Our Response to Dr. Bert Thompson's seminar

From: Charles F. Austerberry (cfauster@creighton.edu)
Date: Mon Aug 18 2003 - 14:13:14 EDT

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    Dear Colleagues:

    Dr. Bert Thompson gave his "Science & Nature: Two Votes for God"
    seminar in Omaha August 15-17, 2003. Too many people leave a seminar
    like Dr. Thompson's convinced that anything other than his
    young-earth creationism must be anti-God. So, as folks left the
    seminar, a colleague and I distributed a flyer that we hope politely
    and respectfully offered the alternative view of our Nebraska
    Religious Coalition for Science Education. The text of the flyer
    appears below. The web links at the end might be of use; many are to
    ASA-published journal articles, and thus present a Christian
    perspective.

    *******************

    A network of Nebraskans with diverse religious faiths, the Nebraska
    Religious Coalition for Science Education (NRCSE) considers good
    science and good theology compatible. We recognize:

    _ the duty of Nebraska's schools to teach, and require an understanding of, the
    best available science.

    _ the right of students, parents, and religious organizations to
    accept or reject
    scientific theories and develop their own religious beliefs.

    _ that scientific data and theories are compatible with the
    existence, and activity,
    of the Divine.

    _ that theists, agnostics, and atheists can legitimately incorporate the same
    scientific knowledge in different metaphysical perspectives.

    The NRCSE supports teaching about creationism and intelligent design
    as religious or
    philosophical positions. We also accept both the scientific theory
    of evolution and the religious
    concept of creation. Like many evangelical Christians, we believe
    that not all creation texts in
    the Bible were written to be interpreted literally.(1)

    When forced to choose between evolution and creation, most Americans
    choose creation. But
    evolution and creation are not mutually exclusive. 68% of Americans
    surveyed in 1999 consider
    evolution compatible with belief in a divine creator, and 66% do not
    want creationism taught as
    science.(2) Similar views are even more prevalent among scientists.
    For example, 84% of Ohio
    college science professors surveyed in 2002 consider the theory of
    evolution consistent with
    belief in God, and 93% see no scientifically valid evidence
    challenging the fundamental
    principles of evolution.(3)

    Biologists seek natural explanations for how species form just as
    they try to explain, for example,
    how embryos form. We expect embryonic development to proceed
    naturally, whether or not we
    can fully explain it yet scientifically. We may thank God as creator
    of each life, not because our
    embryology is incomplete, but because we see (through the eyes of
    faith) each organism as both
    God's creation and a product of natural processes. Likewise,
    scientific investigation does not
    identify God's action in evolution, yet we may rightly praise God for
    creating countless
    wonderful species through evolution.
    1. Making Sense of Genesis 1 (R. E. Watts),
    <http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Bible-Science/6-02Watts.html>
    2. Evolution and Creationism in Public Education: An In-depth Reading
    of Public Opinion, <http://www.pfaw.org>
    3. Ohio Scientists' Intelligent Design Poll,
    <http://ecology.cwru.edu/ohioscience>

    <http://nrcse.creighton.edu> is the web site for the Nebraska
    Religious Coalition for Science
    Education, with links to many information sources. Some links
    particularly relevant for topics
    addressed by Dr. Bert Thompson are listed below (also at
    <http://nrcse.creighton.edu/ResponseToYEC.html>).

    Age of the earth

    http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2000/PSCF6-00Morton.html
    http://www.asa3.org/ASA/resources/Wiens.html
    http://www.asa3.org/ASA/resources/zorn.html
    http://www.ntanet.net/radiocarbon.htm

    DNA and genetics

    http://christianitytoday.aol.com/ct/2001/012/2.42.html
    http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/molgen
    http://www.carlzimmer.com/articles/2002/articles_2002_6.html

    Evolution in the public schools

    http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2000/PSCF9-00Austerberry.html
    http://nrcse.creighton.edu/RCSELyden.htm
    http://nrcse.creighton.edu/TheThreatofEvolution.html

    Fossils

    http://www.asa3.org/ASA/resources/Miller.html
    http://www.ntanet.net/footprints.htm

    Intelligent design

    http://www.actionbioscience.org/evolution/nhmag.html
    http://nrcse.creighton.edu/IDTHG.html
    http://nrcse.creighton.edu/DesignerWorld.html
    http://nrcse.creighton.edu/ObjectiveScience.html
    http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2002/1106id.shtml

    Science, theology, and the Bible

    http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1998/PSCF9-98Pennock.html
    http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1998/PSCF3-98Miller.html
    http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF9-93Miller.html
    http://www.kcfs.org/kmiller.html
    http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Bible-Science/6-02Watts.html
    http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1988/PSCF12-88Kemp.html

    Thermodynamics

    http://www.ntanet.net/Thermo-Internet.htm

    -- 
    Charles (Chuck) F. Austerberry, Ph.D.
    Assistant Professor of Biology
    Hixson-Lied Science Building Room 438
    Creighton University
    2500 California Plaza
    Omaha, NE  68178
    

    Voice: (402)-280-2154 or -2321 FAX: (402)-280-5595 e-mail: cfauster@creighton.edu

    Nebraska Religious Coalition for Science Education http://nrcse.creighton.edu



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