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Dear colleagues, As a follow-up to Alex's message (below), I have a recent anecdote regarding creation-evolution literature in the "Faith Community." I have some additional comments below. While visiting Walla Walla, Washington last week (socially conservative region), I found a Christian bookstore along main street. Since I hadn't visited a Christian bookstore in years, I was curious about their creation-evolution literature selection. I was hoping to see a balance of support for both sides, but I only found literature supporting creationism and bashing evolutionists as "hiding the real facts." When I asked a bookstore staffperson about Christian literature supporting evolution, they asked flatly, "How could Christian's ever support Evolution?" I was taken aback, but explained that Creationism is based on faith and Evolution is based on observation and testing. They don't have to conflict. The staffperson suggested a book that wasn't helpful and then walked away. I thank Lisa Park for starting this topic on Paleonet. I share her viewpoint and concerns. I also thank James Mahaffy for sharing an opposing viewpoint. I would like to know more why Dr. Mahaffy says, "Please don't stereotype all evangelicals with young earth [flood model] anticreationists" becaue this is exactly how evangelicals are viewed by many in the blue states and worldwide. What is the ASA? FYI, I don't view this topic as an attack on Christian values. To the contrary, most of the world views Bush's actions and policies as a direct attack on OUR value systems, OUR rights, and OUR laws, including the US Constitution, family values, Christian values, Islamic values, Geneva convention, etc. Concerned...but ever hopeful, Cary R. Easterday PhD student, Geology/Paleobiology, University of Illinois at Chicago (start Jan 2005) Moderator, Paleogeoarthropoda and FossilBugz http://groups.yahoo.com/group/paleogeoarthropoda http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FossilBugz 206/650-9747 (cell) xenoblatta@hotmail.com ----Original Message Follows---- From: Alexander Glass <aglass@uiuc.edu> Reply-To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk Subject: Re: paleonet Moral Values Means Anti-Science Date: Thu, 04 Nov 2004 17:27:18 -0600 In answer to the question "what are we going to do"? Well, first of all every scientists in America should join and actively support the National Center for Science Education (www.natcenscied.org). It is an embarrassment to the scientific establishment that creationist organizations such as the ICR still continue to have VASTLY larger budgets than the one organization that defends evolution and good science in the public sphere. Second, forget about writing another book on the subject of creation-evolution what we need instead is ACTIVE participation in the local communities. How many of you know the people who sit on your local school boards? What do you know about their views with regards to science and evolution? Is a "Kansas Tornado" waiting to happen in your neck of the woods? There is absolutely no reason for us to be surprised that anti-evolutionist measures continue to make it into local school districts - the efforts of anti-evolutionists are relentless and constant. Are you prepared to oppose local flare ups or will you be caught off guard when it happens? If you have the urge to write another book write one for the FAITH COMMUNITY. The "science" in creationism is largely a front for underlying theological, philosophical, and ethical concerns. Teaching better or more facts about evolution isn't going to affect students' attitudes if they believe that accepting evolution is anti-Christian and anti-God. Much of Christianity (including much of conservative Christianity) accepts evolution and has harmonized it with their spiritual world view. Yet the available literature geared towards Christian students and young Christian people continues to be dominated by anti-evolutionist nonsense. Indeed they are being BOMBARDED with it! A visit to your local Christian bookstore will tell you that. There are already a slew of great books that harmonize Christianity and modern science but they just don't seem to get marketed to the conservative faith community enough. Buy a couple of copies of these and donate them to your local libraries, your High School libraries, local churches etc. Make yourself available (i.e. say hello, write them a letter) to your local churches for talks and discussions on this subject. You would be surprised how welcoming even the conservative denominations can be when it comes to the subject of science and religion. Even to agnostics like myself. The REAL impact on people's attitudes about evolution will have to come from WITHIN the faith community. Put together a nice talk on the nature of science, the evidence for evolution, and advertise yourself to local clubs, organizations, High Schools, etc. There is great interest in this issue among the public right now and we cannot pass this opportunity up! At 09:18 AM 11/4/2004, you wrote: >Dear Paleonetters and all people interested in Science--- > >On Tuesday, George Bush was re-elected President of the United States. >Whether or not you supported him is inconsequential. What will have >extreme consequences to those interested in paleontology and the study of >evolution is WHY he got elected. Despite an unpopular war in Iraq and an >underperforming economy, millions of people turned out at the polls to vote >for Mr. Bush. The reason they cited was “moral values.” Most pundits >define this as meaning anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage, but it runs a >little deeper than that. It is also anti-science, and for us, >anti-evolution. With 4 Supreme Court Justice nominations looming in the >next 4 years, Mr. Bush could appoint very extreme right-wing justices who >could effectively put prayer in school, the Ten Commandments in public >places and Creationism in the classroom. > >The time is now for all of us to come together and realize what is >happening. One THIRD of Americans are evangelical Christians. They >interpret the Bible literally, which means that they do not believe Earth >is 4.6 billion years old, but do believe that the Flood caused the Grand >Canyon. What was once thought of as a “fringe” element in American society >has become the majority and, as witnessed on Tuesday, they VOTE. > >The question is…..what are we going to do? To borrow from two recent >campaign ads: there ARE wolves lurking in the forest…are we going to bury >our heads in the sand? > >Sincerely, >Lisa Park > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Dr. Lisa E. Park, Associate Professor >Department of Geology >Crouse Hall >252 Buchtel Commons >University of Akron >Akron, OH 44325-4101 USA >001-330-972-7633 (phone) >001-330-972-7611 (fax) >lepark@uakron.edu > >Damnant quod non intelligunt >(they condemn what they do not understand) > ---------------------- Alexander Glass Paleobiology of ophiuroids, asteroids, and crinoids Ph. D. Candidate Department of Geology University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1301 West Green Street, NHB 245 Urbana, IL 61801 United States ---------------- Tel:217-333-4963 Fax: 217-244-4996 ---------------- “The willow submits to the wind and prospers until one day it is many willows – a wall against the wind.” Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohaim (Frank Herbert, Dune)
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