June 20, 2008

Creationist Teacher Brands Children With A Cross

As if teaching creationism in a science class and claiming carbon dating is flawed wasn't bad enough, Christian science teacher John Freshwater though it appropriate to burn the image of a cross onto his students arm in some kind of sick ritualistic branding.The Mount Vernon school board voted 5-0 to pass a resolution of intent to terminate the contract of middle school teacher John Freshwater.

Freshwater used a high-frequency generator to burn the religious symbols on to his students arms. In a quote to end all quotes, Dave Daubenmire, a friend of John Freshwater said; "With the exception of the cross-burning episode ... I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents"

While some of the students questioned by investigators said Freshwater was "a great guy", Lynda Weston, the district's director of teaching and learning, told investigators that she has dealt with complaints about Freshwater for much of her 11-year term at the district.

A report by independent investigators found that Freshwater taught creationism in his science class and was insubordinate in failing to remove a Bible and other religious materials from his classroom.

10 comments:

  1. If this asshole done this to one of my kids i would brand his face with my boot.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fucking Christians, they should be banned for teaching

    ReplyDelete
  3. so if a female teacher committed some terminable offense, should all women be banned from teaching?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous, him teaching creationism, refusing to remove the bible from his classroom and branding children with a cross are directly related to him being a christian. If he were not a christian he would not have done these things.

    Christians are inherently dumber than average human beings. They believe in magic men, talking snakes, boats full of animals and infanticide. This is what they have to believe to be a christian, And if they dont believe it, well, what sort of fake christian are they?

    I agree with rob, if this asshole touched any of my kids i would have fucked him up.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree with rob here, but I don't think that Christians should be banned from teaching, at all. I think there are many reasonable Christians (like myself) who realize that there is a place for religion and a place for science. Science belongs in school, religion belongs and church. Church and State should be separate. I don't believe that infanticide is right, at all. Magic men is such a simplistic term, but for all intents and purposes, God is magic. I don't believe in talking snakes, but a boat full of animals? Sure, why not. I think that the claims of all the animals in the world was exaggerated. It was probably a mistranslation, they probably meant in the area. Now, it has been scientifically proven that there was a large flood in the Mesopotamian area around the time that there was the story of Noah and the Ark. Many other religions and cultures have records stating that there was a giant flood and someone survived on a boat with some animals on it. People exaggerate. I do not believe that the Bible is 100% fact, 100% true. I think it does have the fullness of the truth.

    Now this is the problem that I find with many people in online debates. They exaggerate. One person is an idiot christian who should be put in jail does something stupid, therefore all christians are stupid and should not teach. I apologize you feel that way banjo-hero and anonymous, but I think that lumping a group of people because of the acts of a few is idiotic. How would you feel if I told you that all athiests are immoral assholes who only care for themselves because I know a few athiests who are immoral assholes. You would probably be upset, saying that I was incorrect, explaining how you were not an asshole or not immoral. My point is, there are exceptions to every rule. I find that Christians, especially on this site, are given a bad rap.

    ReplyDelete
  6. d,
    "reasonable christian" is an oxymoron.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I respectfully disagree to your comment. I am both reasonable and a Christian.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I know many reasonable Christians, and am good friends with many of them. Freshwater, however, does not fit into that category by any stretch of the imagination, and should most definitely not be allowed to teach. The problem that then arises is the degree to which a teacher is allowed to promulgate their own beliefs in a classroom environment. Should we ban all Christians from teaching just because one of them has an unfortunate predeliction for religious branding? Clearly not (if for no other reason than that such a move would probably close more than half the schools in America). What we need is legislation which prevents the teaching of religion in schools, and at the last count, that's exactly what the USA has - the Freshwater case being an excellent example of the law in action.

    Now if we could just get the same idea to stick over here in the UK...

    ReplyDelete
  9. why couldn't he just brand the atheists kids with a big scarlet A on their chest? It is not self serving to brand Christians.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The fact that he's christian really isnt the big deal here. He's clearly crazy, youd have to be to do something as stupid as this. in the end it was his mental stability that caused this, not his beliefs.

    when some non christian psycopath goes out and does something crazy you see them being blamed for not being christian, theyre just called crazy.

    ReplyDelete