Re: [asa] Colling Statement

Hi Steve,
 
Comments below interspersed with your message.
 

>>> "Steve Martin" <steven.dale.martin@gmail.com> 9/17/2007 9:26 PM >>>
Thanks for the clarification. Maybe you could clarify another issue. Some sites are talking about Colling's book Random Designer being "banned". I'm assuming this is a little bit of an exaggeration and that the book is simply no longer on the required reading lists for various ONU courses. Is this correct? Or has ONU gone even further (eg. removed the book from the library)?
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CWC: The use of the term "banned" in the Newsweek article was really unfortunate in my opinion. The request from Pres. Bowling was that the book not be used or promoted in our courses - as required or supplemental text, or collateral reading, etc. That does not include a removal of the book from the library. A banning of the book implies a complete removal of it in any way, which is not what happened here. For example, students or faculty would not be "in trouble" if they were "caught" reading the book in the quad. Part of the problem is that some people see a professor using his own book as a conflict of interest, since the professor might personally benefit by requiring the book as part of a course.
 
 
>>> "Steve Martin" <steven.dale.martin@gmail.com> 9/17/2007 9:26 PM >>>
I guess what I meant by "impact on the students" are the models of leadership they are seeing.
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CWC: I can assure you that the students, faculty, & staff here at ONU think very highly of Pres. Bowling and his model of leadership.
 
 
>>> "Steve Martin" <steven.dale.martin@gmail.com> 9/17/2007 9:26 PM >>>
Ted stated in another thread,
 

"It's hard to know how to balance academic freedom with an institution's commitment to it's own understanding of truth",

 
but that doesn't really seem to be the case here. In my understanding, the Nazarene church, nor ONU, take an official stand against evolution (unlike, for example, the CRC which Calvin College falls under). So I guess, another question. Is this statement true of the Nararene Church and ONU? And if so, the issue seems to be entirely political (ie. satisfying some constituents that ONU relies on for fundraising) - and this is what Colling seems to be indicating in his comments that I've seen. When someone like Colling is defending both the integrity of scripture and the integrity of science, and he is abandoned (maybe a strong word but that's my perception) by his leadership in spite of this & in spite of the fact that he has NOT taught anything contrary to his institution's policies, that I believe sends an entirely wrong message to our Christian students/children.
 
Maybe things are a whole lot more complex than this, and maybe I shouldn't be throwing stones from the sidelines (I certainly haven't had to make a choice like this), but I can't see it any other way than ONU did a diservice to one of its loyal staff and also to its students.
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CWC: The Church of the Nazarene does not take any stance against evolution. However, a number of people within the church lean more to the "fundamentalist" persuasion, which is where much of this opposition is coming from.
 
Your statement that "maybe things are a whole lot more complex..." is right on the mark. I do not at all agree that ONU did a disservice to it's staff and students in this situation.
 
 
Best,
Charles
 
 
 
On 9/17/07, Charles Carrigan <CCarriga@olivet.edu> wrote:

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
 
 
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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,
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and renders indistinguishable the different species of stone,
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>>> "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/ )
-- 
-- 
Steve Martin (CSCA)
http://evanevodialogue.blogspot.com  ( http://evanevodialogue.blogspot.com/ )
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