www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall The Dirty Dozen: Twelve Outrageous US College Courses

Wow, Joe. And you didn't even carry a pie.

Look - she doesn't claim to be Miss Manners and nobody would nominate her for that post, including myself. But her arguments are the issue. And I think she is quite adept at identifying fallacy and hypocrisy on the part of certain members of the left, which very often leads only to personal derision and pie throwing on their part, since very few can answer her substantively.

But your allusion to cultish mass suicide is hardly gracious to those of us who might thoughtfully enjoy certain programs on Fox News or Miss Coulter, for that matter. Also, I should also think that a professor of philosophy and a Christian should not be so free with his hyperbole and insults followed shortly by a wish for divine peace in the name of Christ.

Gordo

Okay, I apologize Gordo. I actually meant the koolaid comment as a joke, but I said it much too straightfaced. In the context of our discussion, it wasn't a good joke.

In Christ,

Joe

Also, on the question of the substance of Ms. Coulter's arguments, I can only speak concerning her editorials. I have not looked at her book length treatments of things. But, all I see in her editorials was a combination of ad hominems, straw men, and similar fallacies. I didn't see many real arguments at all. It seems pretty clear to me that she is nothing but a high-paid sophist. In Christ,

Joe

Joe,

You must share writers with John Kerry! (J/K)

But of course, that's why we have these!

Gordo

Alice,

Very interesting story. Thanks for sharing!

It is interesting that Laura Ingraham is also from Connecticut. She also has a bit of an edge (not quite so pronounced as Ann) but I like her ideas. I suppose living as a conservative in Connecticut (or anywhere in New England for that matter) can make one a bit fiesty.

God bless,

Gordo

Dear Ryan:

Actually FOX is biased. It is conservative and they make it obvious, sometimes in a nasty way...like Hannity. But CNN and NBC subtely and continuously twist the news in order to manipulate peoples opinions towards their own liberal agenda's. They don't stop, and it's done so indiscreetly, and with such professionalism, that I consider it a form of brainwashing.

In their own way they are similar to Al Jazeera, and how it's camera's would continuously focus on wounded Palestinians in order to arouse peoples passions...if one wonders why the Europeans were always so adamant against the Israeli's.

Without FOX, an outlet for the complete news might not exist...and they are giving opinions, albeit conservative, rather than merely manipulating peoples emotions and passions. Also they do allow liberals to speak. I heard that on one show on NBC, there were five speakers...all liberals.

Zenovia

In my reading for the St. Stephen program, I came across this passage from Of Water and the Spirit by + Father Alexander Schmemann of blessed memory. I thought it was very relevant to our discussion, to keep all our loyalties - including and most especially my own - in proper perspective:


God bless,

Gordo

The course titles are attention grabbers,and arguably offensive, but if they're well taught they are thought provoking and I don't see that as a bad thing.My guess is the courses aren't as scandalous as they sound.

Peace,
Indigo

The two which get me the most are "Border Crossings, Borderlands: Transnational Feminist Perspectives on Immigration" and "'Mail Order Brides?' Understanding the Philippines in Southeast Asian Context."

What does being a feminist have to do with having an opinion on immigration? It looks like a poorly veiled excuse for someone who works at the Women's Center to have a political platform for an issue she cares about.

I love how the second one implies that the Philippines should be identified as a land of mail order brides, and that all of Southeast Asia believes that already. As if the Philippines have nothing else to offer (how racist!) and as if all the women there are or will be mail order brides (how sexist!). For a class which intends to 'understand' a culture, they aren't getting off to a good start. The perspective the professor is coming from already revealed, I would expect the seminar to reveal a ethos of objectification and racism, couched in terms of relativity and tolerance. (You know the type: "Oh the poor girl. She doesn't know any better. You can't blame her." The speaker thinks she's being open-minded and tolerant when really she is perpetuating the stereotypes.)

To Gordon and all,

I am very much apprecaite all of Gordon's response to me. Very gracious. thank you Gordon, virtual hug!

the only place your comments are little weak, Gordon, is around Hally Barry. I do not approve of soft porn either. But to me, the fact that Hally fell into a pile of tears and embarrassed herself is immaterial to the insensitive remarks Ann Coulter made about her.

I should apologize about one thing in my remarks; what I should have said is that Ann Coulter has made, in my view, vicious and mean comments; not that she is a mean and vicious person. Those are two different things. But I also want to say, just because Ann is Pro life, does not mean she should be uneccesarily rude to everyone who has different views than her. It is counterproductive to public debate and undermines our ability to persuade on the issue of life.

It is very important that we model love of our neighbor as we defend the unborn. It is critical because we are not going to end abortion through political means alone, we need to help to change the culture. We need to be persuasive, and help to change people's minds and hearts.

As one who majored in history an eternity ago, I believe I would be interested in taking this course. How we think of ourselves does influence who we act, whether as individuals or as a nation. I once had a history professor who said much the same thing as this course title implies. He said an American census in the 17th century, would count the number of souls (Puritan New England), an 18th century census would count citizens (Enlightenment paving way for American Revolution), a 19th century census would count workers (Industrial Revolution and Marxism), and the 20th century would count consumers (Madison Avenue). What do you suppose we'll be counting in this 21st century?

Whatever it is our economic masters assign us to count...

No, I'm not joking.

At least two of these courses involve "Whiteness". I'm no expert on the subject, but I remember that 40-some years ago a dubious prelate styling himself "His Whiteness the Humble Mar Tugdual I" was presiding over some sort of would-be "Church" in Brittany (there's a picture of him in Peter Anson's Bishops At Large.)

That causes me to wonder if "His Whiteness" or his followers - if indeed he had any - have anything to do with these courses.

His Whiteness - who I suppose should now be termed "His Original Whiteness", or just plain "HOW") asserted that the title "His Whiteness" was of Druidic origin. I wouldn't know.

Fr. Serge

I agree that Fox is biased (to the right); the rest of the news media are biased (to the left); and so on. That said, I like Shepherd Smith's news hour at 7 p.m. EST on FOX because it is one of the few news shows without pundits and their discussions.

This thread was yet another swipe at the left. While it's funny on the surface (those college courses that were originally cited were idiotic), it's tiresome too. I'm a liberal; and I'm tired of the left being the grist of jokes and hate and contempt at this website, by conservatives who are trying to be appear to be fair and balanced and funny.

I don't come here for the politics. I also don't come here for the jokes. I come here for a religious forum.

-- John