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."

[CarolinaGuitarman]

The thing that you have to realize is if all of this is true, if diseases could be cured with simple dietary changes, it means that everybody working in the medical industry is not only just wrong, but EVIL. It means they have known all along, and are letting all of these people suffer and die just so they can get a buck. They let their own families die too, apparently, unless someone can show where the people working in medicine and pharmacological industries never get sick or have sick relatives. It's one devious conspiracy.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"Yes, he definately had his license revoked after failing an examination given by a disciplinary board."

Citation.

[editor-surveyor]

Nobody at quackwatch is a 'real' doctor.

[furball4paws]

Maybe that's why muskrats swim in circles all the time.

[cornelis]

Jesus had something to say about about what we eat

He said he was food for flapdoodles: "I am the Bread of Life."

[editor-surveyor]

"Tim Bolen has been sued for the defamatory lies you're repeating."

According to the court records, Bolen won. And yes, Barrett had his license revoked.

[editor-surveyor]

I don't need fix'n up.

[whattajoke]

Maybe you should concentrate less on sounding superior,
Superior isn't the word... perhaps "correct."

IC systems exist everywhere in Chemistry, Physics and mathematics and experiments have and are being done to define the IC system,
Um, what? "IC" is undefined but exist in chemistry, physics, and math? Gimme one. Please.

Ever heard of an atomic element?
Yes. So?

[Chaguito]

Cute reply, but obviously simplistic. If the professor is an atheist, the presupposition of the class is that all the religions studied are false. Therefore, any objective evidence for the veracity of one or more will be selectively ignored (probably) in favor of the "purpose" of the professor. Therefore any claim to impartiality is specious from the beginning.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

From Pa licensee database: http://www.licensepa.state.pa.us/pub...&DBA_Name= Name: STEPHEN JOEL BARRETT Address(city,state zipcode): ALLENTOWN PA 18105 Type: Medical Physician and Surgeon Secondary Type: N/A Number: MD005361E Profession: Medicine Status: Inactive Obtained By: Application Issue Date: 8/28/1958 Expires: 12/31/1994 Last Renewed: 11/24/1992 Standing: This license is not in good standing based on the license status 'Inactive'. Disciplinary action history: No disciplinary actions were found for this license. __________________ BTS4202 St. Christopher's COM 4th Year http://www.mdparadise.com

[editor-surveyor]

There was just a court case decided on this in Allentown, about three weeks ago. Barrett lost. The court found that his loss of license was non-voluntary, and thus citing his non-voluntary lack of a license was not defamatory.

[furball4paws]

Kind of reminds you of Area 51, no?

A giant conspiracy just cannot hold together. There's too much money to be made exploding it.

[P-Marlowe]

You are deluded. Faculty have all sorts of symbols posted in their personal space here, from Christian crosses to gay rainbows. If any one of them were fired for it, all of us would be up in arms.

Ok, Mr. Principles. Put this on your faculty door or your University web site:

[editor-surveyor]

js1138, where are you, are you reading your Bible?
Please report back on the verses I gave you, ok?

[aNYCguy]

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.

Hey, proper nutrition is great. So is exercise and environmental health. I'll even agree that organic is probably better, although, irrelevantly, it's often prohibitively expensive, and the market is growing enough that it may soon be watered-down into meaninglessness by the agriculture industry.

There's where we agree. I go to a doctor when my toe agonizingly swells up with infection, and if my child was diagnosed with early-term, treatable cancer I'd ask a medical doctor to go ahead and cure him, but let's focus on the positives!

(Sidetrack: I once worked a Summer job for an "organic" stonefruit farm. It made me realize that the hefty inflated prices of organics are not always invented from whole cloth; we lost approximately 20% of our peach crop to brown rot, a fungus eliminated by "non-organic" fungicides. It sure seemed like a big waste. The remaining fruit was great, regardless.)

[CarolinaGuitarman]

Citation please.

[aNYCguy]

Cute reply, but obviously simplistic. If the professor is an atheist, the presupposition of the class is that all the religions studied are false.

Maybe true, but the same concern exists no matter what his religious beliefs. If Christian, he believes Jesus is the messiah, and that Jews and Muslims are flat-out wrong. If Hindu, he believes those who don't believe in the thousand or so deities in his pantheon are simply misguided. Only a professor who truly somehow "believes in everything equally" could hold the level of impartiality you desire.

Frankly, an atheist teaching about religions in good faith seems a fine choice. Note that I am not claiming this professor in question necessarily acts in good faith.

[AndrewC]

Tim Bolen has been sued for the defamatory lies you're repeating.

Quackwatch Founder Stephen Barrett loses major defamation trial in hometown

Koren’s trial attorney, Carlos F. Negrete of San Juan Capistrano, CA, is known for his defense of physicians, chiropractors, dentists, clinics and natural heath providers who practice what is known as integrated, complimentary & alternative medicine and holistic healthcare. Negrete has also handled groundbreaking cases against HMOs in California and has represented many celebrities, corporations and politicians.

At trial, under a heated cross-examination by Negrete, Barrett conceded that he was not a Medical Board Certified psychiatrist because he had failed the certification exam. This was a major revelation since Barrett had provided supposed "expert testimony" as a psychiatrist and had testified in numerous court cases as such. Also, Barrett had said that he was a "legal expert" even though he had no formal legal training.

The most damning testimony before the jury, under the intense cross-examination by Negrete, was that Barrett had filed similar defamation lawsuits against almost 40 people across the country within the past few years and had not won one single one at trial. During the course of his examination, Barrett also had to concede his ties to the AMA, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

This was not the first time that Negrete was a trial attorney in a Barrett case. He also represented anti-fluoridation advocate Darlene Sherrell in a federal lawsuit filed in Eugene, Oregon by Barrett. Barrett also lost in trial of that case. In addition, Negrete represented Dr. Frank J. King, Jr. ND, DC of King Bio Natural Medicine of North Carolina and MediaPower (manufacturers of CalMax and Nu-Zymes) of Maine in cases filed by an organization led by Barrett, which were also lost by Barrett’s organization. Barrett has also filed a lawsuit against Negrete and his client Dr. Hulda Clark (author of The Cure for All Diseases and The Cure for All Cancers), which is now pending and awaiting trial in San Diego, California federal court.

After the Koren trial, Negrete stated: "The de-bunker has been de-bunked. I am pleased and satisfied with this outcome for Dr. Koren and am proud that Dr. Koren did not succumb to the pressures of the intimidation of Barrett’s legal wrangling. Not everyone can stand up to someone as well known as Barrett."

[editor-surveyor]

" I go to a doctor when my toe agonizingly swells up with infection"

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.

[editor-surveyor]

Citation????

Right here in this thread, #498