Professor Refuses Letters of Recommendation to Creationist Students

AP Breaking News ^

[governsleastgovernsbest]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-evolution-dispute0130jan30,0,713004.story

Professor's Letter Refusal Causes Probe By LISA FALKENBERG Associated Press Writer

January 30, 2003, 9:50 AM EST

DALLAS -- A biology professor who refuses to write letters of recommendation for his students if they don't believe in evolution is being accused of religious discrimination, and federal officials are investigating, the school said.

The legal complaint was filed against Texas Tech University and professor Michael Dini by a student and the Liberty Legal Institute, a religious freedom group that calls Dini's policy "open religious bigotry."

[PatrickHenry]

I do appreciate your well-worded response but it seems evasive.

I guess it was evasive. If I knew more, then I'd feel free to say more. But I've said all I think I can say on the subject.

[VadeRetro]

Paul Simon wrote "Coo, coo, ca-choo." Lennon and McCartney wrote "Goo goo g' joob." Don't you have any culture?

(OK, you can find lyric sites saying that what L and M wrote was also "Coo, coo, ca-choo," but they're done by hearing-impaired amateurs.)

[Heartlander]

Sorry, I used 'goo goo g’ google'.
(And yes, the statement above proves that I am uncultured)

[Jael]

Catholics kick people off their list all the time. Just post a little something from the Bible about Mary and Joseph having sex and you can kiss that list goodbye.

[general_re]

This went a little beyond a mere theological dispute. I won't spoil the joy of discovery for you, though - ask your new friend what got him booted, and let him explain...

[Doctor Stochastic]

So, is Oliver North against blood transfusion? Or is Pete Singer? I didn't see in the article where either of discussed the matter.

Neither North nor Singer (whichever one you meant) seem to be in a position to give a recommendation to medical school.

[Lurking Libertarian]

We see, not just human death, but death itself, came by Adam's sin. Adam's fall affected the whole creation. So Rover and Steggie die because of man's sin.

As a Jew, I find that belief not only illogical and unjust, but also unbiblical. As Ezekiel says (Ez. 18:20): "It is the person that sins that will die; a son will not bear responsibility for his father's guilt, nor a father for his son's. The righteous person will have his own righteousness placed to his account, and the wicked person his own wickedness."

Genesis 18:23-25 is also in point.

You can say that evolutionists deny the God of the Bible, but most Jews beg to differ. (Most professing Christians would as well, I think, but I don't want to speak for them.)

[Always Right]

Dini is right in two ways. One is that creationists are likely not to accept important cause-and-effect relationships affecting health. The other is that these people are nuts.

I can't wait for the Justice Department to straighten Dini and Texas Tech out to put an end to some of this blatant bigotry. It is sad you think that way about people just because they have faith in a creator.

[VadeRetro]

I can't wait for the Justice Department to straighten Dini and Texas Tech out to put an end to some of this blatant bigotry. It is sad you think that way about people just because they have faith in a creator.

The question for Dini and me is whether people are dealing with the world as it is. That and not the presence or absence of Deism/Christianity is my cut-off point for whoever intends to be my doctor. If that's being bigoted against people who are stuck off in Never-Never Land with Peter Pan and Michael Jackson, so be it.

[Always Right]

The question for Dini and me is whether people are dealing with the world as it is. That and not the presence or absence of Deism/Christianity is my cut-off point for whoever intends to be my doctor. If that's being bigoted against people who are stuck off in Never-Never Land with Peter Pan and Michael Jackson, so be it.

If Dini were judging people on how they dealt with the world, you might have a point. But Dini is hellbent on judging people on their beliefs, not their abilities or behavior. And yes, that is bigoted.

[VadeRetro]

If Dini were judging people on how they dealt with the world, you might have a point.

If he were doing anything else you might have a point. Lots of people go to church. It has been stated on some of these threads that Prof. Dini does.

[Always Right]

Thats as convincing to me as the racists who says they have black friends

[PatrickHenry]

Years ago, back in the days of the Evil Empire, there was a marine who was stationed as an embassy guard in some weirdo foreign country. He was seduced by a KGB whore, and he then let all of her buddies into the embassy at night to go through all the desks and take whatever they wanted. When he was arrested for treason, I recall his father -- totally in denial -- making the comment: "All he did was fall in love." Yeah. Like that's all he did.

Similarly, the student's defenders in this Dini controversy are running around saying: "All he did was believe in a creator." This is just as evasive, as off-point, as Clintonesque as the analysis of the traitor's father. In fact we can call it "Traitor's Father Syndrome" if another example comes up.

[VadeRetro]

Dini's question is very clear and it isn't "Do you believe in a creator?" The utterly relentless mischaracterizations of the Dini Criterion are more denial of reality from the "I see NOSsink" Sergeant Schultzes of Creation. I assume that many people in some parts of this country are more exposed to creationism than they are to biology and are thus inclined to believe more in the former. They aren't familiar with a lot of conflicting data and don't have to do any mental gymnastics to stay comfortable.

But I would guess (after about four years of this) that the typical person who has lurked the crevo threads for a while and jumps in on the creationist side is a different animal, someone with a bad infestation of Morton's Demon. That ain't good.

[whattajoke]

Without the Bible, we have no standard for right and wrong.

Ladies and gentleman, yet another "good christian warrior" who apparently would be a hopeless criminal without his bible. The world is a better place now that you have found christian zealotry, thank goodness.

Again, I must ask, since I don't believe in your version of the christian god, and the bible is nothing more to me than an intersting allegorical semi-history with some nice poetry in it; and since I have never committed a crime (misdemeanor, felony, or otherwise) am I of higher moral fiber than you, dear Con X-poser, who I can infer would be roaming the streets in search of your next victim if you hadn't found Jesus?

At any rate, we'd all like to thank you for proving that creationists/ID'ers/etc are carping like they do for religious, and not scientific reasons.

[whattajoke]

I have NEVER seen a creationist say that Gould doesn't accept evolution, in fact I virtually always see the point made that he is a stringent evolutionist, which is what makes his quotes so valuable as a "hostile witness". He, a known prominent evolutionist (well, not anymore), disagreed with some of the key claims about the fossil record.

So, in other words, like your creationist ilk, you didn't bother reading my post #443 which shows the deceitful bullcrap your purport to be a credible "hostile witness?"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/832501/posts?page=443#443

[Junior]

An evilootionist placemarker.

[Always Right]

Dini's question is very clear and it isn't "Do you believe in a creator?" The utterly relentless mischaracterizations of the Dini Criterion are more denial of reality from the "I see NOSsink" Sergeant Schultzes of Creation.

LOL....I just went back to Dini's Letters of Recommendation page....guess what, it has been significantly modified. No more talk of 'malpractice' or 'cherrished beliefs'. A DISCLAIMER was even added! Seems like some lawyers or a school official seems to think there was something wrong with the Professors old web page. There were several excerpts posted of the old page in the other thread, but I wish I had the original saved. Anyways, the RETREAT begins!!!!!!!!

[PatrickHenry]

"I'm a mass murderer by nature, barely held in check by my faith!" Placemarker.

[VadeRetro]

I think he's having trouble explaining things to people who bludgeon with their ability to misunderstand. Exactly the kind of thing you don't want to have to go through with your doctor when you're sick.