From: Charles F. Austerberry (cfauster@creighton.edu)
Date: Mon Aug 18 2003 - 14:13:14 EDT
Dear Colleagues:
Dr. Bert Thompson gave his "Science & Nature: Two Votes for God"
seminar in Omaha August 15-17, 2003. Too many people leave a seminar
like Dr. Thompson's convinced that anything other than his
young-earth creationism must be anti-God. So, as folks left the
seminar, a colleague and I distributed a flyer that we hope politely
and respectfully offered the alternative view of our Nebraska
Religious Coalition for Science Education. The text of the flyer
appears below. The web links at the end might be of use; many are to
ASA-published journal articles, and thus present a Christian
perspective.
*******************
A network of Nebraskans with diverse religious faiths, the Nebraska
Religious Coalition for Science Education (NRCSE) considers good
science and good theology compatible. We recognize:
_ the duty of Nebraska's schools to teach, and require an understanding of, the
best available science.
_ the right of students, parents, and religious organizations to
accept or reject
scientific theories and develop their own religious beliefs.
_ that scientific data and theories are compatible with the
existence, and activity,
of the Divine.
_ that theists, agnostics, and atheists can legitimately incorporate the same
scientific knowledge in different metaphysical perspectives.
The NRCSE supports teaching about creationism and intelligent design
as religious or
philosophical positions. We also accept both the scientific theory
of evolution and the religious
concept of creation. Like many evangelical Christians, we believe
that not all creation texts in
the Bible were written to be interpreted literally.(1)
When forced to choose between evolution and creation, most Americans
choose creation. But
evolution and creation are not mutually exclusive. 68% of Americans
surveyed in 1999 consider
evolution compatible with belief in a divine creator, and 66% do not
want creationism taught as
science.(2) Similar views are even more prevalent among scientists.
For example, 84% of Ohio
college science professors surveyed in 2002 consider the theory of
evolution consistent with
belief in God, and 93% see no scientifically valid evidence
challenging the fundamental
principles of evolution.(3)
Biologists seek natural explanations for how species form just as
they try to explain, for example,
how embryos form. We expect embryonic development to proceed
naturally, whether or not we
can fully explain it yet scientifically. We may thank God as creator
of each life, not because our
embryology is incomplete, but because we see (through the eyes of
faith) each organism as both
God's creation and a product of natural processes. Likewise,
scientific investigation does not
identify God's action in evolution, yet we may rightly praise God for
creating countless
wonderful species through evolution.
1. Making Sense of Genesis 1 (R. E. Watts),
<http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Bible-Science/6-02Watts.html>
2. Evolution and Creationism in Public Education: An In-depth Reading
of Public Opinion, <http://www.pfaw.org>
3. Ohio Scientists' Intelligent Design Poll,
<http://ecology.cwru.edu/ohioscience>
<http://nrcse.creighton.edu> is the web site for the Nebraska
Religious Coalition for Science
Education, with links to many information sources. Some links
particularly relevant for topics
addressed by Dr. Bert Thompson are listed below (also at
<http://nrcse.creighton.edu/ResponseToYEC.html>).
Age of the earth
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2000/PSCF6-00Morton.html
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/resources/Wiens.html
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/resources/zorn.html
http://www.ntanet.net/radiocarbon.htm
DNA and genetics
http://christianitytoday.aol.com/ct/2001/012/2.42.html
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/molgen
http://www.carlzimmer.com/articles/2002/articles_2002_6.html
Evolution in the public schools
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2000/PSCF9-00Austerberry.html
http://nrcse.creighton.edu/RCSELyden.htm
http://nrcse.creighton.edu/TheThreatofEvolution.html
Fossils
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/resources/Miller.html
http://www.ntanet.net/footprints.htm
Intelligent design
http://www.actionbioscience.org/evolution/nhmag.html
http://nrcse.creighton.edu/IDTHG.html
http://nrcse.creighton.edu/DesignerWorld.html
http://nrcse.creighton.edu/ObjectiveScience.html
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2002/1106id.shtml
Science, theology, and the Bible
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1998/PSCF9-98Pennock.html
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1998/PSCF3-98Miller.html
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF9-93Miller.html
http://www.kcfs.org/kmiller.html
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Bible-Science/6-02Watts.html
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1988/PSCF12-88Kemp.html
Thermodynamics
http://www.ntanet.net/Thermo-Internet.htm
-- Charles (Chuck) F. Austerberry, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biology Hixson-Lied Science Building Room 438 Creighton University 2500 California Plaza Omaha, NE 68178Voice: (402)-280-2154 or -2321 FAX: (402)-280-5595 e-mail: cfauster@creighton.edu
Nebraska Religious Coalition for Science Education http://nrcse.creighton.edu
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