ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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One of the similarities between "good" (that is, carefully considered and 
reasoned) religion and science lies in the use of observation and logic as a tool 
for coming to conclusions.  

Years ago, the US Catholic Bishops came up with a carefully reasoned 
encyclical that stated that Catholic faith required a belief in the right to life.  
Thus, they said, good Catholics should be against abortion, against the death 
penalty, and against the build up and/or use of nuclear arms.  They also 
developed an extremely carefully reasoned set of criteria for determining whether a 
proposed military action could be considered "just."  If you recall, the Pope 
actually condemned the American action in Iraq.

Similarly, cartographers used incontrovertible observations of a flat world 
to create perfectly logical tools for navigation that included the ends of the 
world. (They were proved wrong.)

Based on observation and logic, we deduced that all life on earth must depend 
upon the sun for energy.  (We were proved wrong.)

I think logic is a slippery tool, as used by religion or by science.  It's 
useful.  But it MUST by definition be based on a premise, and that premise must 
come from somewhere.  I submit that any premise for logical reasoning (and/or 
scientific experimentation) must come from some sort of faith statement.  The 
faith statement might be "I think therefore I am," "I believe what I see," 
"God is," etc.  But you have to start SOMEwhere if you want to build a structure 
that defines the world. 

I do believe in the scientific method, and I do believe in the use of that 
method to uncover what the world IS.  But I also believe that a healthy dose of 
skepticism for "truth" is critical.  By the same token, however, it does seem 
to me to make sense for ASTC to take some kind of a stand on this evolution 
issue...  It'll be interesting to see how it all pans out!
Lisa Jo Rudy, Writer/Consultant
625 Chelten Hills Drive
Elkins Park, PA 19027
http://www.lisarudy.com/
215-635-9735

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