EVOLUTION

[Monique Reed]

Frank Percival said:

>I appreciated Ross Koning's comments on the need to "talk religion AND
>science in our science classrooms so that students can learn the difference
>between these two fields of inquiry."  I teach in an evangelical Christian
>liberal arts college where we view this as a central part of our mission,
>but there is no sense in which this type of discussion has to be limited to
>our type of institution. 

Just try and mention anything to do with religion--pro or con or comparative-- 
in a state-supported university and see what happens.  Not a pretty sight.  
I'm involved in teaching science at a laaaaarge state-supported university in 
the Bible Belt of Texas.  Many of the students are deeply religious; many are 
not.  "Separation of Church and State" looms very, very large and there is a 
sort of unspoken 11th commandment--"Thou Shalt Not Discuss Religion".  It's 
the sort of thing which can get you yelled at, written about, passed over for 
tenure, etc.

M. Reed