Posted on 12/07/2005 4:23:48 PM PST by Senator Bedfellow
Embattled religious studies professor Paul Mirecki has stepped down as chairman of the University of Kansas’ Department of Religious Studies.
Mirecki remains a tenured professor at the department. No successor has been named.
In a written statement, Barbara Romzek, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas, said she accepted Mirecki’s resignation today.
“Professor Mirecki said he thought it appropriate to step down and did so on the recommendation of his colleagues in the department and I have accepted his resignation,” Romzek said. “This allows the department to focus on what’s most important — teaching, research and service — and to minimize the distractions of the last couple of weeks.”
Mirecki came under fire after e-mails were uncovered in which he mocked aspects of Christianity. He initially attracted attention when he announced he would teach a class this spring about intelligent design and creationism. That sparked immediate criticism from conservatives who supported the Kansas Board of Education’s recent move to insert criticism of evolution into state science standards.
Mirecki’s critics then discovered e-mails from a listserv operated by the Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics in which Mirecki mocked various aspects of Catholicism and fundamentalist Christianity.
Last week, KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway said he found the e-mails “repugnant and vile.” Mirecki apologized for the e-mails and the course was withdrawn.
On Monday, Mirecki told Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputies he was attacked by two men early Monday morning. Mirecki told police the two men were closely following his vehicle south of Lawrence, and when he got out to confront them, the two men beat him with a metal object. Mirecki was treated and released from Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Mirecki told friends and reporters his attackers made reference to the recent controversy.
Mirecki has taught at KU for 15 years. He has a doctorate in theology from Harvard University and specializes in ancient Mediterranean cultures, religions and languages.
LOL. No kidding. I knew a gay guy who majored in Religious Studies and took a lot of Women's Studies courses. Funny, I don't recall him talking about Queer Theory too much, but trust me, the garbage from Feminist Theory was just as nauseating and I'm a wommyn.
This dude needs a vacation.
Posted to the Lawrence Journal World:
Posted by Evil_Dr_P (anonymous) on December 7, 2005 at 1:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is the Evil_Dr_P, ya know, I'm such a twit. After I got beat up by the fundies, I calmly drove to the hospital and was realeased after 3 hours (2.5 hours spent filling out paper work and answering questions).
The deputies learned of the attack by coming to the hospital. I guess I was so badly injured, it didn't occur to me to use my cell phone and call the cops and get them chasing the fundies as soon as possible. I thought I'd drive to the hospital first since it was too hard to dial 911. It didn't occur to me to stay at the crime scene and wait for the police or an ambulance. No siree sir...I'm such a twit.
I should have been hopping mad that the fundies beat the hell out of me, and should have gotten the cops on their tail ASAP. I guess all my Harvard education knocked me clean of common sense. For some reason I wanted to give the criminals a couple of hours to flee the crime scene.
You know, when it's only about 10 degrees farenheit at 6 am, I'm really eager to step out of my warm car and meet some billy bob's that are tailgaiting me. I don't know why I do the dumbest things. I mean, my body was telling me I should just leave the window up and stay in my car and let those guys just walk right up and say their peace.
You know, the other dumb thing is these guys were tail gaiting me. I slowed down, they didn't try to pass. I sped up they still tailgaited me. They showed they had benevolent intentions when they're only a few feet from your rear bumper at 65 mph. This slowing down, shifting of lanes, and speeding up, goes on for about two minutes. Well, I start thinking to myself, "these guys must really like me! I've just got to stop and pull over and say howdy."
And you know, I reported to the student paper my injuries like my chipped tooth and that I was released from the hospital after 3 hours.....I won't answer all those calls by the reporters made to the cell phone (which I should have used to call 911 after I got the hell beat out of me).
I remember as they were beating me up, they were screaming at me about the course on creationism. I tried to tell them to lighten up, that I did more to further the fundy cause by my stupid actions than anything they could ever do. They agreed, and stopped the beating, and that's what saved me from being beaten to a pulp. I got out of it just being a bit "scraped up".
They asked if I could wait on calling the cops till they got good and far from the crime scene. I said, "no problem, I'll go to the hospital first and let the police know that way. That'll give you at least a couple hours. How does that sound?"
Posted by Evil_Dr_P (anonymous) on December 7, 2005 at 2:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You know, I just realized those Fundies were pretty bright. How in the world did they realize they could ambush me by tailgaiting me.
They must have ran me through a Meyer-Briggs psychological profile and said, "Shazam: according to the way Mirecki thinks, all we have to do is tailgate him, and he'll pull over and walk out and meet us".
Tell you what, these fundies had predicted my behavior down to a science. They knew all they had to do was tailgate me, I'd pull over, they'd step out, and I'd come out and say howdy even in 10 degree weather, even after they were aggressively tailgaiting me for 2 minutes.
They had me figured out. Gee, I don't think I give these guys enough credit.
No thanks, PH. If someone finds some objective evidence he faked this, then I think we'd all be interested. Otherwise, I'm ready to let him crawl back under the rock he wriggled out from under a few weeks ago.
I'd say no to a general ping. I think it's been done to death.
Mirecki e-mail to the Yahoo Groups discussion group(copy found here -->SOMA at KU :: View topic - John Altevogt):
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2005
Subject: I.D. & Creationism class to be taught at KU this spring!
To my fellow damned,
Its true, the fundies have been wanting to get I.D. and creationism into the Kansas public schools, so I thought "why don't I do it?"
I will teach the class, with several other lefty KU professors in the sciences and humanities. Class is:
REL 602 Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationisms and other Religious Mythologies.
Tuesdays 7:00-9:30pm. Smith Hall room 100. Open to undergrads and grads.
Enrollment limited to about 120. 3 credit hours.
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". I expect it will draw much media attention. The university public relations office will have a press release on it in a few weeks, I also have contacts at several regional newspapers.
Of course, I won't actually be teaching I.D. and creationisms, but rather I'll be teaching ABOUT I.D. and creationisms as modern mythologies, indicating that these ideas have no place in a public school science class, but can certainly be analyzed in humanities classes for their function in society. Basic approach is my usual: anthropology with a focus on religious thought and behavior.
Any ideas for textbooks, guest lecturers and panels would be appreciated.
So far, six faculty have eagerly signed up to lecture. I can probably pull Chancellor Hemenway into this also, especially in the light of his public comments supporting evolution.
Doing my part to piss of (sic) the religious right,
Evil Dr. P.
Professor Mirecki did not simply " step down" His colleagues encouraged him to do so. See the words of the LJW below.
"Professor Mirecki said he thought it appropriate to step down and did so on the recommendation of his colleagues in the department and I have accepted his resignation," said Barbara Romzek, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "This allows the department to focus on what's most important - teaching, research and service - and to minimize the distractions of the last couple of weeks." (Lawrence Urinal World)
So soon after the beating? No compassionate lefties left?
"I expect it will draw much media attention."
Yep. You were right, Evil Dr. P. Not the sort you had in mind, mind you, but you were right, lol.
I assume he was a tenured prof? If so he is resigning? Is that Kerry Dunn I smell?
LOL -yes he got much more than he bargained for when the light was shone upon him for all to see...
I need a janitor for one of my apartment buildings. Though he would have to take a test.
Glad we cleared the air.
Look, I'm not gloating. Heh heh.
Hmmm. Had a change of heart after you brought it up on another thread? Well, I think you are wise to do so.
Yes. Resignation as Chairman, NO BIG DEAL.
"Abandon Thread" may be a new kind of "Virtual Ignore"--or, maybe, "Elvis Has Left The Room."
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