Could some mention have been made of those of us who feel that Johnson is
making a God of the Gaps and playing by the atheists' rules by assuming
that evolution negates theism? Or those who dislike the overtones of
conspiracy that are becoming more prevalent in his criticisms of science
and scientists, including Christians? Or those who feel that even the
valid issues he raises will not be appreciated by the average person in
the pew who is looking for an excuse to bash evolution and science
generally? If this listserv is any indication, there are serious
concerns in the ASA about the ID movement, and even more so specifically
about Johnson's approach. I think the existence of those concerns should
not have been omitted from the Newsletter account.
On a more positive note, I was heartened to see the story in the
Newsletter about the statements of Eugenie Scott of the National Center
for Science Education. For those who missed it, Scott spoke out against
using evolution (or any science) as propaganda for any particular
worldview. One line being: "... advocating a nontheistic philosophy in
the science classroom is just as wrong and just as unscientific as
advocating creationism is." It will be a great step forward if all
science teachers learn that answers to the "how" questions of science
cannot and should not determine the answers to the "who" questions of
theology. Now if we could just get Phil Johnson to learn that lesson ....
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| Dr. Allan H. Harvey | aharvey@boulder.nist.gov |
| Physical and Chemical Properties Division | Phone: (303)497-3555 |
| National Institute of Standards & Technology | Fax: (303)497-5224 |
| 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303 | |
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| "Don't blame the government for what I say, or vice versa." |
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