I guess I could have put this in the education board, but I feel it is more of a personal issue rather than academic. Do you feel that if you are asked to read, study or create something that is against your beliefs that you should be permitted not to on the grounds that it may be offensive?
What about if several people in a class rom always have an objection, wouldn't this slow down the process of learning for others?
STUDENTS VS. LIBERAL PROFESSORS
At the University of North Carolina, three incoming freshmen sue over a reading assignment they say offends their Christian beliefs.
Ref. https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C1249%2C...00436%2C00.html
Good question. On the one hand, I say they can always go to a christian college if they find the curriculm at a secular school offensive. However, on the other hand, I believe other religious groups have sued and forced changes to curriculm in the past. No public school will discuss Christmas, for example. Yet 35 years ago, they all did as well as throw Christmas and Easter parties. So, if one religious group has the right to object to what is taught and/or done in a school from a religious view, so should they all.
I have rather mixed feelings about this issue.
The article itself mentions only briefly the lawsuit. Incoming students were given as "required" reading a book about the Quran. The lawsuit was about the word "required," not necessarily about reading the book.
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At UNC, the students lost their legal case, but the university no longer uses the word "required" in describing the reading program for incoming students (the plaintiffs' main objection). |
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But many educators, while agreeing students should never feel bullied, worry that they just want to avoid exposure to ideas that challenge their core beliefs - an essential part of education. |
There's a difference between learning about a different belief and being forced to learn that belief for the purpose of walking in that belief. I agree with your FarSeer, I would welcome the opportunity to learn about a different belief. How can I, as a Christian, attempt to witness to somebody who follows a different belief if I know nothing about that belief? If I were to walk up to a person who follows the Islamic faith and start talking about being "born again" they would probably turn away because that's not different from what they've been taught about reincarnation.
It helps me talking to other people who don't follow my faith if I know what sort of viewpoints they may have on the world around us.
When professors teach obvious personal opinion, I am fine with that up to a point. These are my requirements: Professors must evaluate my classroom performance on objective, unbiased standards. No matter how many personal opinions they express, I should be graded according to my demonstrated understanding of the course material, not the professors' editorial comments. The professor's teaching must remain within the boundaries of decency. He or she must provide a syllabus at the beginning of the course that outlines the grading system, the requirements for success in the class, and the standards by which I will be evaluated. If during the semester the professor changes the course requirements in a manner contrary to the printed syllabus, which is a contract of sorts, it must be agreeable to the students, or else they have the right to protest through the University and eventually the courts, if necessary.
These requirements are fairly standard. If a student comes in on the first day of class and sees objectionable material as required reading on the syllabus, he or she can withdraw from the class and find another section or a different class to fulfill the requirement. However, if the professor introduces said material in the middle of the semester, without prior warning, as a requirement for completion of the coursework, the students can and should protest in accordance with University policies.
I am pleased to see students actively working to stem the tide of politically correct liberality that has robbed University education of much of its useful substance. This is more of a legal and educational issue than a religious one, but it is a manifestation of religion demanding respect in education. I would do the same if there was a specific instance I felt required my action.
If schools are going to ban prayer, allow kids not to say pledge of allegiance, and not carry bibles, then the same curtesy should be extended to those that don't want to read the Koran It gets very upsetting to see the Christian faith get discriminated against and banned but all other religions are forced on our kids. If your going to require reading about the Koran then you cant very well ban learning about the Bible. This, to me, is a plain and simple case of discrimination
I personally don't think there is a problem with kids having to read about the Koran, its part of the Arab culture. But since the precedent has been set, if one religion is not allowed to be learned about, then keep the others out also.
Message Edited! Persephone: Corrected spelling / grammar |