Wednesday, November 22, 2006
We're on Ed's Team
Red State Rabble urges readers to follow this link to read what we consider an extremely important post by Ed Brayton at Dispatches From the Culture Wars.
In his post, Brayton responds to Larry Moran, a Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto, who runs a blog called Sandwalk. You can read Moran's side of the story here.
Moran set the intelligent design sector of the blogosphere alight recently by writing -- tongue in cheek he says -- that, "students who reject evolution should be flunked, or not admitted to university in the first place."
As Brayton points out, Moran's claim that he's joking is seriously undermined by his also saying that,
Moran goes on to say that improving science education "requires us to take a long hard look at the way science education is being eroded by well-meaning theists who don't belong in one of the obvious hard-core Creationist camps. Let's call them Theistic Evolutionists for want of a better term."
As Brayton correctly points out, "there are theistic evolutionists who have done more to improve science education than virtually anyone else in the nation.
Brayton, like Red State Rabble, rejects the notion that belief in God, in and of itself, takes anything away from science education. He goes on to point out, as we did not long ago, that "Ken Miller is a theistic evolutionist. His scientific work is impeccable, as are his efforts in science education.
Brayton says that his goal is to protect science education. Those, like Moran, who want to divide the movement to defend science education -- and in the process hand ultra-right fundamentalists an undeserved victory -- "simply are not on the same team and are not working [toward, RSR] the same goal," says Brayton.
Ed, sign us up on your team. RSR is skeptical down to his bones, but we are proud to work in a united front with theistic evolutionists such as Ken Miller, Keith Miller, Howard Van Till, Glenn Morton, Wes Elsberry, and Rob Pennock to defend science education and the separation of church and state.
Note: RSR urges readers to take a look at the first comment to Brayton's post, because it makes that very important point that many things other than religion also conflict with Moran's great God, Reason: literature, drama, the visual arts, and human relationships to name but a few.
In his post, Brayton responds to Larry Moran, a Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto, who runs a blog called Sandwalk. You can read Moran's side of the story here.
Moran set the intelligent design sector of the blogosphere alight recently by writing -- tongue in cheek he says -- that, "students who reject evolution should be flunked, or not admitted to university in the first place."
As Brayton points out, Moran's claim that he's joking is seriously undermined by his also saying that,
... behind the humor is a serious point. If students entering university have already made up their minds that evolution should be rejected, then that's a serious problem. It's not a question of ignorance. Those students have made an active decision to choose superstition over science. Given a choice of students to admit into university science programs, I would choose the ones who show some understanding of science over those who reject one the fundamental facts of biology.
Moran goes on to say that improving science education "requires us to take a long hard look at the way science education is being eroded by well-meaning theists who don't belong in one of the obvious hard-core Creationist camps. Let's call them Theistic Evolutionists for want of a better term."
As Brayton correctly points out, "there are theistic evolutionists who have done more to improve science education than virtually anyone else in the nation.
Brayton, like Red State Rabble, rejects the notion that belief in God, in and of itself, takes anything away from science education. He goes on to point out, as we did not long ago, that "Ken Miller is a theistic evolutionist. His scientific work is impeccable, as are his efforts in science education.
Brayton says that his goal is to protect science education. Those, like Moran, who want to divide the movement to defend science education -- and in the process hand ultra-right fundamentalists an undeserved victory -- "simply are not on the same team and are not working [toward, RSR] the same goal," says Brayton.
Ed, sign us up on your team. RSR is skeptical down to his bones, but we are proud to work in a united front with theistic evolutionists such as Ken Miller, Keith Miller, Howard Van Till, Glenn Morton, Wes Elsberry, and Rob Pennock to defend science education and the separation of church and state.
Note: RSR urges readers to take a look at the first comment to Brayton's post, because it makes that very important point that many things other than religion also conflict with Moran's great God, Reason: literature, drama, the visual arts, and human relationships to name but a few.
