So did you hear the one about the fifty-one year college professor who claims to have desecrated (an allegedly consecrated) Communion Host?

Paul Zachary “PZ” Myers, a professor of biology at the University of Minnesota, got his panties in a knot when a student at the University of Central Florida (UCF) faced disciplinary action for refusing to return a consecrated Host that he secreted away from a Catholic chapel. (He has it stored in a plastic bag in his dorm room).

So the call went out from Myers.  He asked people to send him consecrated Hosts so that he could publicly desecrate them to protest the proceedings at UCF.

According to Myers’ blog, people sent them in and he made good on his threat. He drove a rusty nail through the Host (and several pages of the Koran) and then threw the remains in the garbage.

Reveling in his blasphemy, Myers wrote:

OK, time for the anticlimax. I know some of you have proposed intricate plans for how to do horrible things to these crackers, but I repeat…it’s just a cracker. I wasn’t going to make any major investment of time, money, or effort in treating these dabs of unpleasantness as they deserve, because all they deserve is casual disposal. However, inspired by an old woodcut of Jews stabbing the host, I thought of a simple, quick thing to do: I pierced it with a rusty nail (I hope Jesus’s tetanus shots are up to date). And then I simply threw it in the trash, followed by the classic, decorative items of trash cans everywhere, old coffeegrounds and a banana peel. My apologies to those who hoped for more, but the worst I can do is show my unconcerned contempt.

Let’s face it, if  Myers had pissed on a talmud he would have been shown the door before the paper dried and he would have faced personal and professional ostracism for the rest of his life.  But desecrating that which is most sacred to Catholics will probably earn him a book deal and a round of talk show appearances.

The University will fall back on “academic freedom” (which doesn’t apply) to justify keeping Myers on staff.  But what about his emotional maturity?  Is that taken into consideration? Does a well adjusted, middle aged man do these sorts of things?  (The obvious answer is no but, then again, university faculties haven’t exactly distinguished themselves in the areas of stability and maturity.)

How would you respond if your doctor or lawyer…or plumber..were caught spray-painting a swastika on a local synagogue? You’d fire him, right? Not just because you were personally offended by his behavior but because you’d have to question his emotional maturity and, ultimately, his ability to function in his profession/trade based on that behavior.

I wouldn’t trust a grossly immature neighbor with a spare key to my house. I wouldn’t let him feed my cat and walk my dogs when I was on vacation. And I sure as hell wouldn’t let him teach my children.

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Also worth a read:

- Pantyhose bandit causes sheer annoyance in Massachusetts:  Ok, some unknown Bay Stater is leaving piles of black pantyhose in the streets of Milford, Mass and one local says “it’s scary for the kids”.  SCARY?!! You’re kidding me, right? Vampires are scary. Sharks are scary. This is not “scary” My God, we’ve gone soft…

- Women’s brains are different from men’s – and here’s the scientific proof But we already knew this, right?  Actually, this is a very interesting read.  If you want to know why your wife or girlfriend can remember word-for-word dialogue of a heated conversation six months after it happened then don’t miss this article.