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The American Theistic-evolution Association

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Perry MastodonThirty years ago, I matriculated from Wheaton College, a “fundamentalist” school 25 miles west of Chicago. Well, actually the faculty and student body never called it fundamentalist, that’s what the big TV station called us whenever they did their “local news specials”, and waited for the opening prayer at mandatory chapel to pan the audience for the obligatory “every head bowed” shot. In actuality, Wheaton was proud of its “progressive status” among the consortium of 13  small liberal-arts Christian colleges, promoting an “old-earth creationism” in contrast to the 24/6 “young earth creationism” usually associated with Bible colleges. They had even built their then-new science building with a rotating display of a student-excavated mastodon skeleton (“Perry”) to reinforce their commitment to older-than-6000-year bones. And my science profs proudly displayed their membership and articles in the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, the “non-YEC” Christian society for scientists.  I faithfully read the journal at the library, feeling not as wealthy as my geology-major roommate who had a subscription. And a particularly good essay in a science class might get the rare praise “perhaps you can submit it to JASA.”

So it is with some astonishment that recently I received an email asking why attendance at ASA meetings has “grayed” so much, with one reporting that only 5 in a crowd of 80-100 were below the age of 40. A mail-in survey of 53% of the members found that less than 15% were below 40, (and apparently not desirous of attending meetings.) An anecdotal survey of other Christian affiliations of scientists found them with larger percentages of young scientists.  So what ailment has afflicted the ASA?

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Comments
Alan, The difference between 6000yr and 13000yr is insignificant compared to geologic timescales of millions and 100's of millions of years. So the real question for OEC and YEC, is whether we understand Biblical time at all. My take on this wasn't cross posted at UD, but here's the URL: http://procrustes.blogtownhall.com/2010/06/03/genesis_and_the_bible.thtml Let me know if that explanation helps.Robert Sheldon
June 8, 2010
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Robert Sheldon et al... What if there was proof that the Bible itself does not support a 6,000 yr. old Earth, but a 13,000 one. How much would that affect this subject in general as for example allowing for quite a bit more time to burry Perry and for post flood rapid geological and meteorological processes to occur?alan
June 4, 2010
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I'd speculate in another direction: The ASA nowadays seems to almost exclusively devote itself to countering YECs (or other 'bad science'), rather than.. you know. Strongly promoting Christianity, or a Christian (even TE!) perspective on origins. And frankly, if all a person wants to do is combat 'bad science', there's other organizations.nullasalus
June 4, 2010
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