A University of Kansas course devoted to debunking creationism and intelligent design has been canceled after the professor who planned to teach it caused a furor by sending an e-mail mocking Christian fundamentalists.
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[Professor Paul] Mirecki recently sent an e-mail to members of a student organization in which he referred to religious conservatives as "fundies" and said a course depicting intelligent design as mythology would be a "nice slap in their big fat face."
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Chancellor Robert Hemenway said Mirecki's comments were "repugnant and vile."
"It misrepresents everything the university is to stand for," Hemenway said.
The class was added to the curriculum after the Kansas Board of Education decided recently to include more criticism of evolution in science standards for public school students.
State Sen. Kay O'Connor, a Mirecki critic, said the university did the right thing.
"I'm glad they decided to listen to the public. The public response was so negative because of what seemed to be so hateful coming from the KU professor," said O'Connor, a Republican. "I am critical of his hatefulness toward Christians."
(CNN/AP)
Ladies and Gents, I know we all get really heated on this issue, on both sides, and even sometimes towards our allies, but keep it civil or there's no chance of either side respecting you, here or elsewhere. When you do something stupid like this, it just hurts your cause and gets everyone pissed off at everyone else.
5 comments:
God Creating Earth.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y163/
TarheelJoe/Far%20Side/GodSprinklesJerks.jpg
I don't believe in God, but this Garry Larson cartoon has always been my favorite. It just feels so true.
As a proud Kansan, there are many things I could add to this discussion.
But the noise level is too much on this topic. If the honored Prof. was teaching Religion 101 at Saudia Arabia University, and mocked, hatespoke and ridiculed Muslims like he did Christians here in Kansas, DO YOU THINK HIS HEAD WOULD STILL BE CONNECTED TO his pinhead?????????
See Z, it is hard to refrain from namecalling, I called the *&^^%++ a pinhead. And one not from Kansas.
We have a good cross section of the good and bad here in Kansas.
Fred Phelps is a scourge upon my beloved Kansas, and I hope he and his twenty children all move to Berkeley Calif.....and soon.
Dorothy lost her virginity here in Kansas, and Toto is buried somewhere here.
But then there is webloafer, protector of Kansas's Reputation.
(That is, until the truth comes out about me)
zandperl, you don't have to publish this comment, but I seem to be getting spam on my comments :-)
I don't really see how Dr Mirecki's comments, at least the ones you quoted here ZP, are lacking in civility. Chancellor Hemenway certainly seems to be exaggerating when he labels the comments repugnant and vile. Of course I do admit they were unwise.
Have you seen the reports that Mirecki was assaulted around 6:40am yesterday (Monday the 5th)?
Utenzi:
To be more precise, his comments were lacking in professionality when he called creationists "fundies" and said his course was a "slap in their face." I think I equate civility and professionality for myself, but I can see how they can be distinct. At the least, his words were worth a written reprimand in his file.
And no, I didn't see an article about him being attacked. Link me? It seems like a completely illogical action to me - as opposed to assaulting doctors who perform abortions, as that can be rationalized as being for the greater good, but life is supposed to be more sacred than anything except your personal belief in God and His goodness, I thought. (That is, martyrdom for the sake of God and goodness is not considered suicide, but you're not supposed to kill infidels.)
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