Re: ASA: Children's resources?

ken.w.smith@cmich.edu
Wed, 6 Mar 1996 10:54:17 -0500

Hi,
I see a theme here. Several others have already pointed it out and
apparently there is some work in ASA to address the following problem.

We want good scientific Christian books for our kids.
My local radio manager wants a good short popular radio spot on
science.
Only the ICR materials are available.

So, our views are losing in the local churches because we are not
writing the *popular* stuff. While many of us focus on our research and
grants and other *legitimate* scientific work we are surrendering a
generation of church-goers to the ICR.

I know it is not quite that bad -- but we scientists need to spend
some time popularizing our views. Particularly those of us who are
Christians.
I'd say more but I'm beginning to feel guilty...

Ken
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Scott wrote:
>>OK folks--I could use your help.
>>
>>Our church booktable was recently "graced" by a (well, I think I can say this
>>here...) HORRENDOUS book for children entitled "Dinosaurs and the Bible". I
>>knew I was in trouble when the preface essentially drew a line in the sand
>>between "Scientists" (boo hiss) and "The Word of God". Actually, I should
have
>>guessed what was coming from the cover illustration of Dinosaurs cavorting
>>around the Ark...but I digress. The book "majored" on attempting to show that
>>Dinosaurs and humans lived together (insert Paluxy river tracks here) and
maybe
>>still lived today (Japanese "rotting undersea pleisiosaur" picture,
>>word-of-mouth reports from the Congo...). There was even a page detailed how
>>Tyrannosaurs might have been created to eat fruit--thereby suggesting that
they
>>could have lived in a death-free, pre-Fall world as well.
>>
>>I *diplomatically* (really!) suggested to our manager that I didn't think that
>>it was a very good book, mentioned that even ICR was distancing itself
from the
>>Paluxy river stuff, etc.... and was openly received for (perhaps in spite
of?)
>>my views. (Actually--I feel fortunate that our church generally refrains from
>>litmus tests...) Now this week, she specifically approached me and asked if I
>>knew of any children's resources that might be better! Of course, dinos are a
>>big deal--I have a 4 year old too--and I'm stumped for ideas.
>>
>>So I submit this to you--what do you know of that is creationist in
*theology*,
>>but open to taking the "book of nature" at face value? Sort of "Hugh Ross for
>>kids". I eagerly await your answers...

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Ken W. Smith, Professor of Mathematics
Interim Director, Office of Institutional Research "In the future
Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859 computers may weigh
Work phone: 517-774-7222, fax: 517-774-4250 as little as 1.5 tons."
Home phone & FAX: 517-772-5042 Popular Mechanics, 1949