Kansas Prof. Apologizes for E-Mail [referred to religious conservatives as "fundies" ....]

Yahoo ^

[Sub-Driver]

Kansas Prof. Apologizes for E-Mail

11 minutes ago

A University of Kansas religion professor apologized for an e-mail that referred to religious conservatives as "fundies" and said a course describing intelligent design as mythology would be a "nice slap in their big fat face."

In a written apology Monday, Paul Mirecki, chairman of the university's Religious Studies Department, said he would teach the planned class "as a serious academic subject and in an manner that respects all points of view."

The department faculty approved the course Monday but changed its title. The course, originally called "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationisms and other Religious Mythologies," will instead be called "Intelligent Design and Creationism."

The class was added to next spring's curriculum after the Kansas State Board of Education decided to include more criticism of evolution in its standards for science teaching. The vote was seen as a big win for proponents of intelligent design, who argue that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by a higher power.

Critics say intelligent design is merely creationism — a literal reading of the Bible's story of creation — camouflaged in scientific language.

Mirecki's e-mail was sent Nov. 19 to members of the Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics, a student organization for which he serves as faculty adviser.

"The fundies (fundamentalists) want it all taught in a science class, but this will be a nice slap in their big fat face by teaching it as a religious studies class under the category mythology."

Mirecki addressed the message to "my fellow damned" and signed off with: "Doing my part to (tick) off the religious right, Evil Dr. P."

[js1138]

I am in no way against modern medicine. But we have screwed around with the natural mechanisms of evolution because of it.

It would be great to eliminate really unpleasant genetic defects like ALS from the germ line, but some great people would be missing from our history if we simply allowed the "weak" to die in childhood. Genetic diversity has advantages for the population.

[Right Wing Professor]

Mocking Christians--he's a real profile in courage. I'd like to hear the brave iconoclast's opinion of islam...

Mocking some Christians. Not all Christians are fundamentalists.

I'd like to hear the brave iconoclast's opinion of islam..

You can hear mine; it's a pathological belief system that again and again leads to violent, repressive social systems, war, and intolerance.

[furball4paws]

Assuming some day we will be able to fix genetic defects at the DNA level, the anti-eugenics crowd will be very loud. I don't think having ALS in our gene pool is a plus. The fact that we can keep people that have it like Hawking alive is a plus. But we and he would be much better off if he didn't have it.

[Right Wing Professor]

As to the suitability of someone who has strong religious beliefs teaching certain courses, I have a very strong belief that conception begins at birth and have no problem in teaching life science.

How do you feel about evolution?

[zeeba neighba]

Mocking some Christians

same old, same old, placemarker

[js1138]

I would guess that within 50 years we will have genetic treatments for defects like ALS. It may be a bit longer before we twiddle with the germline.

Opposition is already lined up. What happens if there turns out to be a simple childhood injection that boosts intelligence or athletic ability?

[editor-surveyor]

We can only wonder what you think that is evidence of. (skull collecting?)

[teawithmisswilliams]

I agree with your assessment of islam. I doubt the professor in question would have the guts to say the same in an e-mail...

My main objection to this guy is his childish and perverse glee in trashing those who question Darwin's theory, which include many nonfundamentalist Christians. His simple-minded hostility towards Christianity is unworthy of a chair of a Department of Religious Studies, imho.

[cornelis]

Fitness is simply another way of saying an organism has reproduced

It says more. Otherwise all we would need to do is say A is A and be done with it.

How does it say more? The term "fitness" is meant to address the the causes for persistence, not merely the fact.

Fitness also implies compatibility of parts to a whole meaning the organisms persistence is not contrary to its environment. This is also what is meant in the term organism.

Replication requires persistence and that persistence is due to compatibility.

[aNYCguy]

Guess it depends on what the purpose of the department is.

My guess is the study of religion.

[Senator Bedfellow]

I would guess that within 50 years we will have genetic treatments for defects like ALS.

That makes Cash sad.

[js1138]

It says more. Otherwise all we would need to do is say A is A and be done with it.

That is all we need to say. Fitness is a restatement of the fact that an individual has reproduced. Nothing else.

[editor-surveyor]

"I would guess that within 50 years we will have genetic treatments for defects like ALS"

We have a genetic treatment now, provided by our own immune systems. Proper diet, dump the sugar, pasta, french fries, and any manufactured drug, or cosmetic junk, cleaning products, etc, supplement calcium if necessary to achieve a near 7.0 body ph, and ALS and MS dissappear.

[longshadow]

I happen to have a Darwin fish tee shirt on today, but your post reminds me I should also add one to my University of Nebraska web page.

In fairness, you should also include a Flying Spaghetti Monster emblem.

Arrrgggghhhh! Ramen!

[aNYCguy]

...which of course makes it appear as if you are referring to me as a "women who obsess on certain people, stalk them, disrupt threads, and generally behave like shrieking harpies, scolds, and harridans.".

It's generally a good idea to read the entire thread before you post. The troll referred to is Mamzelle, who's been known as harasser for quite some time now. I don't think anyone was talking about you, or interested in your commentary at all, frankly.

[js1138]

Your Nobel Prize awaits you.

[beezdotcom]

How many people do you see waving their belief in "pagan elephant gods" on every other thread?

Chicken or egg?

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"We have a genetic treatment now, provided by our own immune systems. Proper diet, dump the sugar, pasta, french fries, and any manufactured drug, or cosmetic junk, cleaning products, etc, supplement calcium if necessary to achieve a near 7.0 body ph, and ALS and MS dissappear."

This is the same kind of nonsense that fraud Kevin Trudeau is peddling.

[cornelis]

If survival is the outcome of selection, natural selection is teleological and directed toward survival.

If the selection fails in that the subject fails to persist, natural selection is teleological and directed toward unfitness.

If this is a posteriori, remind Darwin of that.

The constancy of nature is its telos.

[longshadow]

You want the chair of the Criminology Department to be a criminal?

Or even worse, the chairman of the Microbiology Department to be a microbe?

;-)