"Iowa State University denied tenure to astronomy professor Guillermo Gonzalez last year, despite having scientific and academic credentials that surpassed many of his colleagues. The reason, based on statements made by Gonzalez' fellow faculty members, is his support for the view that Intelligent Design best explains the remarkable way in which physical laws are "fine-tuned" to support complex life."
"In 2005, biology professor Caroline Crocker was let go from George Mason University where, in her classes, she "decided to put all references to evolution into one one lecture and ... give the evidence for and against evolution," Crocker said in a Coral Ridge Hour interview. When the class was finished, Crocker made this final remark about origins: "Is it evolution, Intelligent Design, or Creation? think about it.
Unfortunately, Crocker's actions landed her in her supervisor's office. She was banned from lecturing and filed a grievance to protest the decision. At the end of the semester, GMU allowed her contract to expire.
"Censoring professors and students who air alternative views to evolution goes against the idea that a good education consists of providing arguments from all sides," said Brian Fisher, President of Coral Ridge Ministries."
"Evolutionists today have absolutely a fit at the very thought of both sides of the origins debate being presented in school. They want evolution alone taught — and dogmatically at that. They think it is terrible that anyone would suggest such a thing as presenting both sides.
However, one writer said, "A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question..." To present both sides of this argument is the only way, he said, to come to a "fair result."
Obviously, one would think it was some sort of fanatical Christian who made that statement. No. As a matter of fact, it is found in Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species. But that has been conveniently forgotten in our time.
(from "Impact," April 2008)
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4 comments:
I can relate, I lost my first PhD appointment at Manchester because I refused to take continued constant negative critique from a professor that stated I would need to think secular, as in deny that God created the world in light of the problem of evil, or not pass.
I can relate, I lost my first PhD appointment at Manchester because I refused to take continued constant negative critique from a professor that stated I would need to think secular, as in deny that God created the world in light of the problem of evil, or not pass.
A high price to pay. I would say that could count as carrying your cross. Not physical persecution, but still a major sacrifice. Praise God that you did not compromise.
Yikes, Russ! Praise the Lord for carrying you through that. I'm sure God blessed you for it, and you never know who your witness may have helped.
Academia is by-and-large secular and liberal. I've been involved with a Jesuit (Catholic) university in our area, and you would think they would be pretty conservative. But the kind of garbage that goes on is very disheartening.
At the same time, some creationists are so gung-ho in the other direction, I think they lower the credibility of honest scientists that are truly seeking the truth.
Greg,
At the same time, some creationists are so gung-ho in the other direction, I think they lower the credibility of honest scientists that are truly seeking the truth.
I wonder how many "honest scientists that are truly seeking the truth" there actually are. I don't doubt that such people exist, but I tend to think that most are biased toward one side or the other, just like most people in general are. On the other hand, I have read of some scientists who had never even heard of evidences that point to Creation, because they had believed what they had been taught, but (at least in the cases that I read) when they were exposed to that new information, they investigated it and came to agree that the evidence does point strongly toward a Creator, rather than toward evolution by chance. So, in their cases at least, they were seeking the truth, and were not afraid to open-mindedly research options that did not fit their current view.
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