from the September 21, 2001 edition -
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0921/p19s1-altv.html
War over Darwin examined in 'Evolution'
A new PBS TV series shows how his theories continue to affect us.
By M.S. Mason | Television critic of The Christian Science Monitor
PASADENA, CALIF. - "Evolution" means change. But the theory of evolution
means war - at least for certain religious groups that take Genesis
literally. And the new seven-part, eight-hour series on PBS, Evolution, does
its best not only to explain Charles Darwin's theory of the origins of
material life, but to take seriously conservative Christians' religious
objections to it.
The two-hour opener is a kind of " 'Masterpiece Theatre' meets 'Nova,' " as
one publicity agent puts it. We are introduced to Darwin, a 19th-century
gentleman of leisure who loved his wife and children dearly - and was so
considerate of his wife's religious feeling that he put off publishing "The
Origin of the Species" for years.
He also feared the derision that he knew would come with his dangerous ideas
about a common ancestry, variation, and natural selection. (He didn't know
about the mechanics of genetic mutation - later discovered by Gregor
Mendel.)
Laced throughout the biography are modern illustrations of Darwin's
discoveries. Because the theory of evolution is the cornerstone of modern
biology, the series details how it has been applied, particularly to medical
research.
Episode 2 takes on the diversity of life on earth, and investigates the
evolutionary ideas of the journey of sea creatures to land and land mammals
back to the seas, as well as the emergence of primates and humans.
Later episodes go on to explore the five mass extinctions that have occurred
over the life of the planet, new ideas about "survival of the fittest"
(cooperation is seen to be as important as competition), and symbiosis among
different species. One whole episode is devoted to sex, asserting that the
driving force behind culture itself may be sex (certainly a controversial
hypothesis).
The emergence of the modern brain is called "The Mind's Big Bang": Some
50,000 years ago, there was an explosion of social, technological, and
creative expression - all explained as "adaptive."
The last hour is devoted to the social and religious rejection of the theory
of evolution. "What About God?" outlines the struggle in schools waged by
conservative Christian parents for the right to have "creationism" taught as
an alternative to evolution.
Students of science at a conservative Christian college discuss their own
struggles with their faith and with what they are learning about science.
In the 1920s, the Scopes "Monkey Trial" put the issue on the map: Should
evolution be taught in schools?
"Today, about the same number of states are caught in the same dilemma,"
Paula Apsell, director of WGBH TV's Boston Science Unit, told the Television
Critic's Association in July. "Evolution is a subject with ramifications
that extend into schools, into churches, and into the ballot box. It touches
people's most deeply held beliefs. The controversy over evolution is one
that challenges the nature of science itself."
Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science
Education, adds: "Right now we do have evolution in the curriculum, but we
cannot count on the textbook publishers and the teachers and the educational
establishment to be able to continue defending it."
Part of the problem is poor public relations. Scientists are among the most
respected citizens of the world. Their intelligence and discipline give them
authority and stature. While about a third of all scientists report
believing in some form of higher power, two-thirds do not. Some of the most
famous of those (Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins) have addressed the issues
of the meaning of life, handing down what amounts to theological
pronouncements.
When they presume to chase God out of the heavens, as it were, those who
have had religious experiences will naturally object.
"It's an exhilarating tonic to have someone shove a microphone in your face,
because suddenly you become the authority," says evolutionary biologist Dr.
Kenneth Miller, author of "Finding Darwin's God."
"The temptation to expound, not just on the results of your latest
experiment, but on the ultimate meaning of life, is overwhelming."
Too few scientists, Dr. Miller says, make very clear when they're speaking
as scientists exercising scientific judgment and when they're exercising
philosophical judgment, personal taste, or religious preference.
A number of scientists in the scientific community have been outspoken in
their criticism of religion, and it has often lead to a supposition that
science itself is hostile to religion.
"But I'd like to say that Western science is born, if you will, out of
Western religion," Miller says. "The whole scientific impulse comes out of
Western religion, and it's a very important thing to understand."
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