I think with people like Deacer, his argument always boils down to: I believe in something strongly; you must also believe.
Prof. Avila
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I think with people like Deacer, his argument always boils down to: I believe in something strongly; you must also believe.
Random thoughts: by SlyCy
The definition of irony:
A professor paid by the State of Iowa to teach Religion starting a petition to stop a Chaplain to be paid by private funds on the basis of church vs. state...if the Chaplain can't be used then neither can Hector.
Here is an interesting point from the CR Gazette editorial:
Religion is certainly not absent elsewhere on the ISU campus. For example, of the 670 organizations and clubs sanctioned by ISU’s student government, more than a dozen have a religious/spiritual theme or connection. Their acceptance reflects the university’s diversity. Is hiring a trained clergyman as the football team’s full-time chaplain, at no public expense, that much less acceptable?
You can't buy this kind of publicity:
You can't deny that the attention has put ISU football on the front page of the Gazette and had at least one headline, sometimes two headlines throughout the paper each day for the last week and a half. Thanks Hector!
The definition of irony:
A professor paid by the State of Iowa to teach Religion starting a petition to stop a Chaplain to be paid by private funds on the basis of church vs. state...if the Chaplain can't be used then neither can Hector.
Here is an interesting point from the CR Gazette editorial:
Religion is certainly not absent elsewhere on the ISU campus. For example, of the 670 organizations and clubs sanctioned by ISU’s student government, more than a dozen have a religious/spiritual theme or connection. Their acceptance reflects the university’s diversity. Is hiring a trained clergyman as the football team’s full-time chaplain, at no public expense, that much less acceptable?
You can't buy this kind of publicity:
You can't deny that the attention has put ISU football on the front page of the Gazette and had at least one headline, sometimes two headlines throughout the paper each day for the last week and a half. Thanks Hector!
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While I don't agree with some of Deace's article- the main question I would have to agree with him on is-- Why does an atheist want to be any part of a religious studies program? Seems like there would be better places to hang out than a fairly religious state like Iowa.
We've heard from a couple of students that have taken his classes, but one question I have is-- how many take his courses? I have to admit I never would never want to. A rabid Pentecostal, turns atheist, spends all his time studying a book he doesn't believe, what's next? My guess is he will come full circle. And write a book to tell us all about it.
Deace did have one thing completely wrong-- the rooster's not in the hen house, it's the cunning fox. I'm sorry to hear Iowan's are actually paying the fox to guard the house, too.
We've heard from a couple of students that have taken his classes, but one question I have is-- how many take his courses? I have to admit I never would never want to. A rabid Pentecostal, turns atheist, spends all his time studying a book he doesn't believe, what's next? My guess is he will come full circle. And write a book to tell us all about it.
Deace did have one thing completely wrong-- the rooster's not in the hen house, it's the cunning fox. I'm sorry to hear Iowan's are actually paying the fox to guard the house, too.
Two things: Who said I was studying law? Where did you ever get that idea? I'm an English Education major (last time I checked, it didn't have a whole lot of "law" courses).
Secondly, I did Google "Break Point: A Career Killing Theory" 5/24 and got zero results back. Since I have no idea what I was supposed to be looking for, I didn't know if it was a journal article, case study, book, research grant, etc. I had zero information to go off of.
IMO an atheist religious studies teacher is actually beneficial to students. This guy studies religion from a logical and scientific stand point. The religious studies classes are not there to make people believe in Christianity, Judaism, or Islam, etc. It is there to teach our students what other people believe and why they believe them. An atheist does not claim any organized faith as his or her own giving them no bias to a particular religion. I think it might be MORE beneficial if the person teaching believes in a God, but does not claim an organized religion. But obviously, that is not the case in this situation.
Now if he teaches classes and tells people, "There is no god, but if there was, these are the religions and what they believe...." that would be unacceptable. I'm guessing this professor is smarter than that and would not push his beliefs on his class. What he does outside of the classroom is of no concern to his students, or at least shouldn't be. No professor at Iowa State should be an activist for their own cause in a classroom. They are merely unbiased deliverers of information. They are to allow students to make their own judgments and believe what they wish to believe.
Is Atheism a religion of sorts? Yes, therefore, that belief structure would fall into a religious study. Also, a you said, the program is called "Religious Studies," which is the study of a religion, not an advocacy of them. Counter question, why would a man teach a le mas (sp?) class? He can't go through childbirth, so in that opinion, he shouldn't be able to teach about it?
