Public school teacher saying no god (just the point, you DONT DO IT) *PLEASE READ.*?

Question

When the topic "World Religions" came up in the cirriculum, my global teacher freshman year did more then teach us. He over stated his "opinion" as he liked to call it. He said there's no way religion can be real bc it originated from people like you and me. if religion isnt real that must mean no god? he said people are all brainwashed and stated 'facts' with good info to back it up. For example, he basically said how can "God" create the world and explained how theres no such thing with believable facts. If youre reading this im sure you probably dont believe in god eathier but thats besides the point! The point is that being in his class all year, this teacher not only changed my faith but he changed my perspective on life. He basically in 'nice terms' told us that we dwelled from evolution and just sprung up as people each with an individual personality. and people like you and I created religion to form a sense of control.

i understand that any teachers response would be "its in the cirriculum, we have to teach it or we get peanilized." but thats not what im getting at.. my question is WHY would the government or whoever makes these textbooks allow something like that to be taught..? did anyone take a look at the US consitution? HELLOOO. andd why is a teacher like that even in the system? its patheticc andd unreal how first impressions and portfolios/"degrees" when getting a job come such a long way.

**NOTE TO negative/miserable critics: please dont respond "go to catholic school if you dont wanna hear it." because i know this already - it's just the government is so hippocritcal i cant take it.

Answer 1

A teacher's role in a public school system is to present "theories". There is no harm in presenting theories, because to me, as a Christian mother and grandmother, it is MY job to pay attention to what the curriculum is that is being taught (our schools require 9 wk outlines they must then follow) and to take it from there and express my very opinionated positions to my family. It is NOT a teachers job to take it upon hisself to teach something like that which you are describing as a bonifide "fact". That IS outside his scope of responsibilities and boundaries as a teacher. Where were your parents when this was all going on, or did you not share it with them for some reason, which I am sure at this point, you realize was not wise of you? You took their authority lines away as parents if you are old enough to understand all this and yet kept it from them. Please do not handicap them further. Make sure they understand the full scope of what took place, and then, let them do their job. THAT is what THEY get paid for!!! Good luck. You have had a lot of confusion placed in your mind in what I consider to be an unethical way. You can unravel it all with help.

Answer 2

Okay - are you HS or college? If you are in college, you have little recourse if he is tenured. That's the purpose of tenure, for better or worse, is to allow a teacher to teach what they think. The power is in the money. If his classes fill, he'll stay. If no one wants to hear what he has to say, they'll fire him. You can either stay in the class, or drop the class. If you drop, you may have an argument for at least getting your money back on the class. If you are in a public HS then what he did is illegal. He is allowed to teach about all religions but NOT to express personal belief. And in either case it is very very unlikely that curriculum would include a "no God" lecture. Perhaps a "some people believe there is no God", but not "there is no God." There is a vast difference in the two. And again, text books used in a public school would not include such a statement, however, a professor in a college can often use what ever material he/she sees fit. And often they don't use what we call "text" books (books written primarily for a classroom), but "trade books" which are books that are written for the general public that he uses in the classroom And regarding changing your faith. Surely you aren't so naieve as to think that people don't think as he does. If your faith is so easily shattered then it wasn't much of a faith. As you grow and experience life you will hear many ideas. You can either agree and accept them, or disagree and reject them. Either way you grow stronger in your own beliefs. Faith is just that - faith. You believe what YOU believe. He believes what he believes. That is what makes America great!

Answer 3

I think the teacher was wrong to say that, whether I agree with him or not. It's just as wrong for a teacher to tell a student that his or her religion is -wrong- as it is for him to insist that his is the only -right- one.

I'm sure this wasn't in the curriculum or the textbook. It's possible to talk about religions, even compare religions, without picking one particular one as the -right- one. Though when teachers do, students still get upset because they really believe theirs is the one true religion and they don't like them all talked about as if they were the same. This is why teachers usually just stay off the subject.

At least the teacher said that this was his -opinion-. Give him credit for that.

If someone tells you that he doesn't believe what you believe, and this changes the way -you- believe, then you must not have had very strong faith!

Answer 4

Just because a teacher states his opinion, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's what the school wants taught. It's obvious from your comments that the teacher was just stating his personal opinion. I'm not sure what the school system is supposed to teach, but all views should be represented in one way or another. There's certainly no harm in hearing about other views and it can help you to be more aware of why you believe the way you do or help you see why you might agree with the other view. You decide what you believe. No one decides that for you.

Answer 5

I see no problem with what your teacher said. If he felt like expressing his opinion then it's his legal right to do so. The school also has it's right to not to want to be associated with that teacher's opinions and fire him for it but they can't fire him for the act of expressing his opinion alone. That is, of course, unless he was neglecting his teaching duties and classes to bi*ch about the existence of God.

I personally believe in God. I have seen miracles not only in my life but in the lives of others around me. Most poeple can't see how God moves or works because they can't understand how God moves and works. If you want to look at it scientifically then consider this. In this world everything has a beginning. If that's true then shouldn't logic also say that there was something that started everything else, an "initiator" of the process? Even the big bang had to have come from somewhere. Therefore this initiator must have no beginning because it is the beginning. An existence with no beginning that is so great that it gave berth to an entire universe, couldn't that be called God?

Answer 6

The teacher is either overstepping his bounds or making an *** of himself. Religion is 'real' just as Patriotism is real but as preferential BELIEFS. Frankly, nobody can prove there is or isn't a deity. Your right to believe or not believe in any religion is fully protected in the US Constitution for the individual and associations of individuals. He would be a better teacher if he simply posed the subject, "In our religious studies, we shall debate the correctness (or not) of the non-taxation of religious institutions."
I'm agnostic, which means 'show me'. Of couse this borders on atheism in some people's view, but on the other hand, I might think their beliefs are stupid, naive and manipulated. Frankly, putting the individual's soul to the side, religion has been the biggest trouble maker in history, way out-distancing border-disputes. It's almost like God should come to each of us, on his knees, and say He's going to try to do better. Good luck, GOD! Of course, it's all a matter of man's interpretations, but EACH man has that right to decide without being ridden herd on it (or as in an era just past, die in a gas chamber for the religious customs he grew up in).

Answer 7

why does it bother you so much? if there is a god no big deal if there is a god oh well. if it bothers you so much that someone freely states their opinion then you might just have to get over it. the reality is that when you are in a real school like college it's expected. by knowing each others beliefs you really begin to understand the world a lot better. he is right however, religion was created by man, that is fact. Whether or not there is a god is not really our decision so I would just get over what your teacher said. dwelling on pointless problems like the one you are talking about is a waste of time, life goes on, get over it.

Answer 8

That is no teacher! He's just a typical Low level wanna be teacher that clearly is not doing his job! Brain washing children with his personal views is not his job .. If a teacher pulled that crap with my son that teacher would be fired or hurting or both! You must understand there is a big difference between learning and being brain washed and you where Brain washed. But when you mature a little bit you will find for your self how wrong this so called teacher was.

Answer 9

Well, your teacher has a point: Religion was created by men to explain what they did not know. We now know many of the things through science that primitive humans used gods to explain. Religion has also been used as a way of controlling the masses, especially women. I wish I could remember who said religion was what kept the poor from murdering the rich.

Answer 10

Plain and simply religion plays a huge role in world history and current global politics. One must study religion in order to understand the past and deal with the present and future. There's a difference between studying it and religion being a mandatory forum in public school.

By the way, I honestly couldn't understand your question. You need to proofread better.