Veering From Evolution : Fired Teachr Explains His Presentation

The Bulletin ^ | 03/25/2007 | Christopher Stollar

[SirLinksalot]

On Wednesday, March 14, eight days into a new job teaching biology at Sisters High School, Kris Helphinstine showed a class of freshman and sophomore students pictures of naked corpses, a Nazi swastika and Charles Darwin in a PowerPoint presentation.

"What do these pictures have in common?" the 27-year-old part-time teacher asked the 30 students.

They listened as Helphinstine gave a roughly hourlong presentation, explaining how the Third Reich perverted evolution and eugenics to slaughter Jews and Gypsies in death camps to protect the "superior race."

On the Monday and Tuesday before giving the PowerPoint presentation, Helphinstine had given the students supplemental material that included an essay promoting creationism and links to answersingenesis.org.

That Web site is "dedicated to enabling Christians to defend their faith, and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively."

When parents found out, some quickly complained. As a result, Helphinstine was put on leave March 16, and the Sisters School Board voted to fire him last Monday. Only board member Steve Rudinsky opposed the measure, saying the teacher should have received a second chance.

The firing has become yet one more issue for a district still grappling with the fallout of a 2006 state audit. The audit found the district inappropriately counted private Christian school students as participants in its homeschool program - earning it about $1.2 million extra.

The firing of Helphinstine - who was hired to teach a one-hour, basic biology class each day mainly to sophomores - may be the first case of its kind in the state, said Randy Harnisch, legal coordinator for the Oregon Department of Education who is also still working with the district on the state audit.

Technically, Helphinstine broke no laws, other than possibly violating a statute that says schools must not engage in religious activity...

[From many - one.]

Kinda parallel to the cashiers at Target who won't check out pork products and the cabbies who won't take passengers with service dogs or alcohol.

Don't take a job that requires you do do something you don't believe in.

[SirLinksalot]

The powerpoint slides mentioned in the above article can be viewed here :

http://www.bendweekly.com/ppt/Eugenics-WEBPAGE_files/frame.htm

Regarding the textbook being used for the class : "BIOLOGY : THE DYNAMICS OF LIFE",

Here is a critical review made for this textbook :

http://www.strengthsandweaknesses.org/PDFs/TBSE.TEA.Glencoe.Biology.DOL.MBR.MSR.0.2.pdf

[Maelstorm]

Leftist teachers do this all the time. What is the issue? I believe he should have simply been reprimanded but I support the right of the school to fire him. Liberals on the reverse would not I'm sure feel the same.

[Jaysun]

I'm not an evolutionist, but this man was out of line and was rightly fired. The same should apply when the left gets out of line with their homosex or socialism promotion.

[SirLinksalot]

BTW, Regarding Eugenics as mentioned by Kris Helphinstine in his presentation to the class, there seems to be some historical basis for his concern...

Leonard Darwin, was the son of Charles Darwin. He wrote a book entitled : “The Need for Eugenic Reform”

SEE HERE :

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-0133(192609)36%3A143%3C483%3ATNFER%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P

Also here :

http://www.galtoninstitute.org.uk/Newsletters/GINL0306/university_of_cambridge_eugenics.htm

Major Leonard Darwin gave his public lecture on "First Steps towards Eugenic Reform" on 8 February 1912 which drew attention to the question of eugenics and class, that the poorer classes have more naturally unfit than the richer classes and produce more children. "We eugenists assert that the problem is largely biological ¼ and certainly no relation to class prejudices" (Darwin, 1912, p26-38). This fact was highlighted in the newspaper report on the lecture but without criticism.

Some famous quotes from Charles Darwin's son :

http://bevets.com/equotesd2.htm

Leonard Darwin (1850–1943) Son of Charles Chairman of Eugenic Society

---

It is quite certain that no existing democratic government would go so far as we Eugenicists think right in the direction of limiting the liberty of the subject for the sake of the racial qualities of future generations. Eugenics Review February 1912

---

Dedicated to the memory of MY FATHER. For if I had not believed that he would have wished me to give such help as I could toward making his life's work of service to mankind, I should never have been led to write this book. The Need for Eugenic Reform (1926) Dedication

---

In considering whether any method of selecting the better types for multiplication, or the worse types for elimination, can from a practical basis for eugenic reform, those eugenicists who, like myself, are hoping to be able to utilize the methods which have been effective in organic evolution, are inevitably led to consider what guidance can be obtained from a study of the action of natural selection. The Need for Eugenic Reform (1926) p.112

---

Of all the problems which will have to be faced in the future, in my opinion, the most difficult will be those concerning the treatment of the inferior races of mankind. Birth Control Review April 1930 p.112

---

It is true that I am generally opposed to anything in the nature of a controversy in any papers on scientific subjects. My Father always used to rejoice that Lyell had given him the advice to avoid such controversies and that he had always followed it. Letter to R.A. Fisher October 21, 1930

[YellowRoseofTx]

Sisters High School

Is this a Christian school?

[SirLinksalot]

BTW, we need to read the article carefully.

The article seems to indicate that Helphinstine deleted a lot of paragraphs from the essay and blacked out all religious references in the photocopy he gave to the class because he wanted his students to concentrate on the scientific arguments.

Nowhere did I read in the article that he distributed creationist literature.

I am not sure if leaving the web address of Answers In Genesis should be punishable. The content he gave the students was copyrighted so it is but appropriate that he cite the original source of his argument.

[SirLinksalot]

Is this a Christian school?

I don't think it is. See their website here :

http://www.outlawnet.com/outlaw/sisters_highschool/owelcome.htm

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

I follow this topic very closely and agree this was way out of line. The teacher should have submitted a paper for peer review or presentation at a favorable audience. The kids should not have to be cannon fodder for either side. One day,the bias will be moved aside the science will speak for itself. It does not need a spokesperson.

[Maelstorm]

I agree. I choose to keep my children out of the war. We home school. I certainly don't think he was teaching anything that was wrong but the school still was within its domain to fire him.

-Fred

[scottdeus12]

Good for Kris.

With all the garbage in Gubmit Schools these days, topics like this make kids aware of alternative viewpoints.

Maybe his delivery was wrong, but the message was sent.

JESUS BUMP.

[Xenalyte]

Helphinstine . . . was hired to teach a one-hour, basic biology class each day mainly to sophomores

I have never heard of a one-class-a-day teacher.

Ever.

This guy "works" five hours a week? Helluva deal. What does he get paid for that grueling schedule?

[scottdeus12]

"I have never heard of a one-class-a-day teacher."

Substitute teacher. I had quite a few of them in High School...not uncommon.

Scott

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

It's the school's prerogative.

My daughter is still too young, but I am VERY happy with the public school system in my area. It's part of the reason we relocated to here. I probably read 2-3 articles, papers, books a week on this topic and ancillary offshoots.

[Xenalyte]

In Houston, subs are hired to replace a teacher for the entire day.

Yeah, occasionally we'd get one-class subs. But never one-class subs for an entire year.

Teachers in my district all taught full loads, five classes a day.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

You never met Fr. Fergus. He taught physics at our high school once a day. He also required us to use slide rulers (it was the early 80s). And he would often fall asleep during class. He was in his late 80s himself, so that might be that exception-proving-the-rule....

[Xenalyte]

I have never met anyone who's actually used a slide rule! How do those things work?

[scottdeus12]

Huh. Not the same where I grew up in NJ.....

[Hegewisch Dupa]

You are asking me 20 years too late! Although I do recall they weren't all that hard to use - but you needed logarithmic tables to do anything serious. The dudes in Apollo 13 were WAY quicker than any of us; if in fact they were really calculating things....