Evolutionary Matters

there are some days when i'm not merely surprised that humanity made it out of the middle ages. there are days when i'm shocked that we made it out of the stone age. via tropicalstorm at daily kos, i found the latest example of the Science & Religion Duke It Out! death match.

this iteration of the already done-to-death examination of the scientific merits (or lack thereof) of Intelligent Design involves a showdown between local christian fundamentalists and a state university professor of religious studies. i wasn't surprised to learn that the state in question is kansas, where the state board of education has been challenging the teaching of the Theory of Evolution for years:

Mirecki hospitalized after beating
By Ron Knox, Eric Weslander
December 5, 2005

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. In a series of interviews late this afternoon, Mirecki said the men who beat him were making references to the controversy that has propelled him into the headlines in recent weeks.

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the backstory to this incident is that Mirecki, the chairman of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas, intended to offer the course Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design and Creationism this spring. originally, the course title contained the phrase 'and other Religious Mythologies.' despite this touching consideration for the delicate sensitivities of religious fanatics, they were not appeased. Mirecki committed the cardinal sin of making fun of Intelligent Design proponents:

Religion professor’s e-mail outrages critics
By Sophia Maines
November 24, 2005

Critics of a Kansas University course on intelligent design say an e-mail written by the professor proves the course is meant to mock religious fundamentalists. [...] In a recent message on a Yahoo listserv [...] Paul Mirecki, chairman of KU’s department of religious studies, described his upcoming course “Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationisms and other Religious Mythologies.”

“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,’” Mirecki wrote.

He signed the note “Doing my part (to upset) the religious right, Evil Dr. P.”

“My understanding was that was a private e-mail communication that somehow was moved out of those channels and has become a public document,” Shulenburger [Provost of the University of Kansas] said.

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i'm not sure how 'private' a message to a yahoo listserv can be, but it's clearly not equivalent to a post on a public internet bulletin board. while my intellectual sympathies clearly lie with Mirecki, i sense that he and his critics are both prone to engaging in self-serving grandstanding. several messages sent to the listserv, written between 2003 and 2005, have been made public. the message quoted in the text of the article makes it clear that he had political motivations for offering the course and viewed it as part of a showdown with the christian fundamentalists who are agitating for Intelligent Design's acceptance as a scientifically sound theory.

the listserv was a private mailing list for the Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics, a student group at the University of Kansas. he makes numerous snide cracks at the expense of various christian denominations, but he reserves special disdain for fundamentalists. certainly his remarks are not politically correct, but nothing Mirecki says in his posts goes behind typical mean-spirited partisan political snipery. neither are his opinion universally shared or rejected by other members who post to the mailing list.

the prevalence of expressions of hostility towards christianity in the messages that were made public probably undermines the 'Open-Minded' part of the club's name, but judging from intensity of the outrage in reaction to Mirecki's comments, one would think that he had called for someone to assassinate the former pope rather than referring to him mockingly as J2P2 (like R2D2). the sheer hyperbole is astonishing:

“This man is a hateful man,” said state Sen. Kay O’Connor, R-Olathe. “Are we supposed to be using tax dollars to promote hatred?” [link]

“If a person has hate in his heart and says something hateful and later apologizes, do you think the hatred in his heart has been mended?” State Sen. Kay O’Connor, R-Olathe, said Tuesday. “I’m surprised that something more severe isn’t happening to this teacher who obviously has a hatred for Christians.” [link]

“The integrity of university is in question right now,” said Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita. [...] Landwehr said she wants Mirecki and KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway to appear before the appropriations committee to answer questions about the course. [link]

State Sen. Karin Brownlee, R-Olathe, met with KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway for more than an hour Monday, and some lawmakers are calling for full-blown hearings when the Legislature convenes in January. [link]

despite all the fuss over the controversy of the course itself, it seems like all the outraged can talk about are the messages on the listserv, which hardly qualify as 'hate speech.' i find it ridiculous that a professor could be called before the state legislature to justify a course offering. as far as i can tell, the controversy is that a professor who doesn't think much of christian fundamentalists or Intelligent Design as a scientific theory had the temerity to express those opinions.

i don't recall kansas state legislators calling for hearings when religious leaders like pat robertson blame feminists, gays, atheists, and liberals for natural disasters. there doesn't seem to be any coordinated movement in kansas to quell the dangerous, rising tide of 'hate' that the spread of christian fundamentalism represents. the course mirecki was going to offer has been withdrawn. the offended state legislators are reportedly pleased. so goes academic freedom. after reading about 7 -10 articles about the controversy, i still haven't the slightest idea what specific content was to be included in the course.