Case: Clarissa Says God Doesn’t Exist

Abstract

Mr. Rabe had deeply held religious beliefs and felt that these beliefs were a defining part of who he was and how he lived his life. While he avoided explicitly sharing his religious beliefs, Mr. Rabe knew that many of his students were raised in religious homes. Therefore, he wanted to let his students live their religious beliefs, or lack thereof, in his classroom without advocating for or against any of them. The dilemma presented in this case occurred at recess right after a science lesson in which Mr. Rabe had been teaching his fifth graders that the apparent brightness of stars in the sky depends on their distance from Earth, with more distant stars looking dimmer and closer stars looking brighter. In response to a student’s question, Mr. Rabe emphasized the vastness of space and the distance between the stars. This idea led to a conversation among students at recess in which one student, Clarissa, claimed that this vastness was evidence that God did not exist. Jasmine, upset by this declaration, left the conversation. In a brief, personal conversation Mr. Rabe informed Jasmine that some people see the vastness of space as supporting their belief in God and suggested she talk with her family about these questions. As they returned from recess, Mr. Rabe wondered how he had done and if he should address this issue with the whole class.