Phool ki patti say kat sakta ha heeray ka jgar Mard-e-nadaan pay kalam-e-narm-o-nazak bay asar --Iqbal (A petal might cut through the diamond, but words of wisdom can't penetrate through a fool - Iqbal) I have been reading the letters to editor on the PCP website written by Mr. Timotheus Nasir of Gujranwala for quite a while. His recent series in which he has questioned the authenticity of an honorary D.D. degree issued by Faith Theological Seminary of Gujranwala (FTS) has mostly been a one sided diatribe. Dr. Robert Morey, the recipient of the honorary degree has sent only one letter in response to Bishop Nasir's barrage. Mr. Nasir apparently is the current principal/president of FTS, a position he inherited from his father. Mr. Nasir's other claims to fame include his army's reservist rank in the (Na)Pak army, his famous 'Gunner' e-mail address and his name being displayed by the internet search engine Google®. Although Presbyterian Church does not have bishops in its system, he prefers to be called the 'Bishop' of his splinter Presbyterian group in Pakistan. We will respect his desire to be called a bishop and extend the courtesy of addressing him as Bishop Nasir. According to at least two letters published on PCP website, Bishop Nasir allegedly is a financial supporter and benefactor of Pakistan Christian Post as well. This allegation was never contested by the Editor of PCP, who, by the way, is also a recipient of an honorary D.D. from FTS. Dr. Robert Morey is well known for his ministry and publications defending the Christian faith against the fallacies, lies and half-truths spread by the enemies of Christ and His Church. His work is comparable to the work done in India and Pakistan by the likes of The Rev. Moulvi AbdulHaque 'Fatah-e-Qadian', Dr. Khair Ullah and Alama Paul Ernst. The recent controversy about the honorary D.D. issued by FTS has spiked my interest in the definition, purpose and rules regarding award of doctorate degrees by institutes of higher learning. My search led me to online encyclopedias and some university websites. Here is what one online encyclopedia writes about doctorate degrees: "There are essentially three types of doctorates: research, first-professional, and honorary.".."The title of Doctor is used both by and of those holding research doctorates or a first-professional doctorate, but according to convention is not used by or of those holding honorary doctorates." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctoral_degree) General practice adopted by universities is that only an institution that grants earned doctorate degree can award honorary doctorate degree. According to a policy document of a university's board of regents: "..it does not seem appropriate for institutions which do not award the earned doctorate to confer an honorary doctorate."( http://www.utahsbr.edu/policy/r492.htm) The same source discusses the purpose of awarding honorary degrees as follows: "Major Purposes of Honorary Degrees - There are at least three major purposes of honorary degrees: 1. To recognize someone who has achieved distinction and has made unusual contributions to their professional field, higher education in general, or to a specific educational institution. 2. To bring honor to both the recipient and the institution. 3. To reward past donations and/or to develop future donation opportunities (usually combined with purposes 1 and 2 above)." (http://www.utahsbr.edu/policy/r492.htm) Now that we have some information about the purpose and rules of awarding an honorary degree, we can analyze the situation in a fair and balanced manner. If Dr. Morey and Bishop Nasir call themselves "Doctors" solely based on the honorary degrees issued by FTS, then they don't deserve the title and both of them should desist from doing so. I am not sure whether or not Bishop Nasir has an earned doctorate, but from Dr. Morey's credential he appears qualified and justified in using the title "Doctor." Dr. Morey is right when he says: "With two earned doctorates, the D.D. is nice but not crucial." As a side note, A few years ago a Pakistani-American poet Mr. Hameed Dess was awarded an honorary D.D. by an institute in Asia. To my knowledge, he doesn't use the title 'Doctor" for himself. Perhaps he is aware of the etiquettes associated with an honorary D.D. In Pakistan the degree awarding institutions are granted charter either by the provincial or the federal government and are regulated by Higher Education Commission or HEC (formerly known as University Grants Commission). When I checked the list of post-graduate degree awarding institutes on HEC website, I could not find FTS on that list. That means FTS does not award earned doctorate degrees. According to general rules, then, it is not appropriate for FTS to award honorary D.D. If FTS does so, its honorary degree is not honored anywhere. It actually would be a worthless piece of paper. As quoted earlier, the purpose of an honorary degree is to bring honor to both the recipient and the institution. Therefore, by rescinding or disowning an honorary degree awarded by an institution, a head of the institution will bring dishonor to his institution, its faculty and its board of directors/regents. If there is any fraud, it has been committed by dishonest management of FTS, not by the recipients of the degree. In one of his letters Bishop Nasir writes: "He must remember that an honorary degree has more value than an earned degree." That is the most illogical statement I have ever heard. If an honorary degree has more value, then why do thousands of Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis and others from developing countries leave the comfort of their homes, their love-ones and their motherland to come study in USA and Europe to 'earn' Master and Doctorate degrees? Perhaps Bishop Nasir is confusing a "degree earned with honors" and an "honorary" degree. For the information of PCP readers, an honorary DD from an organization located in Hot Springs, Arizona can be obtained for a 'donation' of approximately $1800. And an additional 'donation' of almost $500 will cause the bestowal to be arranged in a public ceremony by a bishop. (http://archbishops.org/doctorat.html) Now that's a bargain. (I wonder what is the 'donation' required by FTS to award its 'honorary' degree?) I have also heard that many in Bahar Colony, Lahore hold honorary D.D. degrees, from some exotic places, without having left the luxury of their homes in Lahore. Talk about superiority of honorary D.D. over an earned Ph.D.! Bishop Nasir was offended when Dr. Morey mistook him for a Muslim. I think that was an honest mistake on part of both Bishop Nasir and Dr. Morey. Many Muslims and non-Muslim, especially those of African ancestry, still use a combination of western and Arabic names. For example, convicted killer John Allen Mohammed (An African-American Muslim), Nation of Islam leaders Malcolm X and Wallace D. Mohammed etc. On the other hand, it wouldn't be easy for a Pakistani to grasp the fact that Muslims can and do use combinations of western and Arabic names. Even some Muslim clergy have used the title Rev. in the past. Bishop Nasir, you might not like Dr. Morey's ministry. You might not agree with Dr. Morey's style. Living in Pakistan, it might be impossible for you to appreciate Dr' Morey's work among enemies of the Christ and His Church. You might have personal problems with Dr. Morey. Whatever the reason for your anger towards Dr. Morey, please try to work it out amicably and privately without polluting the pages of PCP. Please don't undermine his ministry and do not provide enemies of the Christ and His Church a chance to laugh and celebrate. A person of Dr. Morey's stature, who has earned two doctoral degrees from respected institutes of higher learning, does not need this so-called 'honorary' D.D. from FTS. I will request Dr. Morey to use this worthless 'honorary' degree from FTS to wipe the dust off his shoes and throw it in the trash where it rightfully belongs. Talib Sahrai Kharisharish@yahoo.ca