Creationists sue the University of California
Transcript of today's show: Sound Off: Science & Faith. Our point/counterpoint regulars Shelley (the voice of science) and Peter (the voice of faith), comment on the story.
A group of Christian high schools has accused the University of California of violating the constitutional rights of their students. It is the university’s policy to reject applicants who have not been taught Darwin’s theory of evolution. Christian school teachers condemn this practice as blatant discrimination. The university, however, staunchly defends their admission practices. Lawyers for the University claim these admission policies are protected by the Constitutional rights that allow Christian schools to teach Creationism in the first place. [source: The California Aggie]
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The Voice of Faith: Peter Williamson, M.Div., comments:
Christians in this country freely exercise their constitutional rights when they reject a theoretical viewpoint in favor of another. There are many college disciplines that do not require an understanding of science, let alone the esoteric principles of Darwin. More and more Christian families are choosing to home school their children and Christian schools will teach the word of the Bible to their students. Universities and colleges will have to adjust to this. Or else they will certainly see more legal protests of this kind.
The Voice of Science: Shelley Greene, Ph.D., comments:
We cannot ignore the fact that western, empirical science is an inextricable foundation of higher education, both in American and elsewhere in the world. Religious belief systems that question this science can be included in the education process, but MUST NOT displace or undermine the basic building blocks of our scientific understanding. Once we begin to deny or even seriously doubt principles explaining the evolution of species, other science disciplines will be affected as well. The consequent damage would be far-reaching, not just within science education, but for our new generations and their preparedness for the global marketplace of ideas, business and technology.