Bible essay stirs trouble for teacher

[Voegelin]

The Herald--Everett WA
Snohomish County's online news source
By Melissa Slager
Herald Writer

LAKE STEVENS - The nature of God will no longer be part of an atheist teacher's American literature class at Lake Stevens High School.

Gary McDonald, 60, said he had no intention of swaying students' religious beliefs during a lesson last month . . .

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/07/02/22/100loc_a1teacher001.cfm

 

[Dannager]

At least he got a good seven years of instruction out of it.

 

[Voegelin]

Gary McDonald, 60, said he had no intention of swaying students' religious beliefs . . .

Don't know who he is trying to kid. McDonald is also teaching Arthur Miller--who wrote under a pen name for the atheists who ran the Soviet Union. Miller also, when Americans were trying to figure out who was giving Stalin technology our taxpayers had paid to develop , refused to tell who else was on the Soviet payroll. Of all of the writers in America to select for a HS literature class, its just a coincidence an atheist selects one who supported communist atheists and who knocked colonial Christians (as well as knocked those who were attempting to uncover treason in our government in the late 1940s).

 

[Dannager]

Gary McDonald, 60, said he had no intention of swaying students' religious beliefs . . .

Don't know who he is trying to kid. McDonald is also teaching Arthur Miller--who wrote under a pen name for the atheists who ran the Soviet Union. Miller also, when Americans were trying to figure out who was giving Stalin technology our taxpayers had paid to develop , refused to tell who else was on the Soviet payroll. Of all of the writers in America to select for a HS literature class, its just a coincidence an atheist selects one who supported communist atheists and who knocked colonial Christians (as well as knocked those who were attempting to uncover treason in our government in the late 1940s).

...I've yet to come across a high school student who hadn't been exposed to Arthur Miller's The Crucible. I read it in 10th grade, as did everyone in my high school, as did everyone in the district. Everyone teaches Arthur Miller.

 

[Ampoliros]

Gary McDonald, 60, said he had no intention of swaying students' religious beliefs . . .

Don't know who he is trying to kid. McDonald is also teaching Arthur Miller--who wrote under a pen name for the atheists who ran the Soviet Union. Miller also, when Americans were trying to figure out who was giving Stalin technology our taxpayers had paid to develop , refused to tell who else was on the Soviet payroll. Of all of the writers in America to select for a HS literature class, its just a coincidence an atheist selects one who supported communist atheists and who knocked colonial Christians (as well as knocked those who were attempting to uncover treason in our government in the late 1940s).

Like Dannager said, everyone teaches Miller's The Crucible. I also read Death of a Salesman for an english class as well in high school; and I assure you, my teachers weren't atheists or communist sympathizers .

What's your source that he wrote under a pen name in the Soviet Union ? From what I've briefly searched on the internets for, his works were banned there in 1970...which seems somewhat contradictory.

 

[MaddyO3]

Don't know who he is trying to kid. McDonald is also teaching Arthur Miller--who wrote under a pen name for the atheists who ran the Soviet Union. Miller also, when Americans were trying to figure out who was giving Stalin technology our taxpayers had paid to develop , refused to tell who else was on the Soviet payroll. Of all of the writers in America to select for a HS literature class, its just a coincidence an atheist selects one who supported communist atheists and who knocked colonial Christians (as well as knocked those who were attempting to uncover treason in our government in the late 1940s).

I went to a Christian high school and we read Arther Miller's The Crucible...

 

[Dannager]

I'm kinda curious now, is there anyone who attended a public school and didn't read The Crucible at some point?

 

[Self Improvement]

Gary McDonald, 60, said he had no intention of swaying students' religious beliefs . . .

Don't know who he is trying to kid. McDonald is also teaching Arthur Miller--who wrote under a pen name for the atheists who ran the Soviet Union. Miller also, when Americans were trying to figure out who was giving Stalin technology our taxpayers had paid to develop , refused to tell who else was on the Soviet payroll. Of all of the writers in America to select for a HS literature class, its just a coincidence an atheist selects one who supported communist atheists and who knocked colonial Christians (as well as knocked those who were attempting to uncover treason in our government in the late 1940s).

My class had to read The Crucible as well. Is my teacher a communist and or atheist?

You should get an award for being able to make a post about atheists and communists in every thread you post in.

 

[kiwimac]

Nope, even here in NZ we read both it and Death of a salesman.

kiwimac

 

[Ave Maria]

Gary McDonald, 60, said he had no intention of swaying students' religious beliefs . . .

Don't know who he is trying to kid. McDonald is also teaching Arthur Miller--who wrote under a pen name for the atheists who ran the Soviet Union. Miller also, when Americans were trying to figure out who was giving Stalin technology our taxpayers had paid to develop , refused to tell who else was on the Soviet payroll. Of all of the writers in America to select for a HS literature class, its just a coincidence an atheist selects one who supported communist atheists and who knocked colonial Christians (as well as knocked those who were attempting to uncover treason in our government in the late 1940s).

Personally, I believe him when he says he wasn't trying to sway the religious beliefs of his students.

 

[Zimfan]

I'm kinda curious now, is there anyone who attended a public school and didn't read The Crucible at some point?

I was about to post that I hadn't, but then I remembered eleventh grade AP English.

I hit the link to the "Problem of Evil" assignment, and I could see why it wouldn't be appropriate for a public high school, where religion is a touchy subject. I would expect them to just ask the guy not to use it the next time he teaches the course.

Now to figure out why this was considered important enough to make a news site.

 

[Maynard Keenan]

I went to a Catholic school and read Death of a Salesman. Other teachers at the school taught The Crucible. Miller is a standard read in an American Lit class.

 

[Vylo]

I don't think he had any ill intentions, but it was over the line. That sounds similar to material I would have seen taught in my anthropology classes in college, not my lit classes.

 

[419gam]

Christians are probably the most paranoid and hypocritical of all modern religions with the possible exception of muslims. Its fine to teach an native american religion as myth, bu6t its discrimination to do that for christianity. Same [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth] different [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth]. How is christian faith that there creation account is true any more valid then native american beleifs that their creation accout is true?

[wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth] no wonder segments of society are becoming progresively more ignorant.

 

[SallyNow]

If the class was about to read up on Aruthur Miller and The Crucible, then why did the teacher not teach about the Salem Witch Trials or how the laws of the land change over time?

The teacher went too far in his worksheet, yes. But I think that teacher-made handouts are vital: a teacher can tailor a hand-out to a particular class and grab the attention of the students in a positive way much better than any textbook worksheet can.

However, a teacher must be sensitive to his or her students and he can not cross the line into preaching. Arther Miller's plays are appropriate to upper-level high school courses when they are introduced and taught properly and within the historical and social context that they occured in.

Reading over the worksheet the teacher wrote again, I realize it is not even written in very good English. Not appropriate for a literature class in content, not appropriate for a literature class in form.

ETA: I didn't read The Crucible in high school. But I'm a Canadian... we didn't have such a focus on American lit, instead we focused on Canadian lit... just like people in Japan focus on Japanese lit, etc. I have read DOASM, though...

 

[Steezie]

I had to read The Crucible too. It made me want to gargle drain cleaner because NOBODDY in the class could read more than four flipping words an hour

 

[Ramona]

I'm kinda curious now, is there anyone who attended a public school and didn't read The Crucible at some point?

*glances around thread, debating whether or not to admit it*

...And that was in the honors program, kids. :o

 

[David Brider]

I'm kinda curious now, is there anyone who attended a public school and didn't read The Crucible at some point?

I've never read The Crucible (keep meaning to get round to watching the film), but I studied Death of a Salesman for A-level.

David.

 

[Dannager]

So it sounds like nearly everyone has been exposed to Arthur Miller's works. Why, Voegelin, did you decide that there had to be some link between his atheism and choice in literature? It's pretty apparent that no such link is necessary. Were you actually convinced such a link existed, and simply did not realize that everyone and their mother has read Miller, or were you trying to advance your argument by drawing specious conclusions?

 

[Randombitsofstring]

Oh Noes!! He was trying to make them think analytically about their religion! The Horror!!evelenties11!!