The Academic Bill of Rights

In my course at a community college, when we get to the 18th century, I teach that those people known as the "founding fathers" of the USA were mostly Deists, not Christians. I also inform the students that the mass of people were, of course, not Deists, but Calvinists or some derivative thereof. Then we read the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin wherein Franklin spells out his Deistic beliefs, which were quite moderate but nonetheless Deistic. Then we read Thomas Paine, who was a radical Deist.I wonder if some student might be able to protest that I am teaching in a biased way. I am intimidating his religious beliefs by daring to suggest that if someone wants to argue that the "founding fathers" were mainly Christian they are wrong, and after all the student is entitled to his or her opinion and who do I think I am making such comments in an American Literature course?This message has been edited by robinrohan, 06-10-2005 09:13 AM

Let me just say this, however.In the large state universities, a great deal of the teaching is done in Freshman and Sophomore classes by graduate teaching assistants who are inexperienced teachers. These TA's are often very young and often not very knowledgable. The training sessions for TA's are minimal.Some of these young TA's are politically minded, mostly leftist (not all), and some think they are on a mission. It's with these young teachers that abuses can occur.I have a great deal of experience in this environment, since I was a TA myself for a number of years. But the environment I was in was the liberal arts.

I'm not so sure. The assignment seems a little loaded to me.

Well, I would never give such an assignment as that. I could see an assignment phrased as follows:"Argue that the US was wrong to invade Iraq. Then argue that the US was right to Invade Iraq."I personally think that we made a mistake by invading Iraq, but I would never say so to my students. Nor would I give my religious views.

Affirmative Action, Crashfrog, is one of the great successes of our time. There's no question that it has allowed African Americans to move from the lower to the middle class. All praise to Lyndon Johnson, of all people.This message has been edited by robinrohan, 06-11-2005 08:24 PM

What are you talking about? Are you denying that Affirmative Action has been successful?

I think I agree with this--theoretically.