Iowa Professor fired for calling Adam and Eve a fairy tale

[sandyandporter]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297847,00.html

Good for that school! Yes the professor has freedom of speech but the school is also free to fire him. I applaud their courage and conviction!

[middletree]

I don't think this something you should fire someone for. I read the article, and definitely disagree with the prof for using the term "fairy tale", but that's the kind of things a student should have brought up to him privately after class, not threatened him with "I might get an attorney".

[clemsontigers23]

You can't just tell someone in a public university that their religion is wrong...that's enforcing your beliefs on others, just as we Christians are accused of doing everyday. Chuck Norris had a great article for World Net Daily detailing how liberal public universities are becoming...that's why I'm more than likely going to a Christian university.

I don't think this something you should fire someone for. I read the article, and definitely disagree with the prof for using the term "fairy tale", but that's the kind of things a student should have brought up to him privately after class, not threatened him with "I might get an attorney".

If he had taught the story as doctrine he would've been fired also. If he had said Islam was a fairy tale, he would have been fired. Why should this be any different? You don't think we Christians deserve any rights?

[middletree]

detailing how liberal public universities are becoming..

I don't know that they "are becoming" liberal, because they have been pointing that direction for about 4 decades. When I went in the late 80's, I had several professors who said stuff like this. One guy (who was raised a missionary's kid) railed against Christians like he had a chip on his shoulder. I guess he did. He referred to Jesus as "Easterman." It didn't sway my faith (which was pretty weak at the time). All it did was make me think what a sad, pathetic, small man this guy was.

If he had taught the story as doctrine he would've been fired also. If he had said Islam was a fairy tale, he would have been fired.

In my academic experience, he would have been reprimanded, at worst. Not fired.

Why should this be any different? You don't think we Christians deserve any rights?
Which right was violated?
Of course we have rights. That's why I said the students should have talked to him privately. They have that right. But I don't think this was serious enough to be fired over, and I don't think we have a right to not be offended.

[clemsontigers23]

Which right was violated?
Of course we have rights. That's why I said the students should have talked to him privately. They have that right. But I don't think this was serious enough to be fired over, and I don't think we have a right to not be offended.

Actually, I think you have a point. I always get sick of people filing lawsuits and suing people because they got offended, and I would be a hypocrite if I said this was any different. If we're truly Christians we're going to face persecution. Maybe this kid went about it the wrong way, especially threatening an attorney when the Bible says not to take one's brother to court, especially over something like this.

But I stand by my statement that if he was forcing Christian beliefs on the students, or if he spoke against Islam, he would have been fired. That's part of the growing anti-Christian movement in America. He expressed his atheistic beliefs...whether the atheists know it or not, they worship a god, and his name is Satan. Atheism is a religion, and he tried to teach the beliefs of his religion to public university students. That's why he got fired.

[sandyandporter]

After some thought... perhaps middletree is the voice of reason (can you come follow me around? I could use that in my daily life! lol).

I believe that the school had grounds to reprimend him but maybe firing was too severe. I too hate frivolous lawsuits. Having worked in commercial insurance/risk management for 20 years (wow is that possible) I have seen my share of them!

[TheBus36(Retired)]

Hey, where's Jason. I smell a 1st Amend debate somewhere around here! :D

[WeaselInYerFoot]

I heard an interview with this guy yesterday. He does actually believe that there is room for intelligent design. But he just doesn't think it should be something "blindly believed" when the principals of science are based on physical evidence. And this article is a little harsh and paints a different picture (go figure... Fox News). He was attempting to get some discussion going in a very quiet class. Quite tactless to say the least... but he wasn't on an un-holly crusade so to speak.

I don't know why, but this kind of reminds me of Bill Nye's (The Science Guy!) incident in Waco, where he got boo'ed after quoting Genesis 1:16 ("God made two great lights -- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.") Then saying "The lesser light is not a light at all, but a reflector". Some people stormed out....

[middletree]

I heard an interview with this guy yesterday. He does actually believe that there is room for intelligent design. But he just doesn't think it should be something "blindly believed" when the principals of science are based on physical evidence. And this article is a little harsh and paints a different picture (go figure... Fox News). He was attempting to get some discussion going in a very quiet class. Quite tactless to say the least... but he wasn't on an un-holly crusade so to speak.

I don't know why, but this kind of reminds me of Bill Nye's (The Science Guy!) incident in Waco, where he got boo'ed after quoting Genesis 1:16 ("God made two great lights -- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.") Then saying "The lesser light is not a light at all, but a reflector". Some people stormed out....
Great example. The point is that the protesters believe they are defending the bible, when in reality they are defending their interpretation of the bible. I personally believe that Adam and Eve were real, but if someone wants to say that the bible is true, but they read it differently than me, than I consider them to be teammates, not enemies.

[lilmikey]

My World Civ teacher was raised under the Bible-belt. His Father was a Methodest preacher. He also had a "chip" on his dhoulder

[mat1583]

Maybe this kid went about it the wrong way, especially threatening an attorney when the Bible says not to take one's brother to court, especially over something like this.

Nobody was actually taken to court in this matter...yet.

About 5 years ago we had to do the same thing to one of our mechanics that royally screwed up my truck's transmission by frying the computer that controls it. They wouldn't admit to messing it up even though we had plenty of proof, and they refused to fix it for about 5-6 weeks of having the truck in the shop. My parents got their attorney to send a letter to them. It was fixed within two days of them receiving the letter.

-wahsboard

[gratefull gomer]

I had a prof in grad school who constantly attempted to challenge my faith, though I never once brought it up in any sort of conversation with him, and am, to this day, not sure how he was even aware I had specific religious beliefs. Nonetheless, he liked to refer to the Crusades and the Inquisition and the oppression of natives of South America as prime examples of "Christian" behavior. He retired shortly thereafter b/c of complications with his deviated septum surgery that was supposedly a result of cocaine abuse. Three years after I graduated, he shot himself and burned down his house with him in it. I guess whatever he was doing to fill his God-shaped vacuum didn't work.

[sandyandporter]

I had a prof in grad school who constantly attempted to challenge my faith, though I never once brought it up in any sort of conversation with him, and am, to this day, not sure how he was even aware I had specific religious beliefs. Nonetheless, he liked to refer to the Crusades and the Inquisition and the oppression of natives of South America as prime examples of "Christian" behavior. He retired shortly thereafter b/c of complications with his deviated septum surgery that was supposedly a result of cocaine abuse. Three years after I graduated, he shot himself and burned down his house with him in it. I guess whatever he was doing to fill his God-shaped vacuum didn't work.

Holy crap! :eek:

[in hiding]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297847,00.html

Good for that school! Yes the professor has freedom of speech but the school is also free to fire him. I applaud their courage and conviction!

they didn't fire him b/c of what he said; they fired him b/c they were scared of legal action...some conviction that is.
I think it's sad that he was fired over this; he should have been reprimanded and he should have been told to act a little more professional, but to fire someone over this from a public teaching institution is way overboard.

[rossid]

This is a local story for me. The headline says his style and not faith led to firing.

http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070925/NEWS02/709250379/1001

The last comment closes:

"Maybe Jesus should have sued the people who made him cry."

Wish I was registered and could comment that Jesus wept when his friend Lazarus died and before he raised him back to life.

Why is God and Jesus a capital H for He and sometimes a small h for he?