Ethics class - CC

[BakersDozen]

I have a small group of 11th/12th grade students who are taking Ethics with me this semester. For a text I chose Ethics in the Real World by Peter Singer. It is a series of essays on different topics ranging from sanctity of life to animal treatment to gender/sex. At the end of each essay is a thought-provoking question which will provide a springboard for our discussion each week. The text is most definitely not Christian - in fact the first few essays deliberately "disprove" the existence of an all-knowing, caring, etc. creator/god. I intentionally chose this text because these are topics/issues my own young adult children faced upon entering the world of college classes. They heard discussions from peers and professors and, in all honesty, they were not very prepared to join in and defend their position on the issues. They were not entirely ignorant yet what they lacked was a way to discuss/defend to the extent others were able to, if that makes sense. I tried to make them aware of current issues and we talked a lot, but we didn't really delve into topics and hash out why they supported/opposed things. I hope my current students will come away from this semester with an increased awareness of the issues facing our society/world and an understanding of what they personally believe and why.

Last night I received two emails from parents stating that their children would not be in the class because of the secular text I have chosen. All their children need is the Bible or a text by a Christian author to discuss/defend Bioethics and Public Heath, Politics, Global Governance, etc. (topics from the text). I, of course, simply responded with acknowledgement of their decision and a thanks for letting me know. Yet today I find myself turning this over in my mind and wondering if I am doing the wrong thing by using this kind of text for an Ethics course?

I was completely ignorant when it came to modern issues as an older teen/young adult. I could quote Scripture but could not use it in a discussion/debate. Had someone brought up in-vitro meat (who even knew that is a thing??) I would have been at a loss for words. I wish I had known more, been more aware and prepared for all that hit me once I left my home and high school. At the same time I know many people use 2 Timothy 3:16 to support their stance that the Bible is all that should be studied in order to prepare our children for societal/world issues. So if we study enough Scripture we can defend our stance regarding in-vitro meat.

Thoughts on this? I'm sad that I lost two excellent students from the class yet want to seriously consider the reasons given as we embark on this spring semester.

[Tree Frog]

I think it sounds like a thought provoking class and is one I would have wanted my kids to take. It's important to be able to listen and try to understand where another point of view is coming from, as well as articulate why you (general) hold the beliefs you do. Without both, you will be ineffective in arguing your point. My dd faced similar issues when she returned to public high school and moved into college.

While I don't know the families' backgrounds, it sounds like the text you chose is a very controversial series of essays. I would expect push back from parents who are raising their children in a religious home and who haven't been exposed to less controversial arguments. We lived in an area of the country with a large fundamentalist population. They would not have allowed their children to use that text because they believe the only way to defend their position is through the Bible. Most of the adult children married local spouses and stayed in the area. They wouldn't be exposed to topics like this at their local community college or in their lives, so it didn't matter to them. Why would they need to be exposed to other ideas when their insulated "real world" wouldn't include these topics? Will your students be attending a university that will discuss some of these ideas or will they avoid those types of classes? 

You could choose a less controversial book that wouldn't be as 'in their face' about how to defend their position. That might not be as effective, but would give them a something to think about. You could also choose a Christian book and bring in secular texts, even some of the essays from the book you've already chosen, as part of the discussion.

It's kind of a hard place to be. You see a need, based on the perspective of personal experience, and want to help these students maintain their personal beliefs when they head to college, but you're not able to fill it without offending some of the families. I wish you luck. Please update when you decide what you're going to do.

[Farrar]

Since I'm coming from a secular perspective, I can't really comment on the Christian aspect per se, but it does strike me that you chose one writer who has some slightly out of the mainstream views on a couple of issues (his writings about people with disabilities have angered people on both ends of the political spectrum, for example). I would think if the real goal of the course is to explore modern questions and topics and what thoughts are out there, then choosing a variety of authors and choosing a slightly less controversial text would be two good steps.

[Bootsie]

We have tended to expose our children to a wide array of ideas and arguments, thinking that is an important part of their education, but I know some parents who do not agree with this approach.  Or, they may think that at high school their children are still not at a point developmentally to handle controversial topics.

I have a friend who is what I would consider a fairly mainstream Protestant who teaches business at a Catholic university.  She was participating in a campus-wide university class promoting liberal arts and critical thinking.  Some of the readings used in the course were by Peter Singer; she was displeased with the tone of the materials.  She was supportive of exposing students to a broader worldview, but thought there were better materials that could be used.  Perhaps, in the case of her students, the materials were a bit too provocative for the starting place of the students.  I haven't read the materials, so I don't know if I would have agreed with my friend's assessment or not.

[MerryAtHope]

21 hours ago, BakersDozen said:

I was completely ignorant when it came to modern issues as an older teen/young adult. I could quote Scripture but could not use it in a discussion/debate. Had someone brought up in-vitro meat (who even knew that is a thing??) I would have been at a loss for words. I wish I had known more, been more aware and prepared for all that hit me once I left my home and high school. At the same time I know many people use 2 Timothy 3:16 to support their stance that the Bible is all that should be studied in order to prepare our children for societal/world issues. So if we study enough Scripture we can defend our stance regarding in-vitro meat.

Thoughts on this? I'm sad that I lost two excellent students from the class yet want to seriously consider the reasons given as we embark on this spring semester.

 

I'm not familiar with that text, so I can't comment on that, but I'm wondering if you shared your heart and your reasoning at all with parents? If not, for all they know, you agree with the views presented in the book. 

I do think providing a balance of books or essays instead of just one text, and letting parents and students know the goals and objectives of this class would be helpful though. "We'll be examining controversial viewpoints and learning how to respond biblically" or something along those lines would be helpful.