Teacher espousing atheist views

[Mike22]

OK.....What recourse does a high school student have if a classroom teacher is promoting atheism in
the classroom?

 

[ajkroy]

Public schools are required to be secular by the Constitution.

What do you mean by "promoting" atheism? Teaching science? Or giving only the best grades to students who claim to not believe in any gods? There is a difference.

 

[CdwJava]

OK.....What recourse does a high school student have if a classroom teacher is promoting atheism in
the classroom?

What, exactly, is being done to promote atheism?

If the teacher is saying that only dumb people believe in God and smart people know there is no God, then that is very likely actionable in some way through the school or district. If the teacher is providing instruction on evolution in a neutral manner, even though it may be in conflict in some way with your beliefs, that is likely NOT actionable.

The details matter.

 

[Proserpina]

Location would also be handy.

 

[TigerD]

Atheism is lack of belief in God, gods, or specific religion. It is, in the purest sense, a belief in nothing.

How exactly does one promote nothing? I can imagine that a person could teach about nothing, but I think it would be a short class. Not a lot of substance there.

TD

 

[quincy]

OK.....What recourse does a high school student have if a classroom teacher is promoting atheism in
the classroom?

The state could be Oklahoma, or Mike is just starting his question off with an "OK." Clarification might be nice.

I agree with the others that facts matter.

 

[CdwJava]

Atheism is lack of belief in God, gods, or specific religion. It is, in the purest sense, a belief in nothing.

How exactly does one promote nothing? I can imagine that a person could teach about nothing, but I think it would be a short class. Not a lot of substance there.

TD

Oh, get into a conversation with a few of them - it often is a religion unto itself!

 

[CdwJava]

OK.....What recourse does a high school student have if a classroom teacher is promoting atheism in
the classroom?

I'll go forward with a little more ...

As to recourse, I'd say the first thing to do might be to discuss it with the teacher. Ask if you are understanding his views correctly. Perhaps you are misunderstanding what he is trying to convey. If not, and he IS trying to push his view of atheism onto his students, it may be time to speak to your parents and see if a meeting might be held with the teacher, and if that does not resolve the matter in some way, with the school administration.

 

[Mike22]

Literature teacher holding a discussion. He holds the view that Christianity is not based on facts.
Listens to a refutation of his position and further argues his point.

 

[TigerD]

Literature teacher holding a discussion. He holds the view that Christianity is not based on facts.
Listens to a refutation of his position and further argues his point.

Perhaps your refutation was not as persuasive as you thought it was.

Is Christianity based on facts?


I tend to think Christianity is more based on faith and love.

Good luck.
TD

 

[Mike22]

Clarification after talking to grandson...not arguing against Christian beliefs
but against the existence of God.

 

[quincy]

Literature teacher holding a discussion. He holds the view that Christianity is not based on facts.
Listens to a refutation of his position and further argues his point.

What book or books are being discussed in the class? Are you sure the teacher is not promoting discussion rather than atheism?

 

[Mike22]

Perhaps your refutation was not as persuasive as you thought it was.

Is Christianity based on facts?


I tend to think Christianity is more based on faith and love.

Good luck.
TD

It wasn't my refutation. And the quality of persuasiveness is not the issue.

 

[Mike22]

What book or books are being discussed in the class? Are you sure the teacher is not promoting discussion rather than atheism?

It wasn't in the context of a book about/for/against the existence of god.

 

[quincy]

It wasn't in the context of a book about/for/against the existence of god.

So the literature teacher, just out of the blue, stated to his class that there was no god?

How very odd.