That is a ten foot pole that I'm not using.
Posted on 11/25/2005 8:34:07 AM PST by Exton1
KU prof's e-mail irks fundamentalists
http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/living/religion/13252419.htm
Associated Press
LAWRENCE - Critics of a new course that equates creationism and intelligent design with mythology say an e-mail sent by the chairman of the University of Kansas religious studies department proves the course is designed to mock fundamentalist Christians.
In a recent message on a Yahoo listserv, Paul Mirecki said of the course "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationisms and Other Religious Mythologies":
"The fundies 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."
He signed the note "Doing my part (to upset) the religious right, Evil Dr. P."
Kansas Provost David Shulenburger said Wednesday that he regretted the words Mirecki used but that he supported the professor and thought the course would be taught in a professional manner.
"My understanding was that was a private e-mail communication that somehow was moved out of those channels and has become a public document," Shulenburger said.
The course was added to next semester's curriculum after the Kansas State Board of Education adopted new school science standards that question evolution.
The course will explore intelligent design, which contends that life is too complex to have evolved without a "designer." It also will cover the origins of creationism, why creationism is an American phenomenon and creationism's role in politics and education.
State Sen. Karin Brownlee, R-Olathe, said she was concerned by Mirecki's comments in the e-mail.
"His intent to make a mockery of Christian beliefs is inappropriate," she said.
Mirecki said the private e-mail was accessed by an outsider.
"They had been reading my e-mails all along," he said. "Where are the ethics in that, I ask."
When asked about conservative anger directed at him and the new course, Mirecki said: "A lot of people are mad about what's going on in Kansas, and I'm one of them."
Mirecki has been taking criticism since the course was announced.
"This man is a hateful man," said state Sen. Kay O'Connor, R-Olathe. "Are we supposed to be using tax dollars to promote hatred?"
But others support Mirecki.
Tim Miller, a fellow professor in the department of religious studies, said intelligent design proponents are showing that they don't like having their beliefs scrutinized.
"They want their religion taught as fact," Miller said. "That's simply something you can't do in a state university."
Hume Feldman, associate professor of physics and astronomy, said he planned to be a guest lecturer in the course. He said the department of religious studies was a good place for intelligent design.
"I think that is exactly the appropriate place to put these kinds of ideas," he said.
John Altevogt, a conservative columnist and activist in Kansas City, said the latest controversy was sparked by the e-mail.
"He says he's trying to offend us," Altevogt said. "The entire tenor of this thing just reeks of religious bigotry."
Brownlee said she was watching to see how the university responded to the e-mail.
"We have to set a standard that it's not culturally acceptable to mock Christianity in America," she said.
University Senate Executive Committee Governance Office - 33 Strong Hall, 4-5169
Faculty
SenEx Chair
Joe Heppert, jheppert@ku.edu , Chemistry, 864-2270 Ruth Ann Atchley, ratchley@ku.edu , Psychology, 864-9816 Richard Hale, rhale@ku.edu ,Aerospace Engineering, 864-2949 Bob Basow, basow@ku.edu , Journalism, 864-7633 Susan Craig, scraig@ku.edu , Art & Architecture, 864-3020 Margaret Severson, mseverson@Ku.edu , Social Welfare, 864-8952
University Council President Jim Carothers, jbc@ku.edu , English 864-3426 (Ex-officio on SenEx)
Paul Mirecki, Chair The Department of Religious Studies, 1300 Oread Avenue, 102 Smith Hall, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Kansas,Lawrence, KS 66045-7615 (785) 864-4663 Voice (785) 864-5205 FAX rstudies@ku.edu
Especially, when you are criticized by people who can't spell "penecillin"[sic]
Yes, I'm just pointing out the desperate attempt to discredit your argument through red herring. You have already pointed out their Ad Hominem.
What is considered appropiate on FR is explicitly published by Jim Robinson, near the end of the FR home page. This list does not include righteously symmetric pinging behavior.
As a frequent recipient of the under-the-radar approach to argumentation, I would many times have appreciated it if it were on the list, but it ain't, and it oughten't--it's a silly restriction on freewheeling public discussion that pretty much only a kindergarten teach who has come to see fairness as the be-all of existence, or an annoyingly prissy spinster librarian would appreciate the value of.
Well what do expect from low-level thinking insect workers?
Spot on again Don.
Especially, when you are criticized by people who can't spell "penecillin"[sic]
...
I'm just pointing out the desperate attempt to discredit your argument through red herring.
That is a ten foot pole that I'm not using.
Good! Sauce, goose, gander.
And since neither of us asked the other to terminate a discussion, your point is moot. :)
Yeah. Sure. Right. "Professional". Check.
F**king idiots. Fire 'em all and start over.
Re: Your #6: No, that point was lost here at all.
Uh-huh. Well pal, I have my copy here. Now..........tell us all what you'd like to say about it. This ought to be good. Fire when ready.
OK...could you specify, oh, half a dozen medical breakthroughs that we should blame directly and obviously on trained mathematicians, rather than trained medical biologists, such as Fleming, Pauling, or Pasteur? Could you perhaps identify the mathematicians who were directly responsible for Pasteur's germ theory of disease? Pauling's (a chem major) major breakthroughs?
Also not covered in the rules specified by Jim Robinson on the home page. Why don't you just read it instead of asking me?
Glad to hear it. At the time I posted my comment no one, unless I'm mistaken, had mentioned it.
"Whining", now, is it..........when yet more eduassholes decide to sit in their professorial chairs and hurl scatching attacks and insults at my faith? the faith of untold millions around the world? while taxpayers pay these assholes' salaries?
If you don't understand any of this, then do me a personal favor: just sit back, shut up, and don't further embarrass yourself.
You are still arguing utility. That is fine as far as it goes, but I suspect we are at cross-purposes at this point.
Good post, Quark!
One difference is that we assume (quantum mechanics and chaotic systems aside for the moment) that on the whole, nature is deterministic--once you have a formulation for a body dropped from height X on planet Y, with known wind resistance Z, you can pretty much reproduce it. Hence mass production, engineering, etc.--in short all the "practical" things which make Western life so comfortable, in defiance of the "noble savage" ideal.
OTOH, God does what He pleases, and "reserves the right" to interfere at any time. These are called (variously) "miracles" or "mythology" according to whether we lend credence to the source, the supernatural person or agent involved, or the action which that Deity is said to have performed.
One other difference is that miracles are usually embedded in history, rather than taking place in a controlled environment subject to repetition and verification. I.e. despite the Saturday Night Live skit, we can't really re-create the Battle of Waterloo, only this time give Napoleon a B-52. Likewise, we can't go back to Jericho and have the army march around blowing their trumpets only six times; nor (as Isaac Asimov suggested) look for sappers undermining the city walls.
Cheers!
Oh, come OFF it already.
People write infinite loops all the time. (Some Cray supercomputers were able to complete an infinite loop in Fortran in under 2 seconds :-P )
Cheers!
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