Michael Sylvester wrote:
> A Gentile student came to me wanting to be excused from work assignments
> and to be given make-up test as I will do for the other Jewish students
> during the coming Jewish holidays. This gentile student told me that
> he belongs to a Beth Judah Messianic Congregation- a synagogue ofJewish
> and Gentile believers in Jeshua (Jesus) as the promised Messiah of
> Israel and the Light of the World.
If he is willing to do the work on the Christian holidays instead, that
shouldn't be a problem. If not, there is no reason he should receive special
treatment.
Actually, I don't see any reason ANY student should receive special
treatment. If you don't schedule major exams for religious holidays,
students who miss class those days are doing so by choice. They won't be
permitted to do so by employers after graduation--so why permit them to do
so now? Religion is a matter of CHOICE, not an ascribed status, and one of
the choices made by a person is whether the exercise of all aspects of
his/her religion is important enough to make other sacrifices to achieve it.
> Well,I had to think twice about this.
Why?
> Must be nice to be excused for both Christian and Jewish holidays.
> Comments invited.
Sure--if you permit it.
Why not do what most people do--schedule your exams on days that aren't
major religious holidays and require attendance on all days the college
schedules classes? It isn't up to the individual instructor to determine
what religious holidays legitimize not attending classes--it's up to the
administration.
Look at it from another perspective. If you let students in one religion
have days off from class (that need not be made up) not enjoyed by all
students, you are discriminating as surely as if you allowed only
African-American students to take Martin Luther King's Birthday off! If you
want to let Jewish students take the Jewish holidays off--then permit the
Christian (and Buddhist, Islamic, etc.) students do so as well.
> Btw,do any of you excuse students because of a Santeria celebration
> or Holly Roller students who have to go on Rattlesnake chases.
BOTH would be just as valid as excusing them for a Jewish holiday--or
aren't their religious view as "important" as those of larger, more
mainstream, religions?
My policy is simple. The college sets the days we won't have class, not me.
If class is scheduled for a religious holiday, the student is expected to
take responsibility for the content of that class regardless of whether s/he
chooses to attend or not. I make exceptions for illness or family
emergency, not for matters of personal choice.
Rick
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Rick Adams
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Social Sciences
Jackson Community College
2111 Emmons Rd.
Jackson, MI 49201
