Since Ken asked this question, I will be happy to …

Comment on A “Christian Agnostic”? by Ervin Taylor.

Since Ken asked this question, I will be happy to respond. I suspect that the usual cast of characters on this web site will not believe me, but my understanding is that the concept of “intelligent design” (ID) is discussed at least in some LSU biology classes at the beginning of a quarter as part of discussing the differences between scientific and non-scientific approaches to a given subject matter. However, since main stream biological science and science in general does not view ID as falling within the purview of science and the subject of the course is biological science, my understanding is that it is only commented on as a current topic in popular discourse and then the class moves for the rest of the quarter talking about science.

Thus, it would seem that the topic is already given an appropriate amount of time in a science class. Perhaps, the School of Religion or the LSU Department of History might wish jointly to consider hiring someone with academic credentials dealing with the history and philosophy of science– perhaps someone trained by Professor Ronald Numbers at the University of Wisconsin. That would be the appropriate place to talk about ID in detail. That’s also the appropriate place to talk about young life and young earth Creationism since these topics are most appropriately discussed in theological classes, not in science classes.

While I’m at it, an idle comment: Is it just me, or does there seem to be more and more “negative” checks on the comments posted by the hyperorthodox of late on this site? Interesting.

Ervin Taylor Also Commented

A “Christian Agnostic”?
Hello . . . Hello . . . Is anyone there?


A “Christian Agnostic”?
May I suggest that Henry makes sense. The only exception is Sean who I have thought is a very interesting case study that would at least merit a footnote in a psychology or social psychology of religion book chapter on the personality types attracted to sect-type religious groups.


A “Christian Agnostic”?
I just noticed that Ken mentioned that he might be coming to sunny southern California in the near future. May I respond by saying that I’m sure that we would have many interesting things to talk about.I hope that Wes would be interested in getting together as well. Wes and I both have a good friend in common who lives in Glendale (CA). If either Ken or Wes would like to contact me directly, please feel free at erv.taylor@atoday.org


Recent Comments by Ervin Taylor

New NAD president: ‘I love you’ doesn’t mean we won’t deal with issues
Regretfully, Dr. Pitman continues to provide evidence of his fundamental misreading of the literature on accelerator mass spectrometry technology as applied to radiocarbon measurements. I trust the time he takes away from his pathology practice to read and misunderstand the scientific literature about AMS radiocarbon dating does not impact on the quality of his reading of tissue samples.


An apology to PUC
The suggestion that Sean Pitman MD “write and publish a textbook [on creationism and evolution]” is an absolutely magnificent idea.

Can anyone come up with a reason that Sean might not want to produce such a book given the very large number of scientific disciplines which he feels he has mastered?

We might recall that another physician who is also a supporter of the agenda of the EducateTruth site, Paul Giem MD, has written a book entitled “Scientific Theology” which treats many of the topics considered on this web site. (If anyone is interested, there is a review of that book on the Adventist Today web site.)

There are probably a number of retired Adventist scientists who would relish the idea of writing a review of any book that Sean would write. Although I obviously can’t speak for the current editor, I’m reasonably confident that Adventist Today would be very interested in publishing reviews of that book. If someone still working for an Adventist college or university might have some reticence in putting their name on their review, I would think that an appropriate arrangement could be made.


What does it take to be a true Seventh-day Adventist?
It would appear that Dr. Pitman aspires to be the modern Adventist version of Girolamo Aleandro.

For those a little hazy about the history of the Reformation, Girolamo was the individual appointed as papal nuncio by the Pope to be the theological point person opposing Martin Luther and his theology at the Diet of Worms. (The Diet of Worms was an assembly of churchmen and political elites of the Holy Roman Empire in Germany which met in 1521, not a list of things to eat to reduce your weight. And Worms was not an item on the menu, it was a town).

Girolamo argued that Luther had no right to challenge the church’s theology. That theology had been settled for hundreds of years and had been agreed upon by scores of theologians. It was the truth.

Girolamo wrote the denunciations of Luther that were embodied in the Edict of Worms which declared Luther to be a heretic.

After attending the Diet of Worms, Girolamo went to Brussels and was instrumental at having two monks who had adhered to the teachings of Luther burned at the stake.

Sean, like Girolamo, appears to view his role is to root our heresy where ever he finds it in the Adventist Church.

Fortunately for the rest of us, Sean,
unlike Girolamo, has no power to carry out what he would to see happened to those he denounces as Adventist heretics.


Southern Adventist University opens Origins Exhibit
I see that Professor Kent has been casting pearls of logic and reasonableness before certain types of individuals on the educate truth (sic) web site again. I share with him my amazement at the new insights about inspiration revealed here.


If the Creation Account Isn’t True…
A little girl goes to a school run by a fundamentalist church. The teacher is a fundamentalist and endorses Young Life Creationism and challenges the class by asking who believes in Young Life Creationism. The whole class raises their hand to please the teacher and this one little girl does not.
So, the teacher asks her why. “I believe the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence,” she says. “And who taught you to believe in the scientific evidence?” the teacher asks.
“My parents are scientists and they taught me.”
So, the teacher asked, “If your parents were morons, what would that make you?”
“I’d be a Young Life Creationist Fundamentalist.”