Check Out the Stink Michael Denton Has Stirred Up
[Updated and bumped back to the top]
Well, it didn't take long for Michael Denton of For the Greater Glory to become the center of a firestorm of controversy as a newspaper columnist. First, read Michael's column in LSU's Daily Reveille.
Then read the reactions on the comment board - Michael's column broke a record in terms of sheer volume of comments (and probably in terms of vitriol, as well).
Finally, a couple of blogs to which I will not link, but which Advocate [hint, hint], shall we say, an "alternative" agenda, also had strong negative reactions to Michael's column.
(I wondered why SiteMeter kept showing hits from people using the search terms "Michael Denton".)
You might want to drop by and leave some comments of support for Michael on the comment board at The Daily Reveille. Lord knows, that publication is probably receiving all sorts of pressure to drop the guy's column (I don't know that for a fact, but am assuming it to be the case based on past precedent).
UPDATE
Michael writes in the comments to this post:
Thanks for running this. You're right on the demands that I be fired. Additionally, they're trying to pressure me into a public debate, presumably so that they can have my head on a silver platter. So any comments you can leave on those boards and any prayers would be greatly, greatly appreciated.(emphasis added)
You heard the man. Now, go to it!
Labels: Sodom and Gomorrah
posted by Pro Ecclesia 11:03 AM
14 comments
14 Comments:
In four decades homosexual conduct has gone from being a crime in this country to sacred cow. If the subject is to be discussed it must be done so in glowing positive terms, and if it is not torrents of abuse will usually follow, especially in academia. Bravo to Mr. Denton for amply demonstrating that those who prate about tolerance are often the most intolerant of those who present an opposing view.
What Don said...
Good article, though it is utterly unsurprising that it has raised a firestorm considering how sensitive the PC police are on college campuses.
Look on the bright side: if Michael gets canned, he'll be able to return to blogging again.
Not, of course, that I want him to be dropped.
Jay;
As an aside, the young man makes reference to John Paul II's Theology of the Body.
I recently finished listening to a lecture on this from Christopher West. I HIGHLY recommend this series; it will be like “Jiffy Popcorn of epiphanies” going off inside your head. I have gained so much more clarity i.e., the role of the Priest, the Church, intercourse, homosexuality, and so much more all from this lecture.
One can listen to his lectures online and/or purchase it from his site:
http://www.christopherwest.com/
Also, I believe ETWN is running the video series right now.
This is awesome, but be prepared; because it is from JP II, so it is heavy. But I was able glean an immense amount of information straight away. This is something you have to read/listen to a couple of times to really understand, but well worth it.
The Theology of the Body will demonstrate to the world in new terms why the Church is the one true body of Christ. Awesome!
One other point from Theology of the Body, was the wonderful understanding of the role of the Blessed Mother is be gained too. This was unbelievable. Being a cradle Catholic I never had any reservations about my Mother, but this reinforced my understanding like nothing ever did before; it blew my mind. Awesome! JP II is truly Great!
Jay,
Thanks for running this. You're right on the demands that I be fired. Additionally, they're trying to pressure me into a public debate, presumably so that they can have my head on a silver platter. So any comments you can leave on those boards and any prayers would be greatly, greatly appreciated.
Michael Denton blasphemed liberal America's new civil religion of homosexualism. Therefore liberal America wants to burn him at the stake. Because pluralism, like democracy, free speech, and freedom of religion, is merely a means to an end for the left: Power. Once power is achieved, those things become hindrances to be thrown onto the rubbish heap.
I've jumped in. None of it's posted yet, though.
Actually, if you read Michael's column, he says he would love to have the opportunity to debate the topic of his column. Several people have offered to do exactly that. Now he claims that he is being pressured to do so. Please, Michael, leave the "woe is me, I'm being pressured" whining out. If you never intended to debate, you should not have thrown that statement out there. Seriously, I do respect that you have your beliefs and I have mine. But don't offer to debate yours and then whine when someone takes you up on it.
Actually, no, he did not issue some open debate offer. Here it is in context:
It's a debate I'd love to have. Ideally, I should talk about why practicing homosexuality is intrinsically disordered and why it prevents one from loving fully. I should discuss recent works like the famous "Theology of the Body" by Pope John Paul II. If I did however, I would be risking expulsion, and I don't want to leave the University.
This risk is made possible by the University's policy on free speech.
The debate offer was as conditional as it gets. Given that many of the excitable commenters are screaming "hate speech" and calling for his termination, I'd say his concerns were justified.
I'll go so far as to say I think Mike's arguments were scattershot, and the article needed better organization and editing.
But his shrill opponents have nicely proved one of his arguments: namely, the threat their cause is to free speech. Amusingly enough, not one of his critics has challenged him on that point.
Res ipsa loquitur, I guess.
Michael has switched his blog to "Invitation Only" mode (for reasons easy enough to guess). Glad I snagged a full mirror copy back when he first announced he was taking it down.
Dale --
I went and re-read your excerpt of Michael's comments. To be fair, I will agree he put conditions out there based on the pre-posterous fear that debating the topic would lead to some sort of threat of expulsion from the University. I would think that if the vitriol and judgemental nature of his comments have been allowed to be printed in the university newspaper and he has not been asked to leave so far, it is reasonable to expect the university would allow him to make his point and attempt to defend it. I attended a pretty conservative church affiliated university back in the 1970's. Even way back then the university supported, even encouraged debates on controversial issues. Make no mistake: The Louisiana State University is still a very conservative school in a very conservative part of the country. It could hardly be considered a bastion of what conservatives consider "liberal" brain-washing. I submit to you Michael's declination to debate is based more on the shallowness of his argument that any made up fear that he would be expelled. That is a typical argument when you have an opinion but have not developed a full logical argument to support it and fear that someone else might have a more considered viewpoint.
From a brief perusal of the course catalogue at LSU, it seems to match other universities in such areas as "queer theory", women's and other group studies departments and so forth. Doing a nice job of keeping up with the niche ideological Joneses. And Louisiana ain't Alabama hill country conservative either. Not as long as New Orleans is a part of the state.
The fact remains, the Orwellian speech code authorizes expulsion, and the comment boxes demonstrate no shortage of folks baying for his head. If he gets guarantees that he won't be put through the disciplinary process, then, yes, he should debate. If I were him, I'd limit it to the speech angle. Far from "shallow" or "vitriolic," it would be a slam dunk argument.
Though I have every confidence the grievance lobby would end up shouting him down. At which point the irony meter would detonate.
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