Prof Leaves Christian College over Evolution

John Schneider has left his position as a religion professor at Michigan's Calvin College. The trouble started when he wrote a paper earlier this year "suggesting that evidence of genetics and evolution raised questions about the traditional, literal reading of Genesis about creation, the story of Adam and Eve, and the fall of humanity out of an initial idyllic state," according to Inside Higher Ed. An investigation by the school led to Schneider's departure, though another professor who has made similar comments is still at the college. Daniel Harlow says he won't back down from his views.

Couple Denied Entry at Museum

Kentucky's Creation Museum would not allow a same-sex couple entry during a date night event. The two men claim they also did not get a refund. The two tickets cost them $71.90. A Museum spokesperson said the promotional material indicated the event, including a talk from founder Ken Ham about love and marriage, was for heterosexual couples only. A local writer had suggested on his blog that it was the "duty of his readers to send a flamboyantly gay couple" to the event.

Poll on Evolution

40% of Americans believes in creationism. That's down from 47% in 1993 and 1999. Here are some other findings from a newly released Gallup poll:

• 38% believe God played a role in the process of evolution.
• 16% believe humans have evolved with no divine guidance (twice as many as in 1982).
• 60% of those who attend church on a weekly basis believe in creationism
• only 2% of those who attend church on a weekly basis believe in secular evolution.
• among those who rarely or never attend religious services, 24% believe in creationism
• among those who rarely or never attend religious services, 39% believe in evolution without divine guidance.

Prof Sues School over Views on Evolution

An astronomer claims the University of Kentucky refused to hire him because of his Christian views related to evolution. Martin Gaskell is suing the school after he was denied a job as director of an observatory even though he was the leading candidate for the post. Gaskell is now a research fellow and lecturer in astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin who says he believes evolution can be reconciled with the Bible but the theory has major flaws. The university admits his views and willingness to express them to religious groups played a role in the hiring decision and tried to get the suit dismissed. A judge denied the motion. The case goes to trial in February.

Creation Lawsuit Rejected

A federal court tossed out a creationist school's lawsuit over whether it can offer a Master's Degree. A judge rejected a bid by the Institute for Creation Research Graduate School to challenge a decision by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, rejecting the institute's request to offer master's degree in science education.

Seminary Prof Resigns over Evolution Dispute

An Old Testament scholar was forced to resign from his position at Reformed Theological Seminary after endorsing evolution. Bruce K. Waltke was a professor at the Florida school until he posted a video on his blog. It's carried by the BioLogos Foundation, an organization promoting harmony between science and theology. Waltkes says he stands beside what he said on the video but also believes in "in the inerrancy of Scripture." Here's more on the story from USA Today.

One Year Ago: Evolution Weekend

Last year churches across the country (about 1000 in all) agreed to take part in Evolution Weekend including a dozen Baptist churches like the First Baptist Church of Kansas City, Missouri, the First Baptist Church of Gaithersburg, Maryland and University Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. February 12th of last year was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. The goal of the event is to present evolution as sound science and not in conflict with religion.

Creationism in the Classroom

A New York Times article on a town divided over a teacher is here.

Giving Away Darwin

What former teen idol Kirk Cameron is doing to debunk evolution. CNN reports.

Evolution T-shirts

A Missouri school is recalling its band’s t-shirts. Administration officials at the Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia say the shirts promote evolution. The shirts show the image of a monkey holding a brass instrument and progressing through various stages of evolution until eventually becoming a human. Parents complained after the band marched in the Missouri State Fair parade. New t-shirts are now being designed.

Creationists Settle Dispute

A fight between two creationist groups is over. Answers in Genesis and Creation Ministries International once were allies but began fighting over copyrights and ownership of mailing lists four years ago. Soon there were accusation of financial mismanagement and poor business decisions. Mediation failed and the two went to court but now they’ve agree to put aside their complaints- though terms of their settlement are not being made public. Answers in Genesis (led by Ken Ham) is based in the US and grew out of Australia’s Creation Ministries International (founded by Carl Wieland). Answers has made a splash recently with its well-attended $27 million Creation Museum in Kentucky.

Lawsuit Over Evolution

The Institute for Creation Research is suing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board over a decision not to let it train science teachers by confer a master's degree in science education. The state board ruled the program did not meet state academic standards but the Institute says it came down to its views on evolution.

Evolution in Texas

The Texas State Board of Education has turned aside an effort to make public school teachers explain “weaknesses” in the theory of evolution during science class. The board deadlocked 7-to-7 on the proposal. The tie keeps in place a decision made by the board at the first of the year to do away with a rule that required the "strengths and weaknesses" of all scientific theories be taught.

Biologists Skip Louisiana

A group of biologists have decided not to hold their annual convention in New Orleans because of Louisiana law about teaching evolution in public schools. The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology say they’ll meet in Salt Lake City for their 2011 convention. They say Louisiana law weakens science education and specifically attacks evolution in science curricula. Nearly 2000 biologists attend the convention. Last year, the state decided to let local school boards decide what materials science teachers can use to go along with the evolution materials.

Praise Darwin

This is Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday. To celebrate, the Freedom From Religion Foundation bought a billboards in Dayton Tennessee that says Praise Darwin, Evolve Beyond Belief. The city is located north of Chattanooga was the site of the infamous 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial”. Darwin's treatise On The Origin of Species was instrumental in the case fought over whether evolution should be taught in Tennessee public schools. The Freedom From Religion Foundation says it tried to buy a billboard inside the city limits of Dayton but was turned down.

Evolution Weekend

Churches across the country – about 1000 in all, have agreed to take part in Evolution Weekend. That includes a dozen Baptist churches such as the First Baptist Church of Kansas City, Missouri, the First Baptist Church of Gaithersburg, Maryland and University Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. . It’s February 13-15 because Thursday, February 12th is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. The goal of the event is to present evolution as sound science and not in conflict with religion.

The Creation Museum

AFP takes a look at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky.

Ohio Teacher Faces Dismissal

Faculty at Mount Vernon Middle School in Mount Vernon, Ohio testified yesterday in support of science teacher John Freshwater. The school board is holding a hearing to decide whether to fire the eighth-grade teacher. Members have already indicated they plan to dismiss him because he shared his Christian beliefs with his classes and taught them creationism. He's also accused of burning the image of a cross on a student’s arm during a demonstration of electrical current. A dozen other teachers testified that the student never complained but the boy’s parents are suing over the incident.

More on Bush's Surprising Interview about the Bible

CNN reports on President Bush's recent controversial interview about the Bible and evolution.

Bush Says Bible Not Literally True

President Bush told ABC News Nightline in an interview last night that the Bible is "probably not" literally true.

MCFADDEN: Is it literally true, the Bible?

BUSH: You know. Probably not ... No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it, but I do think that the New Testament, for example is ... has got ... You know, the important lesson is "God sent a son."

MCFADDEN: So, you can read the Bible...

BUSH: That God in the flesh, that mankind can understand there is a God who is full of grace and that nothing you can do to earn his love. His love is a gift and that in order to draw closer to God and in order to express your appreciation for that love is why you change your behavior.

MCFADDEN: So, you can read the Bible and not take it literally. I mean you can -- it's not inconsistent to love the Bible and believe in evolution, say.

BUSH: Yeah, I mean, I do. I mean, evolution is an interesting subject. I happen to believe that evolution doesn't fully explain the mystery of life and ...

MCFADDEN: But do you believe in it?

BUSH: That God created the world, I do, yeah.

MCFADDEN: But what about ...

BUSH: Well, I think you can have both. I think evolution can -- you're getting me way out of my lane here. I'm just a simple president. But it's, I think that God created the Earth, created the world; I think the creation of the world is so mysterious it requires something as large as an almighty, and I don't think it's incompatible with the scientific proof that there is evolution.