Article Review: “Taking a Stand for Science” | Science & Christianity

The topic of Profane and Sacred in the system of education has always been the topic of hot debates and opposite positions. Implementation of religious principles and doctrines has had such unpredictable consequences and has led to numerous discussions. As a result, in most countries education is considered to be the sphere separated from the Church. However, religion is an integral part of every society and has influence on all spheres of human life and education is not an exception. However, it is very important to separate its passive influence and imposition of separate religious movements or even their implementation in the university program.  Coleen Flaherty in her article Taking a Stand for Science touches upon this topic: using religious doctrines and points and teacher’s own interpretations in the university classroom is inappropriate in the modern education.

Coleen Flaherty describes the accident which took place in Ball State University and has got a loud resonance in the society. The Freedom from Religion Foundation accuses one of the university workers, Eric Hedin  in “of crossing the line from teaching science to teaching Christianity” (Flaherty) .Eric Hedin, being an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Ball State University, and reading the course Boundaries of Science pushes forward the ideas of Intelligent Design teaching, which is considered to be more a religious movement than a scientific doctrine. The organization refers to Hedin’s bibliography to the course which includes numerous intelligent design proponents and other writers who are more famous for their religious works than the scientific ones. This case seems not so dangerous and meaningful from the first sight – the teacher takes some religious points while teaching a scientific subject, however, everything is much more serious than it seems at first. These religious points are not presented as possible explanation of world laws. They are taken for granted as the basic concept of the course and assumptions from Intelligent Design become not just assumptions but laws which affect all the processes and other laws in the world. Implementation of religious doctrines and assumptions is especially dangerous while teaching science because science is accurate and factual and the basic scientific laws predetermine all other laws and principles. Students having no alternative and relying on one of the religious movements (as Intelligent Design is considered by most scholars) would have a narrow and rather limited approach to the scientific realty.

Ball State University’s president, Jo Anna Gora declares her clear position against Intelligent Design as a  part of  Boundaries of Science course:“Therefore, intelligent design is not appropriate content for science courses. The gravity of this issue and the level of concern among scientists are demonstrated by more than 80 national and state scientific societies’ independent statements that intelligent design and creation science do not qualify as science” (Flaherty). She points out that pressing and overwhelming of one world view over others is not appropriate in the university space, and Intelligent Design can not be chosen as the scientific platform for any course because of its non-scientific nature.

Andrew Seidel is the attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation. He states the university makes enough concerns about the problem and its adequate reaction is considered to be satisfactory by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The main points are the following: intelligent Design is more a religious belief than a science and it is not appropriate for the science classroom. It can be presented as one of the existing religious believes in social science or humanities but only in an appropriate way. Academic freedom is not the tool of manipulation and full freedom for the teacher, it is an instrument which allows the teacher express himself in the frame of exiting scientific theories and concepts. “Said simply, to allow intelligent design to be presented to science students as a valid scientific theory would violate the academic integrity of the course as it would fail to accurately represent the consensus of science scholars” (Flaherty) continues Anna Gora commenting the accident in her university.

University reaction to the case seems rather adequate: the president’s comments sound persuasive and the further steps have been taken: Ball State’s provost, Terry King, now work together with Hedin in order to check the content of his course and minimize all doubtful points. King has analyzed all the investigation considering this case and, hopefully, would be able to work with the problem and find the positive solution. Joan Todd, university spokeswoman, writes that King and Hedin are “working together to ensure that course content is aligned with the curriculum and best standards of the discipline” (Flaherty). The Freedom From Religion Foundation seems to be pleased with the steps taken.

Coleen Flaherty in her article Taking a Stand for Science touches upon an important question in the society: influence of religious doctrines on the educational process. The study process should be based on the basic academic principles and rules and teacher’s academic freedom is very important in the study process but it should be also subordinated to the main study doctrine.

 

Works Cited

Carlson, Richard F., editor. Science and Christianity: Four Views. InterVarsity    Press, 2000. The entries by Stephen C. Meyer articulate the intelligent design approach wonderfully. See his full presentation on pages 127-187. The other views do not endorse the intelligent design perspective.

Dembski, William, editor. Mere Creation: Science, Faith, and Intelligent Design. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998. Collection of papers by leading thinkers such as William Dembski, William Lane Craig, J.P. Moreland and many others.

Flaherty, Coleen. “Taking a Stand for Science.” Inside Higher ED. 1 Aug. 2013. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/01/scientists-applaud-ball-state-presidents-position-intelligent-design>.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

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freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
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[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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