IN THEORY: Jesus, Noah, hell and . . . dinosaurs?

A 17-year-old New Jersey high school student, Matthew LaClair, was honored recently with the New York Society for Ethical Culture’s “Ethical Humanist Award” for blowing the whistle on a public school history teacher who reportedly claimed that dinosaurs were on Noah’s Ark and that people who did not believe Jesus suffered and died for their sins would go to hell. Going public about what the teacher said was an extraordinary act of moral courage, the chairwoman of the nonprofit organization said. Do you agree?

I’m not convinced that it was “an extraordinary act of moral courage.” It sounds more like a “politically correct” act. Fortitude is one of the Four Cardinal Virtues (Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance). In my view, a person would have true fortitude when he stands up against the “politically correct” right to choose abortion or a lifestyle of homosexual or premarital sex. It takes a lot of courage to defend a less popular view. It’s easier when you have many on your side; it’s not so easy when you are alone or against those who have power.

But this raises a problem. Teachers teach what they truly believe. They can’t help it. Their convictions of ethics and morality will usually be expressed in some way, even if not in words. And students will pick this up. This makes it extremely important to hire teachers who will not damage young minds. It’s very difficult to fire an incompetent teacher. Parents sense this, and some have resorted to home-schooling; others have decided, at great sacrifice, to pay tuition to send their children to private schools.

How do you allow parents to educate their children in accord with their beliefs and moral code? Perhaps more competition among schools. One answer, somewhat popular, is vouchers. Parents could then choose a nonpublic school. This would lighten the load on public schools and provide wholesome competition among schools. Parents would have more choice.

THE REV. GENE FRILOT?

Pastor Emeritus

Incarnation Catholic Church

Glendale

For the New York Society for Ethical Culture to grant Matthew LaClair accolades is backward, as far as I’m concerned, and it only encourages this kid to be a ridiculous American.

I learned that LaClair’s teacher, David Paszkiewicz, was taking the first week of school to get to know his students before their curriculum arrived. On a tape recorded in the classroom, we hear LaClair ask this teacher to reconcile science and faith, and Paszkiewicz answered, unaware of the unfolding entrapment (as if just speaking beliefs should be infringed anyway). There was no test of faith, no proselytizing or oppressive circumstance here. Paszkiewicz even asked if everyone was OK with the direction of the conversation, and they all assented.

Dinosaurs are prehistoric, meaning they fall outside the purview of history classes and remain subject to speculation. We have legends of dragons and biblical mentions of behemoth and leviathan (Job 40-41), but were they dinosaurs? Some believe evidence exists showing coexistence of some mega-lizards with man, and perhaps Noah brought juvenile examples onto the Ark.

Most hold that dinosaurs were extinct, but expressing alternate positions shouldn’t be abridged. However, society has embraced a view of man’s origins as being little more than evolved nematodes, and our destiny nothing more than food for the same, so outing Christians apparently deserves celebration.

Hell? It’s biblical, and Paszkiewicz was right. Upsetting? It should be, but Christianity still wasn’t made mandatory in his class.

My advice to any teacher of Matthew LaClair is, don’t eat any apples he may offer you.

THE REV. BRYAN GRIEM?

Senior Pastor

MontroseCommunity Church.org

The United States comprises individuals from every conceivable religious and ethnic background — which contributes toward making our country such an exceptional place.

As a tolerant and diverse society, we have a responsibility to respect each other’s way of life, regardless of whether we understand it or personally agree with it. One should never demonize another person for being different, for believing differently, or for having a different ethnicity.

This principle holds especially true in our country’s schools and government institutions. Those who are placed in a position of authority or entrusted with the education of our children have a special duty to safeguard the principles that guarantee our way of life. Whenever a member of this group violates the important trust given to them, the consequences must be tough in order to ensure that the situation does not repeat itself.

Our classrooms often don’t have the proper monitoring or oversight to ensure that educators instruct as they are supposed to and keep within the parameters of acceptable behavior. Because of this lack of supervision, we must rely on students like LaClair to keep wayward teachers in line. I feel that LaClair was right in speaking up, and I think it is appropriate that he be rewarded for his action. It takes courage to speak out against someone in authority — but by doing so, we make sure that authority is not abused to threaten the core freedoms we hold dear.

RABBI SIMCHA BACKMAN?

Chabad Jewish Center

Absolutely, I agree! By the way, others who have received this award include Sens. John McCain of Arizona and James Jeffords of Vermont. Look, teachers have no right to inflict their particular theology on students, nor — as in this case — their view of science.

Dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark: What a laugh! First of all, when did dinosaurs exist? The Pleistocene? And when did Noah exist, if he existed at all? Didn’t dinosaurs disappear long before humans walked the Earth? There are those in the Christian community who seem to think it’s their job to scare the hell out of people by telling them they are going to hell if they don’t believe in Jesus. That seems to me a distinctly non-Christian approach. These folks are the Pharisees of our age: If you don’t see it my way, you’re wrong and you’re going to hell.

How very unlike the spirit of Christ to bludgeon an unsuspecting student into a fearful belief. Besides, think about it, if you believe something because you’re scared to death of not believing, do you think that really counts with the Living God who knows all and sees all?

So good for Matthew LaClair. Not only did he stand up for the principle of separation of church and state, he also stood up against junk science in the classroom. He’s a hero!

THE REV. C. L. ?“SKIP” LINDEMAN?

Congregational Church of the Lighted Window

United Church of Christ

La Cañada Flintridge

According to Jerry Chamlin, chair of the New York Society for Ethical Culture’s awards committee, the “Ethical Humanist Award” is given to those who “show courage and go against the grain, sometimes to the detriment to their own well-being.” Isn’t that exactly what history teacher David Paszkiewicz did when he allegedly shared his religious views with his class, undoubtedly knowing that he would be criticized?

I agree that Matthew LaClair demonstrated courage by speaking up. In a free, democratic society of diverse beliefs, we need to agree upon what is suitable expression both for the classroom and for the general public. We should keep an open dialogue, always being considerate of one another.

Speak up and speak out. But consider what you’re really accomplishing.

When secularists speak up with courage, the public proclamation of Jesus Christ our Savior is limited or even silenced completely. Consequently, people don’t hear the gospel that they might believe it, call out to God and get saved.

1 Corinthians 1:21 tells us that “God [is] well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” When the faithful in Christ speak up with courage, people hear and believe and receive eternal life. And their reward will not come from men. It will come from God himself.

PASTOR JON BARTA?

Valley Baptist Church

Burbank

It is an unfortunate occurrence whenever the schoolroom is used as a pulpit by teachers of any faith tradition. In public education classes there are, however, many opportunities for discussion about religion intertwined with history, geography, architecture, fine art and music, which do allow for open dialogue about the existence and influence of faith and personal religious beliefs among students and instructors. A comprehensive education would include religion as a topic.

The student who reported this occurrence has courage. He demonstrated integrity and was willing to confront opposition. L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “What is true for you is what you have observed yourself. And when you lose that, you have lost everything. What is personal integrity? Personal integrity is knowing what you know. What you know is what you know and to have the courage to know and say what you have observed. And that is integrity and there is no other integrity.”

Most importantly, LaClair made a statement that standing up for one’s beliefs should be something that is more common among students, adding that, “over time if people actually start doing these things, it will become second nature.”

It is admirable for a young person to have set an example of ethics and character, which we all can follow.

CATHERINE EMRANI?

Volunteer Minister

Glendale Church of Scientology