Professor beaten; attackers cite KU creationism class

[Kralizec]

note that his comments were made public by a leaked e-mail. he wastn't standing around on the street with a bullhorn or screaming fire in a crowded theater.

Point taken. I misread some parts of the article as I was in a hurry. I've read it fully now, and now I have to agree with you.

[Tribesman]

The professor has resigned as head of department , though he still retains his teaching post .
Apperently it is acceptable to question religeous phiosophy if you teach religeous philosophy , but you cannot head the department for teaching religeous philosophy if you question religeous philosophy

[doc_bean]

He was doing the right thing, for the wrong reasons. Somebody has to stamp out this ridiculous reactionary anti-intellectual line of reasoning before it gets out of hand, but insults and physical quarrels are not the right way to do it.

He never intended to insult though, but I agree with your post

I don't understand why he resigned as head of his departement.

[Byzantine Mercenary]

I and most of the christians I know believe in evolution, it does not contradict the old testament when evolution is viewed as a tool used by god and 7 days are taken to mean 7 periods of time.
why is it always the nutters that get the attention!, surely this guy has the right to air his views, thats just freedom of speech!

[doc_bean]

I and most of the christians I know believe in evolution, it does not contradict the old testament when evolution is viewed as a tool used by god and 7 days are taken to mean 7 periods of time.

That would be intelligent design (sort of), pretty much what he was going up against...

[Byzantine Mercenary]

That would be intelligent design (sort of), pretty much what he was going up against...

well in so much as God knew that we would result from evolution given the circumstances on earth

[doc_bean]

well in so much as God knew that we would result from evolution given the circumstances on earth

Yep, he's was going to speak against that. Intelligent design is an interpretation of the evolution theory (some would say a rather strange one), as is 'religious atheism' the likes of Dawkins preach.

This is not so much a debate about science as it is about philosophy religion though.

[Tribesman]

I don't understand why he resigned as head of his departement.
Well you have Seamus' option #1&#2 , or you have the official version from the Dean

"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 .
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."

[Kralizec]

Yep, he's was going to speak against that. Intelligent design is an interpretation of the evolution theory (some would say a rather strange one), as is 'religious atheism' the likes of Dawkins preach.

This is not so much a debate about science as it is about philosophy religion though.

Not necessarily. You're not an ID supporter if you admit basing your beliefs on faith, and not claiming it as a scientific theory. ID supporters are different in that they try to present their views as "scientific", reasoning that life is to complex to have been the result of random mutations and natural selection.

[Mouzafphaerre]

I and most of the christians I know believe in evolution, it does not contradict the old testament when evolution is viewed as a tool used by god and 7 days are taken to mean 7 periods of time.
why is it always the nutters that get the attention!, surely this guy has the right to air his views, thats just freedom of speech!

.
That kind of view is not unique to Christians; all sound "people of the books" seem to be thinking and expressing it. A handy example would be the American composer Steve Reich, a devout traditional Jew. Another one is the single most important person on this planet: Me!

Pretty much "evolutionism" can be found in classical and post-classical Islamic bibliography.
.

[Byzantine Mercenary]

.
That kind of view is not unique to Christians; all sound "people of the books" seem to be thinking and expressing it. A handy example would be the American composer Steve Reich, a devout traditional Jew. Another one is the single most important person on this planet: Me!

Pretty much "evolutionism" can be found in classical and post-classical Islamic bibliography.
.

Indeed, i heard somewhere that some jewish text spoke of god slaying a dragon, before man came along, perhaps this is aluding to the dinosaurs?

[Crazed Rabbit]

CR, my pal, you just charged the skirmishers with your cavalry and landed on the hoplite spears during the follow through -- as Soly intended from the opening post.

Yes, but this is RTW 1.0, and I've got cataphracts, which charge, completely undetered, through his hoplites, knocking them wildly about like bowling pins.


Crazed Rabbit

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I don't understand why he resigned as head of his departement.

Possibility #1: He was catching grief for expressing opinions on the school-owned e-mail that some professors found belittling of students. He therefore resigned his hierarchical position so that he publicly dis-associated his private views from the hierarchy of the organization.

Possibility #2: After years of crappy paper work and a slew of extra meetings for the "honor" of being chair over a department who -- like most -- are about as "biddable" as an equivalent-sized herd of cats, the prof used this opportunity to get rid of the hassle and go back to his nice tenured office and let some other schlob play eternal catch-up with all the administrative gunk.