Evolution weekend stalks the wild religionist

The Clergy Letter Project celebrates Evolution Weekend on Feb. 13 through 15. It is an auspicious time, for it is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin's birth is Feb, 12. This is also the year of the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species.

The letter has been signed some 12,500 clergy who agree, in essence, that:

Religious truth is of a different order from scientific truth. Its purpose is not to convey scientific information, but to transform hearts.

There are three versions of the letter: Christian Clergy, Rabbi and Unitarian Universalist. Although there isn't a specifically Muslim letter, the project is promoted by The American Muslim. Some argue with good reason that the project should be extended to Hindus and other faiths as well.

Some 929 congregations are signed up to participate. They hail from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and 14 countries.Michael Zimmerman of Butler University.The project has three goals:

• To elevate the quality of the discussion on this critical topic - to move beyond sound bites.
• To demonstrate that religious people from many faiths and locations understand that evolution is sound science and poses no problems for their faith.
• To make it clear that those claiming that people must choose between religion and science are creating a false dichotomy.

To sign up a congregation or if you are clergy, to sign one of the letters, contact Professor Michael Zimmerman of Butler University at mz@butler.edu.

Articles, sermons, recommended readings, volunteer scientific consultants to assist clergy in their efforts and other resources are available.

A rejection of creationism and intelligent design, the project has attracted both praise and the ardent criticism typically directed at such efforts.

Creationism steals a Louisiana classroom march on science

Creationism stole a march on science via the Louisiana Science Education Act, which gives teachers license to use materials outside the curriculum specifically to teach "controversial" theories.

When state education officials translated legislation into policy that explicitly prohibited teaching intelligent design, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education pressured them into removing the language. The creationism-safe regulations were approved on Jan. 13, and the rest will almost inevitably end up on court.

Someone, says Barbara Forrest, a philosopher at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, will use Discovery Institute's creationism-friendly book, Explore Evolution.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has already promised to file a lawsuit if Louisiana public schools start teaching religious concepts in biology classes.

That is the anti-evolutionist's goal, argues Forest. They hope to find a more creationism-friendly federal judge and mount a better court case than in 1987 when Louisiana law mandating the equal-time teaching of creationism was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.