Why community college just isn't as good... - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Ninkobei · 10-03-2007, 10:46 PM

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/app...=2007709220333

Teacher: I was fired, said Bible isn't literal
The community college instructor says the school sided with students offended by his explanation of Adam and Eve.

By MEGAN HAWKINS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER

September 22, 2007
209 Comments

A community college instructor in Red Oak claims he was fired after he told his students that the biblical story of Adam and Eve should not be literally interpreted.

Steve Bitterman, 60, said officials at Southwestern Community College sided with a handful of students who threatened legal action over his remarks in a western civilization class Tuesday. He said he was fired Thursday.

"I'm just a little bit shocked myself that a college in good standing would back up students who insist that people who have been through college and have a master's degree, a couple actually, have to teach that there were such things as talking snakes or lose their job," Bitterman said.

Sarah Smith, director of the school's Red Oak campus, declined to comment Friday on Bitterman's employment status. The school's president, Barbara Crittenden, said Bitterman taught one course at Southwest. She would not comment, however, on his claim that he was fired over the Bible reference, saying it was a personnel issue.

"I can assure you that the college understands our employees' free-speech rights," she said. "There was no action taken that violated the First Amendment."

Bitterman, who taught part time at Southwestern and Omaha's Metropolitan Community College, said he uses the Old Testament in his western civilization course and always teaches it from an academic standpoint.

Bitterman's Tuesday course was telecast to students in Osceola over the Iowa Communications Network. A few students in the Osceola classroom, he said, thought the lesson was "denigrating their religion."

"I put the Hebrew religion on the same plane as any other religion. Their god wasn't given any more credibility than any other god," Bitterman said. "I told them it was an extremely meaningful story, but you had to see it in a poetic, metaphoric or symbolic sense, that if you took it literally, that you were going to miss a whole lot of meaning there."

Bitterman said he called the story of Adam and Eve a "fairy tale" in a conversation with a student after the class and was told the students had threatened to see an attorney. He declined to identify any of the students in the class.

"I just thought there was such a thing as academic freedom here," he said. "From my point of view, what they're doing is essentially teaching their students very well to function in the eighth century."

Hector Avalos, an atheist religion professor at Iowa State University, said Bitterman's free-speech rights were violated if he was fired simply because he took an academic approach to a Bible story.

"I don't know the circumstances, but if he's teaching something about the Bible and says it is a myth, he shouldn't be fired for that because most academic scholars do believe this is a myth, the story of Adam and Eve," Avalos said.

"So it'd be no different than saying the world was not created in six days in science class.

"You don't fire professors for giving you a scientific answer."

Bitterman said Linda Wild, vice president of academic affairs at Southwest, fired him over the telephone.

Wild did not return telephone or e-mail messages Friday. Bitterman said that he can think of no other reason college officials would fire him and that Smith, the director of the campus, has previously sat in on his classes and complimented his work.

"As a taxpayer, I'd like to know if a tax-supported public institution of higher learning has given veto power over what can and cannot be said in its classrooms to a fundamentalist religious group," he said. "If it has ... then the taxpaying public of Iowa has a right to know. What's next? Whales talk French at the bottom of the sea?"

Reporter Megan Hawkins can be reached at (515) 284-8169 or mehawkins@dmreg.com

fluid.forty.one · 10-03-2007, 11:20 PM

Hey.. I go to a community college!.. It's a good way for poor college kids to save money. Mine is a really good one though, so I could imagine how some could be really crappy (and have stupid stuff like this happen in them)

AxdemxO · 10-03-2007, 11:27 PM

I went to one too and its was amazing...i actually think its better thn some 4 year skools and much cheaper

chumdawg · 10-03-2007, 11:42 PM

Oh, you know those red states.

Usually Lurkin · 10-04-2007, 08:22 AM

I went to community college for a time between different large state universities. I loved it. The best thing: no professors using class-time for anti-religion rants.

Flacolaco · 10-04-2007, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Usually Lurkin

The best thing: no professors using class-time for anti-religion rants.

I had a history professor like that. What a beating.

alexamenos · 10-04-2007, 04:28 PM

whatcha want to bet that there's a bit more to this story than Bitterman's statement that he was fired for politely and academically saying that the ancient hebrew creation myth is an ancient hebrew creation myth????

and isn't "Bitterman" a Pearl Jam song....

she lies and says she's in love with him....
can't find a Bitterman....

something like that.

Dirkgreatness · 10-04-2007, 04:53 PM

I'm going to go to one next year. I'm debating whether to go to Richland or to Eastfield.

Nemesis · 10-04-2007, 06:20 PM

I wonder what that fish that swallowed Jonah would say about this?

Ninkobei · 10-04-2007, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexamenos

and isn't "Bitterman" a Pearl Jam song....

she lies and says she's in love with him....
can't find a Bitterman....

something like that.

Bitterman! so thats what it says..all these year's I've been looking for the Butter Milk...sigh

Nemesis · 10-04-2007, 09:31 PM

I always thought it was "better man" but I don't really care for P.J.

bernardos70 · 10-05-2007, 01:21 AM

The name of the song is Better Man....... but I digress.

alexamenos · 10-05-2007, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninkobei

Bitterman! so thats what it says..all these year's I've been looking for the Butter Milk...sigh

funny...i always thought it was butter man....

she dreams in color she dreams in red...
....can't find the butter man.

alexamenos · 10-05-2007, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bernardos70

The name of the song is Better Man....... but I digress.

oh....

....well that really does make a lot more sense, doesn't it?