Re: [asa] Best Way to Approach YECs?

Paul Bruggink wrote:

> I think I have enough credibility with the ministerial staff (having taught
> adult Sunday School classes, etc.) that I might be allowed to give a
> six-week course, though that remains to be seen. I have not yet shared my syllabus
> with any of the staff.
>
>

Be prepared to accept that church politics can
get ugly. For far less controversial matters, some people I
know never forgave the church and have never returned to
any church again --- even when I think it would have helped
them through some very tough times they had.

The main thing is, if you are a member and a participant there,
you have _some_ leverage, and you can express your
opposition to such embarrassing nonsense. But at least
understand that it may blow up in your face, no matter where
in the ranks of lay or ministerial staff you are. It greatly depends
on the education and attitudes of the congregation and the
ministerial staff.

One thing that I notice, is that to us scientists, YEC is just
shockingly embarrassing. Yet to most people untrained in
science, they don't really care that much. Even for educated
people who can see it's YEC propaganda, they will only express
some discontent at the dishonesty they sense. I'm not sure that
Burgy is right that YECs have won in that sense, it is just that
the matter is complicated, and most people are unprepared
to evaluate something like this seriously. You cannot expect
a typical CEO to devote the kind of time it takes to understand
evolution like some of us who work in some aspect of biology.

It's not even easy for us, though I wonder if some prejudice
didn't contribute to my own difficulties at understanding it.
At any rate, I can say that I certainly examined the matter: I
looked at it with my own eyes, and probed it with my own
mind. My conclusion could still be wrong (we must always
be prepared for that surprise), but I certainly made a lot of effort
on it.

The biggest thing that probably propagates this YEC nonsense and
other prejudice is the myth that if evolution is true, the bible MUST be
false. That, and equating evolution with atheism.

By Grace we proceed,
Wayne

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Received on Thu Jul 20 00:00:52 2006