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Course Debunking Intelligent Design Canceled

Posted by Hemos on from the too-bad dept.

Thib writes "As widely reported everywhere, University of Kansas chairman of religious studies Paul Mirecki has withdrawn the "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and Other Religious Mythologies" course that he was preparing for the upcoming Spring semester. From the AP: "Mirecki recently sent an e-mail to members of a student organization in which he referred to religious conservatives as "fundies" and said a course depicting intelligent design as mythology would be a "nice slap in their big fat face." He later apologized, and did so again Thursday in a statement issued by the university." Mirecki was inspired to offer the course after the Kansas Board of Education moved to back intelligent design in state science standards in November."

6 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. Kansas by mwvdlee · · Score: 4, Funny

    The trouble with Kansas is; you can click your heels three times and repeat "There's no place like home", but you'll still end up in Kansas.

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  2. a little background... by Bozzio · · Score: 3, Funny

    FSM
    'nuff said.

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    1. Re:a little background... by fluffy666 · · Score: 2, Funny

      On the other hand, I am astounded by how many people seem to think that it has merit as an argument.

      I'm equally astounded by the number of people claiming that it's a silly or non-existant argument, without being able to tell us why.

      Of course, *I* know that the whole FSM thing is clearly silly, since the world was created 17 weeks ago by the Invisible Pink Unicorn - may we all be skewered on her righteous horn - but I'm not sure what the ID people argue.

  3. Re:Brief de-confusion by FooAtWFU · · Score: 2, Funny
    Hate is when you don't like something. When you're full of hate, you're hateful. The state of being full of hate is 'hatefulness'. I have here at least one dictionary mentioning it.

    Apparently the emails weren't as private as they ought to have been. Actually, my guess is he sent something to college-democrats-l@kansas.edu or its equivalent (college democrats? I don't know what sort of organization he targeted it at- I'll bet you it wasn't college republicans, though).

    ... Creationism ... is a religious belief... Creationism, version 2, relabeled "Intelligent Design" is put forth (to the best of my understanding) as a *scientific theory*.
    Then why is Slashdot putting this in the Science: section? It obviously belongs in the Religion section! (duck+run)
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  4. Re:No double standard by lbmouse · · Score: 2, Funny

    You wouldn't laugh at a person with alzheimers, would you?

    No but we'd boo at the Special Olympics.

  5. Um, I guess the course... by leonbrooks · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...wasn't intelligently designed, then?

    [deem grinning, ducking and running all implied]

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