tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post3532683400753787430..comments2024-03-24T23:41:23.944-07:00Comments on Talk Wisdom: Pluralism and Interfaith Consciousness? Or THE TRUTH!Christinewjchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18434229284833642438noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-2757490091180471542010-08-14T10:40:10.254-07:002010-08-14T10:40:10.254-07:00Kevin,
It does better than that: It describes how...Kevin,<br /><br />It does better than that: It describes how there was no way that he could not, and yet he and his crowd still kept pushing for the allied countries to disarm. Even though they knew that Germany had broken the treaty by reoccupying the Rhineland and rearming, even though he had already demand, and been given, Austria and Czechoslovakia, they didn't care. What a bunch of surrender-monkeys! <br /><br />And despite that history, today's liberals seem determined to follow in the same pattern of failure.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-72205794840410831632010-08-14T10:35:54.468-07:002010-08-14T10:35:54.468-07:00Kevin,
"Women were held down and kept out of...Kevin,<br /><br />"Women were held down and kept out of the education system (especially higher education). Armed with the knowledge of their past, women today can confront it and change it."<br /><br />Which is bull. The changes you describe were made long before these crap-course offerings you are defending. Same for women and racial minorities. All these courses are good for is denigrating the past and instilling feelings of victimhood and entitlement. You're a first class example of what happens when that occurs. True social progress is retarded while everyone turns to lawsuits.<br /><br />"Or I will read it when you send me the name of the author."<br /><br />You know the name - Thomas Sowell. <br /><br />"But should I really expect to learn anything that you don't spout here daily? "<br /><br />Well, you haven't managed to learn anything yet, but I keep hoping...<br /><br />"How does that mesh with your black and white view of educators?"<br /><br />It fits in perfectly. Those who do actual research, understand cause and effect, stand by facts over ideology, and teach how to reach conclusions through analysis do this country and the world a great service. And then there are liberals...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-83097099279474968182010-08-11T18:15:14.515-07:002010-08-11T18:15:14.515-07:00Gary,
When I said: "So much for your "l...Gary,<br />When I said: "So much for your "liberals are smart and caring..." I was being sarcastic. Get a grip! I try not to see the world in such black and white terms.<br /><br />And it seems you could do with a little education about women's history. Our Western civilization is patriarchal (thanks to our wonderful religious history). Women were held down and kept out of the education system (especially higher education). Armed with the knowledge of their past, women today can confront it and change it. Maybe you want the U.S. to be in the 'glorious 1950s' (by the way, that is sarcastic), but many women do not want to be barefoot and pregnant, unless it is their choice. <br /><br />And don't you worry--I'll read Education in America. Or I will read it when you send me the name of the author. But should I really expect to learn anything that you don't spout here daily? <br /><br />And don't you think it is ironic that the books you recommend are written by an intellectual and an educator? How does that mesh with your black and white view of educators?Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04149591289204807405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-33914346544414764782010-08-11T18:04:41.373-07:002010-08-11T18:04:41.373-07:00So Gary, your book told you that Chamberlain knew ...So Gary, your book told you that Chamberlain knew that Hitler was going to take over Poland, France, Belgium, the Soviet Union and bomb England? Your book told you that Chamberlain knew that Hitler would take nearly all of Europe and parts of North Africa? <br />If it doesn't say that, then reread my original comment I made. If it does, then I can't wait to read that book.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04149591289204807405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-57336577374407863682010-08-11T13:13:39.762-07:002010-08-11T13:13:39.762-07:00Kevin,
"You give me conclusive proof that Ch...Kevin,<br /><br />"You give me conclusive proof that Chamberlain knew everything that Hitler was going to do. I'll be waiting."<br /><br />Read "Intellectuals and society." Refer to the annotated sources referring to discussions between Churchill and the government leader for the conservative party at the time. All of the heads of Europe knew what Hitler was doing. They were just stupid enough to believe if they disarmed, then Hitler would have no reason to make war, and along the way they gave away their allies. Read it and embrace your intellectual past.<br /><br />"So what now can be said about the lack of conservatives in education?"<br /><br />Read "Education in America." The system is set up to reward mediocrity, punish excellence, and discourage people of intellect. Check especially statistics and comparisons of people going into education vice other professional fields. Educators aren't at at the bottom of the barrel, they are the bottom of the barrel! Worst area on the campus. So much for your "liberals are smart and caring crap." There's no other position they could hold that payed so much, demanded so little, and made them virtually immune to competition or meaningful evaluation.<br /><br />"So what now can be said about the lack of conservatives in education?"<br /><br />For starters, people use my tax dollars in the forms of financial aid to study this crap that produces no return to society.<br /><br />"Hint--it has something to do with the setup of Western civilization"<br /><br />Yes, I know: The persistent desire to belittle and dismantle it by liberals.<br /><br />"Nor does it make you any better than someone who works at Starbucks."<br /><br />You misunderstand. I respect the people who work at Starbucks, or clean sewers, or pick up trash, much more than I respect liberal educators. They are producing a valuable service for society. The only thing courses like I mentioned are good for is supporting teachers of crap and getting people in debt for a product worth the smallest fraction of what is charged.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-9172466538250889492010-08-10T17:27:02.076-07:002010-08-10T17:27:02.076-07:00O.k. Gary, now I am going to call you out on your ...O.k. Gary, now I am going to call you out on your incessant babbling about Chamberlain. You PROVE to me that Chamberlain knew everything that Hitler was going to do--the invasion of Poland, the invasion of France and the takeover of Europe. You give me conclusive proof that Chamberlain knew everything that Hitler was going to do. I'll be waiting.<br /><br />You state: " I'm convinced that one of the main reasons liberals gravitate toward education is that there are very few methods of demonstrating effectiveness." Liberals gravitate towards education because they are smart. And they have the desire to improve the next generation. So what now can be said about the lack of conservatives in education?<br /><br />You state: "...considering that most all of your costs are fixed." Interesting! I guess you have no clue about what a budget at modern universities consist of. If the budgets were fixed, then the education system in California wouldn't be in such bad shape. <br /><br />You state: "...Women's Studies, Minority studies, etc." You've said this before, but what business is it of yours if someone wants to study women's studies? Do you understand what this degree is about? Hint--it has something to do with the setup of Western civilization (and most of world civ. as well). I know you save the world and make sure that bridges and planes and trains don't fall apart. That certainly has its place in modern society. I, for one, am grateful when I fly that I don't worry about it crashing. However, there is more to the world than just hard science (um, like religion). Just because you choose to be an engineer doesn't mean that you are saving the world and everyone else should be your servant. Nor does it make you any better than someone who works at Starbucks.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04149591289204807405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-60111141820817537232010-08-05T13:08:09.772-07:002010-08-05T13:08:09.772-07:00Hi Kevin,
I apologize for mixing up my institutes...Hi Kevin,<br /><br />I apologize for mixing up my institutes. Apart from the rest of it, you still haven't mentioned any substantial reason why his information would be in error. I know that conservatives and liberals have differing opinions. No problem there. But you will find when you read him that he rigorously supports his opinions with documented evidence of a factual nature. <br /><br />"I don't need to provide you with any proof that I am a good teacher. Besides, your job description is nearly just like mine:<br />"In my job, if I am not competent, I will be fired.""<br /><br />Except that you can't prove it by any objective measure. The same way that the 90% percent of DC teachers who got the highest proficiency rating didn't have any objective standards to uphold. I'm convinced that one of the main reasons liberals gravitate toward education is that there are very few methods of demonstrating effectiveness. That, and with the government and unions backing them, they just coast along and the children, and eventually all of society, pays.<br /><br />"There is a union, but I do not take part in it (although I am a member). However, I do like having one."<br /><br />I imagine so. People who can get by on talent, hard work, and intelligence, generally resent having to pay bribe money to a union or other agency that doesn't necessarily speak to their interests. Fortunately for the union, that description applies to relatively few liberals.<br /><br />"Same with me. I have a certain amount of time and money to get things done. If a class if left unfinished, I get fired. Budgets are pretty important at universities these days."<br /><br />Oh wow - considering that most all of your costs are fixed, that must be quite a challenge. Try keeping a budget when doing something that hasn't been done before, will involve an uncertain amount of labor, capital expenditures, and travel. On the other hand, I imagine that keeping up with your lesson plan probably taxes your abilities pretty heavily.<br /><br />"But my calculations are not math, but history."<br /><br />Like your estimation of Chamberlain's knowledge? <br /><br />"Universities sell knowledge. Students are the customers. If they like what is being sold, they come back for more and send their friends."<br /><br />Except in most cases they have little or no information to evaluate the relative use or value of a history course. You've certainly proven that having a good grasp of cause and effect is not necessarily a result of your class. I agree with the "like" part, though. Colleges sold a lot of classes that students "liked" for degrees like Women's Studies, Minority studies, etc. More and more of them are getting ticked when they find out they've taken on a great deal of debt for a degree that makes them one of the better read servers at Starbucks.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-2388409216017219772010-08-04T22:45:28.466-07:002010-08-04T22:45:28.466-07:00Hi Gary,
You say: "when you can use it to p...Hi Gary,<br /><br />You say: "when you can use it to paint those who oppose gay marriage as homophobes." Ok, now I am totally convinced you have me confused with someone else--really. I don't talk about gay marriage here because I know how Christine feels about it (and I can already guess what she is going to write after Prop. 8 was declared unconstitutional). I don't think Christine is a 'homophobe.' In fact, I hate that word so I wouldn't use it. Maybe you are active in other blogs and argue with other people, because your description of 'me' is not me. <br /><br /><br />I gave my comment about Sowell, not because he worked at the Brookings Institute (I've heard of it, but don't know what exactly they do--does he do work there too???) but because he works at the Hoover Institute. I know of the Hoover Institute because I live just 5 miles from Stanford. The Hoover Institute only has conservatives (Cond. Rice is there as well). You state: "No knowledge of his work." Hardly, and shows you how much you really know about me. When you mentioned his book and his name, I did some research--how else would I know he is at the Hoover Institute? You won't find liberals being employed there. Pretty simple, but based on facts. I hope you are still chuckling, because now you have me chuckling. You, on the other hand, totally believe everything he has to say because he agrees with you and is a conservative. At least I am willing to read what he has to say. Christine has even gotten me to listen to Glenn Beck! Who knows, I may even agree with some things Sowell says. But I know for a fact he is conservative. And I know for a fact I am liberal, so I know we will differ on many things. But I bet I could call him up and have a coffee with him and we would agree more than we would disagree, and even if we disagreed, we could at least laugh about it. Hmm. I might just do that. <br /><br />I don't need to provide you with any proof that I am a good teacher. Besides, your job description is nearly just like mine:<br />"In my job, if I am not competent, I will be fired." Same with me. <br /><br />"No unions at my place, and I would not want one." There is a union, but I do not take part in it (although I am a member). However, I do like having one. <br /><br />"But to be retained, my projects must come in on time and budget." Same with me. I have a certain amount of time and money to get things done. If a class if left unfinished, I get fired. Budgets are pretty important at universities these days. It is all everyone is talking about. <br /><br />"The calculations have to be correct." Me too. But my calculations are not math, but history. <br /><br />"The solutions provide a tangible benefit to the customer and that means she will send more business our way." Haven't you heard? The new education model is based on the business model--education is something that is bought. Universities sell knowledge. Students are the customers. If they like what is being sold, they come back for more and send their friends. Other than the union part, we are very much the same.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04149591289204807405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-7121520036557737542010-08-04T18:51:55.196-07:002010-08-04T18:51:55.196-07:00Kevin,
"What, conservative educators don'...Kevin,<br /><br />"What, conservative educators don't pat themselves on the back? Or are they all totally correct?"<br /><br />Actually, they are largely absent. Roughly 85% of professors at major universities self identify as liberal. They also control the schools of education and psychology, which is the reason that conservatives are often excluded from those professions. A conservative was threatened with expulsion from a school of education for writing a paper and stating the opinion that corporal punishment may (not should, mind you, but may have a place as part of discipline program). To hear the shock and outrage, you would never have thought that it was part and parcel of discipline throughout most of recorded history. <br /><br />"you have told me that you graduated Summa Cum Laude and have a degree in English"<br /><br />No, I wrote I do not have degree in English. I have been trained to analyze letter sounds, unlike the "whole language" crap that educators foisted on students. <br /><br />I eagerly await to hear what you think of Sowell, but somehow I doubt that I will. You'll probably tell me what you feel, how much you dislike him and how wrong he is, and you won't be able to back it up with any data. <br /><br />BTW - I was considering that statement you made about how I automatically disregard anything you say, and I remembered that when I first brought Sowell up your first response was something along the lines of how you didn't trust him because he worked at the Brookings Institute. No knowledge of his work, no evidence of any misdeed, just a quick attempt to discredit without any facts. Your projection is delicious irony. I got quite a chuckle.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-52649646238796187072010-08-04T18:40:54.523-07:002010-08-04T18:40:54.523-07:00Kevin,
"No, it hasn't because what you a...Kevin,<br /><br />"No, it hasn't because what you are talking about doesn't refer to me."<br /><br />Really? Again, show me what makes you so good when so many of your liberal compatriots are embracing methods that are so often.<br /><br />"Teachers who don't care about what they are teaching or don't care that their students are being taught incorrect material should be fired right away."<br /><br />In this we agree. Unfortunately, thanks to the NEA, Democrats, and other liberal minds, that's pretty much impossible. In California and NY they keep teachers in rooms on full pay until retirement because it is too much trouble to buck the unions to fire them. In Washington DC, arguably the worst school system in the country, over 90% of the teachers were rated as highly proficient using the previous evaluations. The story was that the teachers were great. The kids just weren't learning. That's starting to change now as the new school superintendent is trying to fight for real reform. Naturally, the unions are challenging her.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-68501086621390934232010-08-04T18:35:43.173-07:002010-08-04T18:35:43.173-07:00Hi Kevin,
"Gary, when was the last time I br...Hi Kevin,<br /><br />"Gary, when was the last time I brought up the fact that I am gay?"<br /><br />Most anytime you are complaining about how you are persecuted and when you can use it to paint those who oppose gay marriage as homophobes.<br /><br />"There is a big difference."<br /><br />Prove it. What are the quality controls? In my job, if I am not competent, I will be fired. No unions at my place, and I would not want one. But to be retained, my projects must come in on time and budget. The calculations have to be correct. The solutions provide a tangible benefit to the customer and that means she will send more business our way. <br /><br />You stated last time that you were in demand because you were an excellent teacher. Prove it. Show me some objective standard that you meet for excellence. Your students liking you is nice, but it doesn't make you a good teacher. Likewise, a high pass rate doesn't mean anything. That means the students are passing, but so what? If your questions give credit for answers such as "Chamberlain was ignorant of the facts," a statement easily shown false, then why should I think your class is taught with any greater accuracy? Your class is probably required for some majors, but that doesn't mean that it is necessarily useful otherwise, or even accurate. So show me what makes you good.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-80447761731506979482010-08-04T12:53:54.345-07:002010-08-04T12:53:54.345-07:00Hi Gary,
You said: "No, Kevin. You are the o...Hi Gary,<br />You said: "No, Kevin. You are the one who defines yourself by homosexuality. You're quite clear on the matter." Gary, when was the last time I brought up the fact that I am gay? You bring it up all the time (especially when you want to compare Iran to the U.S.). I never talk about it here because I know Christine's view of it. Look at all the times you have brought it up in our discussions over the past month, and then look at all the times I brought it up. <br /><br />And I will look at page 5, but how is that related to your statement that "Apparently it's easy to get glowing reviews from your students. All you have to do is validate their feelings, no matter how ill-informed and undeserved." I expect to see Sowell discussing the review process that most professors go through. However, I will read that page, but I expect to see something of what you pointed out to me. And I don't teach high school, but teach college. There is a big difference. Students who get failing grades do not give glowing reviews of their professors (and yes, I fail quite a few). <br /><br />You ask: "Has it ever occurred to you..." No, it hasn't because what you are talking about doesn't refer to me. Teachers who don't care about what they are teaching or don't care that their students are being taught incorrect material should be fired right away. If they don't care that the student can't write a research paper or discuss material in a logical way should be fired. So much for my 'liberal' teaching skills. <br /><br />"liberal educators such as yourself are patting yourselves on the back on.." What, conservative educators don't pat themselves on the back? Or are they all totally correct? Now you have me totally interested in what Prof. Sowell has to say on this matter. <br /><br />Speaking of patting yourself on the back: you have told me that you graduated Summa Cum Laude and have a degree in English and can understand every word or at least figure out what a word means. Glad to hear it! You would probably do fine in my courses. <br /><br />"Lead, follow, or get the heck out of the way." Finally, something we can agree on.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04149591289204807405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-61579336862086829722010-08-03T17:27:12.594-07:002010-08-03T17:27:12.594-07:00Kevin,
Happy to oblige someone trying to improve ...Kevin,<br /><br />Happy to oblige someone trying to improve themselves (even though I still can't seem to get a straight answer from you on the Irish question).<br /><br />See page 5 of "Inside American Education." If you get a different edition, you'll find the discussion titled "Psycho-Therapeutic 'Education'. Here's a synopsis (for those not getting the book):<br /><br />A reporter spent months in a high school in LA. He asked some graduating seniors what they had learned. A boy described as "the smartest boy in the class" replied:<br /><br />"I learned that in the Vietnam War, North and South Korea fought against each other, and then there was a truce at the 38th parallel, and that Eisenhower had something to do with it."<br /><br />The reporter asked the boy if it would bother him to know that the things he learned were wrong. The boy replied:<br /><br />"Not really. Because what we really learned from Miss Silver was that we were worth listening to, that we could express ourselves and an adult would listen, even if we were wrong. That's why Miss Silver will always be our favorite teacher. She made us feel like we mattered, like we were important."<br /><br />The teacher is quoted on the same page as expressing that her major goal was to help them express themselves. No knowledge or learning required. He also goes into great detail about how your crap about modern students being better thinkers than those who had the older methods is just that - Crap. Modern educational techniques have managed to make students, and teachers as well, apparently, feel "good" about themselves far out of proportion to their training or abilities. <br /><br />Has it ever occurred to you that using the methods you seem so contemptuous of, America was the pinnacle of invention, industry, and wealth for generations, and yet after approximately 40 years of liberal education theory the President has stated that the world can't count on us to do as much as before. We not only score worse on standardized tests that measure computation than many other industrialized nations, we also score worse, much worse, on problems involving reasoning and analysis. Meanwhile, liberal educators such as yourself are patting yourselves on the back on what a great job you are doing while fighting against anything to improve accountability, reward excellence, or remove incompetence.<br /><br />Lead, follow, or get the heck out of the way.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-33512829665741733442010-08-03T17:12:53.819-07:002010-08-03T17:12:53.819-07:00Kevin,
"And do you have a degree in history?...Kevin,<br /><br />"And do you have a degree in history? "<br /><br />No. I don't have a degree in English, but I can read every word in the English language. Because I was trained in phonics, how to analyze and break down the sounds, I can determine what the word is and use it to discover meaning if needed. That's why you fail constantly, Kevin. You don't analyze. You swallow everything your liberal icon crap professors told you about Christianity and Western Civ and never bother to consider how much was lie, how much was half-truth, and how much was distorted through lack of context. That's the reason that you are pushing for economic policies that have destroyed economies for generations and lowered the freedom and standard of living around the world.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-825911231003148062010-08-03T17:06:27.346-07:002010-08-03T17:06:27.346-07:00Kevin,
"I know you desperately hope that I w...Kevin,<br /><br />"I know you desperately hope that I will be unemployed, but that won't be the case for me."<br /><br />Once again you have me confused with a liberal. They want people to be unemployed because that increases dependency on the government. I want everyone to be gainfully employed. I actually want everyone to succeed.<br /><br />"and has everything to do with being a good teacher."<br /><br />And that's one man's opinion...<br /><br />"All I know is that they are dangerous people because they believe they have the correct interpretation."<br /><br />Based on that, atheists are dangerous, and liberal Christians are dangerous, and Hindus are dangerous...<br /><br />Everyone believes they have the correct interpretation, Kevin. If that was all that was required for danger, then none of us would survive. What makes Islam particularly dangerous is that the correct interpretation requires them to kill, convert or enslave all non-Muslims. I freely admit that not all or even a majority accept this interpretation, but that isn't required. A minority of Germans believed that violence was justified to promote Nazism. The rest stood by and let it happen. A survey was done in Britain several years ago. Approximately 15% of Muslims surveyed refused to rule out violence to advance Islam. There are approximately 1.3 billion Muslims. If that figure holds true, even in a moderate country like England, what's the potential?<br /><br />"You are so hung up on homosexuality that you can't seem to move beyond it in whatever topic you are discussing."<br /><br />No, Kevin. You are the one who defines yourself by homosexuality. You're quite clear on the matter.<br /><br />"because whatever I say you automatically reject."<br /><br />That's your default response whenever you can't defend a position. You may have noticed: I never "automatically reject" what you write. I thoughtfully and carefully point out how wrong it is when appropriate. Unfortunately, it is seldom not appropriate.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-72416581586133116682010-08-03T15:32:45.878-07:002010-08-03T15:32:45.878-07:00Gary--I've decided to read this book by Sowell...Gary--I've decided to read this book by Sowell. I just put a hold on it at the university and it should be in in a couple of days. Can you please give me the specific page number that refers to this in his book: "I've been reading Mr. Sowell's book on education in America recently. Apparently it's easy to get glowing reviews from your students. All you have to do is validate their feelings, no matter how ill-informed and undeserved." I've decided it is better to read this thing from the horse's mouth, rather than hearsay.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04149591289204807405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-65135273582286469302010-08-03T13:03:36.057-07:002010-08-03T13:03:36.057-07:00Hi Christine,
I have just started getting into no...Hi Christine,<br /><br />I have just started getting into non-fiction reading. I've always liked Thomas Sowell's comments (when I can find them), so I started on some of his. My first was "Intellectuals and Society," which is a wonderful recap of the destruction wrought by 200 years of liberal intellectuals giving advice on things as though they actually knew what worked. I'm now reading his "Economics Facts and Fallacies" and "Inside American Education." Aside from wonderful explanations of how things work in real life, Mr. Sowell also puts an incredible amount of time into research. His citations run into the hundreds, giving you lots of places to go for confirmation and additional research. It's also fact based, vice opinion based, and uses real world examples instead of theoretical predictions. Needless to say, liberals hate him with a passion. <br /><br />I've heard about "The Road to Serfdom" and "The Obama Diaries." Both are on my short list of things to get to. I could accomplish so much if I didn't have to work and be a husband and father. <br /><br />BTW - Our family is starting a new adventure this weekend. We are hosting a Japanese foreign exchange student for the school year. Keep us in your prayers. It should be a great experience.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-67217342743401666222010-08-03T12:59:07.717-07:002010-08-03T12:59:07.717-07:00Hi Gary,
Oh, I forgot to mention that I have been ...Hi Gary,<br />Oh, I forgot to mention that I have been asked to teach six courses in the Fall. I know you desperately hope that I will be unemployed, but that won't be the case for me. It also has nothing to do with my evaluations--and has everything to do with being a good teacher. <br /><br />You state: "And yet you continue to equate a movement that kills thousands, sometimes many thousands, per year...with a few isolated churches that hold up signs that say "God Hates Homosexuals."" What??? Do you even bother reading what I type? Apparently not. When have I mentioned churches that hold up signs like this? I don't have too many problems with idiots who hold up signs that say God Hates Fags or churches who pick and choose what they want to believe. All I know is that they are dangerous people because they believe they have the correct interpretation. You are so hung up on homosexuality that you can't seem to move beyond it in whatever topic you are discussing. <br /><br /><br />Again, you don't understand what I wrote regarding the Protestants and Catholics. But keep trying. In the end it may come to you. I don't spoon feed the answers to my students and I certainly won't try to explain it yet again, because whatever I say you automatically reject. <br /><br />Yes, I am partially ignorant of an engineering degree, at least as ignorant as you are with understanding a history degree (or does Sowell give you information about that, as well???). However, I have a Bachelor's degree in Biology, so I did my time with math and physics and chemistry. And do you have a degree in history? <br /><br />Hi Christine,<br />I will definitely listen to that sermon. As mentioned above, I will be teaching six courses and all of my time is spent teaching, working in my garden, working on my house, and preparing for the Fall.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04149591289204807405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-69859070003011552482010-08-02T17:53:47.328-07:002010-08-02T17:53:47.328-07:00Gary,
I give you a lot of credit for continuing t...Gary,<br /><br />I give you a lot of credit for continuing to try and get through to Kevin. Good luck with that!<br /><br />BTW, which book were you recommending to me a while back? Was it Sowell's?<br /><br />I am currently reading three books! Ahhh! But they are very different so it helps to pick up "The Road to Serfdom" (when I want to learn from history), or Dr. Jeremiah's book on "Heaven" (when I want to be encouraged), and Laura Ingraham's new book, "The Obama Diaries" (when I need a laugh) - but which also shares accurate information on how much Obama, his wife, and his cohorts hate America and are trying to destroy it by transforming it into a Marxist/Commie/progressive/Islamo-Fascist tyranny. Light reading...huh? LOL!Christinewjchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18434229284833642438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-66049001829993479932010-08-02T17:22:40.382-07:002010-08-02T17:22:40.382-07:00And no, Kevin, I don't expect everyone to agre...And no, Kevin, I don't expect everyone to agree on an open forum. You keep confusing me with a liberal. They are the ones conceited enough to believe that everyone will accept their view if you just sit down and talk about it. That must be because it worked so well for Chamberlain. And Obama. And when that doesn't work, then they begin planning things like "the fairness doctrine" and "community programming" and "reporting people who lie about health care" to stifle speech. Just like the good little fascists they all aspire to be.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-35376665466164352182010-08-02T17:18:35.682-07:002010-08-02T17:18:35.682-07:00Hi Kevin,
"Luckily my students are smarter t...Hi Kevin,<br /><br />"Luckily my students are smarter than you,"<br /><br />Some probably are, but that does nothing to bolster support for the honesty of the instructor.<br /><br />"they can at least think on their own."<br /><br />I seem to recall a number of times giving you an "A to B" example of how your views on economics are wrong and asking you to do something similar. You never have shown the ability to do it. Who has been accepting spoon fed answers?<br /><br />"I actively encourage my students to question me.<br /><br />Which, of course, results in no improvement if they simply receive more lies, half-truths, and propaganda.<br /><br />"See, you believe that corporal punishment and rote memorization is the way to education and this is exactly why you can't picture students questioning the teacher."<br /><br />I can see you are as ignorant of an engineering education as you are of religion, politics, history, etc. I keep asking you questions in hope of receiving some type of intelligent response, or at least one that shows you have examined the issue. I hope in vain...<br /><br />"I always get glowing reviews from my students--it is not because I scare them into not asking questions."<br /><br />I've been reading Mr. Sowell's book on education in America recently. Apparently it's easy to get glowing reviews from your students. All you have to do is validate their feelings, no matter how ill-informed and undeserved. <br /><br />"And no, you STILL do not understand the Irish commment."<br /><br />Then by all means explain it in a way that makes sense. If you are such a great teacher, then surely you can explain something to a person who graduated Summa Cum Laude from engineering school. <br /><br />"I also fully understand how dangerous radical Christianity is as well."<br /><br />And yet you continue to equate a movement that kills thousands, sometimes many thousands, per year, puts out text books that call Christians and Jews "apes" and "pigs", sanctions stoning of women for the crime of being raped, with a few isolated churches that hold up signs that say "God Hates Homosexuals." I can see that, since both decry acceptance of sexual perversion, you would naturally see them both as the same.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-85116504863231201182010-08-01T20:49:23.871-07:002010-08-01T20:49:23.871-07:00GMPilot - The Bible is God's Word. It contain...GMPilot - The Bible is God's Word. It contains the truth without any mixture of error. The Bible reveals Jesus Christ as the true Messiah, Savior and Lord. Whether or not you (or anyone else - including me) chooses to believe it - is irrelevant to the fact. However, I do choose to believe it.<br /><br />Gary, I understand your frustration. The liberal/progressive/agnostic/skeptic/pluralistic mind is incompatible with the conservative, biblically based Christian mind. It's just a fact of life. It seems to me that there it is very difficult for the liberal mind to recover from their chosen mindset. <br /><br />There is one former liberal - that I know about - who posts over at the American Thinker blog. Her posts are quite eye opening, too!<br /><br />The Bible is filled with verses that explain why the unbelievers minds are the way they are. It is described as an inability to discern truth from error - not because they aren't intelligent, but because they are <b>spiritually discerned</b>. It is described as the "reprobate mind." The main reason is that they live with unrepentance and in the realm of unconfessed sin.<br /><br />I heard a great sermon on Turning Point today. It was about grace. At the beginning of the program, some actors did a skit about how they thought that calling oneself a "wretch like me" in the song "Amazing Grace" was too harsh. The illustration that was done was excellent! If you want to see it, <a href="http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/television.aspx" rel="nofollow">go here and click on "Watch Now This Week's Broadcast."</a><br /><br />The skit I mentioned starts at 11:40 into the video. I thought it was excellent! The entire sermon is terrific! I would encourage all to view it.<br /><br />Anyway, didn't mean to get off topic. But I think that when non-believers think that Christians do not acknowledge their sins, it is because they do not understand the true gospel. They, (and even some nominal Christians) don't know how wretched we all are! They don't know what the terms "mercy," "grace," "atonement,"propitiation," really mean.<br /><br />Kevin,<br /><br />The reason why you don't understand why the man-made belief being presented by those who adhere to the term "coexist" is dangerous is because you obviously don't believe in the concept of absolute truth. I have shared explanations of this before, but I don't know if you have ever read them.<br /><br />In the secular world, pluralism and collective salvation sound good to the ear. However, it is spiritually a deadly concept - expecially when we know that Jesus told us, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me."<br /><br />As far as the comparison of Islam and Christianity is concerned, Muhammad is just a dead prophet. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the risen Savior and Lord who is alive forevermore.<br /><br />Who should we trust? A dead prophet or the Living Lord - Jesus Christ?<br /><br />Kevin, I hope that you listen to the sermon at the link I posted. Would like your opinion on it.Christinewjchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18434229284833642438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-84534911315646370702010-08-01T20:05:00.454-07:002010-08-01T20:05:00.454-07:00Gary,
You are so funny some times! Lying to my cl...Gary,<br />You are so funny some times! Lying to my class??? Luckily my students are smarter than you, in that they can at least think on their own. They don't need someone to spoon feed them their answers. <br />I actively encourage my students to question me. See, you believe that corporal punishment and rote memorization is the way to education and this is exactly why you can't picture students questioning the teacher. I always get glowing reviews from my students--it is not because I scare them into not asking questions. It is because I am good and make sure that they are treated with respect and that I give them many opportunities to learn on their own. <br />And no, you STILL do not understand the Irish commment. <br /><br />Nor do you understand what you say when you stated this: "Most liberals just deny the facts because if they accepted them they would be forced to either stand against the Muslims or confess their cowardice. Your choice is obvious." I fully understand how dangerous radical Islam is. I also fully understand how dangerous radical Christianity is as well. However, I am smart enough not to blame an entire religion for the idiocy of a few (even if the few are extremely dangerous).<br /><br />For you, an 'open forum' is when everyone agrees with you. How boring. So much for an 'open forum'!Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04149591289204807405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-17224473977698673962010-08-01T12:19:32.262-07:002010-08-01T12:19:32.262-07:00Christine,
It occurs to me that it's worthwhi...Christine,<br /><br />It occurs to me that it's worthwhile to give a more elaborate rebuttal to Kevin's comments. They are so typical of the traits of liberal discourse these days, in that they rely so heavily on a mixture of dishonesty, ignorance, arrogance, and stupidity.<br /><br />Take Kevin's comment "Chamberlain was ignorant of the facts, therefore he didn't fight."<br /><br />The stupidity is obvious. The only real question is how much of this is ignorance and how much is dishonesty. Chamberlain was Prime Minister of England during much of the run up to the war. He had more access to information than anyone I can think of. In order to the argument that he didn't have adequate information, we have to accept that no one did. That's where the stupidity hits hard. Lots of other members of the government knew that war was brewing. Churchill was one of the most prominent later, but certainly not the only one. The heads of the labor party at the time knew all the data as well, and yet they kept pushing for pacifism while praising Stalin's "worker's paradise" from afar, even as he starved millions of Russians to quash dissent. <br /><br />Remarkably, the same types of lies keep gaining acceptance. "Bush lied" for saying there were WMD's in Iraq, even though all of the Dem leaders said it as well, even though both Clinton's said it while Billy-Boy was president. All has disappeared down the liberal memory hole. <br /><br />Thousands like Kevin claimed that Ronald Regan was going to push us into war because of his cowboy-like ways and failure to show sensitivity and understanding. Even after the Soviet union collapsed, they preferred to give credit to the Russian officials rather than admit that yes, Regan really did understand and that understanding brought the Soviets to their knees. <br /><br />It is the eternal conceit of types like Kevin that any engagement with foreign powers that doesn't echo their ideas is no help at best and a tragic mistake at worst. They go on blithely ignoring that their stupidity on foreign policies does nothing but invite scorn and attack. The history is clear. They either deny it or ignore it, and steadfastly claim that they are the only ones that understand. How sad and pathetic.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12391603.post-52488954430985628342010-07-31T20:32:18.139-07:002010-07-31T20:32:18.139-07:00Kevin,
"However, some don't know all the...Kevin,<br /><br />"However, some don't know all the facts and state that all Muslims want to "kill, convert, or enslave" everyone. "<br /><br />I don't know anyone who says that. I did point out, correctly, that is what their sacred texts demand. <br /><br />"then ask yourself whether ALL Muslims are terrorists. "<br /><br />Okay, I asked myself, and I answered "no." <br /><br />Then I asked myself a more pertinent question: What percentage of terrorists acting for religious reasons are Muslims? The answer is an overwhelming majority. They also have a "moral code" which says it is perfectly fine for them to lie about their motives to promote Islam, meaning no given word of peace can be accepted. <br /><br />"These people would rather fight than try to understand. "<br /><br />Understanding is not an issue. Many people fully understand the goals and methods of radical Islam. Most liberals just deny the facts because if they accepted them they would be forced to either stand against the Muslims or confess their cowardice. Your choice is obvious. That you try to cloak your cowardice and dishonesty as a form of intellectualism is a shame, but hardly unique among liberals. <br /><br />I understand your Irish vs. English fine. It's a miserable example that doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Of course you can't explain your way out of it, so you feign insult and withdraw as is typical of cowards. Why don't you just stick to lying to your class? I'm sure most of them would be afraid for their grade and not dare to contradict you. In an open forum of information and ideas, you are woefully underpowered.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769241624759010694noreply@blogger.com