So New Scientist tells us that the forces that believe God made Man (but a monkey never provided the glue) are celebrating an Intelligent Design victory in Louisiana that could have national repercussions:
The act is designed to slip ID in “through the back door”, says Forrest, who is a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University and an expert in the history of creationism. She adds that the bill’s language, which names evolution along with global warming, the origins of life and human cloning as worthy of “open and objective discussion”, is an attempt to misrepresent evolution as scientifically controversial.
Forrest’s testimony notwithstanding, the bill was passed by the state’s legislature – by a majority of 94 to 3 in the House and by unanimous vote in the Senate. On 28 June, Louisiana’s Republican governor, Piyush “Bobby” Jindal, signed the bill into law. The development has national implications, not least because Jindal is rumoured to be on Senator John McCain’s shortlist as a potential running mate in his bid for the presidency.
The news has been met with enthusiasm from the usual quarters.
“At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home. By your will they were created and have their being. From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill.” — Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, 1979
As a snooty Episcopalian (is there any other type?), I wish the other God-saluting religions would catch up with us and recognize that science and scripture can coexist.
Our Presiding Bishop has degrees in biology and oceanography. She is on record as stating evolution is a scientific fact. Not only doesn’t she want creationism taught in government-run schools, she doesn’t want it taught in schools run by the Episcopal church.
Best of all, this isn’t especially new ground for us. Episcopalians have been pretty cool with Darwin since his island hopping days and officially said in 1982 that evolution isn’t in conflict with its religious beliefs.
Religion in government schools: bad.
Science in church: bad.
Here is the FAQ for what the Episcopal Church Believes about Science, Technology and Faith.
We may not get everything right but I do think we’re ahead of some other branches of the church on this issue.