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

Posted on 11/29/2005 9:31:13 AM PST by 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."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: academia; apology; crevolist; dems; evocreeps; fundies; highereducation; ku; libs; mirecki; pubs; scienceeducation
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To: Coyoteman
Scientific Creation Theory DickDawk.122.432.1442

I have argued that the discontinuous gap between humans and 'apes' that we erect in our minds is regrettable. I have also argued that, in any case, the present position of the hallowed gap is arbitrary, the result of evolutionary accident. If the contingencies of survival and extinction had been different, the gap would be in a different place. Ethical principles that are based upon accidental caprice should not be respected as if cast in stone.
- Dawkins

621 posted on 11/30/2005 8:10:24 PM PST by Heartlander (Doing my part to expose the atheist ‘fundies’… Merry Christmas!)
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To: AndrewC
Please explain your interpretation of the numbers. Serious. It seems talkorigins.org would be more successful?

Satire?

622 posted on 11/30/2005 8:10:28 PM PST by Coyoteman (I love the sound of beta decay in the morning!)
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To: AndrewC
Quackwatch is not a failure, the site listed below it seems to be.

*Sigh*

623 posted on 11/30/2005 8:11:18 PM PST by Liberal Classic (No better friend, no worse enemy. Semper Fi.)
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To: Heartlander
Sorry, who is Dawkins? Should I care?

I have seen the name a few times on these threads, but haven't bothered to check the links. I studied evolution a number of years ago, primarily the bones side, and have kept up as best as I can, but have not run into Dawkins in my studies.

624 posted on 11/30/2005 8:14:25 PM PST by Coyoteman (I love the sound of beta decay in the morning!)
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To: Liberal Classic
No, but calling the man a failure casts suspicion on him and the website he runs.

I stated self-admitted(or simply admitted) failure. That is true. I have not slandered him. I have stated what is derived from this.

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

He is therefore a self-admitted failure in his field.

625 posted on 11/30/2005 8:15:50 PM PST by AndrewC (Darwinian logic -- It is just-so if it is just-so)
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To: AndrewC
It means that I would go to a psychiatrist for chest pains if I were you...

Nice strawman - build it yourself?


626 posted on 11/30/2005 8:17:47 PM PST by Senator Bedfellow (Sneering condescension.)
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To: AndrewC
You do not need board certification to be a practicing psychiatrist. Failure to obtain certification is therefore not equivalent to failure as a psychiatrist.

Really, now - is this kind of equivocation the best you can come up with tonight?

627 posted on 11/30/2005 8:19:49 PM PST by Senator Bedfellow (Sneering condescension.)
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To: Senator Bedfellow
Nice strawman - build it yourself?

Nice picture, but self-referencing. Well, would you go to a psychiatrist for chest pains?

628 posted on 11/30/2005 8:20:35 PM PST by AndrewC (Darwinian logic -- It is just-so if it is just-so)
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To: AndrewC

Failing the professional exam to become board specialized does not make him a failure in his field.


629 posted on 11/30/2005 8:22:17 PM PST by Liberal Classic (No better friend, no worse enemy. Semper Fi.)
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To: AndrewC

The red herring seems to be in season tonight.


630 posted on 11/30/2005 8:22:58 PM PST by Senator Bedfellow (Sneering condescension.)
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To: Senator Bedfellow
You do not need board certification to be a practicing psychiatrist

You don't need to be good to practice either. But a failure is still a failure and to fail to attain something you strive for in your field is a failure in your field. And when you admit it, it is a self-admitted failure in your field.

631 posted on 11/30/2005 8:24:03 PM PST by AndrewC (Darwinian logic -- It is just-so if it is just-so)
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To: Senator Bedfellow
The red herring seems to be in season tonight.

Yes, I see the one you are now waving. You still haven't answered a simple question. Would you go to a psychiatrist for chest pains? Yes or no?

632 posted on 11/30/2005 8:25:46 PM PST by AndrewC (Darwinian logic -- It is just-so if it is just-so)
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To: aNYCguy
Anyways, yes, an adherent to mainstream biology could believe that a supernatural force created the universe, set the rules of matter-energy interaction into motion, watched as evolution unfolded to produce humans precisely according to divine plan, and since then has taken a personal interest in every human being. There is certainly no shortage of people with this belief.

Isn't this then what as known as the ID position?
633 posted on 11/30/2005 8:26:56 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: AndrewC
Truly, your gift for equivocation is dizzying. Yes, it is a failure in your field - that does not mean that you are a failure in your field.

I presume you've been completely successful in everything you've ever attempted professionally, lest you be hoist by your own petard and labeled a professional failure.

634 posted on 11/30/2005 8:27:20 PM PST by Senator Bedfellow (Sneering condescension.)
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To: Liberal Classic
Failing the professional exam to become board specialized does not make him a failure in his field.

I guess you'd call the event a success.

635 posted on 11/30/2005 8:27:41 PM PST by AndrewC (Darwinian logic -- It is just-so if it is just-so)
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To: AndrewC

Sorry, play Socratic Method games with someone else. If you have a point to make, make it or watch it die on the vine.


636 posted on 11/30/2005 8:28:44 PM PST by Senator Bedfellow (Sneering condescension.)
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To: Senator Bedfellow
The red herring seems to be in season tonight.



637 posted on 11/30/2005 8:32:36 PM PST by Coyoteman (I love the sound of beta decay in the morning!)
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To: Coyoteman
Sorry, who is Dawkins? Should I care?

Nope. It’s just one of those crazy creationist theories that I know you enjoy ; ) Pssst… I got a few more from scientists that you might not know about…

638 posted on 11/30/2005 8:35:46 PM PST by Heartlander (Doing my part to expose the atheist ‘fundies’… Merry Christmas!)
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To: Senator Bedfellow
I presume you've been completely successful in everything you've ever attempted professionally,

He was evidently never certified and he attempted to do so at least once. Why did he not attain his goal? The CPA test is so hard that few pass it on the first try, but many eventually pass it. They are not failures in their fields.

639 posted on 11/30/2005 8:35:51 PM PST by AndrewC (Darwinian logic -- It is just-so if it is just-so)
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To: Senator Bedfellow
Behold the Perfection Troll™ -- anything less than "Perfection" is "failure."
640 posted on 11/30/2005 8:36:26 PM PST by longshadow
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