A friend of mine recently asked me to watch a video released by Focus on the Family (a Colorado based evangelical ministry) about how Christian college students suffer discrimination and abuse in college by professors because of their faith. With suitably low expectations I went ahead and saw it.
The video basically claims that college professors often ridicule and disriminate against students who have a religious (at least, Christian) background. How teachers often digress to talk about how stupid Christians are and how atheism is the way to go. How colleges preach liberal propaganda and immorality, etc.
Then it went on to talk about "teach the controversy" and other ID slogans, and as if to further cement the unbreakable bond between ID and religious faith Stephen Meyer joined in to take a shot at the "presuppositions" that science teachers teach, and the lack of "alternative viewpoints". At this point my eyes glazed over and rolled back into my skull... I've heard this before.
Now, as a college student myself, I think this is all a load of bull crap. Or, possibly true from the perspective of an insecure student who thinks that teaching facts is tantamount to oppressing Christians. But my limited experience of college (just finishing my first year) hardly qualifies me to speak generally of the college experience. So far my experiences have been strangely opposite to what the makers of the video claim.
In my one year of college I've had:
One teacher in a non-science subject (UML and system design) talk about his disbelief in plate tectonics, and "ridicules" my acceptance of relativity theory. (He also believes Quasars to be sub-atomic particles and thinks the earth cooled and solidified from its molten state because it moved away from the sun.)
I had a math teacher who sounded strangely creationistic when he made some suspicious references to Adam and Eve during a lecture
I'm also giving a presentation tomorrow in English class on evolution and ID, for an english professor who has expressed pro-ID sentiments and who reminded me to mention "Stephen Gould's theory" as a counter-argument to evolution!
These are my experiences so far. But I'm curious, all of you who are attending college or have at one time or another, what were your experiences? Did you notice any discrimination or oppression of religious students? Is there any basis to the claims I mentioned that the video makes?
It might also be good if you shared when and where you went to College. I go to Colorado Technical University.
Thanks.
Respectfully,
-Meldinoor
The video in question is here:
The Truth Project - Focus on the Family(Top video)
Edited by Meldinoor, : No reason given.
Edited by Meldinoor, : No reason given.
Edited by Meldinoor, : Added question marks
Edited by Meldinoor, : No reason given.
Edited by Meldinoor, : No reason given.