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Minutes for September 8, 1999; #54.

Jeff asked for topic suggestions and any ideas for speakers we might

line up for coming meetings.

We were reminded of the Interfaith Dialogue Association's Fall

conference on Science & Religion, November 6, 12-6PM. We are welcome to

attend and/or participate in this discussion We should keep in mind that

while the IDA is open to the belief systems of various religions; they

are faith-based, so the freethought stance is likely to be the lone non-belief viewpoint.

Tim V. submitted a response in the GR Press Public Pulse to a letter

appearing in the same venue from a person who was unable to distinguish

between the "theory" of evolution and divine revelation (creationism). Tim cleared up the

differing approaches of science and religion and this appeared in the 9-13-99 Public Pulse.

Dirk N. announced the American Humanist Association's sponsoring of an

essay contest for 13-24 year olds. Winners will be published and receive

prize money. If you know of anyone within the age parameters who might

be interested, let them know about this.

Please keep in mind the highway clean-up that our group will be doing on

Sept. 26 @ 9AM at the NE corner of Plainfield & 5 Mile. Help if you can!

The topic for this meeting was "Evolution; what's all the fuss 4 billion

years after the FACT?" presented by Dr. Greg Forbes, Prof. of Zoology;

Director GRCC Science Ed. Center; Education director, MI Scientific

Evolution Education Initiative; Skeptic Magazine Editorial Bd.

We investigated the on-going, heated controversy in our nation over this

scientific fact being taught along with other aspects of science in

schools. This is especially timely in light of the recent Kansas Bd. of

Ed. decision whereby state proficiency exams no longer require evolution

(or the Big Bang theory) to be taught. There has already been some

backlash, however, to this decision, with the state governor calling it

an embarrassment and dreading the loss of business in the high- tech.

industries.

Ours is the only industrialized nation on the planet where this is such

a controversial issue and where religious fundamentalists have such a

stranglehold on what can be taught in schools. One thought was that in

the US we have one dominant religion, with little concern for other

beliefs. In many other countries a multitude of different religions must

co-exist in a more heterogeneous culture; agreeing to disagree.

Dr. Forbes pointed out that a major stumbling block to discussion of

evolution is the different understanding between the vernacular of the

lay public and the scientific use of many key terms. A common example is

the word "theory" as in the often-heard, dismissive "Evolution is only a

theory." When the scientist uses this term he or she is speaking of a

"...well substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world

that can incorporate science facts, laws, inferences and tested

hypotheses..." such as cell, heliocentric, or gravitational theory.

Evolution is a scientific fact as it is an "...observation that has been

repeatedly confirmed..." While all theories are provisional, pending

more and better data, no modern scientific theory has been thrown out, only

modified and improved upon. They are also falsifiable-- should a primate

bone ever be discovered in the same stratum of rock that a dinosaur

fossil is, we may then call into question many aspects of evolutionary

theory. Hypothesis is another term plagued by misunderstanding- usually

thought to mean a guess, rather than a testable statement about the

natural world that can be used to construct more complex explanations

(i.e. theories).

Because science doesn't present a quick and easy, consistently

comforting, and changeless view of the world and its governing laws,

the healthy debate in science over the pace and relative

significance of different mechanisms of evolution is seen by too many

poorly trained minds to be a sign that evolutionary theory is in

trouble, instead of thriving. It still remains true that "...nothing in

biology makes sense except in light of evolution."

Besides different understandings of basic terminology, there are the

very disparate approaches of science and religion in looking at a

problem that hampers scientific literacy, when the latter is dominant.

Science is self-correcting. It is subject to revision, peer review and

the repeatability of experimental testing (Greg brought up "cold fusion"

as an example of a "breakthrough" that didn't measure up to these

rigorous standards.) Religion relies upon authority, dogmatic claims and

the resistance to tests of these claims. Science deals with the natural

world; religion with supernatural beliefs (moral matters and God's role

in it all, always brought up by talk of evolution, do not fall within the scope of science).

Science deals with predictability from observation

and the accumulated data of repeated tests, while religion is based on

"revelations" and prophesies" from authority. In his visual

presentation, Greg gave examples of this dichotomy from different camps.

One tends to look at it as overlapping and conciliatory; another being

typified by S. J. Gould's "non-overlapping magisteria" concept, while

still another sees the two as oppositional, conflicting models (either/

or).

The point was made how, ironically, the anti-evolutionists provide an

excellent example of the very evolutionary processes they decry in their

own adaptation to changing environments, for the survival of their

agenda. They began by condemnation/ disenfranchisement of those who held

evol. views; evolved to attempt to legislate against evolution being

taught in the schools and further adapted to control textbook content.

Then they came to advocate "equal time" for the oxymoronic "creation

science" and finally, in their most effective form, they attempt to

manipulate education via their presence in school boards (as happened w/

the Kansas situation).

In his presentation, Greg showed alarming national statistics of the

staggering credulity for all manner of fringe and pseudo-science,

psi-phenomena, and supernatural belief with an equally abysmal lack of

understanding of the scientific method and critical thinking skills.

This makes it easy to denounce evolution as "just a theory" and to see

as unproblematic the advocacy of teaching a religious creation myth in a

science class. In one display of this appalling lack of science

knowledge; Greg showed polls of the how many people were interested in

plants and trees but not botany; the history of life, but not evolution;

peoples of the world, but not anthropology. It was also stunning to see

how many people subscribe to a Flinstones view of humans and dinosaurs

co-existing.

As education director of the Michigan Science Evolution Education

Initiative, Dr. Forbes can and will be disseminating materials on how to

teach this subject in grades K-12. The hope is for a better informed

teaching faculty and therefore a more scientifically literate student

body. Greg will provide materials and information on this to interested

people.

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"To teach students that the foundations of biology, most of geology and

astronomy, and a good deal of physics are flawed is to cheat them,

shackle their intellectual growth, erode their ability to compete for

jobs, and stifle their prospects for a rewarding life."

"The creationists are determined to force their will on society and the

schools, through the courts if possible. Their strategy-- ironically

enough, considering the moral precepts of Christianity-- is founded in

deception, misrepresentation, and obfuscation designed to dupe the

public into thinking there is a genuine controversy about the validity

of evolution. No such controversy exists..."

From: Evolution & The Myth of Creationism by Tim M. Berra.

recorder: charles larue