RE: [asa] Colling Statement

NCSE also has picked up on this:

Christian professor embattled for supporting evolution

Richard Colling, a professor of biology at Olivet Nazarene University,
wanted to express his views about the compatibility of his religious
faith with his scientific knowledge, and accordingly wrote Random
Designer: Created from Chaos to Connect with the Creator (Bourbonnais
[IL]: Browning Press, 2004). But his views, especially about evolution,
proved to be unwelcome to at least some of his coreligionists, as
Newsweek's Sharon Begley (September 17, 2007) reports
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20657204/site/newsweek/> :

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.

The local Daily Journal (September 13, 2007) adds
<http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=403377> 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."

In a previous article about Colling for the Wall Street Journal
(December 3, 2004), Begley reported, "In his new book, 'Random
Designer,' 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,' he argues; 'evolution has stood
the test of time and considerable scrutiny.'"

Dick Fischer

Dick Fischer, Genesis Proclaimed Association

Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History

 <http://www.genesisproclaimed.org/> www.genesisproclaimed.org

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of Charles Carrigan
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 6:30 PM
To: asa@calvin.edu; steven.dale.martin@gmail.com
Subject: Re: [asa] Colling Statement

If you are talking about the General Biology course curriculum, then the
decision will have NO impact on the students. They will get the same
content with a different professor. It's not like Colling is the only
professor here who teaches evolution, although I can understand why
someone might get that impression from all the articles/blogs that have
talked about this situation.

If you are talking some other "impact" on the students, it is hard to
say.

Best,

Charles

_______________________________
Charles W. Carrigan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Geology
Olivet Nazarene Univ., Dept. of Physical Sciences
One University Ave.
Bourbonnais, IL 60914
PH: (815) 939-5346
FX: (815) 939-5071
ccarriga@olivet.edu
http://geology.olivet.edu/

"To a naturalist nothing is indifferent;
the humble moss that creeps upon the stone
is equally interesting as the lofty pine which so beautifully adorns the
valley or the mountain:
but to a naturalist who is reading in the face of the rocks the annals
of a former world,
the mossy covering which obstructs his view,
and renders indistinguishable the different species of stone,
is no less than a serious subject of regret."
          - James Hutton
_______________________________

>>> "Steve Martin" <steven.dale.martin@gmail.com> 9/14/2007 9:07 AM >>>
Apologies if this has already been posted here (I didn't see it in any
of the threads) ...

See:
http://northstatescience.blogspot.com/2007/09/richard-colling-scientist-
christianand.html for a personal reply by Richard Colling regarding the
events of the last week.

One small snippet:

"In a culture and society increasingly driven by advances in science and
technology, it is a sad day in the life of a Christian university when
new understanding and insights into God's creation revealed by biology
and genetics are viewed as a threat to faith. Students deserve better.
Those who continue set biology at odds with the Bible do a terrible
disservice to both."
 

I think this is an important aspect of this situation : What is the
impact of this decision going to have on the students?

-- 
Steve Martin (CSCA)
http://evanevodialogue.blogspot.com
<http://evanevodialogue.blogspot.com/>  
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