Thanks for an informative post, Jodi. I guess the plaintiffs would have had more of a chance than I thought. (Still, it’s a shame that the school didn’t figure this out beforehand and make an informed decision either to assign a different book or to stick to their guns. Wishy-washiness just teaches the students they can get out of doing assigned work if they squeal loudly enough.)
Double Darren, a couple of other posters have already asked you to supply evidence of UNC’s “anti-Christian bias,” and I second this request. You may be interested to know that, out of of 50 religious student organizations on campus, over 35 are based on some flavor of Christianity, while only half a dozen or so have names that suggest they are dedicated to another religion.
So, EVEN IF (I say “IF,”, not knowing anything about it) it were the case that the text omits certain passages or context (as if there is only one), thereby imparting a certain pro-islam bias (which seems to be DD’s real concern here), it’s better to do the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and singing “LALALALALA-I-CAN’T-HEAR-YOU-LALALALALALA” than actually read the book and have an informed discussion about it, thereby raising or “exposing” that issue?
And another thing, re: fear of proseletizing-
(Note: this is a general and largely hypothetical question, not directed at DD.)
If someone’s religious belief - whatever/whichever it might be - is, in their view the belief, shouldn’t it be able to withstand a little challenge from some other belief?
I mean, if your belief is so strong/superior, how can it also be so vulerable/weak? Is your faith that fragile?
Given Jodi’s point about the school putting itself in a legally uncertain situation, I can understand offering an alternative assignment. It annoys me, but I can understand it.
However, I’m flabbergasted that it only needs to be a 1-page touchy-feely “why my religion makes me ignorant” paper. Why not instead require a student to do a 5-page research paper on, for example, the history of religion-based conflict in the Middle East? The paper would need to cite three sources.
An alternate assignment should never be more easier than the main assignment. Doing so, especially in a case like this, encourages religious hypocrisy. Not something that a school can do, constitutionally speaking.
