posted on Sep, 29 2008 @ 04:56 AM
I think you would be allowed to express religious views in class as long as a) they are relevant and b) you express them with respect for
disagreement.
It might be good to preface religious comments with "my religion teaches ..." or something. Don't treat the classroom as an opportunity for
proselytizing, but as a place where opinions can be exchanged. Be ready to listen to what other peoples' beliefs are.
The one thing that I would recommend against is trying to debate against evolutionary theory with a science professor. Not being a believer myself, I
don't know how this would feel, but I think the best way to take it would be to accept that they are teaching you a model of how things might work;
you don't have to agree or disagree, just learn the logic of evolution. If nothing else, it provides a framework for learning about biology and
medicine that works.
Be prepared to face disagreement, though I think it will come more from fellow students than professors. Professors might disagree but in the fields
in which these topics are most likely to come up (humanities and social sciences), they will also be trained to view issues from multiple sides, and
will have the benefit of being mature enough (most of them anyway) to realize that not everyone has to agree with them.
I hope this doesn't come off as too bossy. As a nonbeliever who has spent a lot of time in academic settings, and who is concerned about how these
issues are treated (see my "On discussions between..." thread in this forum), I think that believers have a lot to offer "secular humanists", but
often come across as self-righteous and patronizing and get ignored or worse.
Hope this helps, and I'd love to hear how it goes through the semester.