Nothing Like Professors With Open Minds

University of Kansas religious studies professor Paul Mirecki was attacked by unknown assailants along a rural road late on the 5th. The professor believes he was attacked because of his religious views and this is probably true. Before the liberals jump in and claim I am making another unfounded claim about society’s rejection of everything Christian, read the rest of the story.

Mirecki is, for some unknown reason, a religious studies professor who was to teach a course on creationism and intelligent design but his course was cancelled. No, not because he is a Christian (he probably is not) but because he derided Christian conservatives. Yes ladies and gentlemen, the religious studies professor was deriding Christians. I would like to know how this jackass became a religious studies professor. Perhaps closed minded ineptitude was already being taught.

This individual with the shallow gene pool wrote this about fundamental Christians:

Mirecki had 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.” He has apologized for those comments.

The question still remains; how can this jackass be teaching religious studies? It would seem to me that a professor of religious studies would have to teach the history of all religions and do it with regard to the beliefs of those religions. When I took religious study in college the professor taught us about many of the world’s major religions and what they believe in. He did not pass judgement on any particular religion, he just presented the facts and allowed us to decide. What a novel idea.

It is also disturbing that he thought an aspect of religion being referred to as a myth would offend people. It is a shame this teacher is not educated well enough to know that religion is a myth. He obviously believes that a myth indicates that something is untrue but that is not the case. a myth is “a usually traditional story of ostensibly [plausible rather than demonstrably true or real] historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon.” And it means “a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone; especially : one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or segment of society.”

Neither of these definitions indicates that a myth is untrue. They indicate that myths are beliefs held by a segment of a population and embodies the ideals of institutions (one of which is religion). There is no definitive proof of any religion. If we had proof then it would no longer be a faith based institution. It is our individual faith in our religious beliefs that allows us to know there is a God. And while many believers will tell you they know there is a God (I am one of them) they can not prove it. Before I get beat up further remember that religion is a Faith which means “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.”

The professor was not bright enough to realize that his comment would not be a slap in anyone’s face, so long as the person was sufficiently educated. The irony is the only one who got a literal slap in the face is the jackass who deserved it. Perhaps he even turned the other cheek.

Read it here.

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