Atheist Professers

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2002

Actually Indeed - the aspect of a person's race/religion is considered important and - is ocasionally questioned - by Hitler/Christian Identity groups/Taliban etc. We here in the U.S.A. like to think that the world weighs all of us on an unbiased scale relatedbrains and ability but it just is not true.

The next time someone puts out " a Jesus is the reason for the Season" sign (ignoring the pagan origins of Christmas, ignoring Chaunakah/Kwanzaa, etc.) or complains that barring a "thank you, lord Jesus" prayer from a mixed tax funded gathering is a violation of their rights - I would love to see how they would react if a eastern religion was brought and celebrated in a public in the same fashion as Christianity. There would be an outcry to be heard everywhere.

Your professor's beliefs frequently will affect how they teach - he is human - as long as it does not affect your grade, or learning the subject - chill on it. Atheist/nonreligious nurses deal with people blessing them, telling them what good christian nurses they are, having people pray for them on a regular basis.

This world would be a lot better if people would just calm down and live and let live.

Agnus · Aug 9, 2002

Originally posted by Nurse Ker-Ker
It's just that it's kind of hard to respect someone who denounces Christianity as a "silly myth."

There are those who would denounce atheism as a silly myth. The person still deserves your respect. You do not have to agree.

Failing to have respect for some one based on a belief or oponion alone is called bigotry. It is not my intent to name call or step on toes, just trying to get you to think about this in a different light. Perhaps, you never considered this as a bigoted behavior before.

Disrespect for a deplorable behavior toward others is one thing. This guy expressing his oponion is another. I know there are those who think that any oponion different than their own is deplorable, I also, know this is not you.

Sleepyeyes · Aug 9, 2002

Originally posted by indeed

I agree to an extent, but...would you be protesting if it were the other way around? In my own experiences, when that situation is reversed, I hear an awful lot of that "deal with it" mentality. My favorite quote in these situations has got to be "if you don't like it, leave." I'm not saying an Atheist professor should go up in front of his class and spout on about how much he hates this religion or that. But the original poster admitted herself that the professor in question was not saying things that made people walk out of class. She wanted to know how to deal with the PRESENCE of an Atheist professor, which is a valid question...except when you consider that that question is never asked when the professor is Christian or Jewish or whatever. That was my point. And you can cry religious persecution all day long, but if anyone says "I don't like Christianity, I don't agree with it"....that's a statement of opinion. How is that persecuting you? Is it persecuting me to hear someone refer to me as a "confused little individual" because of my beliefs? I don't feel persecuted, perhaps it's a tad insulting, but boo hoo. Welcome to the world. I guess what I am saying is that if you are going to accept Christianity's presence in the day to day life of an Atheist, you need to accept the reverse. And this professor's statement of his religious leanings is not really appropriate, but the great majority of religious beliefs expressed in classrooms are not of the Atheist leaning, and no one seems to be bothered by that (except the Atheists...who are told to deal with it because of majority blah blah blah). Atheists are dealing with it every day, and are getting by without imploding because someone in a position of power over them believes something they do not. Dissenting beliefs DO NOT equal persecution...insulting statements DO NOT equal persecution (they equal ignorance).

Indeed.

Indeed, I was responding to Kaleigh's statement that followed the original post, when I spoke out about persecution. Anyone that is so "ignorant" as to attack a religious belief to the point that students leave the class, is engaging in persecution.

If not, then what IS your definition of persecution?

As far as trying to bait me with a silly question like, would we protest if it were the other way around==you hafta be kidding! All one person had to do was holler "separation of church and state" and prayer was outlawed in schools, despite the fact that this is supposed to be a democratic country ruled by the will of the majority--except with respect to religion.

(I think the real irony there is that the original initiator of that law, atheist Madeline Murray O'Hare, is now dead, and her son is a Christian minister.)

Never mind that religious diversity in the US breaks down as follows, from the World Factbook:

Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)

The message Christians get is: It's ok to bash Christians and Christianity, and Christians have to take it, but Christians have to uphold the religious freedom of everyone else.

mark_LD_RN · Aug 9, 2002

i may not openly protest a person spouting their christian views in class but that does not make it right. and there is a difference in discussing it in sociology and in anatomy class. it could actually be part of of socialogy. the professor has an obligation to teach not to indoctrinate his students. I personally would not stand for it, even if it were one promoting their christian views. I am in class to learn, if i want to learn about atheism i will sign up for a class on it. he is wrong period,end of discussion!

pebbles, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2002

Actually, I never even knew whether my teachers were christian or atheist or *what* they were - the subject never came up! To me, THAT is the essence of professional teaching...

Even in a class that might include discussion of religious beliefs or aspects of life that are influenced by religion - the subject can be discussed in a manner that leaves out the specific views of both the teacher and the students.... I'd be more bothered by a teacher that I considered unprofessional than by having a teacher whose beliefs were different from my own.

OBNURSEHEATHER · Aug 10, 2002

Originally posted by pebbles
Even in a class that might include discussion of religious beliefs or aspects of life that are influenced by religion - the subject can be discussed in a manner that leaves out the specific views of both the teacher and the students.... I'd be more bothered by a teacher that I considered unprofessional than by having a teacher whose beliefs were different from my own.

Um, I just wanted to point out how freakin BRILLIANT this statement was. THIS is what it all boils down to ladies and gentlemen.

Heather

AmberNoel · Aug 10, 2002

Originally posted by Sleepyeyes

(I think the real irony there is that the original initiator of that law, atheist Madeline Murray O'Hare, is now dead, and her son is a Christian minister.)
Never mind that religious diversity in the US breaks down as follows, from the World Factbook:
Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)
The message Christians get is: It's ok to bash Christians and Christianity, and Christians have to take it, but Christians have to uphold the religious freedom of everyone else.

I don't think it is ironic at all that O'Hare's oldest child is a Christian minister. Have you read any other biographical information on her? She allowed her son to be exposed to Christianity when he was young. She believed that he should be able to make his own choices. Later she realized that was a mistake. She raised her other children to be atheists believing that when they were old enough they could make a decision about religion.

As for the qoute on the religious diversity in the US (which is 13 years old)--majority belief of an opinion does not always make it right.

Christian's are very good at infringing on others religious freedom. I have never had a person of Muslim or Jewish faith try to convert me. However, nine times this year I have had people from different Christian churches knock on my door to "talk to me about God." Then when I calmly reply "no thank you" they have to pry and ask why. Come on! Give me a break! I am frequently forced into the position of defending my beleifs. I am not the one aproaching others. They come to me. I have never tried to convert others to atheism. So yes I think that Christians need to be reminded to uphold the religious freedom of everybody else.

indeed · Aug 10, 2002

Thank you AmberNoel. You said everything I wanted to say, and much more eloquently to boot. It is not the same, in this country, to be an Atheist and live day to day as it is to be a Christian and live day to day. Do Atheists call your home? Christians call mine, wanting to read me scripture. I don't know how they got my number. Two of the local church folk have taken to coming to my house AT LEAST once a month trying to save me from "eternal damnation" (their words, not mine). I have to be very careful about to whom I am expressing my views, because I have already learned that what I thought was a solid friendship can be lost at the drop of a hat for no other reason than my beliefs. I have been threatened, intimidated, and worst of all PATRONIZED for beliefs that are as important to me as Christian beliefs are to some of you. And this should be acceptable...because it is the majority speaking? I think not. None of this is acceptable, coming from either side, but the fact is this kind of stuff comes more from Christians (after all, there are more of them) than it does from Atheists. I will defend your right to believe what you believe with as much vigor as I defend my own, as would most of the Atheists I know. Unfortunately, we do not get the same from our Christian counterparts.

Indeed.

Peeps Mcarthur · Aug 10, 2002

That's all very interesting.

I was just thinking that I've never had an atheist tell me what they believe. On the other hand, I've had a whole bunch of people professing to be christian tell me what they believe and fall far from the teachings of Christ.

And so how would I know if an invisible man in the sky and his son who lived 2000 years ago for a little over 30 years even exist. How do I know if this person who says they are a christian is actually of Christ ? I don't think that's possible. Maybe it's just all for show, but at least they believe in something.

Do atheists believe in evolution, or is it just all for show?

Can an atheist talk about the complexity of the human organism in relation to the other organisms on the planet(form fitting function-API) and not have an opinnion of its origins?

I guess we wouldn't know a real atheist either.

It's not possible to teach either evolution or creation as separate events. Evolution needs an origin to be complete. Even if there were nothing more than Hydrogen and an atmosphere, it came from somewhere. The discussion of an origin can be scientificaly based....................it is the operationalization of the question "where did we come from?" and it is absolutely topical to AP as a Biology class.

However, the argument is not the sovereignty of either Atheism or Christianity since they are so undefinable.

Lex Luther is just another perp without Superman. Atheism and christianity are all for show without biology for them to argue about.

The invisible man must be very disapointed.

Peeps

Padawan-Nurse · Aug 11, 2002

Religion matters little when it is not yours. Your life your "God of your understanding" Ignore his religious choice. The goal is the only goal, that is the RN.

live4today, RN · Aug 11, 2002

Originally posted by Peeps Mcarthur
That's all very interesting.

I was just thinking that I've never had an atheist tell me what they believe. On the other hand, I've had a whole bunch of people professing to be christian tell me what they believe and fall far from the teachings of Christ.

And so how would I know if an invisible man in the sky and his son who lived 2000 years ago for a little over 30 years even exist. How do I know if this person who says they are a christian is actually of Christ ? I don't think that's possible.
Peeps

Peeps.....in answer to your above questions, I share this with you. Someone emailed it to me the other day, and I copied it to keep for my own personal use:

It's titled "I Am A Christian".

When I say..."I am a Christian"...I'm not shouting "I'm saved"...I'm whispering "I was lost". That is why I chose this way.

When I say..."I am a Christian"...I don't speak of this with pride. I am confessing that I stumble and need someone to be my guide.

When I say..."I am a Christian"...I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on.

When I say..."I am a Christian"...I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say..."I am a Christian"...I'm not claiming to be perfect...my flaws are all too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say..."I am a Christian"...I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of headaches which is why I speak His Name.

When I say..."I am a Christian"...I do not wish to judge...I have no authority. I only know I am loved. -- by Carol S. Wimmer :kiss

crnasomeday · Aug 11, 2002

I love that Cheerfuldoer!! I'm going to put that on my locker at work.