March 11, 2003

THE TRUE FACE OF TOLERANCE:

Professor Dumped Over Evolution Beliefs (Jim Brown and Ed Vitagliano, March 11, 2003, AgapePress)
A university professor said she was asked to resign for introducing elite students to flaws in Darwinian thought, and she now says academic freedom at her school is just a charade.

During a recent honors forum at Mississippi University for Women (MUW), Dr. Nancy Bryson gave a presentation titled "Critical Thinking on Evolution" -- which covered alternate views to evolution such as intelligent design. Bryson said that following the presentation, a senior professor of biology told her she was unqualified and not a professional biologist, and said her presentation was "religion masquerading as science."

The next day, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Vagn Hansen asked Bryson to resign from her position as head of the school's Division of Science and Mathematics.


One can't help but contrast this case with that of Professor Dini at Texas Tech, a bigot who refuses to write recommendations for any student who won't swear allegiance to Darwinism. Note that where he was concerned, the issue had nothing to do with his right to be a skeptic about Creation and few, if any, denied his right to refuse recommendations for whatever reason--racism, sexism, etc.. How stark the contrast with Dr. Bryson, who's been asked to resign for just expressing skepticism about Evolution. This is what a regime of tolerance yields--not tolerance of all opinion, especially not of religious opinion, but a system whereby the orthodoxy of the governing elite can be rigidly imposed, all the counterweights to the "moral" authority of the State having been diminished.

MORE:
Arrogance and ignorance: Darwinian Texas Tech professor is going against basic professorial ethics (Marvin Olasky , World)

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 11, 2003 10:55 PM
Comments

It seems to me that this collegeis openning itself up to a massive lawsuit. I'd love to be able to sit on this jury. After the case was over they'd have to rename the school after this professor.

Posted by: Thomas J. Jackson at March 11, 2003 11:57 PM

Would somebody mind giving this story some context? What precisely were her "alternate views?"



Without that, it is impossible to know whether the school was improperly intolerant of scientific dissent, or properly intolerant of inadequately rational inquiry.



Regards,

Posted by: Jef at March 12, 2003 7:46 AM

It says she mentioned intelligent design, in biology the equivalent of being a flat-earther in geophysics.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 12, 2003 3:30 PM

There is no science behind "intelligent design". If she was hired to teach science, then that is what shw should teach. It is fair to raise scientific questions about evolution (it is still a theory, not a law) but not to use her position as a professor of science to peddle religious speculation.

Posted by: Robert D at March 12, 2003 4:53 PM

I wonder how well an evolutionary scientist might fare at, say, Bob Jones University...



Regards,

Jeff Guinn

Posted by: Jef at March 13, 2003 7:48 AM

AUTHOR: Jef
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DATE: 03/13/2003 07:48:00 AM
AUTHOR: Jef
DATE: 3/13/2003 07:48:00 AM

Posted by: Jef at March 13, 2003 7:48 AM

AUTHOR: Jon Galla
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DATE: 03/13/2003 06:13:00 PM
AUTHOR: Jon Galla
DATE: 3/13/2003 06:13:00 PM

Posted by: Jon Galla at March 13, 2003 6:13 PM

Jeff:



I agree, most universities are no different than Bob Jones, they're just intolerant in PC ways.

Posted by: oj at March 13, 2003 7:02 PM
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