ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

An excellent e-mail, Ian.

One of the best books that may help science educators handle this topic well
is Kenneth Miller's 'Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common
Ground Between God and Evolution.' I found it to be one of the more
realistic books. A book I didn't like at all on this topic was by a former
professor of mine who I have little respect for (the book was funded by the
Templeton Foundation) called 'Can A Darwinian Be a Christian? The
Relationship Between Science and Religion.' The two make for a good
comparison though.

In my opinion, de Chardin was a nut. In order to fit evolution and theology
into his ideas he distorted both to their detriment, I believe.

A point I try to make, without coming right out and stating it, is that
religion is irrelevant to science and an individual can believe whatever
they want in the religious realm. Faith is an entirely different form of
justification than evidence. I begin by not even mentioning or acknowledging
religion or faith-based claims when I educate about science but if it does
come up from an audience member, I state that I am not qualified to express
an opinion on the subject of religion and I respect a person for whatever
belief they hold in this arena.

Best,
Amanda

***

Amanda Chesworth
Educational Director, CSICOP
http://www.csicop.org
Inquiring Minds Program
http://www.inquiringminds.org


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian Simmons" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 2:45 AM
Subject: High-tech museum brings creationism to life


> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
>
****************************************************************************
*
>
> I mean no offence to scientists who are christian, creationism and ID are
> lousy theology as well as lousy science, the Archbishop of Canterbury has
> repudiated them as "category errors" while the Vatican has gone further
and
> described them as "heresy" because they turn God into some kind of nature
> spirit. To work these ideas need either a "God of the Gaps" and/or an
> interventionist God, neither of which actually sit well with the Bible I
am
> told. It is easy enough to square evolutionary science with the Bible, as,
> say Teillard de Chardin did, and, most recently, Joan Roughgarden in her
> book Evolution and the Christian Faith, should one need to.
>
> Now, I agree list is not a place for arguing about politics and religion,
> but I think it is certainly useful to talk here about how, as science
> communicators, we might go about addressing issues that involve these, and
> ID etc is definitely one of these - the attack on evolution is part of a
> larger and exceedingly well funded political attack on liberal democracy
by
> people who profoundly desire its replacement by what is essentially
> theocracy (Google "Wedge Strategy"). With regard to the bias point and
just
> saying this is "interesting", this kind of implies that as science
> communicators we should occupy a neutral position in this argument and
allow
> each side to put its case equally for our audience or someone other than
us
> to judge. I think that we are failing our audience if we do this - these
> ideas are not science, they do not make testable hypotheses, and while
> relying heavily on claims that elements of organisms are designed, cannot
or
> will not set out objective, measurable criteria for what constitutues
design
> and we should be unequivocable in our opposition to such things being
> presented as science, and I do not think that constitutes bias. This kind
of
> museum is a direct attack on who we as science communicators are and what
we
> do, and is meant as such. If we do not take unequivocable positions
against
> it we will simply lose the battle for the hearts, minds and wallets of the
> public as creationists et al will happily exploit the liberal willingness
to
> be fair to all to push their agenda (teach the controversy) but were the
> boot on the other foot would not accord us the same courtesey. Intelligent
> Design can be shown to be manipulative politically-motivated lies and I am
> quite happy to say so.
>
>
> IAN SIMMONS
>
>
>
> > ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
Centers
> > Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
> > institutions.
> >
****************************************************************************
*
> >
> > It would be nice if we could be non-biased about things like this and
> > just say "interesting".  Let's provide Science museum "information" not
> > politics and religion, reminder that there are scientists who are
> > Christians.
> >
> > Erin Martin
> > Distance Learning Educator
> > Discovery Center of Springfield
> > 438 E. St. Louis
> > Springfield, Mo. 65806
> > (417) 862-9910 x705
> > [log in to unmask]
> >
>
> ***********************************************************************
> More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
> Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at
http://www.astc.org.
> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
> message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
> [log in to unmask]
>

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]