Mirecki hospitalized after beating (KU Relig. prof. who mocked religion)

Lawrence Journal World ^ | 12/05/05 | Ron Knox

[Will_Zurmacht]

Mirecki hospitalized after beating

By Ron Knox, Eric Weslander (Contact)

Originally published 05:37 p.m., December 5, 2005 Updated 06:31 p.m., December 5, 2005

Douglas County sheriff’s deputies are investigating the reported beating of a Kansas University professor who gained recent notoriety for his Internet tirades against Christian fundamentalists.

Kansas University religious studies professor Paul Mirecki reported he was beaten by two men about 6:40 a.m. today on a roadside in rural Douglas County. In a series of interviews late this afternoon, Mirecki said the men who beat him were making references to the controversy that has propelled him into the headlines in recent weeks. Mirecki

Mirecki

“I didn’t know them, but I’m sure they knew me,” he said.

Mirecki said he was driving to breakfast when he noticed the men tailgating him in a pickup truck.

“I just pulled over hoping they would pass, and then they pulled up real close behind,” he said. “They got out, and I made the mistake of getting out.”

He said the men beat him about the upper body with their fists, and he said he thinks they struck him with a metal object. He was treated and released at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

“I’m mostly shaken up, and I got some bruises and sore spots,” he said.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Officials are classifying the case as an aggravated battery. They wouldn’t say exactly where the incident happened, citing the ongoing investigation

The sheriff’s department is looking for the suspects, described as two white males between ages 30 and 40, one wearing a red visor and wool gloves, and both wearing jeans. They were last seen in a large pickup truck.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 843-TIPS or the sheriff’s office at 841-0007.

Mirecki recently wrote online that he planned to teach intelligent design as mythology in an upcoming course. He wrote it would be a “nice slap” in the “big fat face” of fundamentalists.

The remarks caused an uproar, Mirecki apologized, and KU announced last week the class would be canceled.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Try talking your trash to a group from that Religion of peace you are trying to equate to Christianity, and you will quickly learn the difference. As if you don't already know the difference, of course.

[spinestein]

[The sheriff’s department is looking for the suspects, described as two white males between ages 30 and 40, one wearing a red visor and wool gloves, and both wearing jeans. They were last seen in a large pickup truck.]


I would be willing to believe that the assailants were Christian fundamentalists angry at him for his public statements about them, except that the description doesn't fit what we all know about the Christian fundamentalists.

They would be described as "two white males with slack jaws and an insane look in their eyes, both wearing suits and ties, and carrying briefcases full of Bibles and anti-science literature, driving a pickup truck with a gun rack and a fish emblem and a 'Bush/Cheney' bumper sticker". And while they were beating him they would be yelling 'Let God sort it out!'.

I hope I don't need the sarcasm tag.

[trisham]

bookmark

[Fester Chugabrew]

. . . celebrated by our resident Christians.

How would you know what a Christian is? Maybe you could trade that broad brush in for something a little more accurate. Or is it wishful thinking that drvies you to paint all Christians as complicit in this unwarranted assault? You were so anxious to paint my sarcastic response as gloating, I seriously question your capacity to approach the subject with anything more than a vitriol as deep as the fools who pugilized this bubblehead. Maybe you could trade that broad brush for a red baseball cap and a pair of woolen gloves.

[F.J. Mitchell]

LOL! No sarcasm tag needed. But we do need a little assistance in figuring out which side the sarcasm is aimed at-or is it aimed in both directions?

[MeanWestTexan]

I think his was a response to Post 461. Clearly an overbroad brush, but understandable.

I am a Christian. Some of the dumbest and most vile people I have met are Christians, too. They are in the most need of Christ, I say.

What is particularly sad about this event, is this reeks of a fake attack like the "they-spraypainted-my-car" treat given to us by that absurd leftist professor just a short time ago.

[Right Wing Professor]

You are a self-proclaimed Christian, Fester. A guy who uses a violent assault by two of his co-religionists to post a gloating asinine idiotic smarmy fallacy about evolution.

You weren't being sarcastic. And if you weren't human refuse, you'd have known it wasn't the time or the place.

Now bugger off; you're on my ignore list, and I'd like to keep you there.

[Tench_Coxe]

There have been a couple of posters who have been 'outed' posing as 'Christians'. Most likely the Moby Effect.

However, there have been some posters on the 'other side' who have handles of recent vintage, and who seem to jump in when the cr*p starts hurling about.

Anytime I see over-the-top comments, they tend to be a dead giveaway ( libs can't restrain themselves ).

[MeanWestTexan]

The Devil's best advocates are evil, idiot, Christians.

[Fester Chugabrew]

What is particularly sad about this event, is this reeks of a fake attack . . .

I tend to think it was a real attack by a couple overzealous fools.

[MeanWestTexan]

Fake posters are a real possibility, I agree.

Indeed, I would be surprised if that was not the case for many of the most over-the-top posts we see.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

"Try talking your trash to a group from that Religion of peace you are trying to equate to Christianity, and you will quickly learn the difference. As if you don't already know the difference, of course."

I don't see members of that other "religion of peace" crowing loudly about this, just some Christians.

But, hey...I'm sure that if you'd been there when Jesus said "let he who is without sin cast the first stone," you'd have had that rock downrange in under a second.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Now bugger off . . .

Red cap already in place?

[F.J. Mitchell]

On the other hand, the pompous, self righteous, holier than thou Christians are the biggest turn off for unbelievers.

[MeanWestTexan]

"I tend to think it was a real attack by a couple overzealous fools."

That is possible, too, and a full and fair investigation needs to be made.

Indeed, some of the fools I have seen here (and on creation/evolution) threads give credence to such a possibility.

Perhaps I am just hopeful, in that such an attack would be: (1) directly forbidden by Christ himself (scripture post is above), followed up by St. Peter (who admonishes all Christians to follow the law) and (2) counter-productive.

[MeanWestTexan]

Well, I AM pompus, but holier-than-thou, I am not.

I follow St. Augestine's prayar, "Lord, make me chaste; but not just yet."

[Sally Golightly]

I should have read your tagline. Sorry, but it's difficult to follow a thread this long.

[AmishDude]

Well, much of the "reaction here" either came from trollish posters who were barely signed up (I encountered the thread after a lot of posts were pulled from posters I'd never heard of) people who merely didn't believe the good professor or people whose sarcasm couldn't be detected by the dull-witted. Much of it.

And, of course, there's the other side, who sought the gotcha moment including you yourself who intended to use this thread to make an enemies list.

It's certainly possible that two ordinary white church-going men in their 30's and 40's (huh?) figured out who he was, tailed him hoping he would pull over and then hoping he would get out of his car so that they could pummel him to within an inch of . . . well, having at least one hospital meal.

A slightly more likely scenario is that Phelps' gang stalked the guy and pulled this thing.

However, the probabilities are infinitesimal compared to the likelihood that the wounds are self-inflicted. Either directly or for-hire.

I base that on (1) what is known about his character (2) the fact that he didn't blame the perpetrators but attempted to blame all IDers right away (3) the perpetrators knew him and where to find him, but attempted to do their deed on a public (but rural) road (how far away from campus does he live, anyway?) (4) the perpetrators went to all this trouble and didn't really hurt him badly but then didn't smash up his car, either. I mean, if you really want to show the guy a lesson and you're a couple of thug a-holes with a "metal object", you leave the guy with at least two smashed windows. Somebody earlier mentioned a lost tooth, but this article only mentioned "bruises and sore spots".

I can't feel sorry for the guy, because even if it all happened exactly the way he said, including the vague "he thinks they struck him with a metal object" he's essentially OK, if a little shaken.

His reaction to this is creating a justifiable "Boy who cried `Redneck'" reaction by posters here and if it turns out to be 100% true, I'll save any sympathy for him and channel it into negative reaction towards the perpetrators.

[MeanWestTexan]

LOL.

I do it all the time too.

No harm, no foul.

[spinestein]

There is a certain view that fundamentalist Christians are dangerous, maniacal idiots, who don't even understand their own religion. I reject that view because the majority of fundamentalist Christians who I know personally are genuinely good people who are reasonable in their beliefs and valuable friends. I also know a few "fundies" who are dangerous, maniacal idiots, who don't even understand their own religion.

While I'm not a fundamentalist Christian, nor even a religious person of any kind, I have contempt for the "normal, everyday" idiots who take every opportunity to bash honest Christian beliefs. Some of these people I know personally, and I don't enjoy being around them and I try avoid them. But the specific target of my sarcasm is "Big Journalism" which is going to be milking this story for ALL the Christian bashing they can squeeze out of it.