Are evolution deniers in the “intelligent design”/creationism movement adopting the disruptive tactics of rowdy folks who besieged “town hall” meetings in August to protest health insurance reform? We hope not. But it’s a fair question considering an extra-credit assignment some students at a fundamentalist Christian seminary were offered last week.
A little background: Southern Methodist University in Dallas is hosting a series of events this year to mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his seminal book, Origin of the Species. This week the university is hosting panel discussions and screening of a NOVA documentary about the war evolution deniers have waged on science education.
Now William Dembski, a mathematician and philosopher who teaches at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and who has emerged in the last decade as one of the leading proponents of “intelligent design”/creationism, wants his students to attend the SMU events this week. From his Web site:
“I don’t want you going there merely as spectators but will indicate in class how you might actively participate and engage the Darwin-lovers you’ll find there.”
“Engage the Darwin-lovers”? Hmmm… This should be interesting.
In any event, it might be more informative for Dembski’s students to engage their own professor in some truth-telling about the propaganda war on sound science education. Check out this article from last month about Dembski’s antics in the past.
