I'm thinking of sending a box of cheese to the Discovery Institute, to match with their perpetual whine. Identify them as creationists, as they themselves often have, and you will hear a chorus of whines emenating from Seattle. Last week it was Luskin complaining about Science magazine describing the Discovery Institute as a "creationist think tank" - despite the fact that Lusking himself has said that ID advocates are creationists. Now another hired DI flack, Rob Crowther, is writing letters to Science alleging professional misconduct for daring to call them creationist. Why? Because the DI does other things, not just the science and culture stuff.
This is simply false. Discovery Institute is NOT a creationist think tank, and we do not advocate creationism. As you know Discovery Institute is a public policy think-tank that has many different programs, of which the Center for Science & Culture (which deals with the controversy over evolution) is just one of those programs.
So the argument really is, "You called us a creationist think tank, but we're not only a creationist think tank." It's kind like calling someone an actor when they're really an actor/model. But Crowther isn't done:
The Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics says that "Deliberate distortion is never permissible." Now that Science has been informed that they've mislabeled Discovery Institute, if they don't correct the record then I'd have to say that they're engaging in deliberate distortion.
Ah, back to that wonderful argument - if you don't describe us the way we demand to be described, despite our voluminous statements to the contrary in the past - then you're being biased.
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I hope Science publishes his whinery, along with a fact-ridden rebuttal that demonstrates the truth of their original assertion. Crowther's letter is clearly an attempt to intimidate a reputable publication in order to deter them from telling the unvarnished truth; and such games should not be tolerated AT ALL.
Oops, I hit the "Post" button too soon; I meant to add that if you call me a liar, and I have the facts available to prove I'm right, you can bet I'll rub your nose in every bit of it until you either apologize or run away. You have to be firm with con-artists, and you have to let the whole world see it.
Nobody believes ID is not creationism, and the DI dolts show their dishonesty by asserting otherwise.
Ahh, memories...
Interestingly enough, in the nastygram they sent to Baylor's Lariat, they described themselves as "a secular, non-partisan, non-profit public policy center dealing with national and international affairs."
Yet on this webpage (at the very bottom), the wording is subtly different: "Discovery Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan, public policy think tank headquartered in Seattle and dealing with national and international affairs."
Brownie points for anyone who can spot the omission!
I think this quote from their "About Us" page sums them up:
[quote]The point of view Discovery brings to its work includes a belief in God-given reason and the permanency of human nature[/quote]
Er... the "permanency of human nature?" The characteristics of mankind are immoveable, unchanging, and eternal? Almost sounds like they're actually admitting that God is an anthropomorphic projection.