Re: [asa] Discovery Institute against harmonizing?

> The problem is, David, that you have not spoken (and from all indications
> cannot) speak 'objectively' about evolution across the board.

I haven't looked in detail at what was said in the material that the
DI is objecting to. When I say something in a class, I emphasize that
we're talking about a biological process.

> Once you acknowledge the philosophical, theological and sociological
> dimensions of (claims to) evolution, the 'objectivity' of evolutionary
> universalism becomes deeply problematic. Yes, I know this is a challenge to
> the theistic evolutionary (TE) views that you and others at ASA strongly (at
> least outwardly) espouse. But in fact, it is the same thing with such a
> view: ASA apears to be against harmonizing with views that are not TE/EC.

Such aspects certainly exist and deserve attention, but they're not
within the scope of, for example, teaching invertebrate zoology. A
caveat that I am not talking about anything outside of biology when I
am talking about evolution would seem to address what's needed within
that context. However, I don't see how the non-biological claims
seriously challenge TE/EC views. As advocated within the ASA, TE/EC
typically asserts that evolution has little philosophical or
theological significance, and so is already explicitly in
disagreement with those who claim that we need to radically modify our
theological or philosophical views in light of evolution.

Bearing in mind that the views expressed on this list are far from
representative of the ASA as a whole (thus "Many people on the ASA
list" rather than "ASA" is the proper subject for the claim about
harmonization), I'm not sure exactly what harmonization is wanted.
Harmony between those who are less in favor or more in favor of
evolution is possible if they do not see it as an issue of vital
importance. Harmony between those who insist that evolution must be
fought at any cost and those who think evolution is OK is not
possible.

-- 
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"
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