Evolution Again
This is pretty interesting....
Discovery Institute News1511 3rd Ave Suite 808 - Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 292-0401 x107
Over 500 Scientists Proclaim Their Doubts About Darwin’s Theory
By: StaffDiscovery Institute February 20, 2006
The Scientific Dissent From Darwinism list is now located at a new webpage, www.dissentfromdarwin.org.
Over 500 doctoral scientists have now signed a statement publicly expressing their skepticism about the contemporary theory of Darwinian evolution.The statement reads: “We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.” The list of 514 signatories includes member scientists from the prestigious US and Russian National Academy of Sciences. Signers include 154 biologists, the largest single scientific discipline represented on the list, as well as 76 chemists and 63 physicists. Signers hold doctorates in biological sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, computer science, and related disciplines. Many are professors or researchers at major universities and research institutions such as MIT, The Smithsonian, Cambridge University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, the Ohio State University, the University of Georgia, and the University of Washington.Discovery Institute first published its Scientific Dissent From Darwinism list in 2001 to challenge false statements about Darwinian evolution made in promoting PBS’s “Evolution” series. At the time it was claimed that “virtually every scientist in the world believes the theory to be true.”“Darwinists continue to claim that no serious scientists doubt the theory and yet here are 500 scientists who are willing to make public their skepticism about the theory,” said Dr. John G. West, associate director of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture. “Darwinist efforts to use the courts, the media and academic tenure committees to suppress dissent and stifle discussion are in fact fueling even more dissent and inspiring more scientists to ask to be added to the list.”According to West, it was the fast growing number of scientific dissenters which encouraged the Institute to launch a website -- www.dissentfromdarwin.org -- to give the list a permanent home. The website is the Institute’s response to the demand for information and access to the list both by the public, and by scientists who want to add their name to list. “Darwin’s theory of evolution is the great white elephant of contemporary thought,” said Dr. David Berlinski, one of the original signers, a mathematician and philosopher of science with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture (CSC). “It is large, almost completely useless, and the object of superstitious awe.”Other prominent signatories include U.S. National Academy of Sciences member Philip Skell; American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow Lyle Jensen; evolutionary biologist and textbook author Stanley Salthe; Smithsonian Institution evolutionary biologist and a researcher at the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Biotechnology Information Richard von Sternberg; Editor of Rivista di Biologia / Biology Forum --the oldest still published biology journal in the world-- Giuseppe Sermonti; and Russian Academy of Natural Sciences embryologist Lev Beloussov.
Discovery Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan, public policy think tank headquartered in Seattle and dealing with national and international affairs. For more information, browse Discovery's Web site at: http://www.discovery.org.
Discovery Institute News1511 3rd Ave Suite 808 - Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 292-0401 x107
Over 500 Scientists Proclaim Their Doubts About Darwin’s Theory
By: StaffDiscovery Institute February 20, 2006
The Scientific Dissent From Darwinism list is now located at a new webpage, www.dissentfromdarwin.org.
Over 500 doctoral scientists have now signed a statement publicly expressing their skepticism about the contemporary theory of Darwinian evolution.The statement reads: “We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.” The list of 514 signatories includes member scientists from the prestigious US and Russian National Academy of Sciences. Signers include 154 biologists, the largest single scientific discipline represented on the list, as well as 76 chemists and 63 physicists. Signers hold doctorates in biological sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, computer science, and related disciplines. Many are professors or researchers at major universities and research institutions such as MIT, The Smithsonian, Cambridge University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, the Ohio State University, the University of Georgia, and the University of Washington.Discovery Institute first published its Scientific Dissent From Darwinism list in 2001 to challenge false statements about Darwinian evolution made in promoting PBS’s “Evolution” series. At the time it was claimed that “virtually every scientist in the world believes the theory to be true.”“Darwinists continue to claim that no serious scientists doubt the theory and yet here are 500 scientists who are willing to make public their skepticism about the theory,” said Dr. John G. West, associate director of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture. “Darwinist efforts to use the courts, the media and academic tenure committees to suppress dissent and stifle discussion are in fact fueling even more dissent and inspiring more scientists to ask to be added to the list.”According to West, it was the fast growing number of scientific dissenters which encouraged the Institute to launch a website -- www.dissentfromdarwin.org -- to give the list a permanent home. The website is the Institute’s response to the demand for information and access to the list both by the public, and by scientists who want to add their name to list. “Darwin’s theory of evolution is the great white elephant of contemporary thought,” said Dr. David Berlinski, one of the original signers, a mathematician and philosopher of science with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture (CSC). “It is large, almost completely useless, and the object of superstitious awe.”Other prominent signatories include U.S. National Academy of Sciences member Philip Skell; American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow Lyle Jensen; evolutionary biologist and textbook author Stanley Salthe; Smithsonian Institution evolutionary biologist and a researcher at the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Biotechnology Information Richard von Sternberg; Editor of Rivista di Biologia / Biology Forum --the oldest still published biology journal in the world-- Giuseppe Sermonti; and Russian Academy of Natural Sciences embryologist Lev Beloussov.
Discovery Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan, public policy think tank headquartered in Seattle and dealing with national and international affairs. For more information, browse Discovery's Web site at: http://www.discovery.org.
posted by Rob | 1:02 PM
7 Comments:
Might want to cross reference that list with Horowitz's Most Dangerous Professors just in case there's some overlap.
Even if one doubts that evolution can occur by natural selection, one is left with a fossil record in which there have been clear transitions in form over time. Just think dinosaurs... .
Why are Christians afraid of evolution? What theologically makes evolution a bad idea?
Can one be a Christian and still believe that Genesis is a figurative (non-literal) story?
I think science by its very nature can have nothing to say about God. Science can only tell a story about God's creation by observing and testing and wondering about it. I don't see evolution in conflict with scripture, however that does not mean we should be silent about it.
Perception is reality, and both christians and non-christians have this perception that evolution and scripture are in direct conflict with each other. So Christians need to speak to the issue. We need to hold Christianity to account when it claims that the Bible speaks to issues of science. We need to hold science to account when it ceases to be science and pretends it has the wherewithall to speak about God.
I have been spending some time reading articles posted on the www.discovery.org web site. It was indeed an eye-opener. I was under the impression that it was a new thoughful direction for responsible discussion about the critical issues of our world. I assumed that it had nominal alignment with Judeo-Christian values, but provided a platform for intellectual honesty and openness to address the difficult questions of the world. Intellectual depth and honesty openness is not available in many Evangelical Christian venues.
I am sure that the Discovery Institute mission statement would seem reasonable for most evangelicals. However, it is apparent to me that it has pre-selected its positions to promote a party-line opinion on science, culture, ethics, and economics. It is not an academically-based platform for reasonable discussion on difficult topics. I now judge the Discovery Institute to be a new veneer for the Evangelical far right.
Examination of articles collected in the area of economics, it becomes clear that www.discovery.org merely repeats support for Republican supply-side economic policies. There is no breadth of voices. The articles give the appearance of academic rigor, but they mostly put forward opinion of the current extremist laissez-faire capitalist based on self-serving "studies".
It is interesting that the Discovery Institute takes a stand against unthinking acceptance of biological Darwinism but it blindly embraces Social Darwinism.
I am not impressed and will not support Discovery Institute to be a platform for intellectually limp opinions posing as intellectual rigor.
Sorry for stopping the comments with my polemic. I am just a bit tire of the current Evangelical atmosphere that considers a different view point as heresy and evil. I do agree that materialistic science has labeled Intelligent Design as heresy and evil. That is a problem. Open discussion of the issues is always good ... (see Karl Popper's science philosophy).
I also think that conservative Christianity has embraced Social Darwinism (laissez-faire capitialism) and individualism (anti-societal concern) as gospel and considers other views as unamerican or unchristian.
Discovery.org is just another conservative Evangelical platform that limits a broader discussion of important issues. The articles of www.discovery.org in economics assume the blessedness of the neo-conservative government and economic vision. The articles do not present other voices.
If is was a serious website for discussion of issues it would have a serious discussion of the issues! If you go to the search feature and enter 'government'
you get a list of conservative opinion articles.
"Destructive Government"
"Drift to World Government"
"Government Overboard"
No middle voice let alone liberal. It is all "government is evil ... private capitalism is good ... no taxes" platform.
Enter in a search for "global warming" and you will get .... NOTHING. It is an non-issue. There is no discussion on what many consider to be important. There is not even a discussion of ethics towards the land or nature. Search for "environmentalism" ... nothing.
Sorry, but www.discovery.org is a polished conservative platform for very rightist opinions only.
Vince
Vince- I actually don't know much about the organization, but let's not shoot the messenger. The point is that 500 scientists don't totally buy into evolution, something the secular media never covers and most professors don't know or don't want to know. One of our students heard in a class the very day I mentioned the story that "no working scientist doesn't accept evolution as fact." Nonsense.
As far as their point of view, doesn't every organization or website have a point of view? Don't you? And, besides, they just might be right!
You are correct. They have a point of view that is identified in their mission statement:
"Discovery Institute's mission is to make a positive vision of the future practical. The Institute discovers and promotes ideas in the common sense tradition of representative government, the free market and individual liberty. Our mission is promoted through books, reports, legislative testimony, articles, public conferences and debates, plus media coverage and the Institute's own publications and Internet website ( http://www.discovery.org ). "
Their intent is to promote an agenda ... not promote discussion of the questions. Oh well. It is a propaganda 'Institute' that has the answers, I guess.
My point is that there are not enough places to discuss the questions. Where is Socrates when you need him? Everyone already has the answers.
Listening to Rush Limbaugh and thinking that one has been educated on a topic is foolishness. Watching a Michael Moore film and feeling like you have seen Truth with a capital T is self imposed blindness. Like the others, Sean Hannity merely states his opinion as fact then denigrates any and all opponents. This style of media is not for enlightenment. Its purpose is propaganda.
Where are the two and three way discussions of good yet humble thinkers? Where does one hear a breadth of views in courteous discourse? Everything is now just promoting agendas. Propaganda with no allowance for questions.
Somewhere I missed the obituary of the last intellectual.
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