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FAU Student Claims He Was Suspended For Refusing To Step On Jesus

I am glad that you consider the lesson in this case ridiculous...However, the anecdotal may not be conclusive, I don't think it is arguable that our education system at the university level is dominated by leftist on the political spectrum, and if no studies exist researching the effects of political ideology forced upon the curriculum then maybe there needs to be...I won't hold my breath though, it would be like asking someone to admit what they are doing is underhanded, and wrong.

The only professor of mine who even remotely expressed political ideology was an ethics professor, and he was conservative. I couldn't tell you the political lean of my advanced aerodynamics professor. The macroeconomics guy would be best described as ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ and in meteorology I couldn't say either because I literally fell asleep there.

(It was 8am in a dark auditorium with comfy seats ok?)
 
The trouble is that the school can't say anything about what happened because it's confidential according to the law.
I'd say the trouble is that the student can and has. In the vast majority of cases, it'd be much better if this kind of thing was kept out of the public domain until after any disciplinary/legal processes have completed. Sadly much of the media (and a lot of it's customers) is much more interested in the juicy story in the speculation today rather that the boring reality in the facts in six months time.
 
Don't you just love how the CBS station here takes the side of the University in the headline?

More.....





You have got to be kidding here....What the heck is going on in these classrooms of supposed "higher education"?



How typical. Marxist educrats playing semantic games with the story to deflect, and distort their reprehensible actions thus far....



wow, what a little Nazi authoritarian this educrat view themselves as....Let's see, Marxist teacher wants to make a point about their own beliefs in atheism, So he/she devises a participatory exercise in making people do something that some may find wrong, even shocking, and when confronted by a student that refuses to participate in that exercise, Marxist teacher goes after the dissenter in true Alinsky fashion....

I don't know why anyone pays for this **** anymore....

Thoughts....

Thoughts? You're not allowed to have thoughts - you do as you're told.

The purpose of "higher education" is not education but rather progressive brainwashing...

I burned my degree long ago - a) it was just a piece of useless paper, b) all it meant was the simple fact I was "officially brainwashed", 3) I didn't learn a damn thing, d) it's just a reminder that I wasted money by paying an institution to brainwash me just so I could "prove" to idiots that I was officially brainwashed.

A few years ago I read a story about a anthropology/sociology professor who told her students to go out and have a "homosexual relationship" and when one student objected she was booted out of the class.

Of course not all colleges are bad and not all classes are bad but many are based on progressive ideas and are instructed in a progressive manner by progressives with a progressive worldview.
 
Are we sure it is "one idiot"? or is it a culture in education that views institutions of higher learning as a way to politically mold the individual above actually providing fields of learning? Also, I think the term "anti education" is toxic to actual conversation in this. That is a horrible label that uses a broad brush to paint those seeking to take the teachers personal politics out of the classroom, as someone who is against education. That is wrong.

Yes, it is one idiot. There are no doubt other idiots in the college classrooms, but this story is about one of them. Further, yes, generalizing from one outrageous incident to claim that colleges are just hotbeds of some misguided liberal philosophy with an agenda of indoctrinating students is anti education.
 
Yes, it is one idiot. There are no doubt other idiots in the college classrooms, but this story is about one of them. Further, yes, generalizing from one outrageous incident to claim that colleges are just hotbeds of some misguided liberal philosophy with an agenda of indoctrinating students is anti education.

Well, then we are back to my original question aren't we? How many of these types of incidents do we need to read about before we start to look at the reason we are seeing these stories happen with more frequency as time goes on? To just dismiss it out of hand and attempt to make it about me, rather than the larger question is just not addressing the topic, sorry.
 
If this lesson was truly about the power of a word then why wasn't the
word " Allah" or " Muhammed " ?

I wouldn't have done it either.
 
Well, then we are back to my original question aren't we? How many of these types of incidents do we need to read about before we start to look at the reason we are seeing these stories happen with more frequency as time goes on? To just dismiss it out of hand and attempt to make it about me, rather than the larger question is just not addressing the topic, sorry.

If this were a common occurrence, then it wouldn't have been news.

A million students attended class, learned about everything from abstract art to zoology, didn't talk politics or religion, that isn't news.

One professor booted a kid out because he wouldn't step on Jesus, that's news. Why? Because it is not the norm, that's why.
 
The funniest thing is that if you read the instructions for the exercise, it says that most people will hesitate or refuse to step on the paper and this is an opening to discuss word biases in a social situation. The teacher and the university are both totally in the wrong on this one.
 
Having read about this elsewhere, I can point out that the lesson (as written in the text book at least) has nothing to do with atheism. The demonstration is about the power of words and symbols.

There are clearly not enough details public to make a definitive statement (nor should there be). In general, a student should be free to refuse to actually carry out the demonstration and shouldn't suffer in any way for that. Equally though, that refusal should be made calmly and reasonably. Given the reported code of conduct charges, there is an accusation that he crossed that line at some point in the sequence of events (meaning he hasn't been disciplined yet and may well not be at all). Exactly when, how, why and indeed if that happened isn't at all clear.

Jumping to conclusions, throwing out terms like Marxist and Nazi is totally inappropriate given the lack of information. Ironically, it's the kind of knee-jerk reaction that can lead to cases like this in the first place.

Incidentally, the CBS headline you quote reads like a straight statement of facts. Maybe you perceive bias in it because neutral headlines are such a rarity in the media.
That isn't the effective way to demonstrate the power of words and symbols.

The best and proven way is to write the words "allah" and "mohammed" with arabic symbols and then tell the students to stomp it under their feet. I guarantee you heads will roll and properties will be burnt while humdreds and thousands of irrate muslims worldwide will come out in droves demanding for American bloods.

Heck, just burnt the quran or draw a cartoon of mohammed and see what will happen.
 
If this were a common occurrence, then it wouldn't have been news.

A million students attended class, learned about everything from abstract art to zoology, didn't talk politics or religion, that isn't news.

One professor booted a kid out because he wouldn't step on Jesus, that's news. Why? Because it is not the norm, that's why.

Or because the University, and the liberal progressives running it were going to go after the kid until more came out in the news....hmmmm....But yeah, I see what you are saying here, "Nothing to see here, move along".....No.
 
Or because the University, and the liberal progressives running it were going to go after the kid until more came out in the news....hmmmm....But yeah, I see what you are saying here, "Nothing to see here, move along".....No.

One incident does not show that "liberal progressives" are running even that one university, let alone all of them.
 
If this lesson was truly about the power of a word then why wasn't the
word " Allah" or " Muhammed " ?

I wouldn't have done it either.

Why would a progressive do that?

Rich white people worship Jesus and poor brown people worship Muhammad...

You may as well attempt to instruct a progressive to say something negative about Obama - they wont and will bash Bush... To a progressive Jesus didn't exist or is some sort of horrible image of "white redneck culture."

That's the way it is.
 
Yeah - there aren't enough facts to form an opinion. Just what did he do and how did he complain?

I'm sure he's not the only student to ever not participate in the history of doing this so there's obviously something more to it.

I agree. A few days ago when I first read about this, the article linked to Rateaprof.com. Professor Poole's most recent reviews were from a few years ago with one addition, that new review being posted on 3-23. Interesting.

From the last paragraph of the article linked on p. 1: "So far, 2013 has been a controversial year for the university. In January, associate professor James Tracy questioned on his personal blog whether the Sandy Hook massacre happened. Then in February, FAU became the subject of protests when it named its stadium after the GEO Group, a prison company that donated $6 million to the university."

FAU is not having a good year so far.

I wonder why the student was enrolled in this particular class and whether he violated FAU's civility code, whatever that is. I wonder why Poole chose Jesus as the "symbol." He's not dumb; he knew how outrageous this was. Remember Adrienne Pine, the breastfeeding-during-lecture prof? She knew what she was doing too.
 
I agree. A few days ago when I first read about this, the article linked to Rateaprof.com. Professor Poole's most recent reviews were from a few years ago with one addition, that new review being posted on 3-23. Interesting.

From the last paragraph of the article linked on p. 1: "So far, 2013 has been a controversial year for the university. In January, associate professor James Tracy questioned on his personal blog whether the Sandy Hook massacre happened. Then in February, FAU became the subject of protests when it named its stadium after the GEO Group, a prison company that donated $6 million to the university."

FAU is not having a good year so far.

I wonder why the student was enrolled in this particular class and whether he violated FAU's civility code, whatever that is. I wonder why Poole chose Jesus as the "symbol." He's not dumb; he knew how outrageous this was. Remember Adrienne Pine, the breastfeeding-during-lecture prof? She knew what she was doing too.

Of course then they will deny all of it....

"No we don't support radical ideas we just understand them."

Unbelievable.
 
Because they put that it was a "claim"? That's extremely common. And btw, it's the mot honest heading that you could put until more evidence comes out showing that his claims are true. It's not saying it did or didn't happen, it's just reporting on the claim. That's completely unbiased reporting.

You're making an assumption that because this was done by one teacher it's a common thing. This is the first time I've ever heard of this. If you had millions of college kids every year having to do this, you'd be hearing about it before now.



I think it's a stupid procedure if this actually happened, and if she was trying to make a point she could have very easily made the point with something else besides someone's religion included, but you are over reacting and jumping to conclusions without all the facts. Not to mention you are acting like this is a common occurrence. It's not.

To try to make her absurd method point, she could have legally used "Obama" or "mother" to stomp on.

Requiring someone to stop on the name of a person God? And suspending the student for not doing so? Wow, if ever there was a lawsuit for violating separation of church and state - from the pro-religion side - that might be it. Using public funds to have people stomp on their God's name???

COULD YOU IMAGINE IF the teacher had instead had students write "Barack Hussein Obama" on the paper and then to stomp on it?

As for trying to show "the power of words" since only 1 student refused, the professor disproved her point. In addition, the professor - with the suspension - proved the only true power words have concerns punitive censorship by the powers that be.
 
I have no formal education and sometimes wish I did of course. Stories like this seem to tell me that formal education is often juvenile, bizarre and with teachers who just mess with the kids almost like sicko or pothead pranks and reasoning.

It is sad to think all the other students went along with it, isn't it?

Finally, I do think that MANY professors try to break kids of their religious values and upbringing - and that in government funded schools that should be very illegal. I think the prohibition against the government establishing a religion includes the government not trying to eliminate religion - and I believe that within that context proactive atheism is as much a "religion."
 
I have no formal education and sometimes wish I did of course. Stories like this seem to tell me that formal education is often juvenile, bizarre and with teachers who just mess with the kids almost like sicko or pothead pranks and reasoning.

It is sad to think all the other students went along with it, isn't it?

Finally, I do think that MANY professors try to break kids of their religious values and upbringing - and that in government funded schools that should be very illegal. I think the prohibition against the government establishing a religion includes the government not trying to eliminate religion - and I believe that within that context proactive atheism is as much a "religion."

I educated myself as well.. Yeah I went to college but I also dropped out of high school...

Teaching yourself without being taught is fun - you can learn whatever you want at any pace instead of being told what to learn.
 
I agree. A few days ago when I first read about this, the article linked to Rateaprof.com. Professor Poole's most recent reviews were from a few years ago with one addition, that new review being posted on 3-23. Interesting.

From the last paragraph of the article linked on p. 1: "So far, 2013 has been a controversial year for the university. In January, associate professor James Tracy questioned on his personal blog whether the Sandy Hook massacre happened. Then in February, FAU became the subject of protests when it named its stadium after the GEO Group, a prison company that donated $6 million to the university."

FAU is not having a good year so far.

I wonder why the student was enrolled in this particular class and whether he violated FAU's civility code, whatever that is. I wonder why Poole chose Jesus as the "symbol." He's not dumb; he knew how outrageous this was. Remember Adrienne Pine, the breastfeeding-during-lecture prof? She knew what she was doing too.

I've participated in some interested 'studies' in my anthropology class that were aimed at trying to get the student to see the world from other people's perspective. Usually - when strange activities are gone into they're done so to 1) get people to experience their emotions/thoughts . . . 2) later discuss what they were feeling/thinking.

The weirdest thing I ever did was hold hands all class with another male student. We were 'maintaining contact as would be done as part of a ceremony in ___' - something like that. But in the US hand-holding has a different meaning so to say I was uncomfortable was an understatement.

Then - we talked about it and why it bothered him very little and me so much.
 
Let the teacher teach. If the student has a problem with the professor's methods, he can quietly leave the class (since he's under no obligation to be there) and withdraw from the course. As much as I find the professor's method unprofessional, we have to respect the sovereignty of professors to teach the way they see fit.

I'm also highly suspect of the notion that he was suspended JUST for refusing to do the assignment. Students are under no obligation whatsoever to do these things. I imagine the student made a scene about it, or some other inappropriate behavior that led to this suspension.
 
I've participated in some interested 'studies' in my anthropology class that were aimed at trying to get the student to see the world from other people's perspective. Usually - when strange activities are gone into they're done so to 1) get people to experience their emotions/thoughts . . . 2) later discuss what they were feeling/thinking.

The weirdest thing I ever did was hold hands all class with another male student. We were 'maintaining contact as would be done as part of a ceremony in ___' - something like that. But in the US hand-holding has a different meaning so to say I was uncomfortable was an understatement.

Then - we talked about it and why it bothered him very little and me so much.

Hold up... Your professor made you hold hands and lock eyes with another individual of the same sex?
 
I have no formal education and sometimes wish I did of course. Stories like this seem to tell me that formal education is often juvenile, bizarre and with teachers who just mess with the kids almost like sicko or pothead pranks and reasoning.

It is sad to think all the other students went along with it, isn't it?

Finally, I do think that MANY professors try to break kids of their religious values and upbringing - and that in government funded schools that should be very illegal. I think the prohibition against the government establishing a religion includes the government not trying to eliminate religion - and I believe that within that context proactive atheism is as much a "religion."

This is perfectly acceptable behavior for professors. Adults go to college. If they're political/religious/moral beliefs are so fragile that they broken because some stranger told them to question them then perhaps it was a good thing they were made to question in the first place. For me, spending so many years in an environment hostile to my positions only strengthened them, because I better understood the whole picture, and I had a refined understanding. Kind of like a sharpening stone.

I only wish academia had a better representation of differing viewpoints. The only conservatives I really met in college were math and science professors who never really talked about it. More social classes need conservatives teachers that do things like this that question the left-wing perspective.
 
I have no formal education and sometimes wish I did of course. Stories like this seem to tell me that formal education is often juvenile, bizarre and with teachers who just mess with the kids almost like sicko or pothead pranks and reasoning.

It is sad to think all the other students went along with it, isn't it?

Finally, I do think that MANY professors try to break kids of their religious values and upbringing - and that in government funded schools that should be very illegal. I think the prohibition against the government establishing a religion includes the government not trying to eliminate religion - and I believe that within that context proactive atheism is as much a "religion."

A few profs do use their classrooms as bully pulpits, but most do not. A lot do have their pet theories in their fields, of course, but these days there is significant assessment pressure, and accrediting agencies require measurable targets. These require sticking to the script, the syllabus. Stories such as this make the news because they're extraordinary rather than ordinary.
 
Opposite sex.

I'd throw a chair across the room and say "analyze that."

I love ****ing with those interested in the field of "humanity" (broad field).

Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology is all BS ... There are 7 billion people in the world with 7 billion different personalities..We're not the same...
 
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