RE: Impact no. 293
Janet Rice (rice@mcc.com)
Fri, 7 Nov 1997 12:07:10 -0600>Impact #293 included the following comment:
>
> "For example, over 20 scientific societies in the United States
>have policies in their bylaws denying acceptance of journal articles
>from
>creationists." (p. ii)
>
>Does anyone know what societies make up this list of 20?
>
I think that is an interesting question - perhaps it is just my experience,
but it seems that many times statements about something being prohibited or
in bylaws or whatever get made without being totally accurate, but are then
repeated with the next "user" assuming the original statement was correct.
In a sense its a question of academic "urban myths". If there is a list of
the 20 societies, there are reasonable odds that someone on this list is a
member of at least one of them who could perhaps check for their particular
society. Perhaps I'm also curious that there would be 20 or more different
scientific socities that publish journals and have enough dealings with
evolution/creation questions to bother putting something in their bylaws.
I would be very surprised if ASM, International (that's for materials
scientist and metallurgists) would have such a statement because it isn't
germane to their interests. I know all this sounds distrustful, and it
probably is - but I know from experience that even with the best of
intentions, it is a good idea to check on other people's (or for that
matter my own) statistics.
Janet Rice
rice@mcc.com
512-338-3266