Re: Cobb County

The mechanisms of evolution, including natural selection, are a subject of some controversy in the scientific community. The theory that evolution has happened is as well accepted as are the other theories I mentioned. It is not a subject of unique scientific controversy. It is a subject of significant religious, social, political & cultural controversy, & it would be helpful for students to study the reasons why a well-established scientific theory is the subject of such controversy. But that is something that should be dealt with in classes dealing with comparative religion, sociology &c.

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Vernon Jenkins
  To: asa@calvin.edu
  Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2005 6:32 PM
  Subject: Re: Cobb County

  George wrote: "One of the main problems with this and similar 'warnings' is that they pick out evolution as something uniquely controversial...".But it surely is uniquely controversial, isn't it? For example, do we have an ongoing, widespread and heated debate concerning the germ theory of disease, relativity, or plate tectonics? No, because none of these challenges the Authority of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures as the revealed word of God. Furthermore, as far as I am aware, evolution is the only theory that comes with a built-in _imperative_. By that I mean, You _must_ believe this to be true - otherwise how can you possibly be trusted to think and behave rationally? Again, the fact that its proponents want to suppress all healthy scientific skepticism of it suggests that they believe certain aspects are better kept hidden.

  Vernon
Received on Sat Jan 15 20:22:45 2005