I get emails

June 2, 2014 • 9:15 am

The nasties are starting to crawl out of the woodwork after I posted about a principal’s goddy speech at the graduation ceremony of his school in Lebanon, Missouri. These people simply can’t stand the separation of church and state!

Here’s an email I just got from one “Philip Ruminski”:

Dear Professor;
Regarding Principal Kevin Lowery’s speech, stop whining and mind your own business.  I know that you resent free speech and want to twist the separation of church and state, but you’re not special, and certainly not smarter than our founding fathers.

I didn’t answer this wacko, of course, but if I did I would have told him that he’s completely ignorant about what role the “founding fathers” saw for religion in their new nation.

As for the whining, listen to this, Mr. Ruminski: the legal hammer is about to come down on the Lebanon School board, and, I bet, they’ll promise never to inject religion into their school ceremonies again.

And, for the record, violations of the Constitution are everyone’s business.

The rest of what I’d say to Ruminski, who took it upon himself to send me that rude and unsolicited email, is unprintable.

****

And another, headed “Congratulations”. I’ve now changed the Roolz; I reserve the right to publish the names and email addresses of people who either threaten me or send me over-the-top nasty emails, like the following missive from  “Phat Cracka Fool,” email “eshrubber@gmail.com”:

…..this week’s winner of the Douchebag of the Week!

stick to biology, because your knowledge of the constitution sucks….
The Phat Cracka not only doesn’t know the Constitution, or how the courts have interpreted it via public prayer in schools, but he doesn’t even know that the word is capitalized.

 

37 thoughts on “I get emails”

  1. One wonders what the separation of church and state are supposed to be, if Prof. Ceiling Cat is “twisting” it into meaning what it quite literally says.

  2. “I know that you resent free speech and want to twist the separation of church and state”

    So let’s see…a government-supported public school has a principal who forces everybody there to listen to his particular personal religious views, Professor Ceiling Cat complains about it, and HE’s the one who is “twisting” the First Amendment?
    Interesting conclusion. I guess this must be evidence of the “logic” that Yahweh instilled in us.

    1. They seem to believe that freedom of speech and of religion means no freedom from religion at all. In fact, they see the complete separation of church and state to be a violation of their religious freedom. This is despite the fact that Founders like Madison were fanatics about separation.

      The religious right is now in a state of livid rage and no one is focused on that fact.

        1. In this case, it’s more like freedom to worship Jesus in any manner that’s relatively non-denominational, so long as it’s more Protestant than Catholic, and more conservative and literalist than liberal.

          It’s okay to argue over whether salvation is by faith, works, or both; that’s totally within the purview of religious freedom. But saying any Ave, Marias is totally crossing the line and un-American.

          Cheers,

          b&

  3. Oh, go ahead and print it. Have you ever seen the insane email that Mikey Weinstein (Military Religious Freedom Foundation) gets just because he tries to maintain separation of church and state in the military?

    The religious right is whipping itself into a victimization hysteria that’s becoming rather scary–there’s even some chatter about wanting a military coup.

    1. Hysteria brought on by insecurity. And they are losing ground, which frightens them because it means, among other things, this life is all there is and more people realize and appreciate this everyday.

  5. Hard to read the Constitution while examining the inside of one’s navel.

    1. or rectum, which I suspect is closer to the truth for the email senders.

  6. The “you’re not smarter” remark was odd. Maybe he was going for being a smart ass. He needs to look up “smart” and understand it before spewing forth his verbal diarrhea. See, I grossed it up a notch by implying a combining of orfices.

    1. Given the Flynn effect – and the fact that the intellectual requirements for becoming an elite scientist are higher than those for becoming a politician – I’d say it is practically certain that Dr. Coyne is smarter than at least a few of the founders. How many of them wrote a speciation textbook AND a best-selling popular science book? Case closed.

      1. Yes the Flynn Effect is a good thing to bring up. As others have noted the emailer’s assertion is so full of Dunning-Kruger fail.

  7. Thanks so much all conservative television, radio, and internet.

    Special recognition to:

    Congress Ineffective
    In June 1987, Congress had attempted to codify the Fairness Doctrine, but the bill was vetoed by President Reagan. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush followed suit with another veto.

    In the 109th Congress (2005-2007), Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) introduced H.R. 3302, also known as the “Media Ownership Reform Act of 2005” or MORA, to “to restore the Fairness Doctrine.” Although the bill had 16 co-sponsors, it went nowhere.

    http://uspolitics.about.com/od/electionissues/a/fcc_fairness_2.htm

  8. The rest of what I’d say to Ruminski, who took it upon himself to send me that rude and unsolicited email, is unprintable.

    Does it incur the analeptic application of said person’s caput in or near the region of said person’s deuterostome blastopore?

    1. Dunning-Kruger is about people who think that they are smarter than they are.
      Some of us know that we are smarter than we are because Jesus.

      1. While I appreciate the attempt at humor, unfortunately there are huge numbers of christians who actually do think that “we are smarter than we are because Jesus”. The basis of their “thinking” is Acts 4.13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

        It is very hard to poke fun at fundamentalists, because so many of the jibes are in actuality restatements of what they really say and think.

  10. Funny how these religious right folks insisting the Constitution is none of our business always seem to sing out of the other side of their mouths when explaining that a “well-regulated militia” means whatever they say it means.

    1. Well, we are a well regulated militia because we all show up at the Chilli’s at the same time.

      1. Or perhaps it’s everyone’s consistent and predictable use of the bathroom after Chili’s that makes us well-regulated. 🙂

        1. Thanks for the additional hint. Kevin’s comment had me drawing a blank. Then I read yours and felt like an idiot.

          1. I should have provided a link.
            ://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2014/06/02/dumbasses-on-parade/

          2. Ahh, thanks.

            Just a few months ago there was an accidental discharge of a handgun at the gym I use. The gun owner brought his gun to the gym to show a friend. Someone two rooms away who had nothing to do with, and was totally oblivious of the gun got shot. Very luckily for all involved it was relatively minor.

            What kind of a clueless peacock thinks it is a good idea to bring a loaded gun to the gym?

          4. hahahahaha+LOL…this one had me rolling! And it’s spot on. I lived in Wyoming for a number of years, where Chili’s, Applebee’s, Red Lobster et al. were the restaurants of choice. Lots of “regulated militia” at the troughs. Lots of cars with the fish logo in the parking lot, usually accompanied by the inevitable Bush/Cheney bumper stickers. GAG! So happy to be in a blue state now!

  11. Mr. Ruminski how exactly should Professor Coyne mind his own business? Like you, by writing angry emails?

  12. You might also want to point out that using “mind your own business” and “free speech” in the same sentence is more than a little contradictory.

  13. I think you should be proud of Phat’s attention. You should think about printing his email and framing it.

    Better yet, have some T-shirts based on his email made and sell them with proceeds going to FFRF or some other worthy organization. I’m sure one of the regulars here with the requisite talents could come up with a good T-shirt for this.

  14. Poor Phil. Phil, I have no intention of “minding my own business” when twits like you want to force your beliefs on people. It is standing up for the rights of everyone to have free speech, not just people in power like a principal, that makes standing up to you important.

    The separation of church and state is just what Dr. Coyne has presented. I’m sure you’d whine and whine if the state said that anyone could come into your church and forced you listen to things that have no evidence and that you don’t believe.

  16. Separation off church and State should be a no brainer. We have an organisation here in Australia called Primary Ethics that gives an option for those parents who don’t want their children taught religion in Primary School. Churches are where religion should only be taught, not schools.

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