Comments on: Atheist Expelled From School For Suggesting Leprechauns Don’t Exist

By: Willa

Willa — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 07:09:21 +0000

My partner works at the school and knows this kid and that situation.

Suffice to say that the people who noticed that the article only presented his side of the story are correct, there is more to it than that.

The people who noticed the ‘last straw’ comment were also correct, this kid has been a pain in the ass and a problem at the school before this incident…and somehow I doubt that the actual incident was anything like the ’strolled over to ask an innocent question’ scenario he described.

Think about it…an art school that teaches everything from graphic design to game art, and is as liberal as you can imagine…expelling somebody for their religious belief (atheism)?

Not likely. Back to rationality, folks…obviously there is more to it.

By: joshua

joshua — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 02:37:42 +0000

#16…Podesta…..Ok, this is a day to remember……I agree with you. I have many friends from and in the Northwest, especially in Portland, and it has to be one of the most laid back and liberal areas of the country. A large part of this story appears to be missing in action. I just find it hard to believe he was just the innocent here.

Atheism is just as much a religion as Catholicism. Both groups are usually as fanactical as the other in it’s belief……and being an atheist is a belief….foundation of all faiths.

By: joshua

joshua — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 02:31:01 +0000

By: OhForTheLoveOf

OhForTheLoveOf — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:46:43 +0000

#15 – Hey sagrilarus, atheism is a religion.

Comment by tkane — 11/27/2006 @ 6:40 pm

That’s only true where the words athiesm and/or religion have radically different meanings than the ones they actually do.

Your fear of death leads you to bullshit superstition. That doesn’t mean you get to label my rational understanding of the universe the same way.

By: RDaneelOlivaw

RDaneelOlivaw — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 06:24:11 +0000

to #9:
leprechauns are often used in philosophy as a “non-controversial” conceptual stand in for god. It is suppossed to allow for a more non-biased discussion since neither party has a vested interest in the concept of the leprechaun. This obviously backfired in his case when he stumbled upon someone who did have a vested interest.

to #15:
atheism is generally not considered a “religion”, philosophically speaking, since atheist do not usually have any metaphysical beliefs. It is generally accepted that metaphysical beliefs are the foundations of religious belief. This differs drastically from, say, a sociological approach to religion which defines religion in terms of religious practices and organized meetings of members rather than on any actual beliefs.

By: Podesta

Podesta — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 03:57:54 +0000

I am skeptical that the episode happened this way. The Mercury is the least reliable media in Portland — an ad rag with a lot of made up material in it, often written under pseudonyms by one or two people.

Nor does the situation fit the Northwest ethos. The region has the lowest church attendance in the country, around 30 percent. Saying ‘I don’t believe in X,Y, or Z” is safer out here than in most of America.

By: tkane

tkane — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 02:40:40 +0000

Hey sagrilarus, atheism is a religion.

By: Angel H. Wong

Angel H. Wong — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 00:53:41 +0000

(Caps left intentionally on) CAN YOU GUYS TELL ME IF THERE’S AN ART SCHOOL WITH NO DRAMA?

By: Uncle Dave

Uncle Dave — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 23:34:33 +0000

#12: Or they used this as a petty excuse to kick out someone who had the nerve to question.

By: Rick Lee

Rick Lee — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 21:05:03 +0000

I read the whole article and it appears that we don’t have the whole story. There were several mentions that people were saying this was the “last straw”, etc for this guy. Reading between the lines, I get the feeling that the guy has a lot of difficulty dealing with other people without getting into conflict. I’ll bet if you talked to his peers and instructors you’d get a very different story.

By: Joe B

Joe B — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 20:58:32 +0000

I read this on Digg a day or two ago and couldn’t believe it. I scanned to comments looking for some way that I could get involved to help this kid.

It is too bad this student is now going to lose everything he has worked for up to this point at that school. So close to graduation, only to be expelled over something like this… what a shame. I wish there was something I could do to help get behind this kid and help him come out on top…

I hope he is able to take the credits he has earned and transfer them to a college that is worth going to (because apparently AIP isn’t). I think since it is a private school, the student will have a tough time transferring all of the credits out… I would demand a refund of tuition at the very least.

AIP didn’t keep up their end of the deal… he pays tuition to them to come out with a degree in the end… they take his money, 3/4 of the way through it they kick him out. Sounds like theft to me.

By: Uncle Dave

Uncle Dave — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 17:42:18 +0000

10: The woman who complained apparently has a religion in which they are real and live on a different plane of existence than us. The student tried to gently tell her she was nuts. On the other hand, it’s not really any more nuts (if examined rationally) than some of the precepts of Christianity or other “establishment” religions.

By: sagrilarus

sagrilarus — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 17:36:12 +0000

What do leprechauns have to do with religion? Where does religion enter this equation?

By: SN

SN — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15:55:46 +0000

#7 “His story is not believable…”

Well, I believe it. Are you saying my subjective belief system is invalid?! Stay where you are, the PC police will be there is a few minutes to taser and arrest you.

By: AB CD

AB CD — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15:53:09 +0000

His story is not believable, and that’s pretty much the only side we have. I suppose it’s possible he got stuck in a college speech code and judicial system, but I doubt it.