We're Christians, too
April 29, 2005
The University of Kansas Ecumenical Christian Ministries (ECM) board represents diversity within the Christian faith. The board members are people from many denominations, professions and places in life. We write to unanimously oppose the proposal to define intellectual design or creationism as a "science" by the Kansas Board of Education. This decision offends us as a Christian community. Factual analysis leads us to the conclusion that this decision represents a frontal attack on the teaching of modern scientific principles in the State of Kansas.
We at ECM differ theologically and politically on many issues, but we put aside those differences on any occasion where such differences may impede our objective of serving, teaching and learning at The University of Kansas. It is in this spirit that we respond to the recent Kansas School Board proposals concerning the teaching of evolution, big bang theory and other scientific principles dealing with the origins and progression of our universe.
The specific right central to this issue is the right to an education that is not unduly influenced by any religious system.
The decision to de-emphasize evolution is based solely on a perceived threat to one religious viewpoint, not on any properly conducted and peer-reviewed scientific process.
Any changes to the Kansas educational practices must be based on national and international scientific standards. Most troubling to us is the statement implicit in the debate that young people must choose between scientific inquiry and Christianity (or any other religious tradition) -- that somehow, scientifically understanding the physics of light refraction through water or the biology of disease diminishes the beauty of a rainbow or the miracle of a medical procedure.
The tragedy in this debate is the denial of such joys to young people in our state who are just beginning their great journey of discovery. The Christian tragedy is the use of Christ's message to implicitly exile young people whose gifts lie in scientific inquiry. All this is just a selfish attempt to make ourselves the center of God's creation. We shouldn't forget the lesson of Galileo, whose heresy was to suggest that the Earth was not the center of creation.
THE REV. THAD HOLCOMBE, Lawrence