November 12, 2002

Christian Professors Take a Stand

This past summer suburban Atlanta’s Cobb County school board, Georgia’s second largest school district, faced a major decision: the adoption of a new science education policy. While not restricting the teaching of evolution, this new approach would allow, but not require, the teaching of other “disputed” views on evolution. Alternative views with scientific merit could enter Cobb County’s classrooms—including intelligent design theory and creationism.

Opposition Arises

Not surprisingly, many groups were opposed to this policy, including the ACLU and the National Academy of Science. Research by Dave Richardson, our CLM staff on the spot in Atlanta, has revealed that 96% of NAS members are atheists and agnostics. This is a tacit requirement for membership in the NAS, Dave said. A vote in Cobb County was scheduled for September 26^th, so Dave got to work.

Drawing on his contacts with Christian professors all over the state of Georgia, Dave emailed them and asked them to sign this very minimal statement:

I am skeptical of the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for the Darwinian theory should be encouraged.

Help Arrives

Within a week, 28 scientists from the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Emory, Spelman, and other Georgia universities publicly endorsed the statement. Several professors agreed to represent the group, and the Georgia Scientists for Academic Freedom was born. Eventually, over 130 other scientists nationally had also signed on.

When the professors sent that whole list of names to the school board, the media really got stirred up. They didn’t expect such noted scientists from the top universities in the state to support the Cobb Board when so many other scientists had voiced their opposition. You may have heard or seen stories about the pending decision in the news.

Dave attended the school board meeting along with two Christian profs who are Cobb County residents, Dr. Dan Tedder of Georgia Tech, and Dr. William Lane Craig, a philosophy prof and CLM staff member, who debates atheists all over the world. The meeting room was packed, the lobby was crammed. It was a media feeding frenzy.