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."

[Senator Bedfellow]

Well, I know that is what you might think...

Just following your lead, my man.

[Heartlander]

I repeat....The liar, IMO, is whoever lied to gain access to the original on the listserv.

Fine… Tell me why ‘you believe’ this person lied to gain access… You must know the truth in order to make this claim – or…

[AndrewC]

The liar, IMO, is whoever lied to gain access to the original on the listserv

Ahh the Democrat Judiciary Committee attack ploy.

[AndrewC]

Just following your lead, my man.

Not my lead, fellow. I wouldn't go to a psychiatrist for chest pains.

[metmom]

I've encountered that line of reasoning only rarely and agree with it, too. It isn't very popular though; I've gotten some negative reactions when I've brought it up so tend to keep my opinion to myself these days.

I remember some of the uproar when Katrina hit and the issues of people who could have ended up dying, and perhaps did, because they didn't get their medicine. The number of people who could be lost to diabetes alone is staggering. I know a number of people, myself included, who wouldn't be around without modern medicine's intervention.

[Senator Bedfellow]

Which means a psychiatrist isn't really practicing medicine. Or something. Your argument is kind of muddled, so apologies if I'm not doing it justice.

[ml1954]

I've already answered this. Go back to my previous posts. Better yet, try signing up to the listserv yourself and see if you can pass your own honesty test and gain access.

[Heartlander]

Ahh the Democrat Judiciary Committee attack ploy.

They have many ; )

[Liberal Classic]

Somehow, I think you're saying that for purely partisan reasons.

"Well you are entitled to your opinion, as I am mine, which still is that he sounds like the Wendy's finger lady."

Of course, you are. I have never said otherwise.

Plus he is an admitted failure in his field.

I don't know why you would say things like this about the man, except that you're backing up someone else on your "side" who has an axe to grind with him. I am at a loss to explain otherwise why you would call this man and his website a failure.

[AndrewC]

Which means a psychiatrist isn't really practicing medicine.

It means no such thing. It means that I would go to a psychiatrist for chest pains if I were you, but since I am not, I would go to a cardiologist.

[Heartlander]

Thus everyone who signed up to this ‘listserv’ is a liar?

[taxesareforever]

Most of that was prior to 5,000 years ago.

The question was "IS there global warming", not "Has there been global warming".

[AndrewC]

I am at a loss to explain otherwise why you would call this man and his website a failure.

I try to be precise. I don't believe I said anything about his website. Second he is a self admitted failure in his field.

fail·ure    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (flyr)
n. 
The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends: the failure of an experiment.  

Barrett conceded that he was not a Medical Board Certified psychiatrist because he had failed the certification exam.

[Coyoteman]

Its getting to the point I think this thread is a lost cause. But, one more try.

CAUTION -- EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION FOLLOWS!! :

=====================

Fossil: KNM-WT 15000

Site: Nariokotome, West Turkana, Kenya (1)

Discovered By: K. Kimeu, 1984 (1)

Estimated Age of Fossil: 1.6 mya * determined by Stratigraphic, faunal & radiometric data (1, 4)

Species Name: Homo ergaster (1, 7, 8), Homo erectus (3, 4, 7, 10), Homo erectus ergaster (25)

Gender: Male (based on pelvis, browridge) (1, 8, 9)

Cranial Capacity: 880 (909 as adult) cc (1)

Information: Most complete early hominid skeleton (80 bones and skull) (1, 8)

Interpretation: Hairless and dark pigmented body (based on environment, limb proportions) (7, 8, 9). Juvenile (9-12 based on 2nd molar eruption and unfused growth plates) (1, 3, 4, 7, 8). Juvenile (8 years old based on recent studies on tooth development) (27). Incapable of speech (based on narrowing of spinal canal in thoracic region) (1)

Nickname: Turkana Boy (1), Nariokotome Boy

See original source for notes:
Source: http://www.mos.org/evolution/fossils/fossilview.php?fid=38

[metmom]

And arthritis can be an allergic reaction to meats. I had a friend who had that very condition that was a result of eating beef. She was allergic to it.

[Coyoteman]

Most of that was prior to 5,000 years ago.

The question was "IS there global warming", not "Has there been global warming".

Yes, there is a warming trend. It is part of a long-term global trend, which started some 15,000 years ago. It has progressed, in fits and starts, since then, with the result so far (coming from the depths of a glacial episode to the interglacial) of a sea level rise of some 325-425 feet.

There are significant questions of how much warming we can expect, how long it will last, when the interglacial will end (leading to another glacial episode), and how much humans have contributed. Or, perhaps humans have changed to million-year trend altogether. Other than that, its pretty clear.

[furball4paws]

If you followed the thread forward you can see we both sgree that modern medicine is a big plus, but it has to be followed to its logical conclusion, i.e. fixing the germ line of individuals with defects and fixing their individual problems. Other wise we have badly polluted the human gene pool. js1138 (I think) believes we will see the beginnings of this within 50 years, probably outside my time allotment. I hope he is right.

[metmom]

In defense of the natural foods people, they have been known to get it right. My husband has kidney stones and for years the medical community has advised avoiding calcium while the natural health people said, "No, you need more calcium." They were criticized harshly for it by the medical community. Guess what? Now the medical community has changed their recommendations and say that more calcium is the way to go.

And what about antibiotics? The natural people advised against casual use and overuse of them and now they were proved right. There was a danger that the medical community blew off there, too. I'm not saying that they are always right (just to diffuse that one) but the medical community would do well to take their claims a little more seriously.

[Liberal Classic]

No, but calling the man a failure casts suspicion on him and the website he runs. I don't understand why would you be so eager to slander this man you know nothing about?

[AndrewC]

I didn't say anything about the website but I will now.

According to Alexa

Traffic Rank for answersingenesis.org: 15,924

Traffic Rank for quackwatch.org: 18,284

Traffic Rank for talkorigins.org: 52,841

Quackwatch is not a failure, the site listed below it seems to be.