I've got this crazy professor

[Allegra]

I would so fail that class.

 

[Sonic]

That can’t be legal!

It’s not legal. It must have been common back then. There was an episode of Dragnet that portrayed Sgt. Friday receiving the same treatment.

Now, professors like that have become more knowledgeable of the law and know what they can and cannot get away with if they dislike a student.

 

[Monica4316]

ugh… that reminds me of an English class I took in university. It was an evening class so it lasted 3 hours. By the end I was physically in pain. In another class I was so frustrated yet I couldn’t say anything so I started clicking my pen In first year Philosophy the prof tried to convince us of atheism in every lecture. Even my Science classes had anti Christian comments inserted in the lecture, here and there. The only course that was actually different was Art History, lol (where the prof talked a lot about Christ, the Eucharist, and iconography! ).

If I was in that class… I would fail. Or drop out. It sounds like a war. Be strong lol I think it’s good advice to be polite and patient: that is a good witness!

 

[BraveNewFamily]

For a summer history class. I’m a science student, at a non-liberal arts college, so I’ve taken nothing but science classes and science labs. So this is my first time experiencing the artsy humanity side of education. I’ve gotta say: BIG difference. She has pink hair.

I wrote this paper on humanity, and she circled every single use of the word “man.” She then proceeded to tell the class that we’re not allowed to say “man” in order to refer to humankind, because it’s gender discrimination.

The other day she told us a story about how she gave heck to some guy at her daughter’s school who had a pro-life bumper sticker. But as she was saying the “pr” of “pro-life,” she stopped herself and said “anti-choice.” Wow. Really?

She does this thing all the time where she says “for whom?” after pretty much everything. For example, she’ll saying something like “The Enlightenment valued progress. But progress for whom?” And the answer is always something along the lines of “for white men, that’s who!”

So I wanted to raise my hand and be like “Hey professor, you’re pro-CHOICE with respect to whom? The choice of the irresponsible harlot who does not comprehend the word ‘consequence,’ or the choice of the defenseless child? Surely it’s not the latter.” But I figured she’d kill me on spot so I just held it in.

She hates men. Passionately. And she blames not just Christianity, but the Catholic Church in particular (she uses “Church” and “Christianity” interchangeably, which is historically incorrect of course) for a patriarchal society. But I sit there and ponder life before Christianity or religion for that matter, you know, when men went out and hunted for food and women stayed in the huts taking care of the children… I fail to see the difference. No matter, even if Christianity is responsible for patriarchal societies, it just makes me appreciate my religion a little bit more.

She says things everyday about the Church, about how it’s responsible for all of the evil things in the Western world like capitalism and democracy. But instead of sucking that in as “wow that darn Church!” like the rest of the class the way she wants, I, in my own little “narrow-minded” world think something along the lines of “Wow… my Church is responsible for all of the great things the Western world has to offer? That’s pretty cool.” Even though I think she is in historical error about the role of the Catholic Church in particular, but that’s ok, what do I know I’m just a science student.

1. Regarding anti choice statement: Put a pro life bump per sticker on your car, and when she gives you heck, tell her that she is anti-life. Then when she gives you hell, make sure you have a tape recorder on you. Then ask her what her opinion is on gun control, freedom of religion, ect. Basically, prove she is anti choice.
2. Regarding the patriarchal stuff: If the Chatholic Church is so patriarchal, why are we accused of worshiping Mary?
3. Regarding Capitalism is bad: Ask her where she got her hair dyed. Then call he a hypocrite for paying for it.

4.Regarding democracy is bad: Offer her a one way ticket to Cuba. Seriously.

1. Regarding the enlightenment : Ask her if there would be freedom for ANYONE today if not for the enlightenment.

 

[BraveNewFamily]

I forgot to mention how much she hates America. Seeing as she hates America and Christianity, I make sure to wear one of my many USA shirts and a cross around my neck every day to class. And I can tell it drives her nuts because I’m one of the few students in the class that actually participates. I don’t offer my opinion on anything, but I know enough about the Modern era (this is what the class is on) to properly interpret the author’s intentions in the assigned readings.

And I think it just kills her that her liberal drone students sit their idle and clueless.

Should I ever offer an opinion, I do it in the form of “one may argue” rather than “I think.” That way she technically can’t nail me for my beliefs. And I can tell she cringes on the inside, waiting for a moment to pounce on me. But I’m not going to give her that moment. At first I felt like I was being tormented, but I almost feel like now I’m the one tormenting her.

Regarding how much she hates America: Tell her that without the first amendment, she would probably be thrown in jail.

Keep the torment coming!

 

[FaithBuild18]

1. Regarding anti choice statement: Put a pro life bump per sticker on your car, and when she gives you heck, tell her that she is anti-life. Then when she gives you hell, make sure you have a tape recorder on you. Then ask her what her opinion is on gun control, freedom of religion, ect. Basically, prove she is anti choice.
2. Regarding the patriarchal stuff: If the Chatholic Church is so patriarchal, why are we accused of worshiping Mary?
3. Regarding Capitalism is bad: Ask her where she got her hair dyed. Then call he a hypocrite for paying for it.

4.Regarding democracy is bad: Offer her a one way ticket to Cuba. Seriously.

1. Regarding the enlightenment : Ask her if there would be freedom for ANYONE today if not for the enlightenment.

Ha those are pretty funny suggestions. Very clever, A+!

 

[FaithBuild18]

I really like you people. I wish I could meet folks like you all in real life ha.

 

[Sonic]

I would love to see Karl Keating write a book that is directed toward the anti-catholic rhetoric being presented at universities (one similar to his book Catholicism and Fundamentalism).

 

[rkrispies]

On behalf of many college professors (of which I am one), let me offer these thoughts.

We aren’t all like that person. When I enter a class, I stick to the subject at hand (chemistry in my case). I may offer random off-topic snippits for color, but I don’t impose my beliefs on any student, orthodox or otherwise. To do so is not appropriate. Unfortunately, it has become vogue in the humanities especially to make everything into some sort of feminist-centered or minority-centered idea. I cringe at it myself and wonder just when and where we collectively jumped the shark. As I am pre-tenure, I keep my mouth shut and go along with it.

My recommendation to the OP is this. Sometimes, we are given crosses to bear. Bear yours with patience and humility. Despite having offensive views, your professor is still deserving of respect due to her position. Pray for her. Get through the class without overtly aggravating her. Turn the other cheek and all that. I know it sounds ****** and to a certain extent it is. Now, I know some might not agree with that assessment, but from the perspective of getting done what you need to do for your degree, it’s the best road.

 

[Sarahforgiven]

I would advise you record the lectures & consider using the college ombudsman or your counselor, just so they are aware of the situation. The medic that posted did have the backing of his Dean.
If forced to comment, ask a question, i.e use the Socratic method. Or appreciative inquiry. But don’t do it if you are in an emotional state & can’t approach from the standpoint of a professional dialogue & with respect
It is important to look at your motives as well & see if you can approach this woman with a spirit of love & prayer for her soul. Throw prayers at her during class. I was working once with just a real negaholic anesthesiologist who was making the whole room miserable, & I started praying silently for him, & you know it was one of those miracle moments as his affect changed.
I am in grad school too & know that this is an opportunity to learn new ways of dialogue. It is not easy when the culture around us is so lost.

 

[BraveNewFamily]

BUMP!

 

[Spirithound]

The choice of the irresponsible harlot who does not comprehend the word ‘consequence,’ or the choice of the defenseless child?

Should I ever offer an opinion, I do it in the form of “one may argue” rather than “I think.” That way she technically can’t nail me for my beliefs. And I can tell she cringes on the inside, waiting for a moment to pounce on me. But I’m not going to give her that moment. At first I felt like I was being tormented, but I almost feel like now I’m the one tormenting her.

Handle with care. Stay calm. Don’t say harlot. That’s still considered cussin’ in some places.

 

[FaithBuild18]

On behalf of many college professors (of which I am one), let me offer these thoughts.

We aren’t all like that person. When I enter a class, I stick to the subject at hand (chemistry in my case). I may offer random off-topic snippits for color, but I don’t impose my beliefs on any student, orthodox or otherwise. To do so is not appropriate. Unfortunately, it has become vogue in the humanities especially to make everything into some sort of feminist-centered or minority-centered idea. I cringe at it myself and wonder just when and where we collectively jumped the shark. As I am pre-tenure, I keep my mouth shut and go along with it.

My recommendation to the OP is this. Sometimes, we are given crosses to bear. Bear yours with patience and humility. Despite having offensive views, your professor is still deserving of respect due to her position. Pray for her. Get through the class without overtly aggravating her. Turn the other cheek and all that. I know it sounds ****** and to a certain extent it is. Now, I know some might not agree with that assessment, but from the perspective of getting done what you need to do for your degree, it’s the best road.

I have yet to have a science professor who says anything related to politics or spirituality… which surprised the daylights out of me back when I was a freshman. I thought it would be in the sciences where I encounter the anti-theist liberal dogma, but I have yet to see it at my school. Don’t get me wrong, I think my University is one of the most liberal in the nation, I honestly do. That’s why I couldn’t take this to the administration, they’d laugh hysterically in my face. But the point is in every single one of my science classes thus far, all of it has been left out of the classroom the way it should be. This is my second humanities class, and these humanity classes have ironically been the only classes where science has been proposed as an end to religion.

Science is huge at my University, and I really like the overall philosophy that is taught by the various science departments regarding science; that it is a humble field incapable of actually proving anything with certainty but very useful in solving some of the various problems that pop up in society. I’ve read The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn on my own accord while I was in my first humanities class and I feel like my school functions in accordance with that guy’s perception of science. The nice thing is it allows the students to simultaneously pursue a career in science while maintaining any religious beliefs they want to have. And that’s just the nature of the field in my opinion. And I can honestly say that my work so far has had nothing but a positive affect on my relationship with God. What I’ve learned about the natural world and of the scientific process has given me an immense appreciation for the enormous complexities of life that God has created, especially on the biochemical scale (my major).

I’ve probably had many atheist science professors, but the point is I have no idea if they were or not because what you believe, in general, doesn’t determine the quality of your work as a scientist… Unless you’re doing work with tenuous ethically controversial topics I suppose (stem cells, etc). Then by all means we need more Christian scientists ha.

 

[FaithBuild18]

Handle with care. Stay calm. Don’t say harlot. That’s still considered cussin’ in some places.

Strange though that you can say harlot on this forum but not c-r-a-p. So apparently **** is a worse word. I didn’t really think “harlot” was that bad or insulting of a word compared to its synonyms. I thought it was the least crude of terms describing she who sleeps out of wedlock. I’m still looking for a nicer one.

 

[jwinch2]

Strange though that you can say harlot on this forum but not c-r-a-p. So apparently **** is a worse word. I didn’t really think “harlot” was that bad or insulting of a word compared to its synonyms. I thought it was the least crude of terms describing she who sleeps out of wedlock. I’m still looking for a nicer one.

The word “harlot” can also be taken to mean “prostitute” and is almost always used as a pejorative even when not defined in that fashion. Even if you define it in the manner which you are choosing to (a women that sleeps around), this may not be accurate. It is entirely possible for a woman to be in a monogamous relationship while out of wedlock.

 

[FaithBuild18]

The word “harlot” can also be taken to mean “prostitute” and is almost always used as a pejorative even when not defined in that fashion. Even if you define it in the manner which you are choosing to (a women that sleeps around), this may not be accurate. It is entirely possible for a woman to be in a monogamous relationship while out of wedlock.

Fair enough. But it doesn’t really matter as I didn’t say it out loud anyways, nor would I ever say such a thing in the class, nor would I especially ever say it to somebody’s face. I was just saying that the thought was going through my mind. I even said I knew she’d kill me on spot for saying such a thing.

And I still think despite being in a monogamous relationship, if you are not married and are having sex even if it is with just one person, since it is adultery, you’re kind of a harlot. I guess I should have just said “adulteress.” That’s exactly the word I was looking for and is what I was trying to describe.

 

[jwinch2]

Fair enough. But it doesn’t really matter as I didn’t say it out loud anyways, nor would I ever say such a thing in the class, nor would I especially ever say it to somebody’s face. I was just saying that the thought was going through my mind. I even said I knew she’d kill me on spot for saying such a thing.

You said it here.

And I still think despite being in a monogamous relationship, if you are not married and are having sex even if it is with just one person, since it is adultery, you’re kind of a harlot. I guess I should have just said “adulteress.” That’s exactly the word I was looking for and is what I was trying to describe.

It is not adultery but fornication. Adultery implies extramarital sex.

 

[Newbie2]

I forgot to mention how much she hates America. Seeing as she hates America and Christianity, I make sure to wear one of my many USA shirts and a cross around my neck every day to class. And I can tell it drives her nuts because I’m one of the few students in the class that actually participates. I don’t offer my opinion on anything, but I know enough about the Modern era (this is what the class is on) to properly interpret the author’s intentions in the assigned readings.

And I think it just kills her that her liberal drone students sit their idle and clueless.

Should I ever offer an opinion, I do it in the form of “one may argue” rather than “I think.” That way she technically can’t nail me for my beliefs. And I can tell she cringes on the inside, waiting for a moment to pounce on me. But I’m not going to give her that moment. At first I felt like I was being tormented, but I almost feel like now I’m the one tormenting her.

Outstanding technique.“I’ve heard the argument that…” works well. You know it must drive her nuts, as you said, because that is what you believe and she cannot accuse you of that belief.

If you want to guarantee an F, argue with her and try to win.

Good advice.
Otherwise, just avoid talking to her as much as possible. Cater to her prejudices as much as you can (using the term "Human"0 instead of “Man”, etc.) and ignore the garbage.

I had a professor, in my very first college class, who tried to kick me out the very first day.

This was in 1967, and I was an active duty soldier, stationed at a nearby Army Hospital. Because of the haircut, GI issued glasses, etc., it was easy to tell I was in the service.

He stood in front of me and said: “Get out of this class, I refuse to attempt to teach professional killers”.

I stood up, looked him right in the eye, and said, “I am a Medic and my job is to save lives, not take them”. I sat down and refused to leave his class.

He called the Campus police, and they escorted me out. I went to the Dean, and the next class session I was back in his class, with the backing of the Dean. I also wore my Class-A Army Uniform to each and every class, with my “fruit salad” and my service stripes on my sleeves (2 stripes on my left sleeve meaning more than 6 years on active duty, and four smaller stripes on my right sleeve, meaning 2 years in a combat zone).

I sat in the front row, center each and every class. He hated me, but he could not kick me out. The Dean would also not let him flunk me (he checked the tests and the papers I wrote to make certain I was fairly graded).

That’s the way to deal with these types. Do not let them buffalo you, stand your ground. Be VERY polite, do not argue with them, and just do your work.

Great story, OM!

It’s also not a bad idea to complain in writing to the department head, the dean and the Board of Regents (individually, not as a group). Remember you are paying them for an education, not to be ridiculed, belittled or the target of someone who has influence over you and abuses that influence. You are their customer. When you get bad customer service, do we accept it or complain to the management?

Second-----i would really have a heart-to-heart with my counselor and tell him/her in no uncertain terms that thsi teacher is trying to push a particular viewpoint on the class. See what happens and then take it from there.

Good luck.

Personally, I wouldn’t waste time with the counselor; they have zero influence over the instructors, and they probably know all about her. I’d go to the department head, Dean, and Board of Regents…by snailmail. Send your letters to the Board first, then a couple days later the Dean, then a couple days later, send copies to the instructor…in that order. It’s better that the higher-ups go to the instructor and ask WTH is going on here rather than the instructor being prepared to deal with it. Surprise works well, in such instances.

Been there.

Oh, yes…be sure to emphasize the hard-earned money that you spent on tuition only to have such an unpleasant experience. It always helps too, after you’ve graduated, to send a letter to the Development (i.e. fundraising) department that you aren’t likely to contribute any time soon, as you feel that you didn’t get your money’s worth there in the first place.

 

[FaithBuild18]

You said it here.

Indeed I did, after I was prompted. In the original post I merely said that it was a thought. It wasn’t until after being heckled that I reaffirmed my impression of those who get abortions. Would you rather me lie and be deceptive?

It is not adultery but fornication. Adultery implies extramarital sex.

I thought fornication was a form of adultery. Are you telling me I can fornicate but not be guilty of breaking the 7th commandment?

 

[FaithBuild18]

It always helps too, after you’ve graduated, to send a letter to the Development (i.e. fundraising) department that you aren’t likely to contribute any time soon, as you feel that you didn’t get your money’s worth there in the first place.

Haha I’ve been thinking about doing just that for awhile now actually. I’ll get some peace of mind when I get to fill out the class evaluations on the 29th. The administration takes those very seriously, so when I give her a score of 0 for “conducts the class in an environment of mutual tolerance and respect” it might raise a red flag.

The nature of this institution though, they’d do nothing about it if they knew it was a Christian who felt un-tolerated. Despite the fact that the liberal idea of tolerance is highly intolerant of Christianity, the only way they’ll see anything wrong with her class is if somebody accuses her of being intolerant in general without specifying “towards Christianity.” Which is why the course eval can work to my advantage.