News-Record.com

Fast forward 30 years. If this professor mentioned Noah's Ark in class today the ACLU would be on him like white on rice with multiple lawsuits. If it was discovered today that he was pro life, the feminists would be picketing in front of his classroom.

Interesting. A state employee who taught Noah's Ark as history and proseltyzed in class? This is what the letter writer seems to be reporting. I'm sure if that was the case, that many Christians would just love him for that, but that sort of action sounds like the height of unprofessional behavior.

If you're teaching history, your job is to teach history, not "save souls" or present ridiculous myths as fact. Your audience in a public school is diverse, and throwing religion into the mix of school business is a distraction that no one needs to deal with. Certainly not in a subject as complex and demanding as history.

Dan,

Your assertions are straight from the republican playbook. And inaccurate to boot. Just last week at a staff meeting, we held prayer for a colleague who had surgery. We regularly pray with and for our patients.

My grandchildrens' classes have prayer in class, before public meetings and special school activities. So how about stopping the alarmist attitude. Such inaccurate posts, based on an occasional exception, casts doubt on what you say.

People still have freedom from religious persecution in the US, no matter what you think to the contrary.

Yvonne,

I agree with what you say and appreciate your sharing your thoughts on prayer. I think both Dan and Nemo are acting like alarmist.

Unfortunately, they both have their points. In the college setting, however, there is much more academic freedom than in lower education levels. Teachers are free to spout their opinions left and right without fear of censorship. Or at least it was that way 30 years ago. And, come to think of it, the world is still turning and nobody was burned at the stake at UNCG.

Dan has a point in that the ACLU is a biased organization that screams freedom on one hand and then does everything in their power to take it away with the other.

I also agree with Nemo that teachers should stick to the facts in lower education. For that reason, I disagree with him about his stance that evolution should be taught in our public elementary, middle and high schools. I feel that evolution, intelligent design and creationism should not be taught because none have been proven. They aren't history and they aren't proven science. They, quite frankly, have no place in a basic education.

In higher education, I see nothing wrong with opinions,conjecture, and myths being taught as long as they aren't presented as fact but presented as opportunities to discuss and examine and consider.

"I agree with what you say and appreciate your sharing your thoughts on prayer. I think both Dan and Nemo are acting like alarmist."

I expect you're right. I never knew Dr. Bardolph (though my wife took a class with him one summer). So it's very possible that the incidents cited were fine in a college setting. I'd like to point out that my concern was only regarding professionalism. During my days at UNC-G, I never heard anything against the good professor in that regard.

Yvonne, I Googled ACLU Lawsuit God and got about 200,000 responses. I trust your staff meeting wasn't in a public school. You mention the "G" word in a public school and problems begin.

http://216.7.14.144/products/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=C6821

http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/020906/loc_scouts001.shtml

http://www.warriorsfortruth.com/news-christmas.html

http://bakersfield.craigslist.org/pol/128528696.html

Well alrighty then! Let's start bickering about the ACLU and elementary schools over the casket of a beloved professor! That's the ultimate goal for a blog, isn't it?

Nemo,

You're right. That's exactly the way I felt about the Coretta Scott King funeral. (oops, just had to get that in there).

Heh. I saw some footage from that on the Daily Show. I think yours is a fair comparison. There have to be better ways to air our differences than is such venues. It's just a simple matter of decency. Sheesh!

Dan,

When you search for info on the internet, no matter what search engine you use, they give you every site that has any of the words "ACLU, lawsuits and God". To get over 200,000 responses to searching "ACLU lawsuits God" does not mean there are over 200,000 lawsuits the ACLU is involved in re the mention of God somewhere.

Your implication that this is the case is wrong. And as I stated, I have attended special events in the classroom and on the atheletic fields of my grandchildrens' schools. There has been prayer and acknowledgement of God in the pledge. So far, no one has come to cart us away. Not the ACLU, not the God police, no one.

Several teachers have contradicted your version of what goes on in the public school system re reference to God. They are in the trenches every day and have insight into what happens on a day to day basis. I, for one, believe what they say, not what I read on the internet.

Yvonne, believe me I know how a search engine works. I may be conservative, but I'm not stupid. As I posted in the other blog about preschools, I read about ACLU lawsuits all the time in schools. I admit I'm not in the trenches, I will see for myself soon when my kids start going to school.

Dan,

Of all the words I could think of to describe you, stupid is not among them. I never thought it much less implied it. I simply stated your response of over 200,000 hits for "ACLU lawsuits God" was misleading. Which it was.

Good luck to you and your kids. They will probably learn more negative things from classmates than you ever thought possible. Some kids today are too precocious. In fact, I would be more concerned about that than I would that they might get a (shudder) liberal teacher (heaven forbid). Kids will tell you what a teacher says but will keep what a friend says a secret. And you will become so unhip and dumb to them. You'll get the eyes and sighs. Then you and your wife will learn how very difficult it is to be good parents. Friends will have more influence on your children than you do. This is the natural progression on the journey to adulthood.

What you should keep in mind is that you have given them a good starting place, a good basis to become good adults. When they test you the most, remember this, for there will be times you are sure these kids can't belong to you. Believe me, it will happen with at least one of them.

They develop their own opinions, which may be radically different than your's. The joys of parenthood remains but will be tested many times.

Enjoy the present, the moment. Things are about to change drastically (in a few more years).