News from Louisville is that the YEC geologist, Kurt Wise, has taken Dembski's position at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary as director of its Center for Theology and Science. Wise is currently at Bryan College (Dayton, Tn). Predictably a SBTS representative hews to the party line:
"With the addition of Kurt Wise, we are recognizing that creation is a ground zero theological crisis point right now in American culture and even in our churches ... We need to train Southern Baptist pastors to equip young people to engage Darwinism from elementary school on. We also need to train Southern Baptists to recognize Darwinist thinking in ways that are subtle that they don't even recognize."
Wise is an interesting character. While I disagree with his ideas (YEC, baraminology, etc), I respect the fact that he admits that there is no scientific case for a young earth, and is thus a little more intellectually respectable that Phillip Johnson who acts like there is a scientific controversy to suit his own cultural agenda.
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I know what you mean, but... training kids to attack Darwinism? That's gonna seriously mess up a lot of lessons. Why not do the intellectually-honest thing: train the kids to understand how science derives accurate statements from hypothesis testing and peer review and then set them loose on evolution? If evolution is as wrong as they think it is, surely this should lead to it being wiped out.
(Yes, that was a rhetorical question, I'm not that naive...)
Nice headline. Damn. Now I can't use it.
BTW, these "kids" are college graduates. I regret they are being trained to follow the SBC party line, since some of these guys and girls will end up being youth program directors and Sunday school teachers. Then real kids will be trained to attack Darwin and science. Perhaps Wise will be less didactic and less egotistic than Dembski was.
wheatdogg (from Louisville)
I've always thought creationists would make great evolutionary biologists. They would be forced to become conversant with the literature and learn how science works. With a critical eye they would look at papers trying to poke holes in research methodologies and experimental designs. They would design their own experiments to show others were incorrect and in the process might stumble on something new and nifty. Of course a number would be like Kurt Wise who would continue to believe what they believe because they believe but others might just turn out to be productive scientists.
Train'em up and turn'em loose.