Reading a magazine tonight and watching basketball. Came across quite an absurdity from the world of Western higher education. A World Magazine quick take on the Unethical Teaching Ethics reads: Princeton University has Peter Singer, an ethics professor who advocates the killing of some unwanted persons. The University of Manchester now has Paul Agutter, an ethics professor who actually tried to poison his wife. The Reuters news service reports that the British school has hired the convicted criminal to teach a course titled "Therapeutic Cloning: Ethics and Science." Mr. Agutter served seven years in jail for attempted murder after he tried to poison his wife's drink with nightshade in 1994. He was dubbed the "Safeway poisoner" because he tried to cover up his crime by poisoning drinks in a Safeway store. Medical ethics lecturer Piers Benn of Imperial College London defended the hire: "I can't see any logical contradiction between being able to think about ethical questions and being able to do rather criminal acts." WORLD March 27, 2004: Quick takes - Emphasis Added. No contradiction? How about, he doesn't know what the heck he is talking about! If one can lecture, pontificate, and teach on the subject of "ethics" but is an extremely unethical and even criminal man, how will the students think he knows anything of his subject matter. Perhaps the situation is worse than I can imagine - perhaps the students do not care. I pray such absurd hypocrisy is short lived - how can a civilization survive with things beyond blurry, where those who are experts in wrong doing are comissioned to teach us right from wrong. God help us. Out...

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