BioLogos is marketing theistic evolution and “consensus science” to Christian schools

_{Denyse O'Leary

February 9, 2020

Education, Intelligent Design, science education, theistic evolution}

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A reader writes to mention this program:

BioLogos INTEGRATE is a resource for exploring biology from a Christian worldview. It presents consensus science in conversation with biblical faith. Designed for classroom teachers and home educators, INTEGRATE can be used alongside any biology curriculum, or even on its own. The content emphasizes virtues such as wonder, humility, and wisdom. It also addresses common questions and concerns related to bioethics, creation care, origins, and other topics. INTEGRATE helps Christian young people grow in their faith in Christ, as they develop a deeper love and stronger understanding of the world God has made. Integrate

Consensus science? In an age of Sokal hoaxes and scandals and wars on math, and science, where the “consensus” is slowly morphing toward destruction?

But yup. And with a straight face too.

In the real world, this is not the time to be buying into “consensus” but to be advocating reform.

Hat tip: Ken Francis, co-author with Theodore Dalrymple of The Terror of Existence: From Ecclesiastes to Theatre of the Absurd

See also: “Avalanche” of retractions of research papers on spider personalities. It will be interesting to see what impact the retractions have on claims about the evolution of animal behavior.

Comments

"Any Astrodynamics 101 text book will explain why." That is not an answer, That is a dodge. Contrary to what you believe, there is no empirical proof that you can appeal to to prove that the earth is NOT the centre of the universe, Contrary to popular opinion, Copernicus never did prove that the geocentric model was wrong:
The Tyranny of Simple Explanations – Philip Ball – AUG 11, 2016 Excerpt: Take the debate between the ancient geocentric view of the universe—in which the sun and planets move around a central Earth—and Nicolaus Copernicus’s heliocentric theory, with the Sun at the center and the Earth and other planets moving around it.,,, It is often claimed that, by the 16th century, this Ptolemaic model of the universe had become so laden with these epicycles that it was on the point of falling apart. Then along came the Polish astronomer with his heliocentric universe, and no more epicycles were needed. The two theories explained the same astronomical observations, but Copernicus’s was simpler, and so Occam’s razor tells us to prefer it. This is wrong for many reasons. First, Copernicus didn’t do away with epicycles.,,, In an introductory tract called the Commentariolus, published around 1514, he said he could explain the motions of the heavens with “just” 34 epicycles. Many later commentators took this to mean that the geocentric model must have needed many more than 34, but there’s no actual evidence for that. And the historian of astronomy Owen Gingerich has dismissed the common assumption that the Ptolemaic model was so epicycle-heavy that it was close to collapse. He argues that a relatively simple design was probably still in use in Copernicus’s time.,,, http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/08/occams-razor/495332/
As Stephen Hawking himself explained, ‘our observations of the heavens can be explained by assuming either the earth or the sun to be at rest.,,, the real advantage of the Copernican system is simply that the equations of motion are much simpler in the frame of reference in which the sun is at rest.’
“So which is real, the Ptolemaic or Copernican system? Although it is not uncommon for people to say that Copernicus proved Ptolemy wrong, that is not true. As in the case of our normal view versus that of the goldfish, one can use either picture as a model of the universe, for our observations of the heavens can be explained by assuming either the earth or the sun to be at rest. Despite its role in philosophical debates over the nature of our universe, the real advantage of the Copernican system is simply that the equations of motion are much simpler in the frame of reference in which the sun is at rest.” Stephen Hawking – The Grand Design – pages 39 – 2010
And as George Ellis stated, “I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations… You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds…”
“People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations… For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations… You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds… What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that.” – George Ellis – W. Wayt Gibbs, “Profile: George F. R. Ellis,” Scientific American, October 1995, Vol. 273, No.4, p. 55
And as Fred Hoyle stated, “Today we cannot say that the Copernican theory is ‘right’ and the Ptolemaic theory ‘wrong’ in any meaningful physical sense.”
“The relation of the two pictures [geocentrism and geokineticism] is reduced to a mere coordinate transformation and it is the main tenet of the Einstein theory that any two ways of looking at the world which are related to each other by a coordinate transformation are entirely equivalent from a physical point of view…. Today we cannot say that the Copernican theory is ‘right’ and the Ptolemaic theory ‘wrong’ in any meaningful physical sense.” Hoyle, Fred. Nicolaus Copernicus. London: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd., 1973.
And even as Einstein himself stated, The two sentences: “the sun is at rest and the earth moves” or “the sun moves and the earth is at rest” would simply mean two different conventions concerning two different CS [coordinate systems].”
“Can we formulate physical laws so that they are valid for all CS [coordinate systems], not only those moving uniformly, but also those moving quite arbitrarily, relative to each other? […] The struggle, so violent in the early days of science, between the views of Ptolemy and Copernicus would then be quite meaningless. Either CS could be used with equal justification. The two sentences: “the sun is at rest and the earth moves” or “the sun moves and the earth is at rest” would simply mean two different conventions concerning two different CS.” Einstein, A. and Infeld, L. (1938) The Evolution of Physics, p.212 (p.248 in original 1938 ed.);
There simply is no empirical reason to prefer a sun centered universe over a earth centered universe: As Einstein himself noted,,,
“One need not view the existence of such centrifugal forces as originating from the motion of K’ [the Earth]; one could just as well account for them as resulting from the average rotational effect of distant, detectable masses as evidenced in the vicinity of K’ [the Earth], whereby K’ [the Earth] is treated as being at rest.” –Albert Einstein, quoted in Hans Thirring, “On the Effect of Distant Rotating Masses in Einstein’s Theory of Gravitation”, Physikalische Zeitschrift 22, 29, 1921 “If one rotates the shell *relative to the fixed stars* about an axis going through its center, a Coriolis force arises in the interior of the shell, *that is, the plane of a Foucault pendulum is dragged around*” –Albert Einstein, cited in “Gravitation”, Misner Thorne and Wheeler pp. 544-545. “We can’t feel our motion through space, nor has any physical experiment ever proved that the Earth actually is in motion.,,, If all the objects in space were removed save one, then no one could say whether that one remaining object was at rest or hurtling through the void at 100,000 miles per second” Historian Lincoln Barnett – “The Universe and Dr. Einstein” – pg 73 (contains a foreword by Albert Einstein)
Here are a few more notes to that effect,
“…Thus we may return to Ptolemy’s point of view of a ‘motionless earth’… One has to show that the transformed metric can be regarded as produced according to Einstein’s field equations, by distant rotating masses. This has been done by Thirring. He calculated a field due to a rotating, hollow, thick-walled sphere and proved that inside the cavity it behaved as though there were centrifugal and other inertial forces usually attributed to absolute space. Thus from Einstein’s point of view, Ptolemy and Copernicus are equally right.” Born, Max. “Einstein’s Theory of Relativity”, Dover Publications,1962, pgs 344 & 345: “In the Ptolemaic system, the earth is considered to be at rest and without rotation in the center of the universe, while the sun, other planets and fixed stars rotate around the earth. In relational mechanics this rotation of distant matter yields the force such that the equation of motion takes the form of equation (8.47). Now the gravitational attraction of the sun is balanced by a real gravitational centrifugal force due to the annual rotation of distant masses around the earth (with a component having a period of one year). In this way the earth can remain at rest and at an essentially constant distance from the sun. The diurnal rotation of distant masses around the earth (with a period of one day) yields a real gravitational centrifugal force flattening the earth at the poles. Foucault’s pendulum is explained by a real Coriolis force acting on moving masses over the earth’s surface in the form –2mgvme ´ ?Ue, where vme is the velocity of the test body relative to the earth and ?Ue is the angular rotation of the distant masses around the earth. The effect of this force will be to keep the plane of oscillation of the pendulum rotating together with the fixed stars.” (Andre K. T. Assis, Relational Mechanics, pp. 190-191). Could 80-year-old ether experiments have detected a cosmological temperature gradient? – February 8, 2016 Excerpt: the 20 or so experiments performed since 1887 seem to have steadily improved the precision in support of the view that there is no ether and no preferred reference frame. https://phys.org/news/2016-02-year-old-ether-cosmological-temperature-gradient.html
In fact, anomalies in the Cosmic Background Radiation (CBR), (anomalies that were recently discovered by the WMAP and Planck telescopes), ‘strangely’ line up with the earth and solar system,
What Is Evil About The Axis Of Evil? – February 17, 2015 The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Radiation contains small temperature fluctuations. When these temperature fluctuations are analyzed using image processing techniques (specifically spherical harmonics), they indicate a special direction in space, or, in a sense, an axis through the universe. This axis is correlated back to us, and causes many difficulties for the current big bang and standard cosmology theories. What has been discovered is shocking. Two scientists, Kate Land and João Magueijo, in a paper in 2005 describing the axis, dubbed it the “Axis of Evil” because of the damage it does to current theories, and (tongue in cheek) as a response to George Bush’ Axis of Evil speech regarding Iraq, Iran and, North Korea. (Youtube clip on site) In the above video, Max Tegmark describes in a simplified way how spherical harmonics analysis decomposes the small temperature fluctuations into more averaged and spatially arranged temperature components, known as multipoles. The “Axis of Evil” correlates to the earth’s ecliptic and equinoxes, and this represents a very unusual and unexpected special direction in space, a direct challenge to the Copernican Principle. http://www.theprinciplemovie.com/evil-axis-evil/
At the 13:55 minute mark of this following video, Max Tegmark, an atheist who specializes in this area of study, finally admits, post Planck 2013, that the CMBR anomalies do indeed line up with the earth and solar system
“Thoughtcrime: The Conspiracy to Stop The Principle” – video https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0eVUSDy_rO0#t=832
Here is an excellent clip from “The Principle” that explains these ‘anomalies’ in the CMBR that line up with the earth and solar system in an easy to understand manner.
Cosmic Microwave Background Proves Intelligent Design (disproves Copernican principle) (clip of “The Principle”) – video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htV8WTyo4rw
Thus, there is actually a principled reason, based on empirical observation, to once again consider the earth and solar system as being 'central' in the universe.bornagain77_{February 10, 2020
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BA77
I have two questions for them, Number one, just what is your empirical proof that the earth is NOT the centre of the universe?
Any Astrodynamics 101 text book will explain why.
And number two, if the earth is NOT he centre of the universe then just where is the centre of the universe?
Don’t knowEd George_{February 10, 2020
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Apparently both Ed George and AaronS1978 think that it is proven beyond all doubt that the earth is NOT the centre of the universe. I have two questions for them, Number one, just what is your empirical proof that the earth is NOT the centre of the universe? And number two, if the earth is NOT he centre of the universe then just where is the centre of the universe?
November 2019 - despite the fact that virtually everyone, including the vast majority of Christians, hold that the Copernican Principle is unquestionably true, the fact of the matter is that the Copernican Principle is now empirically shown, (via quantum mechanics and general relativity, etc..), to be a false assumption. https://uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/so-then-maybe-we-are-privileged-observers/#comment-688855
bornagain77_{February 10, 2020
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By the way Jerry Coyne knows that science is only as good as the user, It’s why he absolutely despises religious people doing scienceAaronS1978_{February 10, 2020
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I don’t believe we abandon our perceptions when we discovered that the world Was not the center of the universe and that our solar system was heliocentric I would say that’s more in line with just being mistaken or having misinterpreted the Bible In fact it was a Catholic Cleric Copernicus that brought it up followed by telescopic evidence from Galileo Now on the flipside the theory of evolution challenges the very perception which we perceive our entire world We have to abandon the very thing that we used to interpret the world, it is the very thing that enables us to do science So if our perceptions were user illusions based for fitness survival, then we honestly wouldn’t have discovered that our solar system was Heliocentric and we couldn’t do science, science couldn’t rescue us from that, science is only as good as the user doing it.AaronS1978_{February 10, 2020
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AaronS1978
Well all I have to say is that when a theory Requires you to abandon your perception as an illusion, that there might be some wrong with that theory
But if we didn’t abandon our perception as an illusion we would still believe that the earth was the centre of the universe.Ed George_{February 10, 2020
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Well all I have to say is that when a theory Requires you to abandon your perception as an illusion, that there might be some wrong with that theory Richard Dawkins had to set the narrative that the appearance of design in nature is an illusion, and it bothered me a lot that he had to set that narrative in the first placeAaronS1978_{February 10, 2020
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@20 Silver Asiatic
That’s why it is not possible to know that evolution is blind and mindless (assuming that it even occurs as described).
Then, why do they (evolutionists) insist? Are they ignorant? Or just evil? Probably both? It seems to me that *fuzzy* terminology ("natural selection", "randomness", "deep time") is being used as a gaslightning technique? "Gaslighting is a manipulative tactic in which a person, to gain power and control, plants seeds of uncertainty in the victim. The self-doubt and constant skepticism slowly and meticulously cause the individual to question their reality. *"'Evolution or you are mentally insane!"*Truthfreedom_{February 10, 2020
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Pater Kimbridge @ 12
Sunlight and water vapor are blind and mindless, but together they can create a rainbow.
That can only be discerned by a soul with a mind in a body with eyes?awstar_{February 10, 2020
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Acartia Eddie:
We have never observed plate tectonics creating a mountain either.
And at the rate they are moving it may not have.
Why do some find it necessary to apply a burden of proof to evolution that they don’t apply to other fields of science?
Science mandates that the claims be testable. The existence of electrons can be tested. It is NOT our fault that the claims of unguided evolution cannot be tested. But then again you do not seem to understand science.ET_{February 10, 2020
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"Why do some find it necessary to apply a burden of proof to evolution that they don’t apply to other fields of science?" Ed, Which burden of proof do you always require? Andrewasauber_{February 10, 2020
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BR
Macro-evolution has never been observed.
We have never observed plate tectonics creating a mountain either. We have never observed an electron. Why do some find it necessary to apply a burden of proof to evolution that they don't apply to other fields of science?Ed George_{February 10, 2020
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The “current scientific process” has nothing to do with evolution by means of blind and mindless processes. It has nothing to do with materialism, naturalism nor physicalism. That is just a fact. And I understand why it upsets some people who post here.ET_{February 10, 2020
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Acartia Eddie, strawman maker:
But wouldn’t a better question be why god felt it necessary to design viruses that have killed millions of people in the first place?
Who says that is what happened? Why can't it be that random changes in the viruses did that- caused them to be lethal?ET_{February 10, 2020
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Pater K:
Sunlight and water vapor are blind and mindless, but together they can create a rainbow.
Sunlight and water vapor exist because they were intelligently designed. Blind and mindless processes did not create either.ET_{February 10, 2020
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Pater Kimbridge: Sunlight and water vapor are blind and mindless, but together they can create a rainbow. Truthfreedom: What does exist in ‘Nature’ that it is not “blind and mindless”? (So you can make this comparison?)
The key point is that science cannot indicate that sunlight and water vapor operate from mindless processes, or even that they are blind and mindless entities themselves. That's why it is not possible to know that evolution is blind and mindless (assuming that it even occurs as described).Silver Asiatic_{February 10, 2020
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Ed George and those like him tend to ignore process for consensus. The scientific method requires something to be observed and replicated. Macro-evolution has never been observed. Not one person can point to a single experiment to show successful replication. Pointing at fossils and micro-evolution has nothing to do with macro-evolution. No matter how many ways it's phrased, or how animated they get, there is still no actual evidence to support their theory. Biologist Richard Lenski spent 30 years studying e. Coli, which started in 1988. They were looking for evidence of macro-evolution and watched over 60,000 generations, which is the equivalent of 1,000,000 years to humans. The reason he shut it down was the lack of a single generation that was genetically something different from e. Coli. He was searching for evidence to support his belief and failed. https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/how-a-30-year-experiment-has-fundamentally-changed-our-view-of-howBobRyan_{February 9, 2020
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Well there’s a lot of different reasons why God would create something like that, viruses are not random and there is no such thing as blind random processes everything follows rules Viruses have been known for quite some time to be essential to creating bio diversity between species Furthermore, just because something doesn’t make sense to us at this point, doesn’t mean it won’t make sense to us later on down the line So what might seem as something horrific now actually might’ve been useful later down the line Point in case the black plague produced people that are immune to HIV There also seems to be some other things that shaped our history right afterwards those events that got us to where we are today But thats the way I look at it, just because I don’t understand its function at this point doesn’t mean I won’t later, nor does it mean that it didn’t have a purpose or reason for existence in the first place Human beings living endlessly and without limitation is just as bad, if not worse, than a virus that kills a large group of people, endless life with no death comes with its own brand suffering. Ps. One virus might kill a million people Edward Jenner’s vaccine has saved close to 3 millions of people, And we have been able to progress further and faster because of that discovery. And we are better for itAaronS1978_{February 9, 2020
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EG
But wouldn’t a better question be why god felt it necessary to design viruses that have killed millions of people in the first place?
It's always a good idea to learn about God's design and the divine order.Silver Asiatic_{February 9, 2020
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Sunlight and water vapor are blind and mindless, but together they can create a rainbow.
Snowflakes and wind get together and then they create snow drifts.Silver Asiatic_{February 9, 2020
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Aaron1978
Edward Jenner wasn’t just a theist, he was a Christian who worried people wouldn’t recognize that god had work through him to provide the vaccine
But wouldn’t a better question be why god felt it necessary to design viruses that have killed millions of people in the first place?Ed George_{February 9, 2020
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Edward Jenner wasn’t just a theist, he was a Christian who worried people wouldn’t recognize that god had work through him to provide the vaccine Alex Fleming was a Catholic and all he provided was antibiotics And Louie Pasteur was a Christian type that did so sciency stuff too Turns outs science provided their contributions and certainly not them or their world viewAaronS1978_{February 9, 2020
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@13 Pater Kimbridge
Sunlight and water vapor are blind and mindless, but together they can create a rainbow.
What does exist in 'Nature' that it is not "blind and mindless"? (So you can make this comparison?) Regarding the non-overlapping magisteria, was that a serious question?Truthfreedom_{February 9, 2020
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@ET #11 That a process is "blind and mindless" has nothing to do with whether it can create something new. Sunlight and water vapor are blind and mindless, but together they can create a rainbow. CHECKMATE, ET !!!!!Pater Kimbridge_{February 9, 2020
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"Ed George"
Yet it has given us nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, insulin, heart transplants, chemistry, agricultural practices, safe air transit, … I think I will stick with the current scientific process until something better comes along.
The "current scientific process" has nothing to do with evolution by means of blind and mindless processes. It has nothing to do with materialism, naturalism nor physicalism.ET_{February 9, 2020
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@Truthfreedom #9 "Non-overlapping magisteria" Aren't YOU the overlap?Pater Kimbridge_{February 9, 2020
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And vaccines. Don’t forget vaccines. They work way better than prayer.
Non-overlapping magisteria. Vaccines --> to stimulate the immune system. Prayer --> to stimulate spiritual life.Truthfreedom_{February 9, 2020
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. Edward Jenner was a theist, by the way.Upright BiPed_{February 9, 2020
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@Ed George #2 And vaccines. Don't forget vaccines. They work way better than prayer.Pater Kimbridge_{February 9, 2020
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. No you don't.Upright BiPed_{February 9, 2020
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