Prof. Making inappropriate comments

[CSUNGerrie]

Well, I think there are ways to speak about Christianity that would be inappropriate (such as saying all Christians are bad people, or should be forbidden from attending university or teaching, or saying that Christians are inferior to others).

But consider that maybe you are being too sensitive? If the professor suggests that St. Paul hallucinated, he’s not attacking you, he’s questioning St. Paul.

Saint Paul is my brother in the Church. It is a worst attack than if he had mocked my blood brother. Your right, I am being a bit sensitive but I disagree that I shouldn’t say anything.

Here is what I did. Since I am a teaching assistant in the class I get to lead my own section. So during section I made several *relevant *comments about empathy and altruism in light of Christs message that we ought to, “Love our enemies… what does it profit a man to love those who love him.” I then followed the statement by saying that if Prof X can bring up Christianity then so can I. A couple of students smiled.

That is probably not the best move but I decided to wait to see if he continues. If he does, I think I will write him an email politely requesting that he stop attacking my faith in the classroom environment.

Thank you all for your helpful comments.

 

[Monica4316]

Im sorry you had to deal with that

I had a prof like this too… he was making really mean jokes about Christianity in class. It really upset me.

I think you did the right thing

 

[Phemie]

Saint Paul is my brother in the Church. It is a worst attack than if he had mocked my blood brother. Your right, I am being a bit sensitive but I disagree that I shouldn’t say anything.

Here is what I did. Since I am a teaching assistant in the class I get to lead my own section. So during section I made several *relevant *comments about empathy and altruism in light of Christs message that we ought to, “Love our enemies… what does it profit a man to love those who love him.” I then followed the statement by saying that if Prof X can bring up Christianity then so can I. A couple of students smiled.

That is probably not the best move but I decided to wait to see if he continues. If he does, I think I will write him an email politely requesting that he stop attacking my faith in the classroom environment.

Thank you all for your helpful comments.

Considering the fact that he was discussing brain activity during spiritual experiences, I don’t think his comment about St. Paul was out of place; many also believe that St. Joan of Arc was hallucinating. If I ever hallucinate I hope the visions are as accurate and helpful as hers were.

At least you are in university and able to discern the truth or falsehood of what was said.

We had a nominally Catholic high school science teacher state categorically that the parting of the Red Sea was a tsunami, not a miracle. An adult would perhaps have responded that, considering the timing, it could be both but no student challenged him in class. One young friend went home upset and told her parents.

 

[ExDeoVita]

Hello everyone,
I have a prof. who I am TA’ing for this quarter. During lecture, he has made several comments that really bothered me. He told a story about a friend was asking about what areas of the brain are activated during a spiritual experience. But as he was telling the story, he mentioned how he thinks Saint Paul was insane and the whole vision he had of Jesus was a hallucination. Now keep in mind, this is a class on the science of Empathy. His comment really had nothing to do with the subject material. He was just telling an irrelevant story and tried to be funny by making fun of Saint Paul.

Anyway, it really bothered me. Should I bring this up to him? If so, how should I bring it up? I am sure it must have bothered other Christian students.
I bet he would have never made such comments about Mohamed. Any advice would be appreciated.

Ask your prof. if he has read the Bible. The Bible tells us that many witnessed Jesus after the resurrection, not just one or two. If your prof. believes every one of these people was hallucinating, then ask him to provide evidence of where else in history such a ‘widespread hallucination’ among so many people took place. You can follow up by asking him where else in history were so many people ‘prone to hallucination’ that actually stood by their beliefs to martyrdom.

He obviously lacks historical insight, either from pure negligence or willingly so as to appease his agenda. From personal experience, I’ll bet it is the former - and just keep in mind that when you are arguing with a liberal idealouge (prone to espousing their ideas from their ivory tower pulpit) you may have trouble reasoning with him. Your success is not in changing his mind, just make your belief known to him and tell him that his subjective story about St. Paul bothered you: 1) because you are a Catholic that takes your Faith seriously & 2) because even a open minded agnostic with any sense of logic and history would find his comments shallow and weak.

 

[ExDeoVita]

Considering the fact that he was discussing brain activity during spiritual experiences, I don’t think his comment about St. Paul was out of place; many also believe that St. Joan of Arc was hallucinating. If I ever hallucinate I hope the visions are as accurate and helpful as hers were.

At least you are in university and able to discern the truth or falsehood of what was said.

We had a nominally Catholic high school science teacher state categorically that the parting of the Red Sea was a tsunami, not a miracle. An adult would perhaps have responded that, considering the timing, it could be both but no student challenged him in class. One young friend went home upset and told her parents.

Please clarify your first statement. I think we can all agree that St. Paul had ‘brain activity’ while he witnessed Jesus.

There is a difference between meeting the corporeal Jesus (body and soul) after the resurrection and hallucinating it. I see a difference between the two.

 

[Phemie]

Please clarify your first statement. I think we can all agree that St. Paul had ‘brain activity’ while he witnessed Jesus.

There is a difference between meeting the corporeal Jesus (body and soul) after the resurrection and hallucinating it. I see a difference between the two.

My point was that his comment wasn’t out of place. He expressed his opinion within the context of a talk on brain function during a religious experience. If we could have measured Paul’s brain activity during his vision, what would it have revealed? An hallucination or a conversation?