I live in southern Idaho, or as i like to call it Utah. And pressures are everywhere in this town from the LDS Church. They are in fact building a brand new temple were a wonderful golf course once was.

Now, there were many times during my public high school tenure where Morman students walked out of the classrooms because they disagreed with the common curriculum. Biology was a common class emptied on serveral occasions, not to mention Philosophy and even in psychology someone didn't like what they heard and excuesed themselves from the lecture.

Now, I'm all for showing your disapproval in a silent and courteous manner, but after spending four years around them, many being some of my closest friends, it appears that Mormans in general have put a cloak around their collective selves from the real world and I wonder how they can live so happily knowing that they are dismissing the progressive world and live in such an archaic mind set.

It's a hard thing to ignore around here. And from the looks of it Mormans are settling down and persuading, and giving birth to more and more.

God(s) help us.

"...the moon is made of semi-skim yogurt and that a giant pumpkin is God"

I love that. But I prefer the one about the two crows smoking shit on the moon and determining that, once out of life, man should be put into the ground. If only those crows weren't so stoned.

tgs

The BYU article reminds me why I long ago stopped applying to teach at schools with any sort of religious bent. Unless you're OK with teaching in a philosophical fish bowl the rest of your life, don't bother. Kinda puts a buzz-kill on scholarly and personal pursuits.

The BYU policy is pretty far reaching. It was disconcerting to read that BYU came down on Nielsen for an editorial for the newspaper, not something on campus. Oi. Well, that IS part of their policy,

With any luck, getting dismissed from the BYU faculty will become a bullet for the cv, helping poor adjunct schmucks to get a full time gig with benefits, of both the $ and the thinking type.

Fine line. I have to support BYU and any other private institution to teach whatever they want, howver they want.

If Nabisco wants to start a private institution and teach that all life began and revolves around a hollowed out tree and that elves are divine and deserve our worship -- AND if they can find people to pay money and attend; that is their right.

So, the issue must remain on Publicly financed schools to remain dogma neutral.

but those Holy Elves do make some delicious treats! Much tastier than the Christian communion wafer. Dip it in some chocolate and then you would have a body of christ that is both good for you and delicious!

I support BYU in their decision. They are a religious organization, and have the right to decide what opinions their members hold. Who wants disagreement, when the point of a religion is conformity?

I know, I sound harsh, but it makes me afraid of the future. What we have going on in this country is a large segment of the population giving up their self-determination to a select elite. Rather than making their own decisions, they look to their religious leaders. It's scary, and I don't understand it. We're free creatures! We all have the power of thought! Don't let someone else think for you! What kind of life is that?

I support the Holy Elves on a regular basis. I think I need deprogramming. Anyone know a good place to go?

In March of 2004 there was a BYU professor who wrote there was biological evidence of homosexuality:

http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/49488

Is Professor William Bradshaw still with the (I use the term loosely: ) university?

Check out this week's postsecret: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ about a third the way down, a postcard photo of BYU with someone writing "This is where I lost my faith"

Are we forgetting that BYU is a PRIVATE university? Have some of you forgotten the Constitution's 1st admendment? If tenants of Secularism are saying that philosophy and other disciplines must be taught in one way without religious interference, then it is dangerous to personal freedoms. Evergreen teaches their classes one way and BYU teaches a different way - so what? Tolerance keeps our USA great. We have to allow others to believe what they believe to preserve the sanctity of our faith. I am tired of hearing that members of the Church of Jesus Christ (Mormons) can't think for themselves since they are heavily involved in their religion. Someone could say secularism puts its faithful members in an ignorant bubble. I don't because stereotyping leads to ignorance. Bashing never leads to understanding and reasoning. I believe every person (regardless of their faith of whatever) is their own agent and determine for themselves fact from fiction, good from evil, etc. I am an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ for my whole life. Philosophy is not my major but I know the theory of evolution forward and backwards, existentialism (anything nietzsche, sartre, or camus), and most 20th century philosophies. I am not shunned by my religion at all for my vast research in philosophy, but rather encouraged to seek out knowledge and find truth. Although great minds like Nietzsche and Lao Tzu may not have all the truth and may conflict with my religion on certain points they certainly have truths that are beneficial to individuals and empower the student with more knowledge (Mortal Kombat says all knowledge is power so it must be true). There are many Mormons like myself who freely study philosophy and religion with the blessing of my Church, while there are other Mormons who disdain philosophy, evolution, and other disciplines for their own personal reasons. The Church of Jesus Christ teaches one to be with God and that all members are free agents to do what they want, even if some do some foolish things like vote for Goerge W Bush and sheepishly follow the corrupt Republicans (there has to be some good Republicans in there). The Church of Jesus Christ as their policy stays out of party politics, does not endorse any candidate or let any candidate use its facilities, and religiously believes that the Constitution is inspired by God.

Okay Logical: You are a born-in-the-faith member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (you forgot to add the LDS part). You probably (I’m assuming) a participant in the Sunstone Symposium and read other publications that don’t come part of the canonized acceptable reading material (Ensign, The Era, etc.). And it seems you’re a NON-Republican Latter-Day Saint or, at least, you are not a dyed-in-the-wool variety.

You may not be shunned but you are certainly in the minority of the members of this Latter-Day Church of Jesus Christ. I could almost say you are probably more of a minority than even African-American members of your Church.

Yes, generalization and stereotyping are byproducts of ignorance. But you give too many Mormons too much credit for being anything but a culture in a bubble. I find a person like you a rarity.

This is just one example of publicity about BYU which portrays it not as a private institution but, rather, this sort of publicity relegates the “Y” as more like a seminarian school. BYU is not akin to a private institution like Stanford University but rather it is like a Bob Jones Institute.

Logical if your Church supports seperation of church from government, it may have some worthwhile values.

Although the Mormon Church may not have all the truth and may conflict with humanist philosophies on many points, it may have some truths worth listening to.

Both Lao Tzu, and later the Bible, said that he who seek knowledge is troubled.

By all means do not be troubled by criticisms about your beliefs as it may lead to better understanding among the people inside and outside your church.