Ohio Teacher Refuses to Remove Bible From Students' View

[Earl1647545488]

Opinions?

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351529,00.html

 

Happened where you live Dr. Rick.

[kenny]

He probably likes little boys.

[99ta]

horse crap. i bet if he had a koran they wouldn't ask him to remove it. I wouldn't have removed the collage either.....

[Conesmasher]

It's about time.

 

I think Christians have taken a back seat in this whole politically correct society, where being Christian is politically incorrect and everything other religion is ok.

[Skinner]

School is in the wrong, unless the have a policy that states he is unable to keep that out in open view.

 

Just because a person has a bible at there desk in plain sight does not mean that the school or that teacher is/are favoring anyones religious beliefs.

[Stanello]

If the teacher wore a cross necklace, would they ask him to remove that too? How about not serving anything that isn't kosher in the cafeteria, or beef for fear of insulting Hindus? I mean... if they're going to be irrational in carrying this out, they've gotta do it across the board.

[Mattsv8]

i think the teacher should make the kids read it. oh wait they would have to know how to read. hmmm

[99FLHRCI]

I think he should make them read it too, just like everybody else kinda had to when we grew up. Then when they mature they can make their own decisions in life not solely based off heaven-good hell-bad, but ways to live your life through helping others in this selfish materialistic world. Kids (and most adults) could maybe learn something and build upon those values with whatever other religion they so choose to follow later on.

 

there is enough stuff not being taught with out adding something else to be taught. I don't think he should have to "hide" the bible but, I do think that it should not be taught/read in a public school. I would even say that I think there should be allowed an afterschool club for bible study or whatever. I would strongly object to it taking up time in a curriculum though. We need to teach more history and english before the bible. When I was in school (graduated 2001) our history class made it to the Revolutionary war. Yea American History and we ended at the Revolutionary War. Fucking brilliant. I also had a friend who graduated with a high school degree and could not read a menu. We literally went out to dinner and my parents invited him along. We are sitting at the table and he has his menu upside down and then he duplicated my dad's order (who had ordered just before him). Before we teach any religion in school we need to teach the basics.

[87GT]

The school should not make him remove the bible.

[ImUrOBGYN]

It's about time.

 

I think Christians have taken a back seat in this whole politically correct society, where being Christian is politically incorrect and everything other religion is ok.

LMFAO! What country have you been living in. lol

 

And actually, I don't think she should have to remove it, either. If she's not preaching to the kids, who cares. If you don't "have faith", believe in Jesus, etc or the Bible, then the fact it's sitting there shouldn't bother you at all. If that's the case, it's no different than any other book of fiction. That makes you no better than a religious zealot who attacks you or gets upset because you believe in a different god or none at all.

 

People just need to relax and quit trying to force their beliefs and morals on others. Like the saying goes, live and let live.

[nurkvinny]

Good topic, Earl. The teacher is 100% in the right, IMO.

[sol740]

Being a staunch atheist myself, I see no reason why we should try to stop someone from having a bible. Seems a little bit much, I mean as long as he isn't bible thumping the class who cares whats on his desk. It is his desk after all. Just because he teaches at a public school doesn't mean he isn't allowed to have his own opinions. .02

[fast91stang]

I'm not a heavy christian (not a heavy anything) but I'm sure 5-10 minutes every couple days to talk about right at wrong through the eyes of a higher power wouldn't take away from normal teachings. I'm sure your friend was taught how to read but it's on him whether he learned it or not..

 

 

 

That is easy to say, but 5 or 10 minutes usually turns into more. I don't think they should make him remove it. But i do however feel that there are plenty of other things that need to be taught before the bible.

[fast91stang]

loitering crackheads know how to add and subtract, the guy who pulled over on his way to work to help change your tire years ago has probably been to church once or twice..

 

 

Still does not mean he can read or write....

[fast91stang]

You must have seen the crackhead with the Jesus Christ shirt on then too.

[fast91stang]

Triple post ftw, Don't get me wrong. I used to go to church, and i do believe in God. I just feel that the school systems are lacking as it is.

[GonneVille]

I'm gonna try to keep this inoffensive...

 

I really resent the implication that you have to believe in God, or "a higher power" in order to be a moral person. I myself am an Atheist of, some might say, above average commitment. Yet, I have a strong sense of right and wrong, I always try to do the right thing, and I will usually go out of my way to help someone in need. I don't need the threat of eternal damnation hanging over my head to do what I think is right.

 

As far as this teacher goes, yes, the collage should have come down. If you want your children to learn your religion, then your church more than likely offers Sunday School, and they can learn it there. The Ten Commandments, outside of the "I Am the Lord Thy God" one, is basically just a good set of guidelines to live your life by, but that one is certainly a strongly worded smack across the chops to any non-Judeo-Christians in the room.

BUT, merely keeping a Bible on his desk is in no stretch of the imagination teaching or advocating religious beliefs. It's a book, it's on a desk, and it's closed. It's not going to leap up and wrestle your kid to the ground while speaking in tongues.

[Putty]

Who CARES!! It's a book. Too many other things to be concerned about than a BOOK sitting on the desk. People look for anything to bitch about. When he starts forcing them to read it....complain. Until STFU!

[Guest Spoiler71]

Being that the Bible is used by many different religions and is even sited and copied from in the Koran it is not supporting one religion. The constitution protects you right to freedom of speech and religion. Not the freedom from others speech and religion.

 

But I do agree with and earlier comment, if it was a Koran the would be talking about how tolerant and diverse they were.

[Razorback]

He should not have to remove the Bible. He keeps it there because it's his belief. He isn't teaching the students, and for the record I'm Agnostic, so I have no bias whatsoever. If they force him to remove it, he should counter-sue for infringement on his personal rights.

[HAOLE]

This is a big issue up here in Mt. Vernon. The whole "seperation of church and state" has been over played IMHO.

 

The Constitution says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

 

The teacher is not violating the first amendment, the government is. I am not a lawyer, but it seems to me that the school system is prohibiting the free exercise of John Freshwaters religion.

 

Food for thought. Where is the ACLU on this one? If it was a Qur'an or the satanic "bible" they would be all over this. I think is funny that Americas schools are handing out condoms, and teaching "safe sex", along with advocating homo relations, but at the same time want to condemn a teacher for having a bible. Sounds like liberals running the system to me

 

my.02

 

BTW.. I have a 3'x6' sign at my office supporting John Freshwater.

[craig71188]

This "separation" of church and state is sooo misinterpereted (and in a one sided way). As Dr. Rick has provided - READ the Constituion - this teacher is NOT the state, nor is he ESTABLISHING a religion. He is practicing his FREEDOM to have a religious book sit on his desk. As far as I have read, he is not forcing anyone to pray, to read this book, nor reading it ti the class, or DO anything else. If you want to keep all religion out of school - try the Soviet Union's Constitution:

Article 124 (in part reads). In order to ensure to citizens freedom of conscience, the church in the U.S.S.R. is separated from the state, and the school from the church".

Courtesy of Snopes.com

And hell yes, where is the ACLU on this one - oh sorry, the ACLLU = American Civil Liberal Liberties Union.

[nicktcfcsb]

Get that out of a PUBLIC SCHOOL! No place where science is taught should have a bible. Adults with imaginary friends are stupid.

[El Karacho1647545492]

1. The school shouldn't be meddling with this guy's relgion. Unless the teacher's bible is supported by a placard that says "THE ONLY WAY TO SALVATION" I have no problem with his bible being on display. Hell, maybe some of the kids in class are Christian (Imagine that!) and want to ask their teacher about some religious topics

 

2. Brian, if they're going to teach 5-10 minutes on the Bible in school so kids can grow up and "make their own decisions" shouldn't they also teach 5-10 minutes of the Qu'ran, the Bhagavad Gita + The Vedas, the Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy (Rastafarianism), Dianetics (hooray Scientology:rolleyes: ), The Satanic Bible, etc? Thats why they don't teach 5-10 minutes of the Bible; by the time you're done appeasing all the rabble-rousers, you've gotten rid of every program other than religion.

 

but at the same time want to condemn a teacher for having a bible. Sounds like liberals running the system to me

 

3. Okay, I see your point and I'm not attacking you. You make a damn good point for an ignorant conservative:D, but consider: are they really, REALLY condemning him? What are they doing, actually? Asking him to take down the 10 Commandments, as has been done in government buildings across the nation, and asking him to put away his bible. They're not firing him, they're not asking him to renounce his faith, they're just asking him to put it away. I agree that they shouldn't even need to do that, but its the attitude that he's being "condemned" that makes these kinds of stories get blown out of proportion.

[thorne]

If he is not pressing it on any students I don't see the harm. I had a english teacher that had the 10 commandments on the board and I never seen anything wrong with it. he would NEVER EVER referance them. they were just written in chalk and he would erase and rewrite them everyday.

 

BUT. I do not think that public school is any place were religion should be taught. You can't get 2 christians of the same sec to agree how are you supposed to get everyone else to?