'Stand for God' costs teacher his job

Omaha World-Herald ^ | December 21, 2004 | Joe Dejka

[Graybeard58]

He's teaching in the wrong school.

[Republican Wildcat]

Well, I agree to a point, that he shouldn't be using the classroom for this.

I'm sure, however, that if he was promoting gay marriage, abortion, sexual promiscuity, etc. he would still have his job.

[freebilly]

Yes, he should be a teacher in a private Christian school. "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar."

[HamiltonJay]

a parent

One intollerant parent ruins an entire class.

[stylin_geek]

You forgot trashing dead white men, proving Thomas Jefferson had illegitimate black children and celebrating Ramadan.

[freebilly]

I'm sure, however, that if he was promoting gay marriage, abortion, sexual promiscuity, etc. he would still have his job.

And a certificate for Teacher of the Year from the local school board....

[orionblamblam]

"What inspires you to love people?"

"If you were to die today, what would you put on your tombstone, and why?"


These are *math* questions???

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

I can appreciate and respect his convictions, but he did not use wisdom. He was hired to teach math and let his convictions to God and Christ get in the way of that. It is kind of fraudulent of him to agree to get paid to teach math, then spend so much class room time speaking of his faith.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Everybody knows about the religion exception to the First Amendment.

[pointsal]

Another reason to terminate public funding of the school system. They whole operation cannot distinguish good from bad or right from wrong.

[jwpjr]

But yet, if he had been spewing forth animal rights propaganda or rain forest myths he would have been in no danger of losing his job and probably would have been nominated for the "teacher of the year" award. As you point out, he's simply teaching in the wrong school, but these are the kids who need to hear that there is a moral standard, and that some things are simply wrong, even if the Bible happens to say the same thing. I applaud his stand, he and he alone must stand before God someday and account for his use of is life. I would rather be in his shoes on that day than in the shoes of those who were offended by his open support of his Creator.

[wallcrawlr]

Its better he move on...there are plenty of good Christian schools that he can teach at. And he'll be better for it.

[Bikers4Bush]

Exaclty, if he'd been preaching the queer screed he'd have been given an award.

[Electrowoman]

My highschool social studies teacher used to spend 10 minutes or more of class time talking about how Reagan was a murdering butcher and how big business was ruining America...could we call that preaching?

Seriously, this guy went too far. Hope he finds a good Christian school to teach in.

[orionblamblam]

Well, I know that *I* would be intollerant of a math teacher teaching anything but math. What he does out of class or away from school is another matter... but schools are bad enough with math teachers preaching and English teachers going off on political rants.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Yep. He is paid to teach, not preach and God can stand up for himself. He didn't win any lost kids by disobeying his authorities in front of them.

[Grendel9]

He's also teaching the wrong subject at the
wrong level of education. If he has a need
to express his own religious beliefs, he should
be teaching comparative religion/ethics/sociology
in a parochial school or at the college level.
Many Teens are not ready to explore their own
mortality, contemplate an after life, much less
the Overall Purpose of Life.
I agree with his dismissal...he was hired to teach mathematics.

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Good point.

[FairfaxVA]

"The district's lawyer, Kelley Baker, however, asserted that the law clearly prohibits teachers from imposing their religious beliefs on students and from praying with or in the presence of them."

I guess this applies unless you are promoting islam. I am sickened by the number of stories I hear where teachers and school administrators are suspended/fired for talking about Christian topics, yet teachers who openly promote islam do not suffer the same fate.