Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Templeton Funding in the Church

Andrew Sibley
March 9, 2009
Intelligent Design
Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
arroba Email

The Discovery Institute’s Bruce Chapman is reporting that the Templeton Foundation has funded the pro-Darwin conference in Rome. Templeton’s Darwin Conference in Rome 5th March

It is interesting to note that in the UK the Templeton Foundation has also funded some very vocal theistic supporters of evolution, including the Faraday Institute headed by Denis Alexander, with $2,000,000 dollars.

And the wide ranging Theos / Faraday research project, that wants to ‘rescue Darwin’ by gathering information about the level of acceptance of evolution in UK society, was funded by Templeton. Theos reported back in June 2008 that it is ‘delighted to announce that it has been awarded a major grant by the John Templeton Foundation to undertake a new project on science and religion.Theos wins major grant to ‘rescue’ Darwin 3/6/08

Of course at the human level there is nothing wrong with taking money from Templeton, but I wonder how ethically minded Christians will react when they find out that so much money is being accepted from a vaguely spiritual organisation in order to promote acceptance of evolution in the Church and thus shape Christian Theology?
Science and Values

Comments
If Templeton are genuinely open to research 'where ever it leads,' including ID, I will withdraw all criticism - and submit my own application form! Andrew Sibley
Andrew: "Of course at the human level there is nothing wrong with taking money from Templeton..." If I remember right, even Dr. Dembski accept a fairly large sum of money from the Templeton Foundation. djmullen
What's should be wrong with Templeton? Don't they sponsor a book currently drafted by Dr. Dembski? sparc
"The project seeks to ‘rescue Darwin’ (giving the title to the overall project) by insisting we treat him as a supremely gifted natural scientist and not as theologian or anti-theologian of any stripe." Darwin was not a "gifted scientist." We know for a fact that he was an Atheist-materialist as early as 1837 and 1838. He admits to apostasy occurring before or during these two years (Autobio:85-87); as did conversion to Materialism (Notebooks M and N); as was his evolution theory conceived during the SAME two years (Autobio:124). Evolution is the Atheism explanation of life. The attempt to ignore these basic facts about Charles Darwin is to protect Christian evolutionists from being seen as fools and buffoons for accepting the Atheism explanation, and the attempt seeks to deceive naive undecided Christians into accepting Darwinism. Ray R. Martinez
The project seeks to 'rescue Darwin' (giving the title to the overall project) by insisting we treat him as a supremely gifted natural scientist and not as theologian or anti-theologian of any stripe.
It might rescue Darwin from being attacked on theological grounds but I am not holding my breath. Seversky
Andrew, Speaking in your professional capacity as a weather forecaster, what would you say would be the best use of such largesse? George L Farquhar
No amount of intelligence insulting revision and corruption can rescue Darwin and evolution from its pro-Atheism foundation. Evolution is based on Materialism-Naturalism presuppositions and these presuppositions begin with the assumption that God is absent from reality and nature---that is why evolution is necessary and that is why all Atheists are evolutionists. Ray R. Martinez

Leave a Reply