NOTE: Since this was posted on November 12, 2001, Answers in Genesis, responding to our citations of their errors, has rewritten the piece we were commenting upon. The quotes in our article were cut and pasted directly from the AiG site to ensure one hundred percent accuracy; they are exactly as they appeared in the original article.NCSE now has available a Congregational Study Guide, a resource for churches wishing to help their members discuss the new PBS series Evolution. In the introduction to the guide, author Phina Borgeson states, "While Darwin's theory of evolution may have challenged religious organizations, especially their sense of authority and control of human activities, it also has, for those open to the possibilities, expanded our notions of God."
We decided not to rewrite our piece in some "follow the leader" fashion for two reasons. First, since AiG chose to abandon the original version of their article, we feel it is our responsibility to preserve an accurate record of their original errors and accusations. Second, in reading over the revised version, we feel that the context of their diatribe remains essentially unchanged, and the following quotations from the first article still accurately reflect their position. Our response remains relevant.
On November 6, 2001, Answers in Genesis (AiG) posted an article on its web site with the headline "Atheists Infiltrate Churches!" In the opening of the article, AiG states, "It's interesting to note that the NCSE ... [has] made statements indicating they are not against those who believe in God-yet at the same time they make statements vehemently attacking Christianity."
For the record, NCSE has never made any statements, "vehemently attacking Christianity" or any other religion. AiG may not agree with our position on teaching evolution in public schools, but that hardly justifies these wild accusations.
In the closing of the article, they say, "Who would have thought ... that atheists would be writing a 'Congregational Study Guide' to understand our origins!"
Here, predictably, AiG is simply wrong on the facts. The NCSE Study Guide was not written by an atheist. It was written by a Christian. Borgeson earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, where she also taught, and served on two Episcopal diocesan staffs, Los Angeles and Nevada.
In truth, NCSE is actually quite a religiously diverse organization, with both nonbelievers and believers on our staff, on our board of directors, and among our members and supporters. Although we come from many different backgrounds, from atheists to evangelical Christians, we respect one another's beliefs. What unites us is our firm belief in the importance of evolution in any sound science education.
Ironically, Borgeson seems to have described the AiG pretty accurately in her introduction. Does evolution challenge AiG's "sense of authority and control" over deciding who is the "right" kind of Christian?
See the NCSE Congregational Study Guide.
For information about the Study Guide contact Phina Borgeson.
The National Center for Science Education is a nonprofit organization, based in Oakland, California, dedicated to defending the teaching of evolution in the public schools. On the web at www.ncseweb.org.
For information contact Skip Evans, Network Project Director