Friday, October 13, 2006
Sins
This week, in an anonymous poll, I asked my students at Xavier University the following yes-or-no question: "God sent Katrina to punish the U.S. for its sins." The results suprised me: 33 out of 95 answered "Yes." I should also add that 94 out of 95 answered "Yes" to the following two questions: "God exists" and "God is omnipotent."
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9 comments:
How many said that a captured leprechaun has to hand over his pot of gold?
But don't you teach the Bible? Why does it surprise you that people who have chosen to study the Bible believe in the God portrayed therein? Not trying to be snarky. If you had asked 100 chem students the same question, don't you think the percentage would be down?
I do teach Bible. But this course is not an elective. It is part of the core curriculum. Almost all of my students are Bio-Pre Med majors and Pre-Pharmacy. If I were at a seminary then I wouldn't be suprised.
Curious, would it be racist to ask what the racial make-up of your class is? How about what percentage of them attended anything but a public school in the South? What about the percentage of student parents that graduated from high school?
Do you see where I'm going with this. The simple fact is that most your student grew up in single parent homes where the fear of God was impressed upon them more than the average Uptown/Old Metairie Yuppie.
Most of my students come from families with mothers and fathers, and about 1/2 are from New Orleans. About 3/4 of them are African Americans.
Since you teach at purportedly Catholic school why are your surprised?
WHat are the figures for the populaion at large? I suspect they will be fairly high, although not that high.
Uh oh!!!!! Editing. That's really a Republican thing. Are you sure you want to do that? It looks like you're turning to the Dark Side.
"Almost all of my students are Bio-Pre Med majors and Pre-Pharmacy."
NOW I'm surprised. And dismayed.
I am not at all surprised. My students are exactly the same. I don't think it is all ign'nant Southerness, either. Taking a course doesn't pronounce your religious leanings or how literally you take the Bible. It is dangerous, I think, and counterproductive, to try to pigeonhole his students when the majority of Americans believe in not only God but miracles and angels.
And not just the president of the US.
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