Incoming Baylor University President to honor Intelligent Design professor
12:00 AM CDT on Thursday, April 1, 2010
By GROMER JEFFERS Jr. | The Dallas Morning News | gjeffers@dallasnews.com
A change in leadership certainly makes a difference. Past recent administrations at Baylor University in Waco have maintained sensible policies protecting scientific integrity against those who would force their dogmatic religious beliefs on unsuspecting students paying top dollar for higher education. The previous administrations have resisted efforts by some professors in the so-called “Intelligent Design” movement who sought to distort the principles of modern science to include religious teachings tantamount to creationist fundamentalism.
Dr. Bob Marks is one of these professors in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department who has caused friction with the administration for promoting his Intelligent Design theories on the University website. Marks was ultimately overruled and forced to remove the offending content.
But now times have changed. Incoming Baylor president Kenneth Starr, infamous for heading the investigations that led to impeachment of former Democrat President Bill Clinton, has announced that shortly after he enters office in June of this year, he will honor Marks for his efforts. “If ever there was a University where discussions of faith and science could be welcomed it is Baylor University. We should commend those with the courage to address the difficult questions, such as origins of life, that touch on both our scientific knowledge and understanding and our deeply held religious beliefs.”