Edinburgh University going 'PC' crazy?

[darth_haggis]

Batpised a Catholic; not a practicing one, as such and I couldnt care if it my new halls of residence had a picture of King Billy on the wall - that is tolerance.

[nevali]

Originally Posted by Boomslang

Why don't they just allow students to specify, on thier application form to the student halls, which religious text (if any) they would like to receive copy of, eg. The Bible, The Qur'an, The Tao Te Ching, original copies of The Dead Sea Scrolls, 'Scientology for Dummies', Delia's How to Cook Book....

…or just do what they've done and stop providing religious texts to a specific subset of their students, and let them get their own.

[hotblonde]

Or give them their course reading list, all laid out nice like and at no cost to the student. A much more constructive and helpful approach to reading.

Scotty dog, I can't help but think this is the backlash from a report a while back claiming that many muslim terrorists are recruited as students in UK universities. Possibly, Edinburgh are trying to cover themselves by not appearing to be of any denomination. I'm not sure about halls of residence at Glasgow Uni, but I do know the chaplaincy, although christian allows all religions worship and have copies of various religious texts available for all students. I could be way off the mark and these things are not related of course...

[endless psych]

Glasgow Uni is essentially a Catholic University historically - but then again most Uni's have their roots in religion in some shape or form. I think there might have been a bible in my room in first year but can't remember 100%...

[Boomslang]

Originally Posted by endless psych

That would make sense - however it would also cost Edinburgh University (or EUSA) a lot of money it just does not have...

True.

Originally Posted by nevali

…or just do what they've done and stop providing religious texts to a specific subset of their students, and let them get their own.

- Exactamundo. If you are such a devout practitioner of 'X' faith then you will have a copy of the religious text relating to 'X' faith anyway!

[darth_haggis]

Originally Posted by hotblonde

Or give them their course reading list, all laid out nice like and at no cost to the student. A much more constructive and helpful approach to reading.

Scotty dog, I can't help but think this is the backlash from a report a while back claiming that many muslim terrorists are recruited as students in UK universities. Possibly, Edinburgh are trying to cover themselves by not appearing to be of any denomination. I'm not sure about halls of residence at Glasgow Uni, but I do know the chaplaincy, although christian allows all religions worship and have copies of various religious texts available for all students. I could be way off the mark and these things are not related of course...

Possibly

Im just curious as to where this 'tolerance' and 'being forced to tolerate' along with 'lets treat everyone of every religion with kid-gloves' starts and ends

It pains me to hear people being called a racist for things when they do not hate that race or treat people of that race negatively, because of their race.
Likewise, all this sudden fashion of political correctness. I think it is a fad (it has always been there, IMO, just not as predominant as today) and somethings got to give.

[hotblonde]

Originally Posted by darth_haggis

Possibly

Im just curious as to where this 'tolerance' and 'being forced to tolerate' along with 'lets treat everyone of every religion with kid-gloves' starts and ends

It pains me to hear people being called a racist for things when they do not hate that race or treat people of that race negatively, because of their race.
Likewise, all this sudden fashion of political correctness. I think it is a fad (it has always been there, IMO, just not as predominant as today) and somethings got to give.

It's not often I agree with you, but this is one of them. It's also quite a predicament when something is clearly biased against an ethnic group purely due to the group being in the majority. It works boths ways. People are people..best way to view folks.

p.s. I also (although I do not agree with racists per ce ) don't have a problem with someone who wishes to be racist. That is their choice and if this truly is a democratic society, then they should be allowed that choice and not told 'no, this is wrong, you can't think/be this way'. People cannot be forced to think a certain way. I had an argument (I know, shocking) with someone who found a swastika offensive...fair enough, but some may find a crucifix equally offensive. I don't spend time being 'offended' by emblems. This would include the bibles in rooms. Wouldn't bother me, you move it if it does. Just like, you turn the TV is something is on that doesn't sit comfortably with you. The power to decide what you wish to tolerate is personal however so again each to their own...

[Potatojunkie]

How about instead of a bible it was a small pile of ash with larger pieces here and there still recognisable as banknotes?

[darth_haggis]

Originally Posted by hotblonde

It's not often I agree with you, but this is one of them. It's also quite a predicament when something is clearly biased against an ethnic group purely due to the group being in the majority. It works boths ways. People are people..best way to view folks.

p.s. I also (although I do not agree with racists per ce ) don't have a problem with someone who wishes to be racist. That is their choice and if this truly is a democratic society, then they should be allowed that choice and not told 'no, this is wrong, you can't think/be this way'. People cannot be forced to think a certain way. I had an argument (I know, shocking) with someone who found a swastika offensive...fair enough, but some may find a crucifix equally offensive. I don't spend time being 'offended' by emblems. This would include the bibles in rooms. Wouldn't bother me, you move it if it does. Just like, you turn the TV is something is on that doesn't sit comfortably with you. The power to decide what you wish to tolerate is personal however so again each to their own...

I think its only biased when there is no tolerance or room for movement.

If an Arabic student requested a copy of the Qu'ran and was refused, Id say thats racist and biased.
I dont think being part of a majority, makes you biased or racist.

The old swastika - the symbol of love, you know


I find unatural blondes offensive


I agree, the power and what makes us human is choice - but there needs to be some sort of rules in place for the sake of partial equality.

Originally Posted by Potatojunkie

How about instead of a bible it was a small pile of ash with larger pieces here and there still recognisable as banknotes?

Ash offends me - it reminds me of some mock, rock group

[hotblonde]

Originally Posted by darth_haggis

The old swastika - the symbol of love, you know

I know....live with Barry, in case you'd forgot

Originally Posted by darth_haggis

I find unatural blondes offensive

Oh god, me too!!

Originally Posted by darth_haggis

I agree, the power and what makes us human is choice - but there needs to be some sort of rules in place for the sake of partial equality.



Ash offends me - it reminds me of some mock, rock group

Aye, aye aye..so ye say.

[i_am_blip]

Originally Posted by Kenny Everett

I remember falling asleep at school when the Gideon folk came to hand out the bible.

Good wee snooze as I recall.

the gideons gave us a wee new testament when i was at high school

i was quite angered by this as the new testament is shite. it's as much use as an episode of friends.

what you want is the old testament, it's like a fucking arnie film. burning folk and plagues and genocide and whatnot.

[nevali]

Originally Posted by darth_haggis

If an Arabic student requested a copy of the Qu'ran and was refused, Id say thats racist and biased.

Ignoring the race versus religion thing, why should one group have to request it whilst the other have it provided for them without asking?

That in itself is displaying unfair bias. Either provide them all (not feasible), provide them all on request (plausible, but probably too costly simply from an administrative overhead, though I don't doubt religious organisations would be happy to lend a hand), or don't provide any and the students provide their own (not entirely unreasonable).

I don't really understand what's crazy about removing an obvious bias. It strikes me that the Christian groups are complaining that the university is no longer going to evangelise through the back door for them any more, which seems a little foolish a complaint.

[darth_haggis]

I dont see anything wrong with removing it completely - but it possbily bows to intolerance.

Technically and literally, yes, it could be deemed bias.

I just dont tend to view it as (negative)bias; to me, I tend to think on bias as 'unfairness through negative disrimination' - I dont think going on a majority is bias, or is negative as such, but can seem unfair, but thats more to do with numbers.

If we analysed everything, than most things in life would have discriminatory and biased connotations.

"you cant have the job because this person is more able than you."
"we have a christian bible because more people tend to swing that way."

Like I said, I just tend to not view it as biased/discrimination in the negative sense, that they cater initially for a particular religion.

If they left out a book of mormon, I wouldnt feel discriminated against.

Again, its personal choice and how you take something.

Though, if youre asking, I do agree to not have it at all, would be more satisfactory.
Then, what if that halls of residence is a chrisitan base?

Opens up a lot of cans, dunit?

[endless psych]

Originally Posted by darth_haggis

I dont think going on a majority is bias, or is negative as such, but can seem unfair, but thats more to do with numbers.

I think history might tend to disagree with you...

[nevali]

Ohaye, you can find reasonable and acceptable degrees of bias all over the shop. We don't bother calling it bias because it dilutes the term in its more common usage of ‘harmful bias’. You don't give somebody a job when there's a better candidate: yes, that's bias in a way, but not towards somebody's lifestyle choices, just their ability to perform a role.

Religious bias is a big deal for a lot of people—both religious and not. I'd be wary of saying ‘more people tend to swing that way’, though, because it's a university which has an international intake, and I have a feeling its demographic is a little different to that of Edinburgh as a whole (though Edinburgh isn't exactly starved of ethnic and religious minorities in itself, partly because nobody in Edinburgh seems to be from Edinburgh). That is bias, and though you might consider it a positive or inconsequential bias (what's the harm done?), anybody who finds the imposition of a Bible in their room arrogant and contrary to their religious choice might well disagree—and that's only going to inflame tensions.

I dunno about a ‘Christian base’ halls of residence, though; in all honesty I think religion and education should be as far apart as religion and state are supposed to be, but for various demographic/socio-economic reasons religious establishments (certainly at secondary) often get better results than non-denom places: the problem there is that it's self-perpetuating…*but that's all a very separate debate.