I have to say that I was a little more than apprehensive about what might develop in our classroom discussion as a result of reading Ishmael. I am a very religious person and I was so afraid that the topic of conversation would be about the validity of the Bible. I want to commend Dr. Turner on her guide of our discussion and her openness to our dialogue. I believe that the entire class held on to their moral and ethical values while discussing what could have been the infamous "can of worms." Thank you to the class and Dr. Turner for having the discussion of Ishmael that allowed open minds, open hearts, and a vision for humanity's future. The class discussion was what graduate school and we as its students are all about - looking at ideas from other perspectives.

Teresa,

I'm glad to hear that you felt our class discussion about Ishmael didn't lead to biblical beliefs. I am glad, also. My pastor is my husband and I have found that what a person says they believe doesn't matter as much as how he/she lives. Because of this statement, I am challenging myself to see what I can do to really make a difference in the lives of students. You are right, our graduate discussions should enlighten each of us to explore and think about different perspectives. I did come away from the discussion tonight questioning what I could do to lessen the testing dilemma.