Kansas Prof. Apologizes for E-Mail [referred to religious conservatives as "fundies" ....]

Yahoo ^

[AndrewC]

Contradicted by Editor's assertion that "Nutrition is the only thing that stands a chance of curing anything, short of prayer."

Wait a sec., not necessarily. I asserted that he used external medicines to cure the disease. He stated he used external medicines, but did not deny prayer.

And you may treat your illnesses the way you wish to. I do take some drugs, but I avoid them for the most part simply because I don't need them. The problem with nutrition as my main or only defense against disease, is that I hate fish, or in a more simple statement, if my protein food doesn't moo or cluck(sometimes gobble), I don't like it. I do love salads and veggies.

[Thatcherite]

So it's possible that evolution isn't true, or even if it is true, that it's the result of God's guidance and it couldn't exist otherwise.

It isn't possible that common descent isn't true IMHO. The evidence is too overwhelming. It is possible that it is the result of God's guidance interfering with natural selection (even a militant atheist like myself can see that). Such a belief may be true, but cannot be scientific, because it is untestable. Speaking personally I find the idea of a personified interventionist God as described in the Bible to be unlikely, and unnecessary from the point of view of evidence.

[DBeers]

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.