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These are not easy economic times.  And many times the hardest hit are the ignorant.  Where do they go to find work?  Is there any outlet for the stunningly not-bright?  Good news for those who are intellectually challenged: the world of academia is always looking for ignorant boobs to teach courses at many of our colleges.

Take, for instance, Luther College – an undergraduate liberal arts institution in Iowa that is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.  Apparently being a dull blade is high on their list of priorities in hiring staff.  And the dimmer your bulb, the higher your potential for advancement.  Don’t believe me?  Seem too bizarre to be true?  Check out the brilliant thesis advanced by the department chair of religion courses at Luther, Robert F. Shedinger:

A professor at an Iowa college says as a Christian, he has to say that Jesus was a Muslim.

Ignoring the historical timeline in which Jesus taught some 2,000 years ago in the Middle East and the advent of Islam is dated six centuries later, after Christianity had impacted much of the known globe, Robert F. Shedinger, who wrote “Was Jesus a Muslim?” said his research convinced him of Jesus as aligning in thought with Islam.

See what I mean?  You don’t even have to be coherent to land a job at this place!  You can teach courses in religious history when you’re 600 years off in your basic timeline.  You can teach courses in religion when you conflate and confuse two diametrically opposing faiths.  And not only can you teach, you can get a book deal to help spread your ignorance to those outside of the school.  It’s a fool’s paradise at Luther!

Shedinger said the issue arose when a Muslim student challenged his teaching about Islam, and he rethought not only Islam, but all of religion.

He came to perceive Islam as a social justice system instead of a religion, and found that he thought the same about Jesus.

“I had to rethink what Islam is,” Shedinger said in the interview. “I came to the conclusion that it was a social justice movement and I think that’s who Jesus was in the first century so I conclude Jesus is more like a Muslim.”

He admitted it would “be a stretch” for many to follow his process and consider Jesus a Muslim, but, “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable anymore.”

“Even as a Christian I have to answer yes to that,” he said.

“A social justice system.”  Fabulous.  And notice that the esteemed professor acknowledges that it’s a stretch for anyone to believe such a cockamamie idea.  Nonetheless, he’s comfortable with it.  And the school cares so much for the integrity of history and the content of the courses they offer, they’re cool with that too.  Sure the dude is teaching a load of crap that even he acknowledges no one with a brain will buy, but hey...that’s diversity, baby!  And when it comes to an institution funded and supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, diversity is all that matters.

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“The administration is very, very comfortable with the proposal, with the book, and with what his statements about this situation are,” said Jerry Johnson, a school spokesman.

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“We embrace diversity and challenge one another to learn in community, to discern our callings, and to serve with distinction for the common good,” the college mission statement proclaims.  “As a college of the church, Luther is rooted in an understanding of grace and freedom that emboldens us in worship, study, and service to seek truth, examine our faith, and care for all God’s people.”

I call bull on the “seek truth” line.  It’s apparent that truth takes a back seat to “diversity” at Luther and in the ELCA in general.  Truth is proclaiming as Jesus did that He is alone the way, the truth, and the life.  It’s proclaiming that no man comes to the Father except through Christ.  Not Muhammed, not Allah, not the Buddha, not anything or anyone else. 

Such a statement would probably cause Professor Shedinger’s head to explode – as well as the administration of the church and school.  Of course, apparently so does intellectualism and rational thinking.

With this kind of track record, wouldn’t you love to get a look at what the math professors there do with basic addition and subtraction?  I’m sure it’s “diverse.”