>> I never heard these parts of the story (teaching about YEC and
>> arguing against abortion in class). Are they documented somewhere--I
>> would be interested in seeing it. Also, does anyone know Kenyon's
>> background? Does he subscribe to YEC? If so, how and why did he
>> make the transition from being an abiogenesis researcher to a
>> creationist?
The following is part of a letter that John Hafernik, Chair of the
Biology Dept, sent to Jim Lippard:
2. Based on my disscussions with Dr. Kenyon and with the students who
complained, I believe his presentation of evolutionary theory and the
intelligent design paradigm is essentially the same as in his book.
An exception is that in his lectures, unlike his book, Dr. Kenyon
discusses examples of short age chronometers for the earth (moon dust,
changes in the earth's magnetic field, secular changes in the speed of
light) He is also more explicit in his lectures (based on his lecture
notes) in linking intelligent design to creationism.
A letter to me from another student at SFSU also said that her
understanding, based on what was reported in the school paper, was that
Kenyon had been commenting on abortion in lectures.
Also, Jim Lippard posted the following a couple of years ago:
From: lippard@skyblu.ccit.arizona.edu (James J. Lippard)
Newsgroups: talk.origins,sci.skeptic
Subject: More on Kenyon/SFSU
Date: 16 Dec 93 19:59:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: University of Arizona
After collecting additional information, I have shed my skepticism about
whether or not the biology department did the right thing in removing
Kenyon from the intro biology classes he was teaching. It is apparent
that he was teaching demonstrable falsehoods and nonsense, which is a
question of competence, not academic freedom. Specifically, he was
giving standard bogus young-earth arguments--the earth's magnetic field
decay, moon dust, and even speed of light decay. Further, he has used
his classroom as a pulpit from which to argue against the morality of
abortion.
Jim Lippard Lippard@CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU
Dept. of Philosophy Lippard@ARIZVMS.BITNET
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721
Lippard is well known for being *extremely* knowledgable, honest and
reliable. If he says it, I assume that it is almost certainly true and
that he has documentation of it.
I have been told that Kenyon converted to Christianity in the 70's, and
creationism soon after, and that he is a YEC (as one would assume, since
he was teaching YEC arguments).
-- Jim Foley Symbios Logic, Fort Collins, COJim.Foley@symbios.com (970) 223-5100 x9765