The Gradebook has a follow-up post about the Gibbs and Grubbs “legal” memos [previous post on this here]. This time FSU law Professor Steven G. Gey is featured, and he completely rips apart Gibbs’ and Grubbs’ arguments. It’s a good read well worth a few minutes of your time. Here’s just a taste:
The offensive part of the memo’s discussion of this point is that it uses several quotes from Ken Miller to bolster the memo’s contention that teaching evolution “will demand that the concept of ‘God’ be banished from the mind and replaced by atheism.” I know Ken Miller. He is not only one of the country’s leading evolutionary biologists, he is also a deeply devout Catholic, who takes his religion very seriously. Here’s what Ken has actually written about the subject (in an article he wrote for the religious website beliefnet.com): “Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator’s plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet bursting with evolutionary possibilities, a continuing creation in which the Divine providence is manifest in every living thing. I see a science that tells us there is indeed a design to life. And the name of that design is evolution.” (See http://www.beliefnet.com/story/171/story_17123_2.html.) To even remotely suggest that Ken Miller believes that (again quoting the memo) evolutionary theory is “anti-religious and atheistic leaving no room for religion in the life of the mind” suggests that the memo’s author is completely ignorant of both Ken Miller and evolutionary theory.
Very Nice! Now let us everyone, send a copy of this letter to the FL BoE!
A far more likely explanation that explains the working behind the memo: Creationists think that telling lies for God is a good thing.
There are FAR more biologists and astronomers, for instance, who beleive in God, than there are actual astronomers and biologists who are creationists.
What amazes me about the whole “anti-God” wing of the creationists is that if flies in the face of the religious teaching I had growing up. I went to Catholic grade school and high school in the 60’s and we were taught that the Bible was basically allegorical and that the six days of creation really were evolutionary periods and not six real days. We got scientific explanations for the parting of the Red Sea and many other biblical tales. This change can only be attributed to the rise of religious fundamentalism around the world and in the US.
Hey, fundamentalism is working for Islam! err…
Well, I am surprised that the media really hasn’t attacked this story. You would think that they would have a field day going after the DI based on their Wedge Document and how it is one type of xtianity that they want taught. Interesting. Lets see what happens after the State BoE says that evolution will be taught.