What happens when scientists refuse to cater to creationists and to suspend their commitment to the field of science?

Associate professor of biology Michael L. Dini at Texas Tech University is finding out. He is under investigation by the Justice Department for insisting that acceptance of real science (all of it rather than just the pieces that fit ones views) is one of the criteria students must meet to earn his letter of recommendation.

The investigation was brought on by a religious discrimination complaint from Liberty Legal Institute, a conservative Christian organization. The grievance is on behalf of Texas Tech student Micah Spradling, who discovered he would not receive a recommendation from Dr. Dini for medical school unless Spradling accepts the validity of evolution—a theory creationists are unable to accept despite overwhelming scientific evidence.

“Good medicine, like good biology,” points out Dr. Dini, on his web page, “is based on the collection and evaluation of physical evidence. So much physical evidence supports the evolution of humans from non-human ancestors that one can validly refer to the ‘fact’ of human evolution, even if all of the details are not yet known.”

Dr. Dini, a devout Catholic according to reports, stands firmly behind his policy and says he won’t change it. His decision is based on his desire to recommend only those students “to a medical or professional school or a graduate school in the biomedical sciences [that] are scientists.”

While some students have complained that belief in creationism should not preclude a student from obtaining a recommendation, belief in creationism itself, is not the real issue. What’s crucial to the professor’s decision is what these students do not accept—evolution—a crucial ingredient to the full understanding of biological sciences.

As Dr. Dini explains, “One can deny this evidence only at the risk of calling into question one’s understanding of science and of the method of science.”

“Such an individual,” he continues, “has committed malpractice regarding the method of science, for good scientists would never throw out data that do not conform to their expectations or beliefs.”

If a student cannot distinguish between scientific evidence and belief, how can that person practice in the field of medicine and assure the well-being and best interest of his patients?

The amount of quackery seen today in our technologically advanced society is disturbing to say the least. Yet, alternative medicine has become the in thing, despite we are living in the information age. Masses of people are buying into the claims of aromatherapy, acupuncture, herbal remedies, homeopathy, therapeutic touch, and faith healing, to name just a few.

To think that a professor of science might be required to write a letter of recommendation for a student that doesn’t fully accept the validity of science is dangerous to the future of science and medicine. If science professors cannot uphold their obligation to the field and expect students to meet certain criteria to further themselves in areas of science and medicine, than all scientific advancement has been for naught.

As Philip Kitcher writes in Abusing Science: The Case Against Creationism, “Evolutionary biology is intertwined with other sciences, ranging from nuclear physics and astronomy to molecular biology and geology. If evolutionary biology is to be dismissed, then the fundamental principles of other sciences will have to be excised.”

Simply put, Creationism, which is completely unsubstantiated, is an attack on the verifiable findings of science.

Unfortunately, humans are often unable to resist their preconceived notions and beliefs. Only those who are capable of calling such preconceptions into question should serve in fields of science and medicine where evidence and tentativeness are necessary to finding truth.

Dr. Dini should be commended for standing up for real science and should not be bullied into recommending individuals who do not uphold scientific scholarship for studies and fields that require such. Those who cannot put aside “beliefs” in the face of “evidence” do not belong in the fields of science, especially medicine where the welfare and lives of others are at risk.

 

Kimberly Blaker’s The Wall™ appears weekly. She is editor and coauthor of the The Fundamentals of Extremism: the Christian Right in America. Send your comments to Kimberly Blaker: TheWall@TheWall-OnChurchAndState.com   © 2002, Kimberly Blaker

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