Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Mormon Education Is A FRAUD.

That's right, Fosco used the F-word. And he's going to use it again:

FRAUD.

As in, "Mormon Education is a FRAUD."

Oh, and by "Mormon Education," he means Mormo State University (aka, BYU).

You may remember the nifty little calendar called "Mormons Exposed," featuring some shirtless Mormon missionary beefcake. The calendar really wasn't to Fosco's taste, but as Fosco had a college roommate with a raging hard-on for Mormons, Fosco was pleased that such a calendar exists. Not so the Mormon Church, who promptly excommunicated the calendar maker, Chad Hardy.

But now (and here's where we get to the FRAUD part), it turns out that BYU has revoked Hardy's academic degree. According to the report,

A Sept. 30 letter from Norman B. Finlinson, the school's executive director of student academic and advisement services, said a nonacademic hold was placed on Hardy's record after the church-owned university learned of the excommunication.

"If in the future you are reinstated as a member of the church in good standing, you are invited to contact my office regarding your possible eligibility for the awarding of a degree," Finlinson wrote.
Now I recognize that this kind of thing probably happens all the time at places like Bob Jones University (aka, BJU... teehee! I think I've seen that movie) or Bethel College. But at a (supposedly) national-caliber research university that is only too pleased to brag about the religious diversity of its student body? Ridiculous! I'm not sure we should be calling BYU a university anymore. So, from now on, Fosco promises to refer to that place only as BY"U" (and yes, when he does so in conversation, he will use air quotes).

Why do Mormons want to ruin everything?

4 comments:

m said...

You pose many serious questions that you're pretty much never going to get a straight, honest answer for. I know Hardy in a very round about way and he's working to fight this. I can only hope another institution sees what YBU has done and give him an honorary degree because even if he broke their "honor code", he still did all the work for his degree.

YBU also banned some pieces from a Rodin exhibit because they were nudes (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-746455.html). How terribly charming!

Anonymous said...

It was really only the one Mormon. Were you thinking Jews?

FOSCO said...

My friend the "cynical, lovable, loyal girl" is my favorite source for inside info on Mormoniana. Thanks, Mere!

As for "my roommate"...
Do you remember calling me from Temple Square in SLC on a cross-country drive and telling me how attractive you were finding all of the Mormon men wandering around? Fosco remembers.

Anonymous said...

Damn you and your eidetic memory.

But seriously, it was Jews.