Can a college professor require a student to renounce her faith?

[semper_paratus_17762367]

The professor has stated that it is his job to get students to reject a belief in a sacred or unquestionable “truth” in favor of the “rational” view that science, logic, and philosophy are the only reliable sources of “truth.” http://www.aclj.org/TrialNotebook/Read.aspx?id=615JPEngery - you missed the point. The prof is saying that you would have to become a Nazi to understand Naziism or become a Commie to understand Communism. He wants students to become atheists to understand atheism.

[Aleferny]

at the end of the day the only thing a person is required to do is: go to the bathroom and die!!!!!!

[cocomojo3921]

No but they will try it anway. A lot of college professors think they are Gods!

[kallim9819]

No, but they will try to tell you why you are wrong with your beliefs. Professors not only target students because of their faith, but their political affiliation is fair game too.

[JustMe7103]

College professors get tenure at a universtiy and they can do anything they want and nobody has the b a l l s to stop them.In this case the students rights have been violated and the professor and universtiy should have to pay in court.

[MichaelH2318]

Honestly, it depends on which country you are living in. If you are living in an Islamic, socialistic, or communistic country, then more than likely you have no choice and the professor is perfectly within his rights.However, if you are in a democratic nation such as the United States, then you have a right to file a complaint against the professor, take the issue to the public via the press, and demand that the professor be removed. We live in a free nation where no one, NO ONE has a right to tell you that they have a job to change a person's faiths or beliefs.Now let me offer this to you. Ask your professor how life began all those millions of years ago. Chances are real good that he will say something along the lines of the Big Bang theory. Then ask him who put that "matter" that was used for the Big Bang there. Again, he will probably say it was just there. Ask him again, how did it get there. You will not get a real answer from them and at that point you can tell him that if he cannot answer a question that his entire theory is based on, then his entire theory is wrong and thus he is not qualified to dismiss your theories or beliefs. Done deal.

[jpenergysbcglobalnet0942]

Is that not the point of Education, to question and use logic and fact to look for answers?The professor has stated that it is his job to get students to reject a belief in a sacred or unquestionable “truth” in favor of the “rational” view that science, logic, and philosophy are the only reliable sources of “truth.” Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear. Thomas Jefferson Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise, every expanded prospect. James Madison Faith is fine as a personal choice, but not in school. they are two different pursuits.

[justagrandma2107]

I'd like to hear the other side of the story before I make an attempt to judge, this is one of those things that would be too easy to oversimplify or twist so that it meets the specifications that Selulow is looking for before taking a case.Just out of curiosity, I wonder if he would be so upset if it were a Muslim he was talking about?

[Chupateesa9053]

If we would have used God to explain things we don't understand we would have never discover gravity or e=mc2, or anything for that matter. We would still go to church and believe everything in which we have no proof of.

[Bigsky_529658]

If a person is punished for their religious beliefs when those beliefs do not affect their attendance or performance, and do not create a hostile or distracting environment for their classmates, then that person's civil rights have been violated. Imagine the reverse: suppose a professor had said he would dock 100 points from the grade of anyone who refused to publicly state that "There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet." Would that be a civil rights violation? Of course it would. And it's exactly the same situation. The professor is free to make his argument, and he's free to require a certain methodology in relation to his tests, quizzes, homework, and class participation. But when he directly interferes with a student's beliefs when those beliefs do not affect his or her ability to do the work as given then he has stepped over the line.