A message of support for Matthew LaClair

[Guest themann1086]

Just wanted to send my support, Matt. You did the right thing, even if it is incredibly unpopular. Hang in there, and fight the tribal mentality. And don't worry about a prom date; I'm sure you'll have a smart and savvy date

TheMann1086

Drexel Hill, PA

[Guest Cynic]

Hi Matthew from the UK

Hang on in there kiddo -- you know that you are right. Best wishes.

[Guest David]

Matthew,

Christian Evangelical proselytizing belongs in church or religious school,not in the public school system.We live in a country of many religious belief systems and no religious belief systems.Those children who don't believe in the Christ myth should not be subject Christian indoctrination.

[Guest anon]

Way to do the right thing in the face of adversity, Matt. Really. I'm sure you don't need our encouragement; clearly you're already mature enough to stand up for the right cause. Still, know that reasonable people everywhere are impressed.

[Guest biochemist]

Good job Matthew. There are many of us who know you did the right thing. You deserve an 'A' in US history if only for your understanding of the Constitution, and that teacher needs to be fired for his lack of same.

biochemist from www.skepticality.com

[Guest Rafael Gasperi]

Good job boy keep going !

[Guest Dennis Lynch]

Matt

What you did was more important for your school than anything any athlete has ever done.

If you did it in my class, however, there would be one of 2 results.

Either I would get raked over the coals by my principal, or you would get a spanking.

I am sorry that your teacher was so blind as to not be open to rational discussion, before it became necessary to do what you did.

All good teachers must confuse their students. They must sometimes take contrary positions to stir a response. Classrooms must be open to debate on all subjects, especially where the point of the lesson isto disprove nonsense.

I guess I have mixed feelings, but generally approve, especially since I disagree with what your teacher was promoting.

We just have to be aware that the same technique can backfire and perhaps be used against us, too.

[Guest JJ]

Matthew, good for you for standing up for you right to get an education free of nonsense and against a small minded bully who saw the captive audience of the classroom as a venue to shove his beliefs down your throat. Your teacher, Mr. Paskiewicz, should be ashamed of himself for using his position of authority to proselytize.

To quote Matthew 6:5 6

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

From this it's clear that Jesus asks his followers to be private in their practice of religion, and to not to run amok rubbing it in everyone's face. It's remarkable to me how many Christians don't seem to understand this. They insist on making spectacles of their religion, ostensibly to "save" others, but to me it seems like they really just want to pump up their status among their fellow believers. They act like bullies, reacting with exaggerated outrage when anyone questions their behaviour, which is again not very Christian of them.

You did the right thing, legally, morally, and ethically. Keep this attitude of standing up for yourself, and I'm sure you'll go far in life.

[Guest PaulH]

One more voice of support. You did the right thing, and I'm astounded that this 'teacher' is being allowed to get away with it.

don't let the bastards grind you down

-Paul

[Guest david smith]

Hooray for you Mathew! Don't let those arrogant religious I-know-what-is-best-for-you hicks make you feel bad for standing up for your rights. You did great!

[Guest Julie Stahlhut]

Matthew, thanks for standing up for your right to a good education, unencumbered by sectarian proselytizing. You rock!

I can't understand why anyone, either from a religious or a secular viewpoint, thinks that the teacher had the right to preach in a public school. Would anyone think it was a good idea for a Catholic priest to hear confessions in an art class -- while not even making the pretense of teaching art? For a teacher to waste half of an English class with a tirade about Jewish or Muslim dietary laws? For a foreign-language class to include -- and consist mostly of -- daily church-doctrine lessons by Mormon missionaries?

By the way, has anyone considered the possibility that the teacher in question needs some professional help? If he had been launching into daily digressions about UFOs or black helicopters, I suspect something would have been done very swiftly. The man was delivering religious harangues instead of teaching his subject. That alone shows that his judgment is extremely poor.

[Guest Rakel]

I can only applaud Matthew for what he has done. If students don't speak up, this incident has shown that teachers or principals most certainly wont.

And the impact of this thing might be a lot larger than the school thought. I'm from Finland, and this has been brought up often in dinner-table conversations. Frankly, people are stunned.

[bybelknap]

Hang in there Matt. When my daughters need an example of how to stand up to bullies I can point to you as a model. Thanks for fighting the good fight.

[Guest Lola Walser]

Hi, Matthew,

I hope these messages of support make you feel less lonely even if you aren't getting many from your immediate surroundings (shame on them!)

Hang in there--you are right, and within your rights!

Best regards from Croatia

[Guest weemaryanne]

Well done, Matthew. Don't let the idiots get away with nonsense just because they happen to be the majority!

[Guest Charlie Snyder]

Hey Matt,

Just wanted to say thank you from Colorado. I know that when I was in high school I would not have had the awareness and courage you have shown. By standing up for the constitution you have shown yourself to be a true patriot. Just remember there are many many people who do support you.

Charlie

[Guest Michael H. Barnes]

Good for you, Matt.

You have shown a lot of courage and practical good sense.

If the New York Times story is correct, your teacher was derelict. He abused his position as a classroom teacher in a publicly financed school to promote his particular version of Christianity. Further, because he was teaching a history course, his training, I must presume, is in history, not in science. He obviously knows little about the relevant evidence, both from stratigraphy and from radiometric dating, about when dinosaurs lived.

I imagine he was well-intentioned. But you were right to complain and to provide clear evidence of what you complained about.

Michael H. Barnes, Ph.D

Professor of Religious Studies

University of Dayton.

[Guest A DVM]

Good job, Matt. After listening to the taped lecture, I heartily agree that this teacher stepped waaayy over the line (and then lied about it?). Not only that, but the goofy misinformation about science was an insult to you and your classmates.

Where do people get the idea that tape recorders don't belong in class? I remember having some fast-talking professors that defied my best note-taking abilities, so I and many other students would tape their lectures for later listening (with a finger on the "stop" button). Also, if someone was absent, friends would tape the day's lectures for them. Only teachers who are saying something they shouldn't would be bothered by this practice.

Best of luck to you... and thanks for doing the right thing!

[Guest Guest]

Matt,

You are awe-inspiring! Thanks for having the courage to stand up to the hypocritical liar masquerading as a teacher. The world needs more people like you!

--Kevin

San Luis Obispo, CA

[Guest Doug Crews]

It may seem as if you're alone, Matt, but you're not. Courage!

[Guest JLDillon]

Well done, Matthew!

Now is the time where you will have to really stick to your guns. I'm sure, with all the publicity news like this creates, you are wishing you could just go back to being a normal high school kid.

However, what you have done is what should've been done countless times over the years! You have shown a maturity beyond your years, and for that you should be proud.

Your teachers are your school district have to practice in loco parentis... but what kind of district allows a teacher to attempt to instill in students teachings which are not - in the REAL parents belief - in the best interest of the child?

The world is not only at your doorstep, Matthew, but at your back.

Keep up the good work!

[Guest Susan Cogan]

Matt, you did the right thing!

I don't understand why people think they can just ignore the US Constitution. If they hate the constitution so much, there are lots of places in this world without one. If they feel they are oppressed by the 1st Amendment they could work to repeal it, but just ignoring it isn't an option. They are not above the law.

My favorite part of this is exposing the Christianist as a liar. Not only does the US Constitution not apply to him personally but apparently the 10 Commandments don't either!

[DLC]

Hey Matt:

I'm a couple generations older than you, and pretty often stymied by the deluded sense of entitlement a lot of people in this country exhibit, but your courage furthers my hope for our future. Kudos to your parents for raising such an exemplary member of society. You've already done more than the average to make them proud, but I suspect you'll go even further. Your interview on AC360 was shorn of opinion, emotion and fervor -- besting all of your detractors. You truly live up to your name. Be well, and know you are supported fervently.

-DLC,

NYC

[Guest David from Tenafly NJ]

Matt,

Thanks for taking a stand. It helps all of us, and keeps America on the path the Founders meant for it. You rock!

[Guest Xibalba]

"Huzzah and Kudos" to young Matt for taking a stand against a hack teacher and his especially viral form of lunacy. Hopefully, this will be a lesson to other fundie teachers who insist on spreading their filth in the public schools. After all, how would the Xians like it if I, as a teacher, started spreading the gospel of Anton Lavey and the Church of Satan?