe in the Creator he is equally unsuitable. A belief in a Creator is fundamental.

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Answer 7

Something tells me you are not being forthright about the entire situation. Perhaps there was more you left out? If it is simply as you state, then your professor should have some explaining to do. As for whether you were correct in your argument, I wholeheartedly disagree. It is an ignorant stance that shows a clear lack of understanding about athiests. Why not say Christians cannot run the country? There is no difference.

Answer 8

Its Not Fair Yet I Dont Agree Anybody Can Run The Country As Long As They Qualify.

Answer 9

You werent kicked out of your class for being a biggot although you should have been. More than likely you were being intentionally disruptive and stupid. Especially in college professors will allow you to make any statement you want if you can back it up and if they beleive something completely opposite they will try to show you the frailty in your logic. It is about education not about forcing conformity. In high school its about forcing conformity. Professors like to maintain control of the flow of the class. Not of the opinions expressed by the students. Quite frankly this professor would have kicked you out if you said a Jewish person or a Muslim person should never be president in the same manner you declared athiest should.

As far as what I beleive. I beleive it doesnt matter what faith you are or if you have faith in a religion. As long as you have faith in yourself and the people you are leading or intending to lead. Religion is not a part of government and should never be. As an individual I support a Presidents right to have faith in a higher power but I would loose such faith if the President used his office as a Pulpit for God or Allah or whomever. A persons faith is a personal issue and should be treated that way. Athiest are perfectly capable of running this country and their beleifs in religion or God have nothing to do with that.

Socially speaking I dont beleive people would vote for an Athiest though. Not enmass. This culture associates religious beleifs with morality and the uninformed, uneducated will vote based on this association just as often as they will vote on their ethnicity, sex, or looks.

Answer 10

I'm a humanist and considering what this current administration has done to this country, I'm ready for a
political candidate who makes decisions based on reality , not what some invisible man up in the sky might do to you if you don't bow and scrape to him. That you were kicked out of a class for expressing your opinion is wrong and should not be tolerated. I disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death, your right to say it.