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."

[mware]

How do you feel about evolution?

To be honest, I have no problem accepting the theory of evolution.

It is entirely acceptable in my religious beliefs that evoution occurred. Who is to say that God's plan for us was not evoultion.

[balrog666]

That makes Cash sad.

Then we will be a Cash-less society. Many people think that is inevitable. ;^)

[puroresu]

Most atheists seem to be fundamentalists, and this Kansas prof seems to fit the bill.

He appears to be quite aware of the PC rules. Isn't it funny how "freethinkers" all think the same way? You'd think all that "freedom" would create a great diversity of thought. ;-)

[balrog666]

Chicken or egg?

Chicken omelet.

[js1138]

"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 demonstrates that not all scum evolves. I suspect this POS calls himself a Christian.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

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

No, it isn't. It is directed toward nothing. It has no goal.
An outcome doesn't need a purpose or a goal; it just *is*.

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

Natural Selection can never *fail*; it's a statement of what is. There is no goal.

[Tokra]

Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics Ha! I bet.

More like the Society of Two Universal Paths of Inner Divergence.

[mware]

Natural Selection can never *fail*; it's a statement of what is. There is no goal.

Survival????

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"Survival????"

Is not a *goal* of Natural Selection. It is an outcome, for some.

[PatrickHenry]

I think you and PH would do a credible job teaching the bible.

I've actually done it, when I was a lifeguard one summer for a bible school. Neither the kids, nor I, appeared to suffer from the experience.

[aNYCguy]

Ever heard of an atomic element?

I have. You'll have to clarify this particular argument against evolution, as the implications are not staggering me.

[js1138]

Survival is not a goal. It is a statememt about what is. There's lots of sloppy writing about this, even from science writers, but sloppy writing doesn't change reality.

[js1138]

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

Or creationists required to be citizens of Crete.

[teawithmisswilliams]

He appears to be quite aware of the PC rules. Isn't it funny how "freethinkers" all think the same way? You'd think all that "freedom" would create a great diversity of thought. ;-)

Yet I'm sure he views himself as very daring as he opines to his fellow "atheists and agnositics" in his tenured enclave...

[cornelis]

it just *is*.

I hope you arent' trying to remove motion from the world. If there is motion, it moves from one state to another. This is a different are of study than a metaphysics of being

All motion is teleological, whether predetermined or not.

Perhaps you'll recall that Plato moved away from the world of flux in order to understand what "just is."

[Coyoteman]

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

The fossils skulls I posted in #241 is data and evidence of evolution. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. You denied that we post any evidence, so I posted some.

Deny all you want, but that is data (evidence) and denial won't make it go away.

[puroresu]

Or the chairman of the science department to be a scientist?

[cornelis]

Survival is not a goal

[js1138]

I don't follow university politics, but I would be interested in the correlation between department chairmanships and academic performance. At the small college I went to, chairmanships were considered a burden and were rotated.

[js1138]

For someone who considers philosophy important, you certainly have a penchant for equivocation.