ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
There have been several books published recently about the
relationship between science and religion and they are reviewed in
the New York Times (which I hope does not immediately make them
suspect).
http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F6081EF63F5B0C768EDDAE0894DE404482
For those close enough to NY Richard Dawkins will be speaking
at the New York Academy of Sciences,
http://www.nyas.org/events/eventDetail.asp?eventID=7515&date=10/18/2006%206:00:00%20PM
in their Readers and writers series. It will ultimately will be
posted as a pod cast and web broadcast on the Academy site. I will
send out a note when it is posted.
Another issue that was recently discussed on Museum L, in
relation to the creation museum are the ethics of being a museum and
presenting distorted views to the public, in this case of the natural
world. AAM does have ethical guidelines for functioning as a museum
and these seem to be seriously breached by a "museum" such as the
creation museum as quoted in the article and presented on the
Awareness in Genesis. As much as we may admire their presentation
they are presenting a distorted view of the natural world. What does
it mean to be a museum? We know from studies that visitors respect us
because they can get unbiased, undistorted presentations when they
visit. What about the creation museum? Ethically should they not have
a tag line something like a religious perspective? Is it ethical of
us to point out the distortions. the misrepresentations, even the
lies, that creationists and ID are presenting to the public?
It has been a lazy August .
Martin
>
>
>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
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>>
>
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--
Martin Weiss, Ph.D
Vice President, Science
New York Hall of Science
47-01 111 th Street
Corona, New York 11368
718 699 0005 x 356
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