Ohio State'S Mormon President Really Doesn'T Like Catholics

[Avatar4321]

http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-states-mormon-president-really-doesnt-catholics-191949827.html

it's in the news. A shame, even if it was just a joke.

[Stargazer]

Not just a shame, but very dumb.

[3DOP]

Ahhh...disappointing...that's not much. Its just a sports thing and academic thing. People need to be able to make in-house jokes about other groups. I don't promise never to laugh at a joke or derogatory comment directed at a group to which I don't belong. Its okay if you want to make Catholic jokes. It isn't true so who cares? I really don't think somebody like a university president would be stupid enough to be serious with such comments. Public figures just get caught in uncontexted soundbites that can make them look bad. Of course he'll be more careful next time, but Ohio State needs to be allowed to throw off on Notre Dame, especially after going to the Fiesta Bowl, and vice versa. When BYU goes to the National Championship, we get to make LDS jokes. Fair enough?

3DOP

[Stargazer]

Actually, the best jokes have an element of truth in them, you know.

It is a mark of craftmanship to be able to make them just so -- so they amuse and don't offend.

I've heard lots of good Mormon and Catholic jokes. And Mormon Catholic jokes. But everyone has heard these already, so I shan't toss one into the ring and embarrass myself for unoriginality.

[Stargazer]

But then, maybe I will after all.

A Mormon bishop, a Catholic priest and a rabbi go fishing together. They haven't caught a thing after a few hours of hooks in the water, the conversation has died down, when suddenly the priest announces:

Priest: "I believe I have finally advanced in faith to the point where I do believe I can walk on water."

Rabbi: "Well, this I have got to see. Please demonstrate!"

The bishop is shocked by this announcement and says nothing. Whereupon the priest stands up, carefully puts his foot outside the boat and down to the water. He draws his other foot out of the boat, and solemnly walks ten feet or so away from the boat, on the water's surface, and then returns, looking very humble.

Rabbi: "Very good! I'm most impressed, but I don't think you're unique in this regard!"

Whereupon the rabbi performs the exact same feat and returns to the boat looking even more humble than the priest, if that is possible. Together, they turn to look at the Mormon bishop, with clear expectation. The bishop hesitates for a moment, but decides that he cannot allow the priest and the rabbi to perform such a feat of faith without at least attempting it himself. He stands up, puts his right foot down to the water, and then shifts his weight onto the now wet foot. He topples into the water, fully immersed, and in a moment can be seen to be standing firmly on the bottom on the lake, with only his head showing. He sputters water, and looks mightily embarrassed.

The rabbi turns to the priest and smiles.

Priest: "Should we now tell him about the rocks lying just beneath the surface on our side of the boat?"

[Daniel Peterson]

Sigh. Gordon Gee has had an extraordinarily successful career as a university administrator -- perhaps the most outstanding such career in American history, or, at least, among currently serving university presidents. (Just look at a list of the schools over which he's presided.) It's not even remotely something that I would ever want to do -- can you imagine the meetings he has to attend? -- but he's been good at it.

However, his career wasn't built on dumb comments like these.

And -- some have asked me -- he's a distant relative of John Gee, the Egyptologist. I don't believe that they know each other, though.

[Avatar4321]

I think we all make dumb comments from time to time. I was just greatly saddened by these. and Even more so when they were plastered on the top of the yahoo news section.

[Calm]

Ahhh...disappointing...that's not much. Its just a sports thing and academic thing. People need to be able to make in-house jokes about other groups. I don't promise never to laugh at a joke or derogatory comment directed at a group to which I don't belong. Its okay if you want to make Catholic jokes. It isn't true so who cares? I really don't think somebody like a university president would be stupid enough to be serious with such comments. Public figures just get caught in uncontexted soundbites that can make them look bad. Of course he'll be more careful next time, but Ohio State needs to be allowed to throw off on Notre Dame, especially after going to the Fiesta Bowl, and vice versa. When BYU goes to the National Championship, we get to make LDS jokes. Fair enough?

3DOP

As always, you impress me with your goodness, Rory. Too bad it wasn't that great of a joke though...if one is going to be painted (rightly or wrongly) as a jerk, one should be painted with bright colours of intelligent, insightful nastiness, not just dull shades of mediocre, run of the mill, dime a dozen repeats.

And Rory, you and friends and family get to make LDS ones as long as they are funny....don't insult yourselves and waste the opportunity by not coming up with something actually funny. I know you must be very capable.

I do wish humour didn't contain so much that was insulting, it seems to me if we think hard enough there must be enough good things to laugh about, but humour is often about the juxtaposition of good and bad, odd and even, black and white, so I suppose it is natural for much humour to include both positive and negative. And it's not like I've restrained myself from ever saying something snide about someone (I don't tell jokes, just make comments...snide comments.....very, very, very snide comments), there is little restraint among my family in my home territory among those who know me well and who I know well enough to know when the teasing will becoming mocking which is where we stop as we all want to have fun, not be 7 having a hoot and one in tears or anger or red faced. Outside the refuge of the home I do tend to save for the target of my particular brand of sharpness---where it is no longer about teasing---those who come across as arrogant and so self certain. They are really the only appealing target to me for some reason. I probably could spend a few hundred dollars in the therapy chair trying to figure that one out.

From the report:

Gee's apology seems sincere, even if an unflattering AP report forced him to provide it.

I am glad to hear that it appeared to be sincere to the reporter who I would think would be naturally skeptical, it thus seems likely to be sincere to me as well. If people aren't really being hurt by the practice, if they understand that next time is their turns, that it is a way to blow off some steam to prevent frustration going into anger and rejection....wow, just woke up to a line of fffffffffffffffffffff across the board, lost a minute or two there. Looks like tonight sleep is going to hit ontime, woohoo! Night all. Sorry if I never ended that thought, it got sucked into a dream and is much happier there.

[Calm]

I wonder why the wait to reveal them for 5 months.

Also:

The comments apparently stemmed from failed negotiations over the Notre Dame football program's membership in the Big Ten athletic conference. (Gee also called suggested SEC schools needed to "learn to read and write.")

So was this blowing off steam from a failed deal?

[Damien the Leper]

Not impressed though it was a little humorous. Just gotta brush it off...

[ERayR]

Ahhh...disappointing...that's not much. Its just a sports thing and academic thing. People need to be able to make in-house jokes about other groups. I don't promise never to laugh at a joke or derogatory comment directed at a group to which I don't belong. Its okay if you want to make Catholic jokes. It isn't true so who cares? I really don't think somebody like a university president would be stupid enough to be serious with such comments. Public figures just get caught in uncontexted soundbites that can make them look bad. Of course he'll be more careful next time, but Ohio State needs to be allowed to throw off on Notre Dame, especially after going to the Fiesta Bowl, and vice versa. When BYU goes to the National Championship, we get to make LDS jokes. Fair enough?

3DOP

Agree. I sometimes lament at what political correctness has done to us.

[Kenngo1969]

A Catholic, a Jew, a Mormon and their wives are all waiting at the Pearly Gates for admission to the Great Beyond. Saint Peter comes up with his clipboard and says, "Let's review how you all did." He steps up to the Catholic and says, "I'd really like to admit you and your lovely wife into heaven, but, gosh, you loved strong drink so much that you married a woman named Brandy. I'm afraid we can't allow anyone of your ilk in." Then he goes to the Jew and he says, "Sir, I'd really like to admit you and your lovely wife into heaven, but, gosh, you loved money so much that you married a woman named Penny. I'm afraid we can't allow anyone of your ilk in, either. Then St. Peter goes to the Mormon, but before he can say anything, the Mormon holds up his hand. "Wait," he says. "Don't tell me. I know what you're going to say." The Mormon then turns to his wife. "Well, gosh, Honey," the Mormon says to his wife. "If those good folks aren't good enough to make it into heaven, why, there's no chance for us. Come on, Fanny, let's get out of here!"

[The Nehor]

When did we all decide to become such thin-skinned wimps?

And why did I not get the memo?

[Avatar4321]

When did we all decide to become such thin-skinned wimps?

And why did I not get the memo?

Thin skinned wimps? No one is attacking us. There is nothing to be thin or thick skinned about. The problem is one of ours is insulting others. Something we are not supposed to do because we are supposed to be kind and friendly to all.

[The Nehor]

Thin skinned wimps? No one is attacking us. There is nothing to be thin or thick skinned about. The problem is one of ours is insulting others. Something we are not supposed to do because we are supposed to be kind and friendly to all.

The "we" meant people in general. This is so clearly a jocular reference with little to no malice that making an issue out of it is insane.

If this kind of thing is going to cause hand wringing from here on out then spending time with me will cause these poor sensitive souls offended by this to wring their hands right off.

[3DOP]

I heard on ESPN Sports Radio that the President stepped down today, retired. I wouldn't have known what they were talking about if not for MD&DB "In the News", my source for all things current.

Is there a certain way to pronounce the name "Gee"? Is it ,"Gee LeFleur had a hat trick," or "the letter Gee"? The sports guys seem to think it would be the hockey. I had thought it was probably the letter.

[ERayR]

I heard on ESPN Sports Radio that the President stepped down today, retired. I wouldn't have known what they were talking about if not for MD&DB "In the News", my source for all things current.

I don't see the call for Mike Adams to resign or be fired for his remarks about Mormonism. (See thread: Professor "Apologizes" To Mormons)

[Storm Rider]

This is PC run amok. As a LDS who is very close to many good Catholic friends it would be something I would say in their presence and they would understand and laugh about it; particularly when the topic is Notre Dame. I suspect the context and the timbre of the event where it was spoken, this humor was well understood and appreciated and did not offend a single Catholic in the room. I detest, I hate, I reject bowing to the sanctimonious standards of PC. Instead of ever apologizing, he should have gone on the offensive and stated how utterly stupid it was to take the comments out of context. This is sports and the comments fit the event and particularly when Notre Dame chose to do what it did....those mamby pambies are just afraid to play a real team! Yet we calmly tolerate the IRS, Eric Holder, the President's attack on the 1st Amendment, but God forbid two schools talk tough about sports. And we are supposed to be world leaders? Right.....

[theplains]

Something we are not supposed to do because we are supposed to be kind and friendly to all.

I wonder if anyone in the Mormon Church today would make a speech about all Catholic

creeds being an abomination and all their professors being corrupt.

Regards,

Jim

[Storm Rider]

When God talks does anyone care or should we parse every syllable for political correctness? How often is God offensive to his children? Should we care if God finds beliefs offensive? Should we try to understand why Gos is offended.

[Sleeper Cell]

I wonder if anyone in the Mormon Church today would make a speech about all Catholic

creeds being an abomination and all their professors being corrupt.

Regards,

Jim

Naw. Catholics are cool.

These days we only say such things about members of the First Evangelical Church.of the Internet

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-states-mormon-president-really-doesnt-catholics-191949827.html

it's in the news. A shame, even if it was just a joke.

Do you mean "A Stake President in Ohio", in order tighten that wide net you thread title seems to cast?

[Calm]

Do you mean "A Stake President in Ohio", in order tighten that wide net you thread title seems to cast?

Not "Stake President" but President of Ohio State University. The article makes it clear. You'll catch up by the time you read this post.

[rodheadlee]

Thin skinned wimps? No one is attacking us. There is nothing to be thin or thick skinned about. The problem is one of ours is insulting others. Something we are not supposed to do because we are supposed to be kind and friendly to all.

How come no one is complaining about Gordon Gee banging on the SEC schools? Get a grip, it was a football thing.

[rodheadlee]

I wonder if anyone in the Mormon Church today would make a speech about all Catholic

creeds being an abomination and all their professors being corrupt.

Regards,

Jim

What does this have to do with football? These remarks were made in jest for a good football rivalry. Why is no one complaining about his remarks on the SEC schools?