Georgia Southern University Prof Being Investigated for Teaching Creationism
In academia, I’m pretty sure this counts as heresy.
Colleen Flaherty of Inside Higher Ed reported.
Extra-Credit Creationism?
Lecturing for a week about how “evolution could not have happened.” Offering extra credit for students to watch the film “God’s Not Dead.” Showing religious bias in exam questions. Student reviews saying he’ll try to “convert you.”
Those charges, among others, make up a complaint filed recently by two First Amendment watchdog groups against T. Emerson McMullen, an associate professor of history at Georgia Southern University. The institution says it’s now investigating the professor for allegedly using his classroom at the public university to promote his anti-evolution Christian beliefs.
“We understand that as a historian, particularly a historian focused on science, McMullen could legitimately discuss the development of scientific ideas,” reads a letter sent to Georgia Southern from the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. “He could even legitimately discuss religious doctrines masquerading as science, such as young earth creationism and intelligent design.”
However, the letter continues, “it appears that McMullen does not present these as religious ideas lacking scientific merit. Instead, McMullen presents these religious beliefs as scientific fact. In short, McMullen appears to use at least some of his class to preach religion instead of teach history.”
Comments
He is not a scientist. He has no business discussing evolution. Competence in an area is paramount.
First, to reply to celsius1939:
Apparently, he has credentials to teach on the topic of science philosophy, which includes Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. He even calls himself a scientist in the article – did you read it all?
Second, this:
There is absolutely NOTHING in the 1st amendment that “dictates a separation of church and state”!!! That was a “prenumbra” found by the SCOTUS, extrapolating a letter from Jefferson to a Baptist minister. Unfortunately, that letter in fact emphasized exactly the OPPOSITE of “separation of church and state” in life. It specifically meant, in context, that the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD NO PLACE INTERFERING IN RELIGION OR RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY, and that the 1st amendment clearly protected the FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION, and didn’t block expression of it IN ANY WAY.
This man is doing what many do, from the leftist angle, or relating to other religions, giving extra credit for seeing a movie, God’s Not Dead, that portrays a Christian student who challenges his professor, who dictates the denial of ANY faith is a requirement for his course; but, because it’s about Christianity and relates to his informed belief that Evolution is not true, he is attacked. Would you do that if the man told people to see An Inconvenient Truth or Avatar? I doubt it. What hypocrisy!!
Third, McMullen is incorrect/inconsistent on this point:
If he is a Bible-believing Christian, we are indeed all descended from one ancestor: Adam. However, I believe he means that we are not descended from apes and monkeys, or other primordial “relatives” that evolved into humans.
I hope McMullen stands, and prevails, against this witch hunt to attack him for running his college classroom as any leftist would, but with his beliefs, not the progressive drek that permeates too many colleges today.
Yes, I read it. A Ph.D. in the philosophy of science does not make one a scientist. A masters in Eng administration is a joke. He is not a scientist period. As a real biological scientist, it galls me to hear criticisms of evolution by people such as him or you. Do some real science and study and study and study. Do not let your personal biases color your analysis.