Readers will remember Joshua Swamidass’s argument in Wall Street Journal that students from creationist universities should be stigmatized by having that fact noted in their transcripts (irrespective, one supposes, of merit). Here’s a response from BJU’s president (mostly paywalled but you can read this and more for free):
Proof of our high standards and scientific norms: BJU students regularly score above the 90th percentile on the Medical College Admission Test and are admitted to graduate programs at leading research universities. And our alumni employ next-level science in hospitals and research labs nationwide.
Steve Pettit, “Science and Creationism in Serious Colleges” at Wall Street Journal
But that’s just the problem, Steve. They can’t get your students on lack of competence so they have to engage in covert viewpoint discrimination. Swamidass is suggesting a means of proceeding along those lines.
Dr. Swamidass’s “compromise”—excluding credit from courses presenting evidence for multiple models—would marginalize outstanding scientists with biblical viewpoints about origins. We prefer that adherents to both creation and evolution models continue to coexist as neighbors, friends and, yes, science educators in our pluralistic nation. It does not appear Dr. Swamidass truly shares this desire.
Steve Pettit, “Science and Creationism in Serious Colleges” at Wall Street Journal
Well, maybe he doesn’t. And why should he? If no creationists are allowed to compete, non-creationist dunces will win more prizes. Some think that’s how life should be.
Science won’t win but as things dumb down even further, who will even know that?
See also: Josh Swamidass on the need to single out and punish creationists. One key effect of Cancel Culture is the elimination of competition by citing grounds that are irrelevant to performance. As Klinghoffer puts it, employers “will wish to know if they are about to take aboard a creationist in a science-related field. For example, a pediatric nurse oncologist, caring for little kids with cancer, while believing that the world is under 10,000 years old.” Someone with “Correct” views on the age of Earth will be deemed more acceptable even with fewer gifts in pediatric nursing. It’s a recipe for Virtuous underperformance.