How to make an Atheist

Arkansas Publik Skulz ^ | 10 Sep 2003 | Margaret Brogley

[steplock]

How to make an Atheist
Date: Wednesday, September 10 @ 11:36:24
Topic Letters to Editor

SENSITIVITY TRAINING: THE MAKING OF ATHEISTS
Margaret Brogley

Imagine my surprise when I opened the Southwest Times Record of 8/01/03 and read a news item stating that "Arkansas state employees already are required to attend sensitivity training."

I have long suspected it was true but had no proof and didn"t dream of ever seeing it in print!

My first experience with sensitivity training was while I was in London, England, sitting in the teachers' lounge sipping tea! It was a very mild form; it had not been developed long, and I didn't know what was happening.

I had never heard of it.

You perhaps you know that sensitivity training was developed in 1947 by the National Training Lab, originally an arm of the NEA, but is now a separate organization. It is used by teachers (change agents) as a form of brainwashing. Any teacher with his salt can recognize it when being used.

Sensitivity training came to Fort Smith during Junior Achievement during the mid-sixties. One of my pupils had joined Junior Achievement and I was helping her financially with her project. One day when I had a question about it that she couldn't answer, I called the leader to ask him. I was pleasantly surprised. When he answered the phone, I heard a British accent! I asked, "Oh, you are from England, aren't you?"

"Yes," he said.

"And you are from London, too, aren"t you?" I asked.

Shocked, he replied. "Yes, but how could you know that?!"

When I told him I had taught in London, he was ecstatic. He acted as though he had "found a long-time friend"! As a result, he opened up and told me all he had been doing and was planning to do. He had just returned from a nearby resort in Oklahoma with the students, holding a sensitivity training session! I was all ears and began asking questions. Then he invited me to attend a session he was having with the students the following Sunday in town and to bring my friends.

I knew I needed help and that others needed to know what was to take place, so I called a couple of people I thought might understand. There were four of us adults who attended in the basement of one of the banks. I did not know two of the adults present and hardly knew the one I asked.

When the session began, the leader told us all to sit in a circle on the floor. I refused; therefore, the other adults refused too. He consented to our refusal. The pupils though did sit on the floor in a ring formation. The leader explained that he would give them a subject or ask a question and then they were to carry on a discussion by themselves until they came to a conclusion.

The question he posed was: "How many of you believe in God?" Every hand went up. He then threw out a couple of comments and told them that they were on their own. If the discussion lagged, he gave another hint or two. An hour and a half later he called a halt by asking, "Now, how many of you believe in God?" Only one child raised his hand, a boy who lived across the street from me.

The leader had made atheists out of all but one of the students in less than two hours!

I quickly left that meeting. I was so shocked, disheartened, and discouraged. And I wondered what could be done.

On Monday after the sensitivity training session, my pupil in Junior Achievement came to class all excited and said, "Guess what?"

I replied, "Don't know. Why all the excitement."

She answered, "Our leader is going to get you to introduce sensitivity training at Northside High!"

"Over my dead body he will!"

"Oh, but you would be good at it."

"No, I will not become involved in anything like that. And that is final!"

A couple of days later she came to class with the saddest look on her face. I asked what was wrong and told her she looked as if she had lost her best friend.

She replied, "He isn't with us anymore. He won't be back."

I thought, "Halleluja."

I have no idea who dismissed him or why, but he was gone in less than a week after the meeting I had witnessed. I do know this: For the first time since I began teaching I heard teachers complaining in teachers" meetings about Junior Achievement. And I have never heard about Junior Achievement since that time.

This article comes from Arkansas Publik Skulz
http://www.gohotsprings.com/school/

The URL for this story is:
http://www.gohotsprings.com/school/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=274

[steplock]

Margaret Brogley PING!

[AdamSelene235]

I have the same approach to these classses I have to drug testing. I simple will not comply. You can have your mandatory class or you can have me as an employee but not both.

[Blood of Tyrants]

We had to attend one of these stupid courses when I was in college. But the facilitator's biggest problem was me. Being 35 years old and very conservative and aware of liberal propaganda, I was attuned to their crap already.

It was a class on male/female employee/employer relationships. The 21-22 year old students in my class almost choked when I asked in a confrontational manner, "What if your boss is this man-hating, bull dike and she does her best to make life miserable for you? How do you deal with her in a diplomatic manner?"

I didn't get a satisfactory answer.

[joesnuffy]

God is in control...there are no surprises in Heaven ...no unexpected events...
Atheists are made by a hardening of the heart...Christians are made in the opposite way
By the Holy Spirit...
Lest any man should boast

[aimhigh]

Employers can require employees to be courteous to customers and co-workers. Sensitivity training has the goal of telling you what you have to believe and what you have to respect. It's unconstitutional.

[AdamSelene235]

It's unconstitutional.

The constitution says nothing about private businesses. Its simply degrading not unconstitutional. No reason to put up with it, mind you.

[Tired of Taxes]

It looks like that was a "letter to the editor", and it isn't very clear, is it? Were the students public school students required by the school to attend this "sensitivity session"? Public schools shouldn't be involved in discussions of religion in any way, shape or form, and maybe that's why the guy was dismissed. But, that's not clear, either.

[steplock]

Looks like a Letter to the Editor? Yep - That's why they're called "Letters to the Editor"! :>)

Martha Brogley is NOT a professional writer, but simply an exceptional retired teacher with a sharp wit that our Arkansas politicos are in fear of.

Here's another one from a couple years ago. Not political, just her opinion.

---

An Inhuman Interest Story
Margaret Brogley

While I was teaching at Borthwick Training College in the Elephant and Castle area of London, the girls decided to put on one of Shakespeare's plays.

I was appointed to the job of designing all of the costumes, making the patterns, and buying the materials for the costumes. Then they were to make their own.

One of the girls was to represent royalty; therefore, I planned for her garment to have fur. As I handed her pattern and material to her, I explained that I had no fur for her garment. But since she was familiar with London she might know where to find some. I also explained that real fur might be too expensive for her to buy and fake fur might be fine.

She listened and then responded by saying, "Oh, no problem, I can manage." I then dismissed it from my mind.

To my surprise when I saw her on stage, the garment did have fur--real fur! I was so proud of her being so resourceful. After the play was over I went to congratulate her and asked where she found the fur.

She said, "Well, I had a couple of pet rabbits so I just went home, skinned them, and tanned their hides. Then I sewed it on the garment."

I was shocked! I thought, "U-ugh! Pet rabbits! PET rabbits!" I then wished that I had not asked!

And, now, fifty-five years later I still I hadn't asked!

[steplock]

I'll see if I can get her to clarify her letter a bit more - especially the part about the "leader" going back to UK.

[exile]

I'm an Agnostic, and I find the best way to tick off an Athiest is to point out that it also takes a leap of faith to deny that God exists. Agnostics simply don't have the answers.

[commish]

How to make an Atheist

Sit on the toilet?

[Tired of Taxes]

I'm an Agnostic, and I find the best way to tick off an Athiest is to point out that it also takes a leap of faith to deny that God exists. Agnostics simply don't have the answers.

There's little, if any, difference between atheists and agnostics. I called myself "agnostic" for years until finally admitting to myself that I'm an atheist, though my "beliefs" or lack thereof never changed in all that time.

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP

[activationproducts]

There's nothing an agnostic cannot do if he doesn't know if he really believes in it or not.

[snowstorm12]

I don't get it. What did the sensivity trainer do that was wrong? He asked a question and the kids sat around and discussed it. Am I missing something?

[lemoncandy]

I'm thinking the same thing. The sensitivity training doesn't even sound like it's attempting to make the students believe any one thing. They came up with their own answers. It is not another that can make a convert but the individual who makes the conversion themselves (though i doubt these youth have lost their faith).
Besides, who is to say that being atheist is bad?