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."

[aNYCguy]

Andrew, this is getting painful to watch. Surely, you don't consistently believe that anyone who has ever suffered a single failure relating to their field can be labeled a failure in their field. Someone who fails a single undergrad test is not ipso facto a failure as a student, and you know this. You've been called on your equivocation; give it up.

[aNYCguy]

And this prof has tipped his hand with his previous email. I don't think Christianity is likely to be represented as much more than a straw man.

Yeah, the email surely isn't professional, but it was a private and personal one. As others have said, I'm sure I could be made to look like a real jerk if all my personal correspondance was made public.

I can definitely understand your apprehension, but keep in mind this class doesn't give an indication of covering Christianity per se, only Creationism and its challenges to science. I don't think any of the spiritual tenets of Christianity are going to be on trial.

[zeeba neighba]

That's good to know. Also many alcoholics are allergic to grain, and the very drink they crave is the one made from the grain that they are allergic to.

[aNYCguy]

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?

Not quite. The ID position, for starters, says nothing about the nature of the supernatural forces; e.g., it doesn't say that there's a god who takes interest in people. According to ID, the creator may well be disinterested or dead. Second, ID makes the claim that the laws of matter-energy interaction alone are not sufficient to result in evolution, but a prior designer of life on Earth must be involved.

Also pertinent is the fact that a scientist may be religious, but that does not make his religious beliefs scientific. A scientist could certainly believe in an intelligent designer, but keep that unfalsifiable belief out of his studies.

[PatrickHenry]

Nice prime!

[PatrickHenry]

Placemarker and access to: (1) The List-O-Links, (2) How to argue against a scientific theory, and (3) the Evolution Troll's Toolkit.
Another service of Darwin Central, the conspiracy that cares.

[AndrewC]

I reply to your three posts here.

Okay

Yes, in a pinch I might use a podiatrist for something other than feet.

And I wouldn't be wasting my time with a non-specialist. I have had a heart attack, so I wouldn't waste my time with a psychiatrist it might lead to room temperature for me.

[AndrewC]

I'm open to the possibility that Barrett lost his license involuntarily,

Well, I think you misread my posts, because I do not think he lost his license. He lost a suit. In that suit, it seems to be revealed that Dr. Barrett failed to pass a board certification. It is a voluntary test. The fact that he failed it one or more times is relevant in that he seems to never have passed it although he attempted to. Had he eventually passed the certification it would be of no consequence that he failed it.

The "court testimony" we have comes from the Dr's website so we have a he said she said situation. I give equal credence to both in that case.

[AndrewC]

Someone who fails a single undergrad test is not ipso facto a failure as a student, and you know this.

Apples and oranges.

[js1138]

I have had a heart attack, so I wouldn't waste my time with a psychiatrist it might lead to room temperature for me.

I know several people who have had heart attacks. Their first contact with the medical system has been with paramedics -- firemen with training in emergency medical procedures. The next step will usually be an emergency room where the first physician is unlikely to be a cardiologist.

But I was arguing with someone who asserts your problem would cease to exist if you followed his dietary advice. I'm not sure what you are doing in the middle of this.

[AndrewC]

But I was arguing with someone who asserts your problem would cease to exist if you followed his dietary advice. I'm not sure what you are doing in the middle of this

My cardiologist and most other doctors I have talked to, point at a dietary influence to my condition(I take lipitor and my cholesterol level is 90 - my triglycerides are high). I hate fish. As to what I am doing in this, I merely pointed out that the Dr. who headed the "quackery" site, lost a suit involving a defamation.

[js1138]

Ah, but the doctor who lost is the one who was suing. He has not been successfully sued for calling people quacks.

Perhaps he lacks good judgement in when to pick fights. I don't know. I don't need his opinion to know that diet is not the cause of all disease.

[AndrewC]

Ah, but the doctor who lost is the one who was suing. He has not been successfully sued for calling people quacks.
Perhaps he lacks good judgement in when to pick fights. I don't know. I don't need his opinion to know that diet is not the cause of all disease.

Well, calling people quacks is hardly something to be sued about. If that were not so, many people here would have the socks sued off of them.

Something actionable in that vein involves a known falsehood, I believe.

I would like to see the assertion "diet is the cause of all disease" pointed out to me.

[js1138]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1530555/posts?page=313#313
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1530555/posts?page=386#386
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1530555/posts?page=424#424
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1530555/posts?page=462#462
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1530555/posts?page=478#478
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1530555/posts?page=499#499
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1530555/posts?page=528#528
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1530555/posts?page=551#551
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1530555/posts?page=694#694

[js1138]

I can definitely understand your apprehension, but keep in mind this class doesn't give an indication of covering Christianity per se, only Creationism and its challenges to science. I don't think any of the spiritual tenets of Christianity are going to be on trial.

If organizations like the Discovery Institute intend to put theological concepts like ID into the science classroom, then they become fair game. There is no political correctness in science. Scientists are not nice to each other. Arguments are vicious and sometimes personal.

Folks who think religion is disrespected on these threads haven't seen anything. The gloves are on at FR.

I rather doubt that anyone associated with religion wants to see it put to the test in science classes.

[AndrewC]

I would like to see the assertion "diet is the cause of all disease" pointed out to me.[my question which your links propose to answer]

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.

The "nonsense" is working for hundreds of people, Kevin Trudeau not withstanding. Live in darkness by choice.

"Nutrition will not *cure* most diseases" ---------------424

Drugs kill, real food heals. It's that simple

I said that proper nutrition cures disease. That means eating real food, like greens that are grown organically, and meat that was grass fed, and not given synthetic hormones, and raw whole dairy products that still contain the natural organisms and enzymes to digest them. Vitamin pills are an emergency stop-gap, not the whole solution, and there are more than vitamins involved. At this point there are more than 300 known bioflavinoids that are missing from junk food.

I get out the jar of mentholatum when my toe is infected, and rub a finger-full on. Usually it is ok within 4 or 5 hours. If that isn't enough, I have a bottle of oregano oil (carvacrol) that is a 20% solution in olive oil, and that has never failed on any infection that I or my family has encountered, including staph, strep throat, fungal infections, and ear infections. These were hard learned lessons; we once were foolish enough to use antibiotics, but we have learned our lessons well.

Does this seem like a bit of "do as I say and not as I do?" If he developed colon cancer, then it is likely that he failed on his advocated nutritional regemen.

He makes the Wendy's chilli finger lady look like a paragon of virtue. He has dedicated his life to preventing people from avoiding, or being cured of disease.

Food can heal simply by not preventing healing. Most 'foods' today are not accepted by the body as food. they do damage that acumulates over time, and eventually the damage is enough to cause a crisis that we call illness.

Those are the entire replies within the links you provided except for post 424. That particular answer is too long to post, but I posted the question which it answers. Nowhere in these answers is it stated that diet causes all disease, and nowhere in any of the text do you see "diet is the cause of all disease". Do a find on the above text taken from the links you provided for those words and post 424 itself. You will not find them. You made that statement up.

[js1138]

Readers can form their own opinions, particularly from the suff you left out of your selective quotations.

"Nutrition will not *cure* most diseases"

That is a lie from the pit of hell.

Nutrition is the only thing that stands a chance of curing anything, short of prayer.

I think a reasonable person, given a set of statements that diet will cure MS and ALS, and that improper diet is the cause of colon cancer, and that "Nutrition is the only thing that stands a chance of curing anything..." will conclude that improper diet is the cause of disease.

ALS is an hereditary disorder. Editor has said it will clear up with proper diet. He was responding to a general statement about hereditary disorders, so it is reasonable to assume he was asserting proper diet will clear up any hereditary disorder.

[AndrewC]

ALS is an hereditary disorder.

So is the tendency for Type II diabetes. Endocrinologists will first recommend dietary control.

Readers will also note that an infected toe is an example of a disease. This was not treated by a dietary change nor was it attributed to a dietary cause. External medications were used to cure the disease.

[js1138]

Readers will also note that an infected toe is an example of a disease. This was not treated by a dietary change nor was it attributed to a dietary cause. External medications were used to cure the disease.

Contradicted by Editor's assertion that "Nutrition is the only thing that stands a chance of curing anything, short of prayer."

I seem to have given Editor too much credit for consistency.

If you go back over my posts you will not find anything that denies the value of diet and nutrition. Nor any excessive support for the AMA or drug companies. I simply think it is dangerous nonsense to say that diet is the only effective treatment for disease.

[PatrickHenry]

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