Texas Teacher Tells Class God Is a Myth During Class Assignment

A Katy ISD 7th grade teacher gave her students at West Memorial Junior High a test with the statement "There is a God" and asked them to classify it as "opinion," "factual claim" or "commonplace assertion." A student who said the statement was both "factual claim" and "opinion" was told they were wrong.

ABC 13 reports that 12-year-old Jordan Wooley told reporters she answered the statement was both "factual claim" and "opinion." Wooley said the teacher told her she was wrong and that God is a myth of our imagination, commonly believed true but "completely wrong."

Wooley is Methodist and she was upset enough to take her concern to the Katy ISD school board.

The school released an official statement regarding the situation:

"Yesterday, October 26, at the end of the school day, two West Memorial Junior High parents contacted the school's principal to share their concern over a classroom activity that they felt questioned students' religious beliefs. The school principal immediately responded to the parents by informing them that she would investigate and meet with the teacher the following morning. At the conclusion of the investigation today, the principal determined that the classroom activity included an item that was unnecessary for achieving the instructional standard. The activity, which was intended to encourage critical thinking skills and dialogue by engaging students in an exercise wherein they identified statements as fact, opinion, or common assertion was not intended to question or challenge any student's religious beliefs as reported by some media outlets.

 

The teacher is distraught by this incident, as some commentary has gone as far as to vilify her without knowing her, her Christian faith, or the context of the classroom activity. Still, this does not excuse the fact that this ungraded activity was ill-conceived and because of that, its intent had been misconstrued. As a result, the activity will no longer be used by the school, and appropriate personnel action will be taken. The school regrets any misconceptions that may have resulted from this teacher-developed classroom activity and assures its school community that the religious beliefs of all students and staff are welcomed and valued at Memorial Junior High."

What I find ironic in the statement is that the teacher professes to be a Christian, but that goes against everything she was pushing on her students.

I think this is the reason the founding fathers preferred the separation of church and state.