He obtained a PhD in biology from the University of Oregon and currently teaches evolutionary developmental biology. He is an avowed atheist, a liberal, a skeptic, and a vocal critic of Intelligent Design.
He is also a bigot.
That’s a pretty weighty charge in this day and age (although it’s thrown around rather frequently and carelessly). But this is why I came to this conclusion:
There was some recent controversy in the past couple of days when a student at the University of Central Florida received the Eucharist at a campus mass and left without swallowing the wafer, to “hold it hostage” in protest of mandatory student fees for religious functions. The student allegedly received death threats from alleged Christians angered over the incident.
Here’s where the courageous professor jumps in.
Myers wrote a blog entry on Richard Dawkin’s website in support of the student. He titled it, in a fine example of classy and sparkling writing, “IT’S A GODDAMNED CRACKER.” Further, he asked readers to acquire consecrated Eucharist hosts for him, promising that he would photograph all sorts of “profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse,” which he would perform “joyfully and with laughter” in his heart.
Catholics hold the consecrated Eucharist to be more than a wafer. We hold it to be the body of Our Lord Jesus Christ. How this happens is a mystery, a deep mystery on par with the Trinity and the Incarnation, but we hold the words of Christ to be true, and we interpret the Eucharist in light of Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John, particularly chapter 6.
Myers oversteps a line when he openly and actively advocates desecration of a group’s devoutly-held beliefs. And more than beliefs, but actual physical and tangible objects. He has no more right to do this than to paint swastikas on the walls of synagogues.
Now, our learned professor is entitled to his opinions, certainly. And I am entitled to mine. Professor Myers, you are a coward. How much courage does it take to spit in the face of believers who have been commanded by their Lord to turn the other cheek? I wonder if Myers would have the courage to flush a Koran down the toilet. Or, even worse, in the hearts and minds of his clique, would he have the courage to tear up a photograph of Martin Luther King Jr?
Isn’t academia’s highest value “tolerance”?
Isn’t it?
Where is the tolerance of Catholics and their deeply-held beliefs?
See the Catholic League’s response here.
Also, some commentary here and here.
The man’s words and actions reveal him to be a bigot and a coward.
* It should go without saying that I do not advocate the desecration of the Koran or endorse the symbolism behind tearing up of a picture of Martin Luther King. It should, but it often doesn’t, so I am stating it bluntly. I don’t.
It's all very strange. He has casually done something entirely unprecedented. To my knowledge, a professor (at least in America) has never publicly called for the desecration of something religious. His admirers, for some bizarre reason, think this will help their cause. And of course, it goes against every tenet of so called progressive "tolerance".
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. It's hard to see how this is much different than spraypainting swastikas on a synagogue. The funny thing is that evolutionary biologists are already suspected of being driven by atheist presuppositions. This will do nothing to dispel that notion, it can only strengthen it.
As an evolutionary biologist and a non-Catholic, who has of been critical of the creationist political agenda promoted by some people of faith, I am deeply offended by Dr. Meyer’s words as quoted by you. The analogy to painting swastikas on a synagogue is apt.
ReplyDeleteMy only critique of your posting is that some might infer from your introduction that his profession is somehow tied to his behavior. Such behavior has nothing whatsoever to do with Dr. Myers' profession. It has everything to do with his being a crass, insensitive jerk --- and a bigot. Unfortunately, such people can be found in every profession. Most scientists are people of faith and even those that are agnostic or athiestic in their leanings typically respect people of faith.
To anonymous 3:06 -
ReplyDeleteI accept your critique. I did not mean to imply that all or many biologists are hostile to people of faith, or that being a scientist necessarily requires one to be. Perhaps I should have put such a disclaimer in the post. I myself am scientifically oriented and pursued a degree in physics. Sadly, we read too much today about the adversarial positions of many in academia towards religious faith despite their claims of "tolerance." What percentage of academics do feel this way is impossible to tell; Myers seems to belong to a very vocal fringe.