Ohio town reacts to tale of teacher accused of branding student with cross

Ohio town reacts to tale of teacher accused of branding student with cross•
John Freshwater said to teach creationism

It's the kind of story that turns heads and stomachs alike, especially in a small town. A well-known and popular middle school science teacher known for strong religious beliefs is charged with branding the shape of a cross onto the forearm of an eighth-grade student. The teacher is in big and possibly career-ending trouble, a quiet college town is bitterly divided and, rightly or wrongly, the Bible is at the centre of it.

The case of John Freshwater, a 21-year veteran of Mt Vernon City School District, has split this pleasant central Ohio community into squabbling camps - those who see Freshwater as a heroic father figure, persecuted for his Christian beliefs and his insistence on having his personal Bible on his desk, and those who condemn him as a religious predator promoting creationism and "intelligent design" and undermining the teaching of evolution, in violation of school policy.

Many here wish the whole messy matter would go away, along with the television media that have swooped in for another chapter in the simmering national saga of creationism versus evolution, complete with Bible-waving rallies and shouts that religious freedom is being trampled.

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Around town, there are some not-so-quiet suggestions that the unidentified child made the story up or that the photo of the child's forearm was doctored. Others say Freshwater, who teaches creationism and intelligent design at Matolyak's church, has been pushing his personal religious agenda in the public school for years. In 2003, Freshwater proposed a policy to "critically analyze evolution," which the school board rejected.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/04/usa2

How the hell can the town be "bittery divided" about this? Regardless of his beliefs, he fucking branded a student! How can this be a "possible" career-ender?

I just don't get this. Someone needs to give that entire town a colonic.

I went to college there, and I would agree with that assessment.

This guy sounds like a major frootloop.

Religious predator is too kind.

Some Christians are good people, some are bad people. This man most certainly is a Christian, just not a very good person.

is slowly sliding into a well deserved oblivion. The New Dark Ages are descending on the U.S., lead by religious fanatics with preposterous beliefs and no logical reasoning skills. (Why yes, all of the hundreds of millions of animal and plant species WERE within walking distance of Noah's house. How else could he have collected them all?)

The kid got a burn from am electrostatic device in Freshwater's science class. It happened to be a "cross-like mark", which caused some to jump on the teacher's religiosity and disdain for teaching evolution.

Now, it's "a battle of ideology"? Hardly. It's an unfortunate incident that helped bring the teacher's lousy performance into the light. Both sides have made it into somethiong it wasn't to begin with. (IMHO)

It's not a small mark, and it's definitely a cross, meaning the teacher picked it up and did it again the other direction. Not cool.

a little skin rash caused by a science experiment

Is it not abuse because it's a CROSS?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/students-branded-with-cross/2008/06/21/1214009142306.html

And here is a page supporting John Freshwater


The above image is taken from a T-Shirt purchased at Sunday's rally for teacher and bible believing, Christian John Freshwater. The saying on the T-shirt may seem presumptuous, but God promises to support His own.

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. . ."
- - - 2 Chronicles 16 : 9 (NASB)


TAKE ACTION

Please seriously consider support Mr. Freshwater with a check to with his legal fees as he tries to defend himself because he dared to live by his Judeo-Christians principles.


FRESHWATER LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
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Please make your check payable to the:
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Community Council for Free Expression
http://agoodchoice.blogspot.com/2008/05/freshwater-legal-defense-fund.html

Fundie: "This isn't what I pictured Heaven to look like ..."

Being: "Who said this was Heaven?"

...calling that a "brand" and seeing it as a crucifix takes nearly as much imagination as seeing Jesus in your Cheetos.

I see this more as a classroom accident that happened to bring out violations of separation of church and state that seem to have been going on for a while now.