Volume 37, Number 2                             March/April 1995

ASA Geologists on Radio

On Jan. 30, geologist Monty Swan initiated a joint interview with three members of the Affiliation of Christian Geologists (ACG) on "Steel on Steel," a Christian radio program hosted by John Loeffler in Denver. Jeff Greenberg of Wheaton C., president of ACG, fellow geologist John L. Wiester at Westmont C. in CA. and Steve Austin, representing the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) participated. Swan's hope was that the two-hour interaction would educate the general Christian audience and leave them with a more tolerant attitude towards scientific and theological diversity.

The geological focus was on the origin and age of the earth. Each of the three guests was to represent a major position in the interpretation of special and general revelation-of scripture and science. Steve Austin representing the young-earth position, gave the opening statement. He strongly urged a methodology which requires a literalistic reading of scripture in explanation of geologic phenomena. The fiat of God, his commanding words, and the Genesis flood were taken to be the primary mechanisms of erosion, deposition, mountain-building, and the origin and extinction of organisms.

Next, Wiester was to present a case for a moderate concordist ("day-age") integration. However, John asked for and was granted permission to be the last contributor. He expressed a somewhat mysterious desire to wrap up the proceedings with a powerful finale. Consequently, Greenberg next set out the character of an old earth, "theistic evolution" position.

Jeff's first statement was that position labels are hazardous in their generalizations and that his view was much more accurately characterized by uncertainty than by any system of neat harmonization. He recognized an ancient earth as the proper scientific view without any necessary conflict with scripture. The language of Genesis 1 and 2 also leaves open the details of correlating the biblical events with counterparts in nature.

When Wiester's turn came to make an initial position statement, he simply said that he and Greenberg were in virtual agreement on the issues and he then took the greater part of his 15 minutes to redirect the interviews. According to John, to go on arguing about our differences of interpretation was like "Viet Nam." He proposed instead that the emphasis be on spiritual unity in confronting militant naturalism as it is mandated in public schools. As evangelical scientists, we could certainly agree that essential to all Christian positions is belief in God as Creator, whose creative work is in evidence in nature. Of mutual concern is the position of those who impose philosophical criteria by their own choosing and not by logical necessity on geology. In other words, it is their faith against ours, not science versus religion.

John also praised the work of the ICR in being years ahead of mainstream geology in recognizing the importance of catastrophic events in geological history.

John Loeffler appreciated Wiester's modified program plan and guided discussion through to the end. Although Steve Austin indicated some displeasure with the change in approach, one participant noted that the result had to have made a good impression among the listening audience. It was a good opportunity to derail divisive conflicts for shared Christian beliefs and the larger common challenge from outside Christendom. Jeff Greenberg, John Wiester

The Executive Director's Corner

Greetings! Are you northern USA and Canadian members recovering from cabin fever? As I write this editorial, winter in Ipswich is one of the five mildest and least snowiest in recorded history. Perhaps you fared equally welló unless you love snow and cold.

Plans are well underway for the Montreat-Anderson College ASA Annual Meeting. I am anxious to return and visit places that I mentioned in my last "Corner." The abstracts for the meeting are beginning to come inóan interesting array. Do not forget to mail yours before April 1. Outside housing will go quickly as there is not an abundance of motel or hotel rooms in the immediate area. Look for your registration packet sometime in April.

It is with thankfulness that I can say that David Moberg agreed to be Program Chair for the 1996 meeting in Toronto where we plan a social science emphasis. He is already busy lining up consultants and plenary speakers. Dan and Faith Osmond will be the local arrangements personnel. With a crew like that, how could we help but have a great meeting?

Carol Aiken collected brochures on British Isles tours and is the scenery ever beautiful! If we go to England in 1998, I am hoping that one of these tours can become a reality. Is it proper to daydream about trips like Australia and New Zealand in 1997 or 2001? What comments do you have? Anyone interested in traveling to these places? Do you have other suggestions? We do need a place for the Annual Meeting in middle America in 1999. Are there any offers?

For any of you who used our new e-mail number (asa@newl.com), please accept our apologies for delays. We thought that we would be hooked up long ago but the process was far slower than we ever dreamed. It is on line now and we have plans to upgrade a computer for e-mail and fax. This will give us a designated station and make it easier to check every work day. We have a list of about 50 e-mail addresses but I presume that there are many more out there. Do we have yours? The change of our data base from Poise to Access is also in the works. That too is very slow in coming but we hope that upon completion, service will improve even more.

The chairs for the commissions are now in place and I praise the Lord for that. Be careful when you answer your telephone since someone might be asking you to join a commission. For the immediate future, the following are the chairs: Bioethics, James C. Peterson; Communications, Paul Arveson; Creation, David Wilcox; Global Resources and Environment, David Mahan; History of Science, Sara Miles; Industrial, Chi-hang Lee; Philosophy and Theology, W. Christopher Stewart; Physical Sciences, Bernard Piersma; Science Education, John Wiester; and Social Sciences, Russell Heddendorf. I thank each for their willingness to accept this task. This is a great array of members including two Council members, two former ASA presidents, two of our younger members, a former book editor for PSCF, and another three who are presently chairing an ASA commission or committee. Eventually you will be hearing biennial reports from each commission in the Newsletter. Let us prayerfully support their work that it may edify the Church and the scientific community.

My absence from the classroom has ended temporarily. Gordon College appointed me as an adjunct professor. The Oxford American Dictionary defines an adjunct as someone added or attached but subordinate. Perhaps I should not have looked that up but scientists are so curious. Two mornings a week I spout off some physiology to eager young people; and one day a week I conduct two laboratories. It is fun and keeps my mind "biologically" active. This responsibility has kept me close to home except for a trip to Messiah College where I communed with the faculty about the ASA and some origins observations, and then talked about genetic engineering at an Honors Banquet. This trip allowed a visit with my son who took me on a tour of Hershey Medical School where he spends a lot of time these days. I am heading to California for the David Myers Templeton/ASA lecture at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 12, at Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City. I hope to meet many ASA members there. David Cook will be speaking at the same church on March 26 at 6 p.m. and at LaJolla Presbyterian Church near San Diego on March 24 at 7 p.m. We hope that you can go if you are in either area.

Please do not forget the $10,000 matching grant which ends on April 30. As of this writing we have received about $3,000 in donations toward that grant so we will need some dedicated gifts if we are to reach the goal. The new (1995) book by Richard Bube is available and we are waiting to ship your copy for $28.50 plus $2.00 shipping and handling. It is called Putting it All Together: Seven Patterns for Relating Science and the Christian Faith. Your order will help ASA.

We have revised our membership brochure. The new brochure is white with dark blue print. It replaces the light blue one, which was obsolete on February 28, 1995. I will be sending you a new brochure with my March letter. The local section list is dwindling and since the brochure was printed one of those sections informed me that they were comatose. I hope that the local ASA "paramedics" can do something about that. Unfortunately local sections have to carry themselves financially but are there other ways that I can help you? No one should underestimate the importance of these grass roots sections out where the real people live. They encourage continued membership, assist with recruitment, and provide feedback for organizational improvement. I am willing to come when I can and there is a little money to help me do that. Perhaps we can talk more about this in my next letter. Have a great spring awakening!

Don

Biology Textbook, Panda-monium

The high-school biology textbook, Of Pandas and People published by the Foundation for Thought and Ethics in Richardson, TX, was co-authored by Dean Kenyon and Percival Davis. It is the subject of debate at the up-coming ASA Annual Meeting and has been reported in the Wall Street Journal (by Erik Larson, Nov. 14, 1994, "Darwinian Struggle: Instead of Evolution, A Textbook Proposes `Intelligent Design'"). It also aroused controversy among science educators at a recent conference in Beaumont, TX. The WSJ article notes that the book "is either an unflinching scientific look at flaws in evolutionary theory or the advance wedge of a new effort to return old-time religion to U. S. schools."

Jon Buell, the Foundation's founder and president, is reported in the article as saying that 22,500 copies of Pandas are in print and that "teachers and curriculum buyers in 48 states have bought the book. Fifteen school districts have ordered quantities large enough to indicate classroom use." Robert Kaita also appears in the article. The Foundation flew him to the teachers' conference to deliver a talk in which he called intelligent-design theory "something that seems to be eminently reasonable."

Percival Davis also co-authored Biology, a college text with more than a million copies in print published by the Saunders College Publishing unit of Harcourt General, Inc. in New York. The publisher, however, dropped Davis's name from a later edition in 1990 when alerted to his creationist views, and has labeled Pandas as pseudo-science. In the book, Kenyon and Davis argue that it is unlikely that the dynamics of a prebiotic chemical "soup" would produce life and that if Darwinism were correct, there would be an abundance of fossil evidence for transitional forms.

Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education, discounts the argument over whether evolution took place, emphasizing that the scientific debate is about how it happened. To Scott, Pandas disguises religion as science and she questions the honesty of not being more forthright about its intelligent designer. Berkeley law professor Phillip Johnson agrees that the underlying motivation of belief in a Creator cannot be ignored and that a more explicit expression of such intentions is in order. However, he countered: "The fact is they're working against enormous prejudice here, and enormous bigotry. And they're trying to put it in terms that the courts and science will allow to exist."

To market the book (the WSJ article continues) Jon Buell first offered it as a supplemental text to state and local textbook boards in Idaho and Alabama. Idaho rejected the book, but in Alabama, Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum took up its defense. Scientists from Yale, Brandeis, and Princeton (Kaita again) were brought in to testify for it. However, the book was withdrawn when, Buell said, "We realized we were dealing with politics, not scholarship at all." Jon then took the approach of marketing directly to biology teachers, who are generally easy to contact, available for meeting, and receptive to new resources.

Brown U. biology professor Kenneth R. Miller also raised the "stealth book" issue and gave examples, such as Gould's panda's thumb, the backwards neural wiring of the human retina as "an error no intelligent designer would make," and "discarded, broken and nonfunctional sequences" in DNA. Miller sums up his opinion of Pandas by stating that it

" misstates evolutionary theory, skims over the enormous wealth of the fossil record, and ignores the sophistication of radiometric dating. The most compelling reason to keep this book out of the biology classroom is that it is bad science, pure and simple."

In another letter to the WSJ, Forrest M. Mims III asked, "Why is belief in a creator God viewed as `pseudoscience'?" Mims also questioned "the amazing censorship, contradictions and outright battles within the evolutionary community," noting that for today's aspiring naturalist to write a paper like Darwin's creationist paper on ant lion larva would jeopardize his career. Darwin later changed his outlook but remained tolerant of those who held his earlier view. Forrest concludes: "It is regrettable that Darwin's faithful have lost their leader's tolerance."

Jon Buell's letter ends the WSJ section, thanking the author and WSJ for publicizing the book and clarifying that:

" According to the National Academy of Sciences, creation science is a very specific doctrine based upon the book of Genesis, postulating a young earth and a world-wide flood."

" Intelligent design, in contrast, is simply a way of interpreting the evidence of biology. It says nothing about the identity or characteristics of the designer, or the age of the earth, or any other specifically biblical questions. Intelligent design addresses a question already pervasive in biology textbooks, which is whether pre-existing intelligence was needed to make the wondrously complex things we call living organisms."

For some, arguments about life's origins from accident or randomness point them away from a creator. Buell argues that if the facts of biology point students toward a creator, as Pandas does, and powerful organizations of science educators oppose the book, it is because it conflicts with their promotion of naturalism as science.

Another letter of response to the WSJ article came from John L. Wiester, who asks: "Why is the ACLU attempting to ban [Pandas] from the classroom? Why should they go ballistic when 15 out of 15,700 school districts wish to use "Pandas" to teach evolution critically rather than dogmatically? I thought the ACLU stood for academic freedom and was against censorship and book banning." John compares the ACLU's attack on Pandas with O. J. Simpson's defense lawyers' attempts to suppress damaging evidence to their cause.

The latest news is that J. David Price has lined up Kenneth Miller (see above) to take the opposing side in the CISE symposium on the question of whether Pandas should be recommended as a supplementary biology textbook, with Michael Behe supporting it. The three-hour ASA Annual Meeting symposium, to be held Sunday, July 23 from 2:30 to 5:30 pm, will be chaired by David Wilcox. Background to the subject will be introduced by philosopher of science Steve Meyer. Miller, Behe, Wilcox and Meyer will then form a panel for questions and discussion.

Postscript: Meyer wrote a letter to Christianity Today (Nov. 14, 1994) clarifying his exchange at the Cambridge "Cosmos and Creator" conference (see JAN/FEB 1995 ASAN, p. 5) involving Arthur Peacocke. Meyer's criticism of some biologists opposed to the design hypothesis was given on the grounds "that they ignore, rather than demand, specific evidences. In short, resistance to intelligent design derives from philosophical convention, not observed evidence." The planned debate should provide ample opportunity to discuss the various issues surrounding Pandas and the intelligent design approach to origins.  David Swift, John Wiester, Walter Hearn

ASAers in Action

Robert W. Newman has been teaching a course called "The Materials Around Us" as one of the physical science courses for non-science students at Oglethorpe U. in Atlanta, GA. After three years of the materials course, Bob decided to propose a new course based on Drusilla Scott's book, Everyman RevivedóThe Common Sense of Michael Polanyi, presently distributed by Helmers & Howard in Colorado Springs. Bob's new course, "Philosophy of Science," briefly covers its history in the first five classes. Students have shown an interest in the course as has the head of the continuing education and physical science departments, who asked Bob to teach it for both evening and daytime students.

Bob's goals for the course are to help students understand what science can and cannot tell them about our world and that they realize there is room for the spiritual realm, even for those totally involved in scientific pursuits. Bob might use the March 1994 issue of ASA's journal, Perspectives, to demonstrate the kind of dialogue that can occur between scientists who hold differing opinions, and also to raise philosophy of science issues.

This course is a new area for Bob, who has otherwise been involved only in metallurgy and materials science. From 1979-1990, he was on the Navigators staff, responsible for campus ministry at Georgia Tech, and he taught materials science part-time in the mechanical engineering dept.

Have any other ASAers tried similar ventures? Are you considering such course development? Bob (and the Editor) would like to know.

And relating to new courses in science and religion, Robert Herrmann, our former Executive Director, is working with the John Templeton Foundation. It is offering support for qualified courses at colleges, universities, and seminaries that join science and religion. Faculty may either prepare a new course along general lines of model courses provided by the Foundation or else modify an existing course, demonstrating substantial course improvement. Winning applications receive $5,000 for course managers and $5,000 for the institution, and will attend a one-week summer enrichment workshop, probably in June, 1995. Up to 100 courses will be selected to receive awards. A 1994 winner was Edward Davis of Messiah C., Grantham, PA for the course, "Studies in Science and Religion." For more information, contact: Call for Courses, Dr. Robert Herrmann, Gordon College, 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham, MA 01984.

Perhaps in the future, the American Scientific Affiliation will have to generalize its name to account for its international membership. Not only are members in North America and Europe but in Asia too. Brian McGarvey is now back in Canada, working as a crop protection chemist in Vineland, Ontario, after successfully defending his Ph.D. dissertation in January 1994 at the Institute of Applied Biochemistry at the U. of Tsukuba, Tsukuba Science City, in Japan. It involved aspects of residue chemistry and efficacy of the insecticide and nematicide oxamyl. While at Tsukuba, Brian contacted Yoshihiko Otani, prof. of the Institute of Socio-Economic Planning, who has published a book (written in Japanese), Christian Ethic and the Economic Society. Yoshihiko is an enthusiastic promoter of the ASA in Japan. He took Brian to the Tsuchiura Megumi Church, which has an English Bible class and English translation in the worship service, in consideration of the large number of internationals in the Tsukuba area. Brian writes that he met "a number of other wonderful Christians, several of whom also taught or studied at the University." The fellowship with these like-minded believers contributed to making his stay in Tsukuba a tremendous experience.

Sherm Kanagy has been an assoc. prof. of physics at Charleston Southern U. (CSU) in South Carolina for three years. His article, "Electrical Properties of Eolian Sand and Silt" was recently published in Earth Science Reviews (36, 1994, pp.181-204). Sherm is working with theologian Kenneth D. Boa on a book about the star of the Maji. He is also working with the CSU political science criminal justice professor Douglas MacPherson on an article about the demarcation between science, religion and pseudoscience and court decisions about church-state separation issues. Last summer he presented a related paper to the Cocoa Beach, FL meeting of the Int'l Planetarium Society entitled, "Quantum Cosmogony and the Establishment Clause."

  James Sire spoke last November in the Tampa, Florida area, hosted by Tom Woodward's C. S. Lewis Fellowship. (Tom is Director.) Sire, author of the apologetics classic The Universe Next Door, gave his famous talk, "Why Should Anyone Believe Anything At All?" Jim's new book has the same title and according to the Fellowship newsletter "is collecting rave reviews."

 In the same newsletter, another ASAer, Robert Kaita of the Princeton U. physics department's Plasma Physics Lab, was cited when he made front-page news in a Wall Street Journal article about Dean Kenyon's high-school biology textbook, Of Pandas and People. Bob came out in support of the book, which argues that an "intelligent cause" is the best scientific explanation for the origin and diversity of life. Kaita has also been advocating the book in conferences and hearings. (This year's ASA Annual Meeting Symposium will be debating the question of whether this book should be supported as a biology classroom supplement. See related front-page article.)

Bob became a Christian while teaching at Trinity C. in Florida. Again at Princeton, Bob is part of the Christian Faculty Forum, which also includes Bob Prud'Homme (chem. engr.), Andy Bocarsley (chem.) and John Suppe (geology). They are preparing to produce a videotape of interviews with five Princeton Christian faculty targeted for non-Christian faculty and students on college campuses. If you would like to help with this project and receive a complimentary copy of the Princeton Faculty Video (make checks out to Trinity College/CFUM) include your mailing address and telephone number when you write to: C. S. Lewis Fellowship, 2430 Trinity Oaks Blvd., New Port Richey, FL 34655.

Chemical engineer Dean Richardson and wife, Joyce, are locked up in the Galveston, TX County Jail every Tuesday and Thursday. A report by Dave Yewman of the Galveston County Daily News (Sept. 20, 1994) entitled, "Faith endures in County Jail" remarks that the two elderly Baptists aren't criminals but volunteer literacy teachers. They meet with inmates in the jail's law library for an hour of reading exercises, Bible verses, and prayer. A fifth- or sixth-grade reading proficiency is considered good. The jail is a temporary setting because participating inmates could be whisked off to the state prison system at a moment's notice, as space becomes available there.

The Richardsons have been helping for three years and wouldn't think of quitting. Dean's informal survey shows that only two of the 75 inmates in the program have become repeat offenders. The article is supportive of the work and these "elderly Christians supporting good works with good deeds. I've always thought that's the way it should be." Gordon Mills, who spotted the article, noted that Yewman "rarely has anything good to say about Christians." Dean lives in LaMarque, between Houston and Galveston, and is retired from his work at one of the petrochemical plants nearby.  Gordon Mills

Appearing at Mt. Vernon Nazarene C. (Ohio) in October was former ASA President Howard Van Till, presenting two lectures on the creation/evolution controversy. Howard teaches astronomy at Calvin C. in Grand Rapids, MI. His talks emphasized that the universe did not always exist but had a beginning, that it is not static but constantly changing, and that it will not remain forever. Van Till challenged the audience to distinguish the religious issue of whether God made the cosmos from the scientific issue of how and when it was made. The second lecture addressed the notion that living organisms adapt and develop via natural mechanisms. Howard argued that Church fathers Basil and Augustine would have answered "yes" and he calls this the functional integrity of creation.  Walter Hearn

This year Hugh Ross's Reasons to Believe organization plans to publish a book on the extra-dimensionality of God, produce a 30- to 60-minute television production entitled "Journey to the Outer Limits," complete a cartoon book for junior high-school students called Destination: Creation, launch a monthly bulletin of scientific discoveries, and more. RTB's purpose is to reach the secular world with the Christian gospel and enable Chistians in this effort. This is done through an apologetics-oriented approach that assumes "that the Bible and its message of salvation align perfectly with scientific findings." In the past, Christians attempting to harmonize the Bible with science have sometimes found such syntheses outdated by changing views in science or biblical interpretation. And the worst situation has been to make biblical claims dependent upon contemporary scientific theory. Hugh's material, though attempting harmonization, appears to avoid the simplistic conjoining that has previously become an embarrassment. As an astronomer knowledgeable of astrophysics, he relates the ongoing discoveries in this dynamic field to the wider biblical perspective, such as the well-known Psalmist's declaration that "The heavens are revealing the glory of God." RTB is also planning a television series, "The Creator and the Cosmos," for which development of script and funding is continuing.

Since July 1993, RTB has reached an audience of about a quarter billion people through more than 60 TV and 100 radio programs worldwide. All of this is done with a (fiscal `93) income of less than one million dollars. For more information, contact: Reasons to Believe, P.O. Box 5978, Pasadena, CA 91117; (818)-335-1480.

More on Pandas

World news magazine also reported (Nov. 26, 1994, p. 8, "Of pandas, people, and papers") on Larson's WSJ article, objecting to its emphasis on "sneaking" religion into the classroom. Phil Johnson sent a letter to the WSJ in defense (Dec. 5, 1994), pointing out that "when scientific organizations and textbooks refer to `creationism,' they invariably define the term to mean six-day, young-earth Genesis literalism. "Evolution" is then defined in scientific usage as a completely naturalistic system in which God played no discernible part." Johnson goes on to point out that the intent behind Pandas and People is

" to make it possible to question and criticize the dogmatic philosophy that comes to us as `evolution.' To do that they have to use terms that allow people to understand that it is the existence and role of a creator which is the issue, not the length of time the creator took to create. That is why it is not dishonest for them to repudiate the label of `creationists.' The goal is not to deceive anybody, but to escape a stereotype constructed by Darwinists."

Johnson was also featured in a World article (Oct. 8, `94, p. 22, "The Clarence of Darwinism") and was recently published in Christianity Today (Oct. 24, 1994, p. 22, "Shouting `Heresy' in the Temple of Darwin"). In letters of response to the latter article, Howard Van Till and Richard Bube both agree with Johnson that "the secular academy is guilty of distorting and neglecting Christian scholarship" (Van Till) and of "the basic error of claiming that a world-view such as `naturalism' or `scientism' is actually based on science." (Bube) Both also find misleading some of Johnson's statements regarding evaluation of scientific theory and the concept of genealogical continuity among God's creatures (Van Till). Bube described the self-limitation of science to the physically testable while noting that specific phenonema may not be able to be adequately described scientifically. In this case, "we need either to wait for further inputs or to decide that no known scientific description is possible; at that point we may appropriately suggest that the activity of God in nonscientifically describable ways is an option of faith." (Christianity Today, Jan. 9, 1995, p. 8)  David Swift, John Wiester, Walter Hearn

Squibs

Dunedin, New Zealand was the location of the second international theological symposium in August 1993, attended by hundreds and organized by the Otago Theological Foundation and the U. of Otago. The get-together resulted in a 261-page book, Science and Theology: Questions at the Interface  published by Eerdmans and edited by Murray Rae, Hilary Regan, and John Stenhouse.  Contributing to the volume is New Zealand ASAer Stephen May of Auckland, who also wrote its introduction. Stephen does a nice job of summarizing the positions of the various contributors, and their replies to each other's papers. His opening paragraph is quite frank:

" One of the purposes of an introduction to a book such as this, is to say two things: first, that the topic it deals with is very important; and secondly, that the way in which the book addresses this topic is particularly helpful. This way browsers and potential buyers might be persuaded to part with their hard-earned cash."

 The book may well be worth such parting, both for the quality of its contributions and for its interactive format. Six topics are covered, each with a presenter and two responses. The first section, "Is there a role for natural theology today?" is addressed by Owen Gingerich, with responses from Nancey Murphey and May. Some of the other contributors are Norma Emerton, John Polkinghorne, John Stenhouse, Carver T. Yu, Lloyd Geering, and John Puddefoot. The final section, presented by Polkinghorne, is: "Theological notions of creation and divine causality." The book is priced at $29.99 and can be ordered from Eerdmans by telephone: (800) 253-7521.

Henry "Fritz" Schaefer appeared smiling on the front-cover of the Nov/Dec 1994 The Real Issue, put out by Christian Leadership Ministries. The article reprinted Fritz's address last spring at the U. of Colorado, sponsored by CLM, on "Stephen Hawking, the Big Bang, and God." Schaefer, a professor of chemistry and director of the Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry at the U. of Georgia, has been nominated for the Nobel Prize and was recently cited as the third most quoted chemist in the world. His goal? "My goal is to understand a little corner of God's plan." (U.<|>S. News and World Report, Dec. 23, 1991) His talk addresses some of the more scientifically and theologically profound questions that Hawking's book, A Brief History of Time, raises, such as: Is the universe finite or infinite in extent? Is it eternal or does it have a beginning? Who or what governs its laws? and Is there anything beyond its known dimensions?

 Insert No. 70 of Acts & Facts (Vol. 23 No. 10, Oct. 1994), published by the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) is about "Christ and the Time of Creation," by Henry M. Morris, president of the ICR. Morris warns that "Christians who go along with the standard `old-earth' model of the evolutionists need to realize that they are going against the strong testimony of the Lord Jesus, for He clearly affirmed the truth of recent creation."

 Morris's article contains several columns of argument about the fall of humanity into sin and its general opposition to God's plan for dealing with the resulting dilemma. Running through this commentary are Bible verses about creation of the world, from which Morris argues for a recent creation, citing his book, Biblical Creationism, in which "every passage in the Bible dealing in any way with the subject of creation" is analyzed.

 Though Henry Morris and other ICR leaders were once ASAers, who is the ASAer in this story? He is a professor of biology at Wheaton C., Pattle P. T. Pun, whom Morris cites as an example of Christians who believe in an old earth. Criticized as placing current science over biblical teaching, a paragraph from Pattle is quoted, taken from the Journal of the ASA (Mar. 1987, p. 14). In the quote, Pun concedes that, without regard to hermeneutical considerations suggested by science, the Genesis record would appear to be saying that God created heaven and earth in six solar days. Pun then points out that the Recent Creationist position "has denied or belittled the vast amount of scientific evidence amassed" in support of an old-earth view. Morris comments:

"Although Dr. Pun is undoubtedly a sincere and gracious Christian, he feels, nevertheless, that we must base our Biblical hermeneutics on "science," and the same is apparently true of most of his colleagues at Wheaton and in the American Scientific Affiliation, as well as of numerous leading theologians, scientists, and educators throughout the evangelical world."

While a fraction of ASAers are "theistic evolutionists," many also question (to varying extents) assumptions of Darwinism, and are generally sensitive to the difficult problem of how to reconcile scriptural understanding with scientific theory. The ICR differs from the ASA in advocating a specific (young earth, antievolutionary) view as Christians. The ASA provides a forum for discussion of a wide range of positions within its basic statement of Christian faith. Through the ASA, some members have advocated more general statements, such as that of teaching secondary-school evolution as science, and not as materialist philosophy.

Both the ASA and ICR oppose materialism on biblical grounds. The ASA, however, has not asserted as an organization that evolution is necessarily anti-biblical. This on-going issue continues to be explored by theistic evolutionists, progressive creationists, concordists and those not exactly joining any of these expeditions-another sizable fraction of the ASA, it appears.

Personals

Last fall, Dan Mosher became Assoc. Prof. of Biology at Mt. Vernon Nazarene C. (MVNC) in eastern Ohio. Nevertheless, he began teaching chemistry, earth science, and space science. But for spring term, it's been botany and environmental science, for which he coordinates the department's new Environmental Studies program. Previously, Dan taught at Bartlesville (OK) Wesleyan C., for 12 years.

The Christian College Coalition's The News announced Ronald Johnson's new position as president of Malone College, in Ohio. He previously served as interim president and provost, and was once a student there. Ron earned his physics degree from Eastern Michigan U. and his master's and doctorate in radiation biophysics from the U. of Kansas.

  Ken Dormer will be on a half-time sabbatical for a year, developing an electronic ear implant for a biotech company. He is a physiologist at the U. of Oklahoma and has also been active in AISRED, the organization of Africans in science which includes Christian zoologist George Kinoti of Kenya. Ken is keeping the Editor posted on the development of an electronics training course, possibly involving electronics author Howard Malmstadt, that would be used to train technicians to maintain and repair electronic laboratory and office equipment. In Africa, where the technological infrastructure is sparse, broken equipment cannot afford to be wasted.

With the Lord

Chuck Flynn died quietly in his condo on Oct. 28, 1994, while resting after dinner. Chuck published his annual Flynn Frizzer at Christmas time, and word of his death came in the final issue (vol. 8), written by brother Geoff, whose cover letter offers some insight into Chuck's personality: "While the loss of Chuck is difficult to accept it is comforting to know that he is now with our Lord, dancing and running and I'm sure also exchanging puns."

Chuck worked as a chemist at the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Research Center in Reno, Nevada, and his fellow employees put together a retirement party for him, including a ballad that two coworkers wrote. The reader might be indulged for a verse or two that provides some insight into Chuck's delightful character (sung to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies' song):

Come and listen to a story `bout a man named Flynn

 top-notched chemist, and a warm-hearted friend

He's a scholar and a Christian

And he's always got a pun

Well, here's to you Chuck, it's been great fun!

Rahr, that is...fight the fat...entropy

If you ask about his hobbies, we'd say he's had a few

When it comes to classic music, composer birthdays what he knew

His computer's been abuzzin'

Since t = 0...

Cause Chuck's on his way to be a Mathcad hero!

Chuck, that is...Dr. Flynn...we'll miss him.

                  (from The Ballad of Chuck Flynn, written by Debbie Bluemer and Sandy McGill, USBM)

Geoff recounts one of his favorite stories about Chuck in the final Frizzer. In high school, Chuck entered and won first prize in a science contest, which was a four-year scholarship to Caltech. The awards ceremony was held in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where Chuck was awarded the prize by Werner Von Braun. As part of the offering, he was allowed to ask Von Braun a question. Geoff recounts:

" Our parents were quietly praying in the audience that Chuck would keep quiet. But you know Chuck. He did in fact ask a question which resulted in a period of silence from Dr. Von Braun. Our parents thought Chuck's question must have been extremely basic and Dr. Von Braun was trying to think of a nice way to respond without embarrassing Chuck. Dr. Von Braun's response indicated that the auditorium was filled with many noted scientists and that only a handful probably even understood the question and maybe only three knew the answer! He then proceeded to answer Chuck's question. Needless to say we never doubted Chuck's brilliance after that."

During the funeral service, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was played, and afterwards "we gathered to share stories and of course pizza and soda. What else would you expect to be served at a party to honor Chuck?"

ASA Local Sections in Action

Attention ASAers who recently moved within range of the Baltimore/Washington Local Section: Paul Arveson has been a local spark-plug for activity and writes that

The Washington area is an exciting place for a scientist in [the] ASA. Last year, I heard lectures by Murray GellMann, Donald Johansen and other big names. About a dozen Nobel-prize-winning scientists have given open lectures here. ne new head of the Wash. Academy of Sciences is Dr. Frank Haig, S.J., a cosmologist and brother of [retired general] Al Haig. The Human Genome Project at NIH is directed by Dr. Francis Collins. Members in the DC-Baltimore area should call me and get acquainted: (301) 816-9459.

Paul is a physicist who lives in Rockville, MD and has been working at the Naval Research Lab. He put together a multi-projector slide show on early science, presented at the 38th ASA Annual Meeting at George Fox C. in Newberg, OR in 1983, and heads the ASA commission on communications.

On the opposite coast, the San Francisco Bay Section was involved in the ASA/Templeton Lectures, given at Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City, with its landmark-a high, white stucco carillon tower. U. of Toronto physiologist Dan Osmond led the talks with "A Scientist Examines Purpose and Meaning in Life." Dan was followed by social psychologist David G. Myers (Hope C., MI), talking on the "Pursuit of Happiness: Who is Happy-and Why?" The talks ended with leading British geneticist E. David Cook (Director of Whitefield Inst., Oxford), who presented: "Medical Science, Morality and Spirituality." These lectures were established in 1991 by John Templeton, whose foundation awards the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. Recently retired ASA Executive Director Robert Herrmann was organizer of these and the other lectures. Previous lectures were held in universities, but this round was given in major churches, to reach a wider, more popular audience. These lectures have also been a means for promoting local ASA sections.

The S.F. Bay ASA is exemplary in this regard. They held a planning meeting for the lecture series, and 10 local members were assigned several churches, mailing lists of related groups, or Christian bookstores in the area to contact, replete with posters for each speaker (with tearoffs). They covered a wide area, as far west as Livermore and south to the nation's garlic capital, Gilroy, CA. They distributed 600 brochures to New College, Berkeley, to the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS) and to contacts in 70 churches. It appears that some local members have their own mailing lists so that publicity involved a network of networks. Everything from book tables to reception coordination and hosting were planned. And for their next meeting in mid-February, Jack Swearengen's notes contain: "Debrief from first lecture; plan next lecture and recognize Section Officer candidates." Jack Swearengen via Walter Hearn