[asa] Was Darwin Wrong?

ASA,

This may have been publicized here recently - I haven't been able to browse
the ASA listserve as much as I would like recently. However if not, sorry
for the short notice: there is going to be a presentation tomorrow at UT
Austin. Here's the Flyer.

(The title was not my choosing, but is sure to catch your attention)

JP

=====================

Was Darwin Wrong?

Come hear the experts and judge for yourself.

Evolution and Intelligent Design: A Skeptics Forum and Scientific Scholar
Panel Debate

Gregory Gym, Tuesday April 28th, 7pm to 9pm.

Austin--In the 3800-seat Gregory Gym on the UT Austin campus-- where sweaty
athletes once threw rubber balls at an iron basket 10 ft off the hardwood
floor-- a much more weighty contest begins at 7 pm on April 28.

The contest is nothing short of a clash of world views-waged by some of the
most ardent and articulate spokesmen on either side. At issue are questions
whose outcomes describe our origin and may determine our destinies.

To paraphrase UT football coach Mack Brown, students and visitors are urged
by event organizers to "Come early, wear whatever, and stay late, but come
with an open mind." At issue is whether, based on the evidence to be
presented, it is more credible to believe a scientifically testable model of
creation based on the Bible or the reigning paradigm of naturalistic
atheism.

Stated more bluntly: Are we the end result of process that began in a
primordial pond (from the goo-to -you -via -the -zoo) or do we-and the world
around us--show the indelible mark of supernatural creation as spelled out
in the pages of the Bible? Or is it something in between?

The creation model to be presented--and then rebutted by the likes of Dr.
Michael Shermer, the President of the international Skeptics Society, and UT
philosopher and biologist and outspoken atheist, Dr. Sahotra Sarkar-was
developed by an evangelical Christian think tank called Reasons to Believe.
RTB's founder, astrophysicist and author Dr. Hugh Ross and biochemist and
author Dr. Fuz Rana will defend the model (www.reasons.org).

Initially the event was co-sponsored solely by two campus student
organizations: Hill House (a Christian study group) and the Longhorn
Atheists. Dr. Ken Diller, chairman of the Department of Biomedical
Engineering, who will also serve as a panelist and weigh in on the issues,
is now the faculty sponsor for the event.

Larry Linenschmidt, Director of the Hill Country Center for Contemporary
Christianity, another sponsor, likens the event in the old gymnasium to the
bouts between the Christians and the lions in the Roman coliseum, but, adds
Linenschmidt, "I think the lions may be in for a surprise."

The most recent sponsor is the Center for Inquiry, an organization whose
website (www.centerforinquiry.net) declares that "CFI advocates responsible,
evidence-based treatment of extraordinary claims and fringe science, such as
psychic phenomena, intelligent design creationism, and conspiracy theories."
CFI has opposed efforts in Texas to allow teachers and students to explore
science that contradicts Darwinism and was instrumental in bringing the
nation's most famous atheist, Dr. Richard Dawkins, to the UT campus last
year.

Both the Austin branch of CFI and the Austin RTB network are selling tickets
(UT students and faculty are free with ID) but non students must pay $10 for
general admission tickets. These can be obtained online at
www.wasdarwinwrong.eventbrite.com. Both organizations are also taking
advantage of the visiting scholars to hold dinners and separate lectures
before and after the event.

Unlike young-earth fundamentalist "creation science" organizations that
believe the universe is only about 6000 years old, RTB has mustered a strong
mainline scientific basis to support its contention that the universe and
Earth are billions of years old. They also believe the Bible is literally
true and, when properly interpreted, cannot conflict with the facts of
nature. Unlike Intelligent Design theorists, RTB identifies the Designer,
sets forth a testable creation model, and sets out a timetable for creation
events.

"Interpreting the natural world is the role of science," says Ross, founder
of RTB and author of several books on the topic. "I believe God is the
Source of both the natural realm and the Bible. And because God does not
lie, the 'book of nature' and the Bible should agree."

Media contact:

Bob Davis, RTB Austin (bobdavis@centex.net) 325-628-3536 or 512-750-8236.

Contact Kristi Sanberg for interviews with Hugh Ross. ksandberg@reasons.org

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Received on Mon Apr 27 22:03:12 2009