Apparently Stephen and Suzanne have forgotten that the classroom is no
longer a one-way path of information.  The dialogue inspired by such "hotly
debated" topics (I submit as evidence the Museum-L listserv) resulted in
questions by students relating to the Bible and its claim that man has only
existed for 6,000 years (more or less.)  The professor did not introduce the
Bible as part of his lecture on evolution, and merely added his "two-cents
worth" after being asked.

As for the mathematical probability of life beginning on its own - well, I
believe mathematics is still considered a relatively useful tool in the
sciences, therefore no (unacceptable) confluence occurred.

Carol

PS - By the way, the professor was Muslim.




-----Original Message-----
From: Suzanne White <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2000 3:46 PM
Subject: Re: Creationism v. Evolution


>Thank you, Stephen, excellently put!!  I wonder if the instructor's
>religious explanations would have been taken as calmly if the instructor
>had been quoting from the Koran instead, and he never mentioned the Bible
>at all....
>
>--Suzanne
>
>> Why was this instructor invoking the Bible at all -- in a biology class?!
>>  This is exactly the problem... you accept the confluence of science and
>> religion without the righteous indignation that academic integrity
>> demands.  Science is not a contest between its findings and all
>> non-scientific alternative beliefs -- and those alternatives, while they
>> may have a place in academia, do not belong in science curricula.  Your
>> biology teacher wasn't teaching "science."
>>
>> This kind of misconception about science is what endangers a presentation
>> of the subject in museums!
>>
>> Stephen
>
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