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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]
> 

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