When it comes to religion in this country, it is a controversial topic to talk about. The area of the country you are residing in will determine how much a religious topic will be debated or talked about.
In most regions of the country, like the West, North and East, religion can be and is taken seriously, but it is not imbedded into state laws, the education systems, and heavily implanted in the social norm.
However, in one region of the United States, it is.
The South is an extremely religious region. The South is so extreme with their religion that it reflects upon their state laws, like how in some states in the South, one cannot purchase any liquor on Sundays.
Since the Southern states are influenced by religion, purchasing and drinking liquor on a Sunday is looked down on. This is nothing but a tactic to implant their personal beliefs on others, right?
Sometimes people who are not very religious are accused of not believing in God, or making an effort to turn people against God. From personal experience, I can tell you that if you are not religious or you speak outside the box and research and/or talk about the origins of God historically, sometimes you are perceived to try and question God and his existence, instead of just thinking more critically, which is., in fact, the case a lot of times.
In Katy, Texas, on Oct. 25, seventh-grade student Jordan Wooley turned in an assignment that was centered on the topic of the existence of God. She turned in her assignment, stating that God did in fact exist, based on her faith in God. When she got her assignment back, she was told by the teacher that her work, her statements were in fact wrong, and that God did not exist. Jordan stated that she felt as if her faith was being questioned, and she wanted to defend her faith and belief system.
Jordan said the teacher prior to the assignment told the class that God was a myth. There has been no confirmation that the teacher said this or if it cost her her job. The school and school district stated that “appropriate action” will take place for the teacher, whose name was not revealed.
The teacher’s claim was that it was not a tactic to brainwash the students; it was a critical thinking assignment to challenge the writing skills of the students. The school said the assignment was a bad idea, and it would not be given to any students again.
In my opinion, that was not smart on the teacher’s part to give a homework assignment like that, especially in a state where religious fervor is high.
There was no confirmation as to what the teacher supposedly said about God; however, if it was an exaggeration and/or a lie, that was what the teacher should have expected.
Religion is a very “touchy” topic and should not be taken lightly in schools when it comes to one’s opinion about the existence or structure of God. If it is not historical or biblical, it should not be written or talked about in the school system.
Asha Bronson is a sophomore history major from Los Angeles, California.