New source for athletic friendly major

[Mexmustang]

After reading the e-mail being sent by certain current amd retired faculty members of the school of theology and department of English concerning the Bush library and institute, it dawned on me that a better use of the university's financial resourses would be to replace the school with a new athletic friendly department, including the reinstatement of the baseball and track teams. I can't beleive that this group that has issolated itself for so long from the rest of the university and Methodisim is still given such importance. They have been a disruptive force since I was a student. They still believe that they have more relevance than the rest of the faculty, all the students and of course the alumns that are asked to financially support the university.

I ask once more, what does this attitude have to do with the study of Christianity?

Obviously, I am only playing the devil's advocate.

But, these people have developed their own isolated world here on campus, not anwering to anyone. Most of their attitudes and positions aren't even consistant with the Bishops of the Methodist Church.

Why are they still allowed here? I hope that they realize my own attitude toward their continued obstruction to this and other university programs is not issolated, but shared by a number of us close to the university. I would have thought that they should long ago look inside themselves to discover what they have become and how isolated they have made themselves to the rest of the people that makeup the school. It is not their opinion I attack, but their attitude and isolation which make them place themselves higher than any other constituency that needs to be challenged and maybe the propestive of a better utilization of their facilities?

[EastStang]

It seems to me that these Methodists are trying very hard to keep up with the Episcopalians. But what's really kind of bizarre is that the more conservative Methodist churches have started ordering their Vacation Bible School and Sunday School literature from the Southern Baptist owned publishing house, Lifeway. Mark my words, there will be a Methodist schism much like the Episcopalian and Lutheran ones in the near future. The question will be which side ends up owning everything.

[Stallion]

Don't need to squelch free expression of speech or religious beliefs to win this argument. The Library will stand or fall on its own merits-there is a stong argument for the benefits of a Presidential Library on a university campus. I don't happen to agree with the ultimate goal of the dissenters but fully support their right to make the case especially against George Bush. Make the argument instead of attacking people that disagree. Methodism have a long history of free expression of opinions-we don't need to Dixie Chick those that disagree with us. Leave that to the Fundamentalist Baptist who believe the earth was created 6,100 years, 24 days 7 hours and :06 seconds ago. Turner is doing a great job of keeping politics, religion and partisonship out of it-and that is the best strategy because otherwise SMU would just galvanize all the people who think Bush is a moron. This is not a referendum on George Bust-rather its a referendum on a Presidential Library that could be a great benefit to SMU.

[EastStang]

Herbert Hoover was not the greatest President in history (remember he presided over the start depression and fiddled while Hitler rose to power), but the Hoover Institute at Stanford is well respected for its academic research. In other words, 75 years from now, we don't know what the Institute will look like (and we'll all be dead anyway). But it will be at SMU doing research and giving out grants. Stallion is right, the Library and the Institute are long term plusses for SMU. History will judge the Presidency of George W. Bush and historians will be coming to Dallas for years to come to find out what he did or didn't do. Heck if I'm a liberal professor who wants to slam W, I won't have to hop a plane to read his papers, I can just walk across the campus. And if I am a Perkins theology professor who wants to see Bush shunned or censured or whatever methodists do to fallen parishoners, I can walk across campus to the library to gather evidence for my campaign.

[Mexmustang]

Of course I wrote this "tongue-in-cheek", but our group in the Theology Department has always seemed to be out of sorts with every constituency involved with the university and the Methodist Church. It seems to be a self perpetuating force without any ties to anyone but themselves. if they were to be graded on their effectiveness on campus, they would receive a failing grade. Methodist students aren't even the largest group on campus. The Catholic students makeup the largest group.

If they like to throw stones, they should be willing to accept the critcism.

[ponyboy]

Make the argument instead of attacking people that disagree.

Very good advice.

[jtstang]

Leave that to the Fundamentalist Baptist who believe the earth was created 6,100 years, 24 days 7 hours and :06 seconds ago.

Maybe the funniest thing ever written on this board.

[Stallion]

I stole it from Clarence Darrow in "Inherit the Wind"

[FloridaMustang]

I stole it from Clarence Darrow in "Inherit the Wind"

spencer tracy is one of my favorite actors.. and playing the fictionalized darrow character in inherit the wind is one of his greatest roles. nice quote