I like your response, Aimee, especially the part that brings out the importance of being nonjudgemental. I think it's likely that many people with your teacher's opinion would be surprised that others would be offended by that opinion, even if they disagreed.

I guess I think that morals influence our thinking, but not so much the critical part. I think that the important part is to use the moral and critical thinking together, especially with people whose moral and ethical frameworks may vary.

I guess I think that morals influence our thinking, but not so much the critical part

Morals don't so much affect our thinking, they affect our behavior. Critical thinking is what leads us to develop our personal moral structure. From what Aimee's prof says, someone else did her critical thinking for her (God) and, therfore, she's imposing "her" morals on everyone else because obviously she's a better critical thinker than her students are. She's putting the cart before the horse and it don't work that way. Bleargh.

From what Aimee's prof says, someone else did her critical thinking for her (God)

Yes. And if she wants to do this on her own, fine. But if she feels that personal critical thinking is thus unnecessary, it's kind of odd for her to teach such a class.

Aimee, have your prof give Carly Milne a call, please.

I sure will.

(Who is she?)

Totally off topic...

Boy, those Rockettes sure can kick!

While our personal morals do affect our critical thinking, in order to be better critical thinkers, we can not allow them to influence us 100%. Otherwise, what's the point of thinking critically at all?

It seems to me that the critical thinking that hasn't been exercised by Aimee's teacher is as follows:

How does she define "porn"? And I don't mean the legal criteria for defining whether or not something is "obscene" -- I mean for the teacher herself, how does she define "porn"?

Everything flows from that.

I would agree that kiddie porn and snuff porn does, in fact, convey zero respect for human life.

However, there is lots of "porn" out there (and what I, personally, mean by that is "adult entertainment whose main focus is on sexuality and sexual activity") that, frankly, shows MOUNTAINS of respect for human life. And I mean that. There's lots of porn out there that shows 2 people having fun with each other and making each other happy, and I cannot fathom how that could be construed as "disrespectful" of humanity.

Your teacher is showing the exact opposite of critical thinking with her broad-based shallow condemnation. You have to define your terms before you can even attempt to make the kind of statement she did (if you want your statement to be taken seriously, that is).

Where did you go to see them, vw? I think of them as a New York standard. Do they have a travelling show?

vw, I got your message this morning, but I didn't even get out of bed until noon-y. How are you doing now?

Where did you go to see them, vw?

Wang Theater in Boston.

I think of them as a New York standard.

I always have too. But, instead of having it "set" in NYC, the whole theater "travels" to NYC for a portion of the show.

Do they have a travelling show?

Yeah. I don't know how many cities. They're amazing, though.