Professors sue college over Adam and Eve stance

[Dick Whitman]

At Bryan College, professors have to sign a statement that says: "The origin of man was by fiat of God. Adam and Eve are historical persons created by God in a special formative act, and not from previously existing life-forms."

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/05/21/education/christian-college-faces-uproar-after-bolstering-its-view-on-evolution.html?hpw&rref=us&_r=0&referrer=

I had to double check to make sure I wasn't reading a story from 1814 rather than 2014.

And today, Bryan College gets a front-page shaming in the nation's newspaper for its stone age stand.

 

[cranberry]

What took you so long?

 

[Boom_70]

This is the college that believes that Bryan of Nazareth is the messiah.

 

[zagoshe]

OK, this is very simple - IT IS AN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE.

If this is their belief these professors need to go find another job if they don't agree with it. And this is not a debate about evolution - and I can't believe anyone who cares about the constitution would side with these professors who are suing.

This isn't a public university, a state-run school - it is a CHRISTIAN COLLEGE.

The lawsuit should be thrown out immediately and even the God-hating atheists from the ACLU should side with the college and its right, as a religious institution, to hold its own beliefs.

Of course, that won't happen as the ACLU is only interested in stamping God out of public places and not interested in defending the rights of private places to worship as they see fit.

 

[JayFarrar]

So the former William Jennings Bryan College, a school founded on a literal belief in the Bible has some odd rules? Huh.

Don't the people who sign up to be professors there know what they are getting into?

 

[Big Circus]

http://www.tennesseeemploymentlawcenter.com/religious_discrimination.html

Under federal law it is unlawful to discriminate against an employee or potential employee on the basis of religion. That means employers may not discriminate because the employee practices a particular faith or follows a particular creed.

The ban on discrimination applies to hiring and firing practices, as well as promotion, pay, job training or any other term, condition or privilege of employment.

 

[zagoshe]

http://www.tennesseeemploymentlawcenter.com/religious_discrimination.html

Under federal law it is unlawful to discriminate against an employee or potential employee on the basis of religion. That means employers may not discriminate because the employee practices a particular faith or follows a particular creed.

The ban on discrimination applies to hiring and firing practices, as well as promotion, pay, job training or any other term, condition or privilege of employment.

There is no discrimination here - everyone has to sign the code and everyone knows what they are signing up for.

This is a private, religious institution -- Are you telling me that churches can't decide that an atheist is probably not suited to be hired as their pastor?

Are you telling me that a Muslim institution cannot tell a Christian preacher, um, thanks but you can't work here?

This is ridiculous - if you don't like the rules, go get another job.

And I will go on the record as saying I think the addition of "adam and eve" to the language is silly and that's precisely why I wouldn't apply to work there.

 

[The Big Ragu]

Everyone didn't know what they were signing up for, as you put it. The Adam & Eve thing didn't used to be a requirement for holding a faculty position. They stuck it in front of existing faculty and told them sign this.

 

[zagoshe]

Everyone didn't know what they were signing up for, as you put it. The Adam & Eve thing didn't used to be a requirement for holding a faculty position. They stuck it in front of existing faculty and told them sign this.

Doesn't matter - these people knew they were signing up to work at an Evangelical Christian University with a science curriculum that is based on the idea of Creationism.

Whether you agree with their view on science or not, and I know you do not, the bottom line is this slight change in language changes nothing other than reinforcing the stance of the college.

If you don't like to be forced to teach creationism, don't work at a Christian University.

This one isn't hard at all.

 

[Dick Whitman]

OK, this is very simple - IT IS AN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE.

If this is their belief these professors need to go find another job if they don't agree with it. And this is not a debate about evolution - and I can't believe anyone who cares about the constitution would side with these professors who are suing.

This isn't a public university, a state-run school - it is a CHRISTIAN COLLEGE.

The lawsuit should be thrown out immediately and even the God-hating atheists from the ACLU should side with the college and its right, as a religious institution, to hold its own beliefs.

Of course, that won't happen as the ACLU is only interested in stamping God out of public places and not interested in defending the rights of private places to worship as they see fit.

You didn't read the story.

 

[The Big Ragu]

I never heard of Bryan College before reading that story, but I will bet with like 1,000 percent certainty that even as backward-ass as it is, it doesn't have "a science curriculum that is based on the idea of Creationism."

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I liked when the college president said that Biblical literalism was "in our DNA."

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

It took til the fourth post to attract the quit-if-you-don't-like-it crowd?

 

[Dick Whitman]

It took til the fourth post to attract the quit-if-you-don't-like-it crowd?

Good point.

This is bigger than those two professors. For example, should the school's accreditation be at risk?

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Maybe the free market will take care of it and only hire the school's grads to be baristas.

 

[Bob Cook]

Bryan College was named for the not-Messiah.

 

[nmmetsfan]

It took til the fourth post to attract the quit-if-you-don't-like-it crowd?

Good point.

This is bigger than those two professors. For example, should the school's accreditation be at risk?

That's a tolerant stance.

 

[Dick Whitman]

It took til the fourth post to attract the quit-if-you-don't-like-it crowd?

Good point.

This is bigger than those two professors. For example, should the school's accreditation be at risk?

That's a tolerant stance.

Dogma/doctrine is antithetical to the core mission of higher education, which is exploration in search of truth.

I'm extremely tolerant of dissenting viewpoints. Which is precisely why I think that Bryan's accreditation should be at risk.

 

[Boom_70]

Bryan College was named for the not-Messiah.

Too late

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/posts/3771337/

 

[LongTimeListener]

I would love to ask those kids' parents what is even the point of college if this is what they are signing up to learn.