Univ of Tennessee students penalized if they acknowledge God in “origins of life” class

One of my fellow Tennesseans sent me this Facebook status update from a student at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.  The student was sitting in one of his classes that dealt with the origins of life when he managed to snap a photo of the overhead projector.

What was on the screen was pretty telling.

The question was “How did life originate on Earth?”

(Hint: The “correct” answer was not D.)

The student, Christian Torbett, wrote about the moral challenge he faces when he will invariably face the question on the test.

I have no problem being taught scientific theories on the origins of life on Earth. However, by selecting the “correct” answer I am denying my faith. My grade will be penalized for selecting “D. Omnipotent Being.” The professor could simply have worded this differently, such as, “Which of the following theories explaining the origins of life on Earth are we accepting for the purposes of this course?” ‪#‎UTDiversityMatters‬

Of course, I’m thankful that we live in a nation where standing up for your values only results in a slightly lower grade.

However, it’s insulting that a tax-payer funded institution treats the faith of the vast majority of its students and tax base with such obvious contempt.