My Brother's teacher has banned the word of "G-d" in class...

me

[sdk7x7]

My younger brother, in 8th grade, just informed me that one of his teachers has told students that there will be consequences if they use certain words in class... the list included the "f-word" and the "G-d" word...

We'll be calling the principal next week...

[dyed_in_the_wool]

For some, taking the Lord's name in vain and cursing are equivalently 'bad things'.
I would determine the context first.
This person may be trying to install some moral sensibility that could be valuable.
Temperance should be your watchword.

[mdittmar]

Jay Sekulow may be interested.

Contrary to many school officials' belief, the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment does not require a relentless effort to purge the public school campus of all religious expression. As the Department of Education Guidelines state, school officials must be neutral toward student religious expression. They may impose rules of order and place some restrictions on student activities, but they cannot structure or administer such rules in a way that discriminates against religious activity or speech.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

A couple of phone calls to your local news stations couldn't hurt!

[mountaineer]

Sage advice. There's a big difference using "God" as a curse word vs. "God bless you."

[GrandmaPatriot]

Maybe the teacher doesn't want the children to use God's name in vain?

That was also my first thought since it seems to be in the context of cursing. It would be nice if that is the case.

[Sloth]

Are you certain he didn't mean 'G..d...'? Or the use of God in a vain, irreverent way?

[JennysCool]

I'm in agreement with those on the thread who say the teacher likely was making a list of words he did not want to hear the students use in vain. I think when you give it a little thought, you'll come to the same conclusion -- in which case the teacher should be commended, not condemned.

[lainie]

Thanks. I always wondered and never asked.

[jra]

Some people consider the name itself holy and don't spell it out in its entirety.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

Exactly. Using it when someone sneezes should be allowed. Especially when you understand the historical context in which it started.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

At least the teacher is goal oriented. The banning of God IS their goal.

Pretty soon terms like illegal alien will be banned as hate speech.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Doubtful. He equated it with the "f-word."

Wow...talk about a parallel I could have never imagined seeing put side by side.

It never fails.

Whenever I'm sure I'd seen it all...something else always comes along to top it.

[SouthernFreebird]

As a parent of teenagers I can tell you how many times in one conversation they can use the word God and it has nothing with expressing their religion.

I think they teacher wants to rid his classroom of all the 'Gods' that I'm sure he hears with every assignment.

[philetus]

So, now the NEA has classified God as a cuss word.

[FreedomCalls]

Maybe your little brother misunderstood the shorthand the teacher was using. When she said "the F-word" he knew what she meant. But he probably misunderstood how she expressed "G-D" if she used that expression. He thought she meant "God" when she actually intended "G*dd*mned" as the banned word.

[aCookieMomster]

Where is your school? If it is in CA call the Pacific Justice Institute http://www.pacificjustice.org/. They love these kinds of cases. Also, another resource is The American Center for Law and Justice http://www.aclj.org/. They, too, will fight. The kids can express their deeply held religious beliefs. This is all too commonplace each September.

[sdk7x7]

Yeah, I thought about that. But then a kid said, "You mean G-d?" and the teacher confirmed it.

[FreedomCalls]

Maybe the teacher thought the student was being circumspect and did not want to say the whole word. She may have thought she was confirming the whole nine-letter word whereas the student may have been asking about the three-letter word.

It still merits a call to the principal to ask about.

[shattered]

I totally agree and it sounds as if that is the teacher's intention.