We stress human rights and tolerance in our schools

I am writing this with extreme regret to inform you that I will no longer participate in class discussions ( even though it's the end of the semester, blah ) and choose to leave before hand. I will turn in papers and participate in my final, but will not sit through and surround myself with similar tripe that was presented in the biblical gay bashing session that took place in class today. The simple fact that you allowed a student to use points ( not facts ) from the bible astounds me and to also let him stand there and continue to preach from a spiritual and biblical stance on the subject is a out right infringement on my separation of church and state rights. Allowing him to get a grade based on the bible is at your discretion as the professor even though the rest of us had to actually do research and put some effort into our work. However, it's absurd that you as a teacher would allow him to speak about it in front of a classroom of adults and act like it's no big deal. Had it occurred to you at all that someone in that class might be homosexual? Had it occurred to you that someone in that class might have been raised by homosexual parents or be related to someone who is homosexual? Obviously not. I'm a very open-minded individual and what was said today offended me deeply. I have gay friends that I believe deserve the same rights as any other minority. Just as well to hear a statement like "even good people go to hell too" is considered an assault on my intelligence and should never have been allowed to be thrown at me in a "class discussion." This was no discussion. It was more like Sunday school against gays and lesbians. I like to base my life around factual information and science and to be threatened and belittled in front of a class of people with the idea of the delusion that hell is a real place just makes me that much more aggravated. I realize the freedom of speech stance, but lashing out just because I explained I was non-spiritual was uncalled for.

With utmost sincerity and concern,

Brandon Velez-Rivera

I wrote this e-mail because of all the tolerance shown in class today.......