Earlier today, I came upon the below AP story on the SFGATE.com website.  It basically describes the mistakes of a teacher in Ohio who had caused quite a rucus about the teaching of religion in public schools. 

But I think what is more interesting than the news story, is the comments that were written by various readers, the majority of which immediately condemn the teacher (a Mr. John Freshwater) for abusing the children and for trying to pass off religious crock onto susceptible young minds.

And like most comments attached to topics of religion, sex, and race, the commenters eventually degenerated into name calling and personal attacks in order to proclaim his/her own points of view. 

Now, while I think most everyone expects those with extremely devoted religious views (individuals labelled as “conservatives”) to argue and defend this teacher’s attempt to bring religion into public classrooms; I think that those advocating the tar and feathering of this “religious nut” ought to be careful of themselves as well.

Presently there is a belief that the world population as a whole is moving into a more open-minded / “liberal” state.  We believe in racial equality, we believe in sexual equality, and we believe that the environment deserves to be saved.  And that is all fine and great, and lovely as a rainbow - but some individuals who advocate these “liberal” changes are often endanger of becoming “conservatives” themselves.

They walk the line of what I have come to call “conservatives of liberalism”. 

We have to remember that “keeping an open-mind” means allowing the free opinions of others and making a honest-to-goodness effort to understand our “opponents.”  We cannot simply shut out “conservative” ideas simply because they are deemed too traditional or too limited, or too “anything.”

We can believe in the rights of same-sex couples to marry, but we must at the same time make an effort to honestly listen to those advocating “traditional marriages.”  We can put our belief 100% in a joyous society of mixed spirituality and race, but we must also make the effort to embrace those that advocate separatism.

Don’t be so hung up on living an “open-minded” life by closing your mind to the “close minded.”

If we do not, we are in danger of being conservatives of our own liberalism - then anyone who is not a liberal is immediately wrong or vice-versa.  Remember that “liberals” and “conservatives” are just labels (and most of the time, they are extremely inadequate labels).

The AP story below made a good example.  Commenters had split themselves into 2 camps, those advocating the goodness of Mr. Freshwater’s attempt to bring truth and religion into the classroom, and those that were disgusted with his attempt to integrate church and state.  But, this teacher, his students, the town, the school district, the whole event happened in Ohio - the commenters, the news story, the opinions were all in San Francisco.  There were no real details, no testimony of facts by any of the students, parents, or the teacher himself.  We don’t know what happened and why.  But, everyone (liberals, conservatives, and others) were ready to cast judgment and shout at the top of their lungs to defend their own idea of what the “right” course of action should be.  Each side believed the other was wrong and each side believed the other was close-minded.

Be open-minded, don’t be close-minded even to the close-minded.

Ohio board reviews report of teacher burning kids

By DOUG WHITEMAN, Associated Press Writer | Friday, June 20, 2008

Members of the Mount Vernon school board met Friday to discuss a finding that a middle school teacher preached his Christian beliefs despite staff complaints, even using a device to burn the image of a cross on students’ arms.

Mount Vernon Middle School teacher John Freshwater also taught creationism in his science class and was insubordinate in failing to remove a Bible and other religious materials from his classroom, a report by independent investigators said.

School board members gathered a day after consulting firm H.R. On Call Inc. released its report. It wasn’t immediately clear what action, if any, officials in the community about 40 miles northeast of Columbus would take against Freshwater.

Superintendent Stephen Short declined to comment before the meeting. Freshwater’s attorney, Roger Weaver, didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.

The report comes one week after a family filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Columbus against Freshwater and the school district, saying Freshwater burned a cross on their child’s arm that remained for three or four weeks.

Freshwater’s friend Dave Daubenmire defended him.

“With the exception of the cross-burning episode … I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district,” he told The Columbus Dispatch for a story published Friday.

Several students interviewed by investigators described Freshwater, who has been employed by the district for 21 years, as a great guy.

But Lynda Weston, the district’s director of teaching and learning, told investigators that she has dealt with complaints about Freshwater for much of her 11-year term at the district, the report said.

A former superintendent, Jeff Maley, said he tried to find another position for Freshwater but couldn’t because he was certified only in science, the report said.

Freshwater used a science tool known as a high-frequency generator to burn images of a cross on students’ arms in December, the report said. Freshwater told investigators he simply was trying to demonstrate the device on several students and described the images as an “X,” not a cross. But pictures show a cross, the report said.

Other findings show that Freshwater taught that carbon dating was unreliable to argue