Intellectual Suicide of Our West

The greatest threat to Western Civilization is simultaneously external and internal. The threat comes from individuals who seek to ban, burn or destroy a controversial idea rather than engage intellectually with it (think, for example, about the great library of Alexandria that was burned to the ground some centuries ago). Today there is plenty of understandable concern over Islam Militant. But there should also be concern when religions within our civilization -- Catholics and Protestants included -- attempt to ban, burn or destroy literature and scientific thought as well. What ever happened to coming up with intellectual arguments against stuff one disagrees with? How are we to hone our wits?

A professor friend of mine was recently told by an administrator at a religious and accredited university that she/he better watch out in assigning an essay or book by Carl Sagan. He/she assigned Sagan to encourage critical thinking, and help students hone their wits. A GOP-connected administrator heard that Sagan had been introduced, and has since taken up a campaign against this professor, calling (from what I understand) for his/her termination. And let it be known that if I heard about a professor assigning St. Thomas Aquinas to his/her students in a strictly secular state university, and some DNC administrator attempted to get this professor fired, I would be equally pissed.

So the West continues its attempts to commit suicide, a sort of light variation on this.