Illinois professor fired

[Sundae]

While completely abhorring the views he is representing as "fact", I agree that given the course title and content, it is unjust that he should be fired.

I wouldn't sign up to a Scientology course and expect not to be irritated by it. I wouldn't go to hear a Fundementalist preacher and expect to agree with them. In a course on Catholicism you are going to hear the Church's viewpoint on any number of contentious issues. Did the Catholic students on campus campaign to prevent birthcontrol information being disseminated on campus? Or male/male safe sex literature? Probably not.

Free speech means hearing things you don't want to hear. If you're easily offended you'd best stay at home.

[monster]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

Did the Catholic students on campus campaign to prevent birthcontrol information being disseminated on campus? Or male/male safe sex literature? Probably not..

I bet they probably did. But they didn't get the distributors fired.

[glatt]

I agree that he shouldn't be fired just for teaching this course. And I also agree that he may have been fired for something else. We have had to fire people for good reasons at my firm and then stay silent as they spread lies about us and about why they were fired. This will always be a one sided story, unless it ends up in court and we get to hear the university's side.

[classicman]

HM - BrianR posted the email, not tw. Nonetheless, He presented the Catholic perspective. From THEIR perspective. He never said it was "fact". You have interjected that huge distortion. He presented THEIR side. Like it or not, he presented their perspective - thats what the class was about.

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

While completely abhorring the views he is representing as "fact", I agree that given the course title and content, it is unjust that he should be fired. In a course on Catholicism you are going to hear the Church's viewpoint on any number of contentious issues. Free speech means hearing things you don't want to hear. If you're easily offended you'd best stay at home.

Again - HE NEVER SAID THEY WERE FACTS! Just the Catholic perspective.

He taught courses on Catholicism.

[Happy Monkey]

I was referring to the email the tw posted in post #2, and the last two paragraphs thereof.

"Why? Because that is what is REAL."

"Catholics don't arrive at their moral conclusions based on their religion. They do so based on a thorough understanding of natural reality. "

[classicman]

But the more significant problem has to do with the fact that the consent criterion is not related in any way to the NATURE of the act itself. This is where Natural Moral Law (NML) objects. NML says that Morality must be a response to REALITY. In other words, sexual acts are only appropriate for people who are complementary, not the same. How do we know this? By looking at REALITY. Men and women are complementary in their anatomy, physiology, and psychology. Men and women are not interchangeable. So, a moral sexual act has to be between persons that are fitted for that act. Consent is important but there is more than consent needed.

Natural Moral Theory says...
that if we are to have healthy sexual lives, we must return to a connection between procreation and sex. Why? Because that is what is REAL. It is based on human sexual anatomy and physiology. Human sexuality is inherently unitive and procreative. If we encourage sexual relations that violate this basic meaning, we will end up denying something essential about our humanity, about our feminine and masculine nature.

I know this doesn't answer all the questions in many of your minds. All I ask as your teacher is that you approach these questions as a thinking adult. That implies questioning what you have heard around you. Unless you have done extensive research into homosexuality and are cognizant of the history of moral thought, you are not ready to make judgments about moral truth in this matter. All I encourage is to make informed decisions. As a final note, a perceptive reader will have noticed that none of what I have said here or in class depends upon religion. Catholics don't arrive at their moral conclusions based on their religion. They do so based on a thorough understanding of natural reality.

Agree or disagree... He is not personally stating them as facts other than in the context of what the Natural Moral Theory states.

[freshnesschronic]

As a U of I student until May 2010....I didn't even hear about this! Surprising