
Teaching the origin of species in schoolsNews during 2007
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Developments during 2007:
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2007-FEB-22: Novel method of attacking evolution: Marshall Hall
of Cornelia, GA, believes that the earth is the center of the universe, that
the sun rotates around the earth, and that Genesis is literally true when it
says that God created the earth, its life forms, and the rest of the
universe in six days. He does not believe in the theory of evolution, and
wants it to be removed from the public school curriculums. Many conservative
Protestants have unsuccessfully claimed that Intelligent
Design or Creation Science are not based on religion and thus should be
taught there. Hall's approach is novel: it is to claim that the theory of
evolution itself is religious and thus should not be taught in
schools. He believes that a recently discovered book of Kabbala writings
from the 13th century CE talks about the Big Bang, a 15 billion year old
universe, and the theory of relativity. Hall suggests that Albert Einstein,
Carl Sagan and other Jewish scientists were influenced by the Kabbala
teachings and popularized the theory of evolution.
Bill Nigut, the Southeastern regional director for the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL) in Atlanta objects to a memo circulated by state
Representative Ben Bridges of Georgia which was based on
Hall's writing. Nigut wrote and Email to Bridges
saying:
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"Your memo conjures up repugnant images of
Judaism used for thousands of years to smear the Jewish people as
cult-like and manipulative. I am shocked and appalled that you would
send this anti-Semitic material to colleagues and friends, and call upon
you to repudiate and apologize for distributing this highly offensive
memo."
Hall claims that there is nothing antisemitic in his writings because they deal with
religion, not race.1
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2007-JUN-19: Creation museum under attack by fellow creationists:
According to Knight Ridder Tribune Business News,
only three days after the Answers in Genesis AiG) new Creation Museum
was opened in Northern Kentucky, they were hit by a lawsuit. Creation
Ministries International (CMI) sued them in the Supreme Court of
Queensland, Australia. The suit allegedly claims that Answers in Genesis
stole subscribers for its magazine by claiming that the Australian group's
creation magazine was "no longer available."
Ken Ham, the president of Answers in Genesis, said
"All I'll tell
you is those allegations are totally preposterous and untrue. The Bible
tells you not to have a lawsuit against your brother, so you can see
who's obeying the Bible and who's not."
A retired judge in
Australia who investigated the conflict issued a 40 page report that blamed
Answers in Genesis for the dispute. 2
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2007-SEP-17: Christian professor criticized for supporting evolution:
The National Center for Science Education commented on a conflict in
the Olivet Nazarene University involving Richard Colling, a professor of
biology, and his book "Random Designer." 4 In his book, he
writes:
"It pains me to suggest that my religious brothers are telling falsehoods
[when they say evolutionary theory is 'in crisis'] and claim that there is
widespread skepticism about it among scientists. Such statements are blatantly
untrue. ... evolution has stood the test of time and considerable scrutiny."
Sharon Begley of Newsweek (September 17, 2007) wrote:
"Anger over his work had been building for two years. When classes
resumed in late August, things finally came to a head. Colling is prohibited
from teaching the general biology class, a version of which he had taught
since 1991, and college president John Bowling has banned professors from
assigning his book [which was previously used in 'at least one history
class, an advanced biology course and the general biology course']."
"At least one local Nazarene church called for Colling to be fired and
threatened to withhold financial support from the college. In a letter to
Bowling, ministers in Caro, MO, expressed 'deep concern regarding the
teaching of evolutionary theory as a scientifically proven fact,' calling it
'a philosophy that is godless, contrary to scripture and scientifically
unverifiable.' Irate parents, pastors and others complained to Bowling,
while a meeting between church leaders and Colling 'led to some tension and
misunderstanding,' Bowling said in a letter to trustees." 5
The local Daily Journal for SEP-13 adds that although Colling and
the university administration are trying to reconcile, Colling "... is still
stinging because, he says, the book was a true and honest expression of faith;
and one he felt led by God to write. Moreover, he says there is room with the
college's mission and policies for such an alternative view -- and that no
real case has been made to date that his views are inconsistent with those or
the teachings of the Church of the Nazarene."
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2007-OCT-03: New science program to premiere on PBS: "Wired Science" is a new weekly science program, a
joint effort of WIRED magazine and PBS. It will be seen on Wednesdays. See:
http://www.pbs.org/
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2007-OCT-17: LA: Senator withdraws grant to
conservative Christian group: Senator David Vitter (R-LA)
withdrew a $100,000 grant that he had earlier added to the appropriations
bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education. The grant was to be given to the Louisiana Family Forum,
an anti-evolution creationist religious group Americans United for Separation of Church and State
and the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), circulated a
letter protesting the Vitter earmark to the members of the Senate. Vitter
said in the Senate:
"The project, which would develop a plan to promote better science-based
education in Ouachita Parish by the Louisiana Family Forum, has raised
concerns among some that its intention was to mandate and push
creationism within the public schools. That is clearly not and never was
the intent of the project, nor would it have been its effect. However,
to avoid more hysterics, I would like to move the $100,000 recommended
for this project by the subcommittee when the bill goes to conference
committee to another Louisiana priority project funded in this bill."
Eugenie C. Scott, NCSE's executive director, responded:
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"Senator Vitter's defense of the earmark is obviously disingenuous,
given the Louisiana Family Forum's record of fighting tooth and nail
against evolution education. But I'm glad to see that, with the removal of his earmark, public funds are
not going to be misused to mis-educate the children of Louisiana about the
science of evolution." 3

References:The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
-
Will Davis, "Bridges'
Cornelia cohort links evolution to Jews, says earth doesn't rotate," White
Country News, Cleveland, GA, 2007-FEB-22, at:
http://www.whitecountynewstelegraph.com/
- Andy Mead, "Creation Museum sued by fellow
creationists," Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, 2007-JUN-19, at:
http://www.romingerlegal.com/
- "Vitter earmark withdrawn," National Center
for Science Education, 2007-OCT-18, at:
http://www.ncseweb.org/
-
"Christian professor embattled for supporting evolution," National Center
for Science Education, 2007-SEP-17, at:
http://ncseweb.org/
- Sharon Begley, "Can God love Darwin, too?,"
Newsweek, 2007-SEP-17, at:
http://www.newsweek.com/


Copyright © 2007 to 2009 by Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Original posting: 2007-FEB-25
Latest update: 2009-JAN-11
Author: B.A. Robinson

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