Hi all!
This was in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
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Why pit God against
evolution?
Cynthia Tucker - Staff
Wednesday, October 2, 2002
Perhaps the most puzzling thing about Cobb County's
controversy over the teaching of evolution is this: Nothing in the
Cobb curriculum, including the text on evolution, denies the
existence of God. Indeed, many scientists believe in the
existence of a Supreme Being and still accept the theory of
evolution.
As outlined in the textbook "Biology: Concepts and
Connections," the discussion of the origin of species leaves
plenty of room for believers to see the hand of a benevolent God
at work. (And for nonbelievers to see no such thing.) The book
simply outlines the familiar and broadly accepted view that all
existing life developed from earlier forms through natural
selection.
For a high school textbook, its explanation of evolution is
relatively sophisticated --- certainly compared with the textbook I
studied in the 10th grade. The book brings students up to date
with the work of Richard Dawkins, whose studies have
elaborated on natural selection. It also cites my favorite
evolutionary theorist, the late Stephen Jay Gould.
But the book should not be controversial to any but the most
narrow-minded. It does not rattle religious views unless they
adhere to the literal story of the Creation in seven days.
Still, the Cobb school board could not find the courage to stand
up to the creationists, who clearly want teachers to actively inject
an affirmation of religion into classroom discussions of science.
While religious conservatives deny that, what else would
motivate them to attack the teaching of evolution?
When religious conservatives speak of "intelligent design," they
are promoting a view that actively supports belief in a higher
power --- or God. That's what they want taught in the classrooms
--- not hard science but faith, something that, by its very nature,
does not lend itself to the rigors of scientific scrutiny.
The religious fundamentalists who provoked this controversy
were no doubt buoyed by a seemingly small but critical victory
they had won a few months ago. They persuaded the Cobb
school board to label several textbooks with the following
disclaimer: "This textbook contains material on evolution.
Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living
things . . ."
It's too bad the board didn't have the good sense back then to
reject that nonsensical example of scientific illiteracy. When
scientists use the word "theory," they mean "a more or less
verified or established explanation accounting for known facts or
phenomena," according to Webster's. In that sense, gravity is
only a theory.
Last week, the school board went further, passing a policy that
supports "discussion of disputed views." Here is a fact, not a
theory: Among scientists, there is precious little dispute about
the basic outlines of evolution.
In a brilliant 1999 debate between two particle physicists, one a
believer and one an atheist, the theory of evolution was never in
dispute. Anglican priest and physicist John Polkinghorne,
defending his religious beliefs against the arguments of Nobel
laureate Steven Weinberg, said that the theory of evolution might
help theologians answer the age-old question of why there is evil
in a world created by a benevolent God.
Polkinghorne said evolution suggests that "God created a world
that could make itself."
For those on the Christian left --- and I count myself a member of
that steadfast, if small, group --- it does not matter one whit
whether God created the universe in seven days or several
billion years. Nor does it matter whether she started all life in a
primordial soup and set a system in motion wherein species
evolved over time. Her glory is not diminished.
Cynthia Tucker is the editorial page editor. Her column appears
Wednesdays and Sundays.
cynthia@ajc.com
Link:
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/wednesday/opinion_d3a9b81ee5c1615900dd.html
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Be well!
ssv
