[Vision2020] Universities lack of honest education

[Sunil Ramalingam]

Pat,

I'm hoping you'll unlock the secrets of your mind and tell me why we're in 
Iraq.

Sunil


>From: "Pat Kraut" <pkraut at moscow.com>
>To: "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: [Vision2020] Universities lack of honest education
>Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 18:02:34 -0800
>
>So, many of you have so locked in your mind all the knowledge you need that
>you not only won't go to a talk about anything you mock those who do! I 
>have
>found both our local universities just like this one at Missouri State:
>CHRISTIAN STUDENT WINS FREEDOM OF RELIGION CASE - (Print)
>
>
>Many Christian students in public universities complain about liberal
>professors. The problem is not that these professors open students to a
>gamut of ideas - fresh and divergent thinking is vital to intellectual
>discovery. What too often happens, however, is that liberalism is embraced
>and conservative ideas and people are tacitly censored. And occasionally,
>professors give class assignments that put conservative students in
>difficult situations - like requiring them to advocate for homosexual
>adoption.
>
>That's what Emily Brooker faced in a required class taught by Dr. Frank G.
>Kauffman at Missouri State University. The university has recently settled 
>a
>case with Brooker, after she filed a lawsuit saying that her Free Speech
>rights had been violated.
>
>Brooker is studying to become a social worker, and Dr. Kauffman taught two
>of the classes she had to take at the University of Missouri. Brooker said
>that Dr. Kaufman told the class on the first day that he was liberal but
>open to differing opinions on things. Brooker quickly found out that Dr.
>Kaufman was not as open as he said, however. When she offered conservative
>viewpoints during political discussions, he did not appreciate her 
>comments.
>
>Then came the advocacy assignment. Dr. Kaufman assigned his students to
>write to their senator in favor of homosexual adoption and foster care.
>Brooker and another student told the professor that the assignment violated
>their personal beliefs. Brooker told CNS News:
>
>"We were willing to do all of the research and the other parts of the
>assignment, even writing a letter - we just didn't want to sign it and send
>it to our senator. We did not feel that advocating for this is in our
>personal beliefs."
>Dr. Kauffman responded by filing a "level three" grievance against Brooker
>because of her refusal to advocate for gay adoption. She was told that her
>religious views conflicted with the National Association of Social Workers'
>code of ethics, and she had violated three standards of the School of 
>Social
>Work; diversity, interpersonal skills and professional behavior. She was
>sent before the ethics committee, where she was asked questions like, "Do
>you think gays and lesbians are sinners?"
>
>After the grievance was filed, Brooker asked for help from the Alliance
>Defense Fund, a conservative legal organization that works to protect
>religious rights. To its credit, Missouri State University made a quick
>investigation into the matter, and settled out of court last week. The
>university has agreed to pay Brooker $9000, plus free tuition and a $3000
>per year housing allowance for her two years as a Master's student. Dr.
>Kauffman has stepped down from his position as director of the Master of
>Social Work program and has been assigned to non-teaching duties.
>
>Erik Stanley, chief counsel for Liberty Counsel, told CNS News that what 
>Dr.
>Kauffman had done was "appalling".
>
>"Those types of issues like homosexuality or abortion - things that are 
>very
>divisive and that people hold very strong religious views on - should not 
>be
>mandated by the government in order to engage in these kinds of 
>professions,
>like social work," Stanley said.
>"The end result of the homosexual movement is not same-sex marriage.  It is
>silencing the opposition. The end goal of the same-sex movement cannot
>tolerate anybody that has an opposing view point. These kinds of cases are
>indicative of that."
>
>It's important that Chistian students know they do have rights in the
>classroom, even when liberal professors try to muffle conservative voices.
>Students should always be respectful of the position of teachers and
>administrators, but they do not have to be bullied into doing what they
>believe to be morally wrong.
>I use this as my signature because even Stephen Hawking was willing to 
>admit
>that he didn't know everything and there is a God.
>
>If we do discover a complete theory..of everything...we shall all,
>philosophers, scientists and just ordinary people,
>be able to take part in the discussion of why it is that we and the 
>universe
>exist if we find the answer to that,
>it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason...for then we would know
>the mind of God.
>Stephen Hawking
>
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