Also . .. who did the other kids write too? IF ALL THE OTHER STUDENTS understood it to be someone that could write back . . . and this kid did not .. . . . . Rocket River
Actually HinduISM has one God, not hundreds as is falsely portrayed, but you have a good point otherwise...
Also . .. who did the other kids write too? IF ALL THE OTHER STUDENTS understood it to be someone that could write back . . . and this kid did not .. . . . . I don't think the problem is that the teacher told the kid that he couldn't write to Jesus. The problem is that the teacher said the kid couldn't do it because <I>Jesus was not a real person</I>. This is basically the same as a teacher telling a student "your religion is wrong".
Who says Jesus couldn't write him back? If the kid is right and Jesus is the son of God, then I'm certain his death would not absolutely preclude him returning correspondence.
1. I thought you were Christian? If so, I don't understand why you say he probably was not the son of God. 2. You apparently do not follow contemporary theological debate as there have been a growing number of books, especially in the last 5-10 years (probably about 30 in total right now), that argue against an historical Jesus.
It could be that he does follow contemporary theological debate but recognizes that arguments that Jesus never existed are quackery.
She should have just told the kid that he wasn't complying with the assignment rather than blast away at his religious beliefs. The attorney was interviewed and stated the injunctive relief is also being sought. If the school district would agree to the injunction then they'd drop the monetary claim. Are you high? You'd have to be to make a statement like that. It was either solely intended to be inflammatory or was a lame attempt at humor. Sorry it is SOOOO much to ask that teachers don't publicly deny the existence of the person the family believes to be the son of God. She could leave her religious views out of it. If you want to stop a student group from praying before a football game then you have to stop this teacher from espousing her views. You can't have it both ways. Consistency please...
That is certainly possible, I just read it as him saying it is not debated, and i certainly didn't mean anything negative about it, nor was i making a value judgement on the debate.
Seems to me like a matter of a kid not understanding an assignment. And a mother taking the opportunity to jump all over it. For all the complaints a lot of you do about media, many of you are still quick to believe everything you read. 1.5 million. Nice round number, I wonder how you arrive at that? The principal states the assignment was to be mailed to the person in hopes that it gets returned. But certainly he was lying, right? Because.....uh..... Ah well, it sounds better if the teacher is an evil, anti-Christian monster poisoning our children's minds, anyway. And I wonder if the teacher had let the assignment go through, and the kid with the parents who don't believe mentioned it at dinner one night? Boy, great....lawsuit from the other side.
Then tell the kid he does not understand the assignment. That's fine. What is clear impermissible is the teacher taking the opportunity to crap on the kid's religious beliefs. For what? Allowing another kid to write something that only the teacher will ever read or be exposed to? Doesn't sound like much of an injury to me. Bottom line...had the kid been Muslim and the teacher told him that Mohammed never existed the left would be in an uproar. But since it was good old Jesus Christ I guess that's ok. I really wish I could get some consistency here.
That's my point. We have, what, the mother seeking 1.5 million who's had her poor, good Christian child's mind poisoned? Notice in the article we have no quotes from other classmates, from the teacher him/herself.... The prinicpal says the assignment was supposed to be someone it could be mailed to. I don't necessarily believe him, because I just don't know....but by the same token I'm also not eager to have his school cough up 1.5 million - also because I don't know. But because this is about religion and school - because it deals, exactly with what you said 'good old Jesus Christ' - its assumed that its clearly another cut-and-dried case of the school system trying to destroy our children by separating religion? I'm not buying that either. If this teacher told this kid that God didn't exist, and his religion was crap, then yeah its only common sense that he/she be fired. Of course, that would also violate the kind of consistency you are seeking. If every other kid in the class got the assignment right, the teacher told this kid that he needed to redo his, and the mother saw this as an assault on her religion and the opportunity to move in some cash.....well isn't that a possibility too?
The teacher was wrong and should probably be fired. The lawsuit is ridiculous. And, Refman, the left would not be up in arms about this if a different religion were involved. They would say the teacher was wrong and should probably be fired.
YOU wouldn't be up in arms. YOU are reasonable. But we'd be innundated with political advocates from tthe left on every news outlet decrying such insensitive treatment. You believe in lawsuits for wrongful arrest. Why is the 1st Amendment less deserving of legal protection than the 4th? If making students read a book about the Koran isn't a separation issue then certainly ONE student writing a letter to Jesus Christ that NOBODY other than the teacher would read brings no separation issue. They have chosen not to speak. I'll save you the trouble..."that's not what happened at all." Great he said/she said. It will be hashed out in court. Oh...well...let's just drop it then. There's a POSSIBILITY that it didn't happen. The mother didn't say that her kid was told to redo his assignment and that there was some kind of tortured logic implied assault on her religion. She alleges that there was a DIRECT, UNEQUIVOCAL statement that Jesus never existed. You have an allegation that a government official told a student that their religion is bogus because the subject of it was a myth...and you're ok with that???!!! WTF???!!! This kid shouldn't get his day in court??? That's nuts.
As I said, if the idiot actually said that - fire him. Simple as that. But I haven't heard enough to believe this 'government official' simply and maliciously tried to shoot down this kid's belief in God. And I sure as hell don't see how stringing over a million dollars out of the school is going to somehow make things right. I only bring up the 'possiblity' that it didn't happen because you seem to eagerly and fully accept that it did. It's never that simple. But because it is a separation issue, you seem to feel it is. Were this any other subject - regarding a student allegation against a teacher - I would think it much more appropriate to try and consider all possibilities.
