[Spam] [Vision2020] Creationism, Stem Cells and Christ Church

[lfalen]

Evolution should be taught in science clases. Creationism  in all its forms could be taught in religion or philosophy classes.
-----Original message-----
From: "Tom Hansen" thansen at moscow.com
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 06:08:14 -0700
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Spam] [Vision2020] Creationism, Stem Cells and Christ Church

> >From the June 22, 2005 edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News with a very
> special thanks to Bill London.
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Creationism, stem cells and Christ Church 
> 
> By Bill London 
> 
> If creationism is to be taught in our public schools, we need to discuss
> which story of creation should be chosen. 
> After all, over the last few millennia, thousands of different creation
> stories have been taught to children who believed in Zeus, Thor and a wide
> variety of other deities. Choosing which creation story to teach in schools
> is not easy. Selecting the creation story by popular vote seems so tacky.
> Instead, let's use the same system used for determining water rights in
> Idaho and the other Western states. When we establish the right to use
> water, the first person to sign up for a water source has preference over
> those who show up later. We should do the same for creationism. 
> 
> In this area, if we were to follow that sensible system, the creation story
> told in the public schools around the Palouse would be from the Nez Perce
> Tribe, the Nu-me-poo Nation. They were here first. The Nez Perce explain
> that (to make a long story short) Coyote cut up the heart of the Monster and
> the drops of blood became the first tribal ancestors. 
> 
> This creationism version has the extra benefit of explaining that part of
> the Monster's heart hardened into the large rock still found at the Nez
> Perce sacred site near the Clearwater River at Kamiah. For schoolchildren,
> wouldn't that very tangible creationism story make more sense than pulling
> out a rib from a guy named Adam at some abstract garden location? 
> 
> Making sense is not the primary goal of many creationism supporters,
> however. Their goal is creating a pure society, an earthly representation of
> what they assume their god requires. Teaching creationism is only one
> manifestation of that vision. Curtailing scientific research that might
> interfere with that vision is another. 
> 
> That explains the recent congressional decision to virtually eliminate
> stem-cell research. One problem with using the political system to enforce a
> limitation based on strict fundamentalist religious convictions is again the
> multitude of religions world-wide. In this case, a team of South Korean
> scientists, unfettered by these religious rulings, have now jumped way ahead
> of their American counterparts. 
> 
> Think ahead now a decade or so. American scientists are mired in
> obsolescence, while South Korean scientists have used stem-cell technology
> to conquer Parkinson's disease. Huge profits, research support, and the
> finest scientific minds follow that success and move to South Korea.
> Americans can find solace in believing that they have remained true to those
> fundamentalist requirements (except for the Americans with Parkinson's
> disease who are headed to South Korean doctors). 
> 
> That's only one instance of the negative result of fundamentalist faiths
> expanding into the political world and setting standards for everyone in the
> United States. Here on the Palouse, we have the example of the political
> aspirations of Christ Church. 
> 
> In Moscow, a half-dozen churches share similar fundamentalist Christian
> beliefs, but only one has created a visionary plan to translate those
> beliefs into political action, to force compliance with those goals, and to
> remake Moscow in its image. 
> 
> Only Christ Church has that kind of political agenda. 
> 
> Let's focus on only one aspect of that agenda. Christ Church (with its
> various appendages like New St. Andrews and Canon Press) wants to take over
> downtown Moscow. That is why they bought the old cable company building at
> Fifth and Washington and the old GTE building on Friendship Square - and
> desperately sought to buy the Gart Sports building for use as their
> cathedral. In violation of the zoning restrictions which seek to keep
> downtown a retail area, they are working to create a very different
> downtown, one dominated by the church and college. 
> 
> Hey, don't take my word for it. If you want a better understanding of the
> political agenda of Christ Church, watch the documentary film, "My Town," at
> 7 p.m. Thursday at the Kenworthy in Moscow. 
> 
> The film is an excellent summary of the cultural clash in Moscow centered on
> the Christ Church history conference last year. On camera, Christ Church
> Pastor Doug Wilson's brother Evan Wilson (also a pastor, but for a different
> church in Moscow) explains how Christ Church plans to dominate Moscow's
> downtown. 
> 
> * Bill London of Moscow is a freelance writer, active in progressive causes,
> and works part-time as an information officer for WSU's College of
> Education.
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------
> 
> Thanks again, Bill.
> 
> Opponents to Mr. London's stated position will either present an open,
> public position of their own free to debate or they will accuse me of
> copyright violations.
> 
> Odd are on the latter.  They have yet to sow the former.
> 
> Take care, Moscow, and see you at the Kenworthy tonight at 7:00 PM
> 
> Tom "Think Community.  Think Co-op" Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
> 
> *************************************************
> 
> "When people sin, everybody has to pay."
> 
> - Douglas Wilson of Wilson, Inc. (dba Christ Church) (June 7, 2002)
> 
> For more details:  http://www.tomandrodna.com/notonthepalouse
> 
> *************************************************
> 
> 
> 
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