[thechat] Prof refuses recommendation if you don't believe in evolution

Madhu Menon webguru at vsnl.net
Tue Feb 4 13:16:01 CST 2003


Sorry to bring up religion again, but I found this interesting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/03/education/03PROF.html

Short version: University Professor refuses letter of recommendation to
those who don't believe in evolution, saying that if you don't believe in
scientific proof and methods, you can't be much of a doctor. Pissed-off
student hires Christian lawyer group to file a lawsuit and gets the DoJ to
investigate Uni. for "religious discrimination".

A few days worth of comments on this site:
http://nielsenhayden.com/electrolite/archives/002305.html#002305


Personal opinion: Though I'm an atheist, I don't think that a belief in God
by default precludes one from being a good doctor. (Now, if you were
Jehovah's witnesses and refused to do a blood transfusion, that would be
another matter.) However, a recommendation from a professor is purely at
his discretion. A student doesn't have a "right" to a letter of
recommendation. I could decide I won't give letters of recommendation to
people shorter than 6 feet. That makes me a crank, but it's still my choice.

Oh well...

Madhu




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