Key section of the article:
“Have the students write the name JESUS in big letters on a piece of paper,” the lesson reads. “Ask the students to stand up and put the paper on the floor in front of them with the name facing up. Ask the students to think about it for a moment. After a brief period of silence instruct them to step on the paper. Most will hesitate. Ask why they can’t step on the paper. Discuss the importance of symbols in culture.”
It seems the Mormon responded the way the lesson anticipated, and therefore his cries of persecution are strange. It is also worth noting that the Professor is writing a book called “Obamamania: The rise of a mythical hero.” Which doesn’t sound positive for Obama.
I would have to get the Professor’s side of the story before I pass any kind of judgment in my mind on the matter. I am thinking that, most likely, the Mormon student overreacted, and made much ado about nothing, since the lesson itself says that refusing to step on it was part of the lesson itself.
“Key section of the article:
“Have the students write the name JESUS in big letters on a piece of paper,” the lesson reads. “Ask the students to stand up and put the paper on the floor in front of them with the name facing up. Ask the students to think about it for a moment. After a brief period of silence instruct them to step on the paper. Most will hesitate. Ask why they can’t step on the paper. Discuss the importance of symbols in culture.”
It seems the Mormon responded the way the lesson anticipated, and therefore his cries of persecution are strange. It is also worth noting that the Professor is writing a book called “Obamamania: The rise of a mythical hero.” Which doesn’t sound positive for Obama.
I would have to get the Professor’s side of the story before I pass any kind of judgment in my mind on the matter. I am thinking that, most likely, the Mormon student overreacted, and made much ado about nothing, since the lesson itself says that refusing to step on it was part of the lesson itself.”
I would submit that a teacher with any common sense at all would appreciate that this exercise would likely be offensive to some, and could modify it to get the same point across without unnecessarily ruffling feathers.
For example, he could have asked the students to write tha name of somebody each one deeply respects, exchange papers with a neighbor, and then stomp away.
This strategy would have achieved a similar outcome (to launce the discussion) without singling out devout members of one particular religion.
Is this the deepest intellectual depth the university can muster?
It sounds like a preschool activity.
I would have to get the Professor’s side of the story before I pass any kind of judgment in my mind on the matter. I am thinking that, most likely, the Mormon student overreacted, and made much ado about nothing, since the lesson itself says that refusing to step on it was part of the lesson itself.
...exactly so...the purpose of the exercise, apparently, was to guage why one might not commit the act of defacing an important symbol, and to comment on the importance of such such cultural symbols...I fail to see that the student was being forced to ‘stomp on Jesus’, which would then amount to an overt blasphemy and his reaction wuld be understandable...