Jewish Adjunct At Texas A&M Says She Lost Job After Complaining About Crosses

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by jam937, Jun 5, 2012.

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  1. jam937

    jam937 New Member

    First rule about being an adjunct. Don't complain to the school about anything.

    Bradford last October protested against crosses affixed on the Tower of Hope, a tower to demarcate the entrance to the university, which was paid for by the city, though it sits on private land. Bradford said the crosses were inappropriate at the entrance to a publicly funded university.

    “Christianity is not everyone’s tower or beacon of hope, nor is the promotion of Christianity the mission of Texas A&M University-San Antonio,” Bradford reportedly wrote to university officials in an e-mail last fall.

    http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/breaking_news/jewish_lecturer_texas_am_says_she_lost_job_after_complaining_about_crosses
     
  2. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Well, adjuncts can be fired for any reason or for no reason at all. I think she's just pretty much screwed.
     
  3. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I'm not a Christian and here's my take on this issue. Here in New England there are lots of old buildings. Beautiful old buildings of historical interest like town/city halls, courthouses, etc. Many of them have religious symbols (crosses, etc.) built into the architecture. I think I remember a news story of one courthouse that had a big, beautiful bronze plaque with the Ten Commandments on it. None of that bothers me in the least. I think it's far worse to deface an historic building than it is to allow for mythological blending of church and state. If they feel the need to make rules about such thengs then I'd say that the rules should apply as we move forward but old buildings should not be altered for this reason. To me it seems like just another brand of (religious) intolerance.
     
  4. jam937

    jam937 New Member

    I think there are so many people in the country that forget (or never learned) that religion was a huge influence on the founding of the country. It's an undeniable part of our history.
     
  5. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    The Constitution guarantees freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.

    I enjoy Christmas decorations, but I also like seeing lit Menorahs during Chanukah. I can find better things to be offended about than religious symbols that don't impact my life in the least.
     
  6. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    Great point Bruce. Some want religion to be something practiced behind closed doors and in unmarked buildings because it offends them. We also don't have freedom from offense. An artist can print offensive pictures of religious or political figures and it is protected speech.
     
  7. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I agree with Kizmet in that it's unreasonable for nonreligious people to expect historical buildings to be altered to remove religious references, but that's not the same thing as hanging crosses on the brand new entrance to a public university, which is also unreasonable. This is not a Christian country, it's a country with a lot of Christians in it, and that's not the same thing.
     
  8. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    The oldest buildings on the West Coast are the Spanish missions that were built in California during the 1700s. The missions were operated as centers for converting Native Americans to Catholicism. Obviously they were full of crosses and other religious imagery.

    Today, most of the missions are still owned by the Catholic church, but La Misión de La Purísima Concepción de la Santísima Virgen María (The Mission of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, or La Purisima for short), fell into ruin and was donated to the public. The State of California then spent lots of taxpayer dollars reconstructing the Mission and turning it into a State Park. And since they wanted a historically accurate reconstruction, the State carefully restored all of the crosses and religious imagery -- the exact opposite of removing it.

    Was this controversial? No. Everybody, even those who do not share the religious beliefs of the 18th-Century Franciscan missionaries, recognizes that the Missions are an important piece of California history. In this case, it is OK for the government to spend taxpayer money to put up crosses.

    But it's one thing for government to put up crosses at a historical religious structure. It's a totally different thing to put up crosses at a contemporary secular university.
     
  9. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    But, for an atheist or an agnostic, wouldn't their freedom of religion be freedom from religion?
     
  10. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    No one is forcing anyone to go to any church. A cross on an old piece of architecture is a symbol of an older era. It does not necessarily signify anything about the people who live and work in that building. It does not necessarily signify any defining principles for the people or organizations that work from that building. It's a piece of history. Appreciate it as such.
     
  11. edowave

    edowave Active Member

  12. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    Well, Amberton is a private Christian university, so it's no surprise.
     
  13. dl_mba

    dl_mba Member

    From the same link above..

    Amberton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer
    Amberton University operates in accordance with Christian principles and considers it unethical, as well as illegal, to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion*, age, sex, nondisqualifying handicap, or national or ethnic origin in admissions, employment opportunities, educational programs, or activities which it operates.

    *While Amberton does not discriminate on the basis of religion concerning admission, the University does discriminate on the basis of religion concerning employment. Because the University is committed to Christian ethics, a Christian belief is required of employees.

    How can they be "Equal Opportunity Employer" ??
     
  14. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Because the rules on Equal Employment Opportunity include exemptions that allow religious institutions (including religious schools) to legally discriminate in employment on the basis of religion. Amberton is claiming that exemption. The religious exemption does not apply to other factors (race, color, age, sex, handicap, etc), so Amberton cannot discriminate in those respects.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 19, 2012
  15. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I don't know where you're getting this from. Where is it stated that Texas A&M only wants Christian instructors?
     
  16. dl_mba

    dl_mba Member

    What happens if someone has no affiliation or not following any religion??
     
  17. dl_mba

    dl_mba Member

    Texas A&M Commerce has instructors and professors from all Religions, race, age, sex, physical condition and color.
     
  18. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Adjuncts do not get fired, you are hired for a contract of limited term without obligation of the school to renew your contract.

    I've seen many people that think that contracts were not renewed because race, ethnic background, religion, etc.

    The reality is that you have no job security with adjunct status.
     
  19. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I'm guessing that there are terms in the contract that allow the school to terminate the contract at their discretion. She was fired.
     
  20. ITJD

    ITJD Active Member

    No.

    On the atheist front: They are not any more entitled to force their beliefs on anyone else simply because they choose not to believe in anything.
    On the agnostic front: I classify agnostic in believing in "something". In this case, all belief structures are as good as any other.

    Those who use either as a crutch are pushing a personal and political agenda, not a faith system.
     

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