>At 01:26 PM 12/3/99 -0500, Keith B Miller Quoted Phillip Johnson :
>_____________________________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>>Keith:
>>
>>First, it is true that Jonathan Wells is a member of the Unification
>>Church, and this fact has never been "hidden."
>>
>>Second, the Wedge (including the Discovery Institute) is an intellectual
>>movement, not a church or confessional movement. We have no faith
>>statement or religious requirement. Our objective is to bring before the
>>literate public significant questions which are presently suppressed by the
>>cultural power of the scientific materialist establishment, aided as it is
>>by theistic evolutionists such as yourself. We welcome participation by
>>all qualified persons who want to make it possible to follow the scientific
>>evidence where it leads, rather than being restricted by the dictates of
>>methodological naturalism. For example, any Moslem or Mormon would also be
>>welcome to make an intellectual contribution to the scientific and
>>philosophical debate -- especially if he or she were as capable as Jonathan
>>Wells.
>>
>>Third, this personal attack strikes me as an act of desperation. Why don't
>>you start thinking about the issues raised by Jonathan's excellent
>>scientific publications, instead of grasping for some further excuse for
>>ignoring the evidence for intelligent design in biology? Those papers are
>>available at the ARN web site, www.arn.org
>>
>>Finally, your threat to publish what is already widely known brings to mind
>>what the Duke of Wellington said to a lady who threatened to publish his
>>amorous correspondence. You can look it up. And please do publish this
>>message with your own.
>>
>>Phillip Johnson
>>____________________________________________________________________________
>>
What strikes me is that given the support that the Christian community,
Christian publishers and the Christian laity has given Johnson and his
followers, he now basically says that religion doesn't matter to his
movement. Yet he freely accepts all the benefits that the Christian press
and laity give him. ARN, the place where he refers people, used to be a
place Christians could count on to support the Bible, but it seems that
they too have been subverted to this new Bible-less crusade. As I said,
this is consistent with what he has been saying all along. From a recent
Touchstone,
"To put things on a more rational basis, the first thing that has to be
done is to get the Bible out of the discussion." Philip Johnson,"The
Wedge," Touchstone, July/August, 1999, p. 22,
This of course implies that discussion can't be rational with the Bible in
there. In fairness to Johnson, he says he wants to do that because people
react to the Bible. Of course people react to the Bible, it is God's word.
Apparently, Johnson and the ID people don't seem to think it is all that
important. If that isn't enough, then here is Johnson 2 years ago on the
PBS debate saying the same thing,
"In fact I have said on many occasions and have urged persons in the
conservative Christian community to put aside the Bible issues and let us
ask the question what is actually known from scientific evidence as
opposed to materialistic philosophy." PBS Debate broadcast Dec 19, 1997
Why does Phil and the ID crowd run from the Bible? Are they ashamed of it?
Phil apparently is and doesn't want to disturb those of other religions who
might want to join him in his crusade NOT TO EVANGELISE but to knock down
Darwin. And in their rush to kick at Darwin, they throw the Bible out of
the public debate. Isn't this what the atheists want--to get the Bible out
of the public discussion?
While Phil may think it is 'desparation' to take note of Well's religion,
it was not very forthcoming of the ID movement to never mention this little
fact either. The Touchstone (July/Aug 1999) doesn't say anything about
Wells being a minister for the Unification Church! Wells is said to have
done religious studies at Yale but it makes no mention of this:
"At the end of the Washington Monument rally in September, 1976, I was
admitted to the second entering class at Unification Theological Seminary"
Jonathan Wells,
http://www.tparents.org/library/unification/talks/wells/DARWIN.htm
How would anyone know this supposedly 'well known' fact that Johnson
speaks of? It never appeared in any bio that I am aware of. It always
seemed to be omitted! Frankly, I don't think the ID movement has been
forthcoming and open with the Christian community in this regard.
glenn
Foundation, Fall and Flood
Adam, Apes and Anthropology
http://www.flash.net/~mortongr/dmd.htm
Lots of information on creation/evolution