BLOODY KANSAS?

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by Lawrence Journal-World+--> (Lawrence Journal-World)Mirecki hospitalized after beating

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.[/b]

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/05/m...ating/?breaking (http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/05/mirecki_hospitalized_after_beating/?breaking)


Originally posted by The Wichita [email protected]
Professor beaten; attackers cite KU creationism class

LAWRENCE - 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 of evolution in science standards for elementary and secondary students.

"I didn't know them," Mirecki said of his assailants, "but I'm sure they knew me."

One recent e-mail from Mirecki to members of a student organization 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." Mirecki has apologized for those comments.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/living/edu...on/13337930.htm (http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/living/education/13337930.htm)

Also a statement from Mirecki himself (pdf format)...

http://media.ljworld.com/pdf/2005/12/10/mirecki.pdf


Inside Higher Ed
Kansas Professor Fights Back

Mirecki’s statement on Friday contradicted earlier statements by the university. For instance, Kansas had announced last week that Mirecki “thought it appropriate” that he leave the department chairmanship, and the university released a letter from Mirecki in which he used similar language. But in his statement on Friday, Mirecki said he was “fired” because “he had the timerity to challenge the power of the religious right in Kansas and the university capitulated to demands of the conservative minority.”

He noted that the resignation letter as chair was written on the dean’s stationery, and he said that he was given “no choice’ about signing it.

Robert Hemenway, chancellor at Kansas, has repeatedly defended Mirecki’s right to free speech and has strongly defended evolution, which has been attacked by many in the state. But Hemenway has also used strong language to criticize Mirecki’s comments abouty religion, calling them “repugnant and vile.”

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2005/12/12/mirecki

Is this how Christian Fascism will enforce its "Kingdom of God on Earth"?

Or is it how a new civil war begins?

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/223.gif

[violencia.Proletariat]

well it seems the civil war in kansas wont be about voting to have slaves this time, but whether or not to kick out atheists and scientists :P

[Capitalist Lawyer]

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.

He was a religious studies professor idiot! These fundamentalist thugs beat down another Christian who was against their extreme beliefs. So it's stupid to label this as strictly a "Christian thug" beat down. You keep lumping all Christians in the same camp as these thugs.

Stop the incessant trolling you paranoid goof.

[red team]

Originally posted by [email protected] 27 2005, 01:47 AM
well it seems the civil war in kansas wont be about voting to have slaves this time, but whether or not to kick out atheists and scientists :P
Don't kid yourself. Once they have firmly secure their theocratic rule they'll go about using religion to justify slavery or feudal-like oppression of the Jim Crow variety by saying dark skin people are the "son of Ham" or some shit like that. Its no coincidence that the "bible belt" states are also previously known as the "lynching belt" states.

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by Capitalist Lawyer
He was a religious studies professor idiot! These fundamentalist thugs beat down another Christian who was against their extreme beliefs.

Actually, nothing was reported about his own "beliefs"...it is yourself, "idiot", that assumes "his" Christianity.

I looked at his personal site and it appears the bulk of his scholarly work involves the study of ancient languages.

Such an individual might well find himself in the academic "ghetto" of "Religious Studies" for lack of a more appropriate department.

That doesn't mean he "has" to be a Christian.


You keep lumping all Christians in the same camp as these thugs.

Well, most Nazis were actually not "stormtroopers".

But what difference did it make?

Don't tell me you would have defended this "egghead" against your righteous "brothers in Christ". :lol:

By the way, the Christian websites now claim that the attack was "faked". :o

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/223.gif

[Jimmie Higgins]

As much as reactionary thugs like this should be opposed, I can't help but feel that this is a mountain out of a molehill. How many homosexuals are beaten in Kansas each year? How many illegal immigrents are attacked by reactionay thugs?

THe so-called "culture wars" are a side show, not the preamble to anything like the civil war. It's my feeling that the real fights are going to come around immigration and we may see something like "Bloody Kansas" in Arizona or New Mexico where immigrents have to arm and defend themselves against the real proto-fascisits like the minutemen.

[Hegemonicretribution]

Originally posted by Capitalist [email protected] 3 2006, 06:38 PM
You keep lumping all Christians in the same camp as these thugs.

I agree to some extent, although I think you miss the point. Redstar has reached an oppinion, as definite as most of those we posess, and is using this as an example of his oppinion.

This is nothing more than a bit of slander. Most capitalists use examples of the USSR or the DPRK to justify their beliefs about communism (which may or not go beyond that) onj this site, even if it is against the views of most "capitalists." What is different here? When you take religion as a matter this unimportant, this is fully justified. Why religion is viewed this way is a different matter.


Stop the incessant trolling you paranoid goof.

People in glass houses... :lol: actually I won't bother commenting.

[Leif]

I live thirty minutes away from douglas county, I was in Lawrence newyear's eve (I have a cool uncle there and there is also a anarchist library [ http://www.lawrencesolidarity.net/ ]) This isn't suprising. The funny thing is that eastern kansas is the more liberal area when considering the western cities. Honestly, I can't wait until the urban sprawl of kansas city (apparently the largest in the world) consumes it's suburbs.

Most religious folk around here arn't evil, but enough are to make it scary.

I can't wait to move far away in college, I hate kansas.

[C_Rasmussen]

Are you really suprised that something like that would happen in KANSAS? I mean thats home to Westboro Baptist Church for fuck sake and they're actually considered a hate group as well which doesn't suprise me either. Its unfortunate that it happened but we can't be too shocked that someone of different ideology was attacked in some lowlife backward fundalmentalist hellhole. Hopefully he gets better soon though :).

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by Gravedigger+--> (Gravedigger)It's my feeling that the real fights are going to come around immigration and we may see something like "Bloody Kansas" in Arizona or New Mexico where immigrants have to arm and defend themselves against the real proto-fascists like the minutemen.[/b]

Fair enough; you might turn out to be right about that.

But it's my view that what happened in Kansas may be a significant "straw in the wind".

If the concept of Christian Fascism has any real world meaning, then we should expect them to resort to public violence on an increasingly frequent basis.

It's what fascists do! :o


Hegemonicretribution
Most capitalists use examples of the USSR or the DPRK to justify their beliefs about communism...

Well, no they don't, actually. Capitalists oppose communism as a matter of principle...and it would not matter to them if the USSR or the DPRK were "paradise on earth". The truth about those places is a potent weapon in their intellectual armory...but they never miss a chance to make things look "even worse" than they were/are.

It's in their own class interests to make the case that "communism is impossible"...and they'll freely invent anything to "justify" that position.

It's in my class interests to make the case that all forms of superstition are reactionary.

The difference is that I don't have to "make anything up" to prove my case.

The historical record -- and the daily news -- are all I need. :)

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/223.gif

[Leif]

You trust the daily news?

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by [email protected] 4 2006, 05:17 PM
You trust the daily news?
Whenever they report something negative about religion, yes, I trust that what they reported was probably even worse in reality.

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/223.gif

[Leif]

Fair enough.

[Capitalist Lawyer]

Well, most Nazis were actually not "stormtroopers".

But what difference did it make?

Oh, here we go with the Nazi analogies....glad to see that you're still so predictable.



Don't tell me you would have defended this "egghead" against your righteous "brothers in Christ".

No matter what answer I give, you won't believe me so whats the point?

Oh well..I'll answer anyway.

I wouldn't get involved in the first place....if he was lamenting against religious FUNDAMENTALISTS (Christians, Jews, Muslims, otherwise)...then I would most likely agree with him.

He has his rights to express his opinion freely and I would probably agree with his analyses of the fundamentalist right.

And it will probably shock you that I attend church maybe once or twice a year, I never talk about my religion to anybody (not even my own mother) and I certainly don't try to beat people into submission so that they'll accept my brand of faith. So don't you dare lump me in the same category as these fundamentalist thugs.


Capitalists oppose communism as a matter of principle

And what's your problem with that? You oppose their idedology as a matter of principle and they oppose yours. What makes you think that you are right and that they are wrong?


It's in their own class interests to make the case that "communism is impossible"...and they'll freely invent anything to "justify" that position.

It's not impossible but rather highly improbable. Rich countries don't succumb to communism, poor ones do...it appears that you are on the wrong side of the fence and it must be very lonely over there.