2007-02-22 Bible essay stirs trouble for teacher

2007-02-22 \atheism vs. religion\Christianity\rationality vs. religion\US education http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20070222/NEWS01/702220769 Bible essay stirs trouble for teacher &ldquo;The nature of God will no longer be part of an atheist teacher's American literature class at Lake Stevens High School. .. Gary McDonald, 60, said he had no intention of swaying students' religious beliefs during a lesson last month. .. "I regret in the strongest terms the trouble that I have caused," McDonald said on Tuesday. The goal, he said, was to get students to think. .. The school's principal gave McDonald a verbal reprimand after one student's parents complained he was denigrating their Christianity.&rdquo; That's about right, isn't it – thinking denigrates Christianity. This should also lay to rest any notion that religion will leave rationality alone if rationality leaves religion alone. The teacher wasn't spreading his own beliefs, much less challenging those of the students; he merely asked them to consider some specific questions about them – apparently, Christianity finds this intolerable. Commentary: Pharyngula   