Honorary Doctorates

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mamamia

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Somebody explain this to me, please.  What's the big deal about these guys flaunting their "Dr." title?  Is it really such a big deal that someone get a doctorate without having earned it, especially when it comes from a podunk, unaccredited college? 
 
mamamia said:
Somebody explain this to me, please.  What's the big deal about these guys flaunting their "Dr." title?  Is it really such a big deal that someone get a doctorate without having earned it, especially when it comes from a podunk, unaccredited college?
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
 
prophet said:
mamamia said:
Somebody explain this to me, please.  What's the big deal about these guys flaunting their "Dr." title?  Is it really such a big deal that someone get a doctorate without having earned it, especially when it comes from a podunk, unaccredited college?
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
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But lying seems to be universal with these self important "Dr.'s"
 
Dr. Hyles explained this at the end of the first year at HAC  (Spring 1973)  He explained that most people with earned doctorates have never accomplished anything, while men who have built great churches haven't been given a doctorate. He then handed out some doctorates.

I do not agree with his thinking, but that's how he explained it.
 
mamamia said:
Somebody explain this to me, please. 
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Compensation for feelings of inadequacy. You can often tell by they way they choose to use it. It seems that those who have an earned doctorate don't  usually demand the title and those who are "honored" with it like it.
 
Vince Massi said:
Dr. Hyles explained this at the end of the first year at HAC  (Spring 1973)  He explained that most people with earned doctorates have never accomplished anything, while men who have built great churches haven't been given a doctorate. He then handed out some doctorates.

I do not agree with his thinking, but that's how he explained it.
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I'll bet his physician's Doctorate was earned.  :)
 
The purpose of honorary doctorates is to produce loyalty to an institution.

Give the pastor of a sizable church a doctorate and he will push his students toward that school.

THAT is the inside dope!
 
This is just my opinion, of course.

Here is the Wiki page of one of my favorite authors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alister_McGrath

Notice how his name is used without his earned degrees prominently attached to his name.

You have to go down into the Bio to find out, "McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History." I don't know if he has any honorary doctorates, but I think he might find them trivial and embarrassing and of no real value or function whatsoever.


About his books.

http://www.alistermcgrathwiley.com/


Here is the Amazon page of one of his best books on the history of the Anglican Bible.

http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Changed-Nation-Language-Culture/dp/0385722168/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405133224&sr=1-1&keywords=alister+mcgrath+in+the+beginning

Please notice on this page of advertising for his book there is no prominent mention of the earned doctorates.

Even in the Bio we are not told he has three earned doctorates.

Men who actually have the real stuff don't brag about it, they have no need to brag as their work speaks for itself.
 
Honorary doctorates are just a thing. Nuttin especially bad or good about em'.










 
FSSL said:
The purpose of honorary doctorates is to produce loyalty to an institution.

Give the pastor of a sizable church a doctorate and he will push his students toward that school.

THAT is the inside dope!
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I got my doctorate from P.I.C.K.L.E. University but never sent any of my students there. In order for that to happen, I would need to be given placement on the Board or, perhaps, a Regional Vice President position.

THAT is the REAL inside dope!  ;)
 
One of the proudest moments of my forum persona's life was the honorary doctorate from PICKLE U. It is unfortunate that I cannot carry it into real life or I could start doing brain surgeries.  I know a few people that need one, provided I can verify that they have the prerequisite for the surgery.
 
From what I have seen my biggest problem comes from the fact that many guys that receive these doctorates spend a lot of time lambasting public education and Satan U. and speak of how evil secular universities can be. Then, once they get the honorary they proudly flaunt "Dr." like it is a badge of honor. Consistency is kicker. IMO
 
mamamia said:
Somebody explain this to me, please.  What's the big deal about these guys flaunting their "Dr." title?  Is it really such a big deal that someone get a doctorate without having earned it, especially when it comes from a podunk, unaccredited college?
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It's not so much a big deal as pathetic.  Unless there are very strict rules about the awarding of honorary doctorates, the practice becomes easily abused.  I can see granting a doctorate to a man in his 60s who has been a faithful pastor for 40 years in one place.  However, granting a doctorate to a horse?  Granting a doctorate to someone at the beginning of his ministry?

Generally, the people I've known with earned doctorates rarely ever use them; they don't put "Dr Whoever" all over their stationery, and demand that their minions call them "Dr".  On the other hand, those with honorary doctorates plaster "Dr" all over everything; web sites; letterheads; audio sermons, video sermos, and other such things... and they insist that the staff point out that they are now "Dr Whoever"

And Jack Hyles is wrong; the ones who have an earned doctorate have shown the discipline to do the actual work required to "earn" a doctorate.  This is not to disparage the people who have gone out and accomplished something significant with their lives, but it is a cheap shot to say that those with earned doctorates have never accomplished anything.
 
And what about the biblical command for a bishop to be “blameless?” I often wondered about this when it came to Paul Chappell and others like him. I would ask, “If they are being dishonest with the titles they are using, what else are they being dishonest about?” To date, not one defend of theirs has ever answered my question on its merit.
 
nib1066 said:
And what about the biblical command for a bishop to be “blameless?” I often wondered about this when it came to Paul Chappell and others like him. I would ask, “If they are being dishonest with the titles they are using, what else are they being dishonest about?” To date, not one defend of theirs has ever answered my question on its merit.
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If you have an honorary doctorate, it's not dishonest to use the title.  Many people who have honorary doctorate titles have accomplished a lot more than those who "earned" their degree. 

Yes, there are some who didn't do anything to deserve an honorary doctorate.  And there are some honorary degrees from worthless institutions.  But it's still not dishonest. 

Personally, I have no use for titles.  I wouldn't go by "Dr." even if I had finished my doctorate.
 
Vince Massi said:
Dr. Hyles explained this at the end of the first year at HAC  (Spring 1973)  He explained that most people with earned doctorates have never accomplished anything, while men who have built great churches haven't been given a doctorate. He then handed out some doctorates.

I do not agree with his thinking, but that's how he explained it.
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One obvious problem with this thinking is that clearly he has never worked for a legitimate doctorate...they are received because of academic work, hard work.  Not everyone has or needs to get one, but it is the height of deception to treat an honorary one or one from an institution that can't really offer one as a real one.  Just wondering how he would of felt if one of his faithful bus captains for many years stood up and said, "I am now preacher, cause I have worked and these coming out of the kawlege have earned nothing."
 
The Rogue Tomato said:
If you have an honorary doctorate, it's not dishonest to use the title.  Many people who have honorary doctorate titles have accomplished a lot more than those who "earned" their degree. 
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How is using a title you did not earn anything other than dishonest? My goodness, I would hope a Man of the Cloth could at least figure that one out.

You are correct, PC and others like him have built big churches, but they have not earned their doctorates; thus they are being dishonest when they use the title.
 
Vince Massi said:
Dr. Hyles explained this at the end of the first year at HAC  (Spring 1973)  He explained that most people with earned doctorates have never accomplished anything, while men who have built great churches haven't been given a doctorate.
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"Dr." Hyles had no idea what he was talking about. As a general rule, a Ph.D. or equivalent is a teaching degree: it states that the bearer is qualified to teach his discipline at the university level. Doctorate degrees can also be qualifications to practice certain professions, such as medicine or law.

I fail to see how teaching a new generation of students, contributing new research to the body of knowledge, or helping people isn't accomplshing anything. Of course, it could very well be that Jacky-boy's rather narrow view of "accomplishment" was limited to building a huge church and becoming a cult of personality.

He then handed out some doctorates.
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To a bunch of men who probably never accomplished anything, at least of lasting value.
 
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