Michael -
Sigh. Why am I responding to this...?
In my personal opinion, this is extremely disrespectful on your
part. I personally like George Harrison a lot better than I like Jesus, and
found it very hard to function last Friday during my meetings. But if I'd
had a class on Friday, I almost certainly would not have asked for a moment
of silence, and if I had, and someone had objected for religious reasons, I
would not have run to an online list and referred to that person as a "Jesus
freak student".
It has gone largely unrecognized in the face of the overwhelming
fact that George was one of the Beatles that he should be respected as much
as anything for his remarkable contribution to religious tolerance (exactly
the opposite of what you're showing in this situation). At the height of his
fame, he stepped FAR from his lower middle-class British background to
identify fully and publicly with a very foreign religion, then got
absolutely BURNED by an individual associated with that religion, and yet
managed to maintain an appropriate respect for the best parts of that
religion.
You certainly should have suspected in advance that not everyone in
your class would feel as you do about George. If you had wanted to honor
George, you might at least have spent some time talking about why that was
appropriate first, and voiced your recognition in advance that some of your
students might sincerely believe otherwise. Failing to have done so sinks to
the same level (IMO) that we see when the religious right argues for
organized prayer in the classroom. These are personal matters, and there is
legitimate disagreement with respect to them. At the very least, you need to
recognize that your student's objection is legitimate.
If you want to honor George Harrison, you will apologize to that
student BEFORE you are reprimanded by the Dean, and do so in a way that
demonstrates your understanding of what you have done wrong and your remorse
for having done it. There is no way in the world that Harrison would have
wanted you to act the way that you have acted.
Paul Smith
Alverno College
Milwaukee
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Sylvester [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2001 9:55 AM
> To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences
> Subject: christian student objects
>
>
> I have got that Jesus freak student in my class who objected
> to my asking
> the class to observe one minute of silence in memory of
> George Harrison.
> She said that she did not like the Beatles because they once
> proclaimed
> that they were more popular than Jesus.
>
> I am expecting a note from the Dean.
>
> Michael Sylvester,PhD
> Daytona Beach,Florida
>
>
>
>
>
>
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