My Professor Ate His Dad...

In the Spring of 2006, I took intro to world religions because FSU makes you take a cross cultural course so you are more tolerant of the cultures of others. My professor for this course, was bizzare. I'm talking this guy came from planet Crazypants of which he is most certainly the Emperor.

Example: On the 2nd day of class, he holds up a banner that is made up of different flags which represent the different major religions of the world, and then this other weird flag that has the Star of David (Jewish star) with a Yin-Yang in the middle of it. He offers extra credit to whoever can identify all of the religions represented. People call out the obvious ones like Judiasm, Muslim, Christianity, and so on. Of course no one recognizes the final symbol, because it represents "Professor-ism" (where "Professor" was really his last name, I took it out for privacy reasons) which is his own religion that he made up. he also has it tattooed on his arm, I'm talking huge. Oh- it gets weirder.

So one morning I get to my class. This guy decided today that instead of teaching us what hes supposed to be teaching us, he'd read his essays he wrote on people and why they believe what they do. They made no sense. I was totally lost, as was the rest of my class. People started to walk out. They missed ALL the fun!

He talks about how he hasn't turned on or watched a TV in 35 years- which is weird in itself. No movies, news, nothing. I mean come on, even people in jail watch TV.

Then he starts talking about this book stranger in a strange land (its evidently a well known science fiction book). For those of you (like me) who have never read this book, I'll give you the background. its the story of this guy who was born to human parents on mars and lived there till he was 21 and then moved to earth, not understanding whats going on.

So hes going on and on about how on Mars the Martians ate their loved ones when they died so they would be a part of their body forever. So then he starts talking about how that makes sense (WHAT?!), and how its the circle of life and blah blah blah.....

Then the guy goes (and here's the kicker)
"This is a very rational custom. It makes sense. That's why when my Father died and he was cremated, I ate some of his ashes so he would be a part of me forever"

I swear to you everyones jaw dropped for about 10 minutes. From that point on I don't remember anything that this guy said....I pretty much just sat there making a mental list of all of the drugs this guy must have done in his hippie days. I left class that day knowing i could never take anything he said seriously ever again- I mean come on, the dude ate his dad....