Isn't this amazing in this day and age?

Question

Steve Bitterman, 60, was an instructor at Southwestern Community College in Red Oak, Iowa. Last week, he dared to tell his students that the Biblical story of Adam and Eve should not be literally interpreted. Truth is not much a part of Iowa curricula, it seems, so a handful of students who threatened legal action over his remarks in a Western Civilization class intimidated the faculty enough that the teacher was fired.

Bitterman objected, and rightly so:

The Southwestern Community College president, Barbara Crittenden, said that Bitterman taught one course at Southwest, but declined comment on his claim that he was fired specifically over the Bible reference, claiming that it was a personnel issue.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/auroradawn52/photos/AdamEve.jpg

I’m just a little bit shocked myself that a college in good standing would back up students who insist that people who have been through college and have a master’s degree… have to teach that there were such things as talking snakes or lose their job.

Answer 1

I would like to know more about the course he was teaching. If you are teaching a course on the Bible and you make that statement then there are grounds for your dismissal. If he was in a different setting then it would be different. You may not agree with but you see the point.

Answer 2

Bitterman, who taught part time at Southwestern and Omaha’s Metropolitan Community College, said he uses the Old Testament in his western civilization course and always teaches it from an academic standpoint.
He did not support any one god or gods as being more correct than any other . He taught that such things as talking serpents , world wide floods ,600 year old men and other scientifically unsupportable events were symbolic in nature .

Answer 3

Yes it is.

The interesting thing is that the issue of the teacher's dismissal, Bitterman's opinion on the whether or not the A&E story is factual, will very likely not be examined - the Bible story will very probably escape close scrutiny while Bitterman is roasted and toasted for everything else under the sun including the color of his socks.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/pumpkin_GIF.gif
[][][] r u randy? [][][]

Answer 4

That's ridiculous. I doubt every Christian (even Midwest Christians) take Genesis literally. The students overreacted. People are too quick to threaten/take legal action these days.

Answer 5

I do not agree that this man should lose his job at all. My question though is why was he passing judgment on a religious viewpoint in the classroom?
If someone were to teach in their class (having been through college and have a masters) that they believed it to be the literal truth, then that teacher would more then likely be fired as well. So why is it ok to fire the one who agrees with the bible..but completely fine for another teacher to still talk about it, but has an opposing view on it?

Answer 6

If he were fired over this, shouldn't the students then have to prove that it should be taken literally, and offer proof as to why? It seems as though he does have a good chance at winning a wrongful termination suit.

Answer 7

I think he has a good strong case and I hope he uses this opportunity to sue the school. Hell, even the fundies can't tell what parts of the bible are supposed to be taken literally and metaphorically.

Addition: I have several friends from other countries and they do indeed look down on Americans for this very reason. Koikoiboi is merely stating a fact. You should consider thanking him for telling us something too many of us fail to realize.

Answer 8

Religion has always caused wars/arguments throughout history and unfortunately I think there will always be these wars/arguments.
He wasn't doing anything wrong, people should be allowed freedom of speech without being treated like a lamb to slaughter.
Love the cute Adam & Eve pic btw lol.

Answer 9

Speaking as a non-american - this is one of the reasons why the rest of the world thinks that you are stupid! All of the western world has embraced christianity - none of it takes the book of genesis literally. I would suggest to those people who got that poor man fired to take care not to fall of the edge of the earth, you'd never know were it is

Answer 10

It amazes me that religion even exists at all in mainstream society in this day and age. Nonsense like this stuff in Iowa is part and parcel with living in a society where primitive superstition is the dominant "philosophy".