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Paul Mirecki -- the Kansas University religious studies professor who derided Christian fundamentalists as "fundies" -- is a strange man with strange tales of alleged persecution. Contrary to his knee-jerk defenders on the Left, it is not bigoted, hateful, or intolerant for me to scrutinize his story. It's rational. The professor first created controversy in November after penning an unhinged e-mail message expressing his desire to deliver a "slap" to the "big fat face" of the "fundies" by teaching an intelligent design course "as a religious studies class under the category 'mythology.'" The message was sent to the mailing list...

Paul Mirecki -- the Kansas University religious studies professor who derided Christian fundamentalists as "fundies" -- is a strange man with strange tales of alleged persecution. Contrary to his knee-jerk defenders on the Left, it is not bigoted, hateful, or intolerant for me to scrutinize his story. It's rational. The professor first created controversy in November after penning an unhinged e-mail message expressing his desire to deliver a "slap" to the "big fat face" of the "fundies" by teaching an intelligent design course "as a religious studies class under the category 'mythology.'" The message was sent to the mailing list...

Paul Mirecki­the Kansas University religious studies professor who derided Christian fundamentalists as "fundies"­is a strange man with strange tales of alleged persecution. Contrary to his knee-jerk defenders on the Left, it is not bigoted, hateful, or intolerant for me to scrutinize his story. It's rational.

ASSOCIATED PRESS LAWRENCE, Kan. -- A college professor who drew sharp criticism for comments deriding Christian fundamentalists over "intelligent design" said he was forced out as chairman of the university's religious studies department. Paul Mirecki, who remains a professor at the University of Kansas, said he had no choice when he signed the resignation letter, typed on stationary from the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "The University penalized me and denied me my Constitutionally protected right to speak and express my mind," he said in a written statement Friday for the Lawrence Journal-World. He said his...

E-mail Author Send to a Friend Version November 30, 2005, 2:55 p.m. The Descent of the Straw Man In the Kansas evolution debate, the latest targets are “fundies” and Catholic wife beaters. By Denis Boyles The evolution debate seems made for liberals. It casts them as thoughtful and open-minded thinkers and conservatives as zealots and simpletons — or at least that’s how it looks through the media prism. It doesn’t matter how many times you remind people, as Jonah Goldberg once memorably did, “Your Darwin fish are safe,” the Left will still seize on the caricatures of that debate...

If not for John Altevogt, an Edwardsville real estate broker, many of the people who became outraged by Kansas University professor Paul Mirecki’s comments might never have learned of them. Altevogt, 60, is the conservative activist and Internet discussion board contributor who compiled and spread Mirecki’s remarks across the online Kansas Conservative Network mailing list. Within hours, conservative Kansas lawmakers were raging. Some called for public hearings about Mirecki’s plan to teach a religious studies course on the controversial topic of intelligent design. Mirecki pledged to teach creationism and intelligent design as mythology. “John is very effective at what he...

Professor blasts KU, sheriff’s investigation Mirecki says he may sue university By Sophia Maines Saturday, December 10, 2005 Kansas University professor Paul Mirecki said he’s hired an attorney and is ready to go to the mat with KU and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. “If I have to sue, I will,” he said. Mirecki said he’s angry because KU didn’t back him after religious conservatives attacked him for his plan to teach a course dealing with intelligent design. Mirecki became a political lightning rod after his new course was announced and his derisive comments on an Internet message board about...

You know, I'm looking at those black eyes and very minor bruise on the arm of Professor Morecki. He's the professor who let loose a torrent of hatred against Christians as he cackled about teaching Intelligent Design as mythology. Well, he lost his job, and says he got beat up, and everyone is blaming the Christians, even though his story makes no sense. And I'm thinking about this: Ever see the MASH episode where Frank Burns brings a court-martial against Hawkeye and Trapper John? Burns presents his case of how Hawkeye and Trapper mutineed against him. Amazingly, even though...

Kansas University professor Paul Mirecki said he’s hired an attorney and is ready to go to the mat with KU and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. “If I have to sue, I will,” he said. [ see following FR posts for some history ]Professor Mirecki now mum on alleged beating: Alleged beating by "Christians" a hoax? WHAT HAPPENED TO PAUL MIRECKI? (Phony Hate Crime Alert) by Michelle Malkin ^. Mirecki said he’s angry because KU didn’t back him after religious conservatives attacked him for his plan to teach a course dealing with intelligent design. Mirecki became a political lightning...

Turns out, Paul Mirecki might be a prophet. Or, Mirecki — the Kansas University professor who caught considerable hell for smack-talking religious fundamentalists — might at least be a spot-on social analyst. We interviewed Mirecki, chair of the KU religious studies department, about the modern-day tension between science and religion shortly after the Kansas Board of Education’s controversial November vote to revise classroom science standards. That was more than a week before his controversial email — in which he referred to himself as “Evil Dr. P” and called fundamentalists “fundies” — was publicized. At that time, he didn’t know that...

Paul Mirecki resigned as chairman of the religious studies department. He still teaches at the university. TOPEKA, Kansas (AP) -- A University of Kansas professor who drew criticism for e-mails he wrote deriding Christian fundamentalists over creationism has resigned as chairman of the Department of Religious Studies. stepped aside on the recommendation of his colleagues, Contacted by The Associated Press, Mirecki declined to comment about his decision, only saying he was still a member of the university faculty and planned to continue teaching. Mirecki had planned to teach a course .... Originally called "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism...

Kansas University's Paul Mirecki, the controversial religious studies professor whose planned course on creationism and intelligent design was canceled after he derided Christian conservatives as "fundies," was allegedly beaten on Monday morning by two unidentified white men who he claims targeted him for his views. The Lawrence Journal World reported: Douglas County sheriff’s deputies are investigating the reported beating of a Kansas University professor who gained recent notoriety for his Internet tirades against Christian fundamentalists. Kansas University religious studies professor Paul Mirecki reported he was beaten by two men about 6:40 a.m. today on a roadside in rural Douglas County....

KU professor Paul Mirecki reported that two men who did not appreciate his expressed views on Christianity beat him on a Kansas road. He is no longer taking phone calls or talking to the press. He has also resigned as chairman of the Religious Studies Department. [ snip ] Skeptics have begun to poke holes in Mirecki's story. [ snip ] [ snip ] Mirecki had posted a number of anti-Christian comments on the Internet. KU Chancellor Hemenway described as "repugnant and vile," Mirecki was forced to apologize and drop the course. [ snip ] Mirecki first said: two white...

Rausch said she last saw Mirecki at the religious studies department’s monthly faculty meeting on Monday and noticed “big swollen spots” on his face. “It transformed his face,” she said. Jesse Plous, New York senior, and Tiffany Jeffers, Shawnee senior, are enrolled in Mirecki’s Dead Sea Scrolls class. They said they didn’t notice bruises or scratches when they met for class at 12:30 p.m. Monday. Lindsay Mayer, Holbrook, Ariz., junior, another student in the class, said she might have seen a small bruise on the side of his face, but said injuries weren’t extremely noticeable.

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...

The embattled Kansas University religious studies professor who drew ire from Christian conservatives for his derisive remarks on an online discussion board has withdrawn from his post as chair of the department. "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."...

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office initially labeled the attack on Professor Paul Mirecki a hate crime. But the office removed the title today, calling the labeling a mistake. Lt. Kari Wempe said that the error occurred Monday morning when the attack was reported. Officers wrongly transmitted the information over the police radio, she said. It is not classified as an aggravated battery. Capt. Schuyler Bailey of the KU Public Safety Office said the office met with Mirecki yesterday and told him to give them a call if anything happened on campus. The safety office is not involved in the investigation...

Key facts about the reported attack remained unclear Tuesday, including exactly where it happened. A report released by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the location was “unknown” and listed it as south of 31st Street on either East 1400 Road or East 1500 Road. Louisiana Street turns into East 1400 Road outside the city limits. Haskell Avenue becomes East 1500 Road. Also, there was conflicting information about whether Mirecki reported it at the scene or at the hospital. In an interview Monday with the Journal-World, he said he called police from the side of the road, but sheriff’s officials...

A professor whose planned course on creationism and intelligent design was canceled after he sent e-mails deriding Christian conservatives was hospitalized Monday after what appeared to be a roadside beating. University of Kansas religious studies professor Paul Mirecki said that the two men who beat him made references to the class that was to be offered for the first time this spring. Originally called "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and other Religious Mythologies," the course was canceled last week at Mirecki's request. The class was added after the Kansas State Board of Education decided to include more criticism...

LAWRENCE, Kan. — A college professor whose planned course on creationism and intelligent design was canceled after he derided Christian conservatives said he was beaten by two men along a rural road early Monday. University of Kansas religious studies professor Paul Mirecki said the men referred to the class when they beat him on the head, shoulders and back with their fists, and possibly a metal object, the Lawrence Journal-World reported. "I didn't know them," Mirecki said of his assailants, "but I'm sure they knew me." Messages left by the Associated Press on Mirecki's cell phone were not immediately returned....