Here are two articles that seem out of place in the world today, or are they? The first one speaks of a dedicated Darwinist leaving those ideas behind and the second one speaks of a BYU professor who embraces Darwinism. It seems BYU professors teach Evolution as a theory, but do they really believe that? It’s up to each of us to decide. In my opinion a cat can never become a dog, an ape can never become a man, but species can evolve or change within their own species. God created Man in His own image, period!
Renowned Yale Computer Science Prof Leaves Darwinism
He’s not giving up Darwinism without some remorse. “It means one less beautiful idea in our world,” says David Gelernter.
This isn’t someone you’d expect to reject Darwin. He lives and works at the heart of the intellectual establishment. He’s a renowned computer scientist at Yale University — the New York Times called him a “rock star” — and served on the National Council on the Arts…
Why did Gelernter reject Darwinism? For one thing, he points to the fossils missing from the record…
Perhaps the biggest flaw with Darwinism, he writes, is how hard it would be to randomly make new functional proteins. Darwinian evolution depends a huge number of them…
Gelernter admits intelligent design is an “absolutely serious argument.” It’s the “first, and obviously most intuitive one that comes to mind.” It’s got to be dealt with intellectually. It can’t be dismissed with anti-religious bigotry.
His colleagues have treated him courteously since he changed his position on this issue, he says. Still, for them Darwinism has passed beyond a scientific argument. “You take your life into your hands to challenge it intellectually. They will destroy you.” The Stream, By RACHEL ALEXANDER Published on August 21, 2019 Renowned Yale Computer Science Prof Leaves Darwinism
IS EVOLUTION REAL? CHRISTIANS SHOULD EMBRACE DARWIN’S THEORIES, MORMON COLLEGE PROFESSOR SAYS BY KATE SHERIDAN ON 3/1/18
“An evolutionary biologist who teaches at a college owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that Mormons should feel comfortable accepting the theory of evolution, the Salt Lake City Tribune reported.
Brigham Young University biologist Steven Peck gave the Eugene England Memorial Lecture at Utah Valley University, a publicly-funded school, on Thursday. At the address, he delved into the rift between science and religion.
Peck does not see science as undermining religion. “The Church has long been interested in education and truth and knowledge,” Peck told Newsweek. “[BYU] itself is a reflection of that interest in gaining knowledge. And from my perspective, evolution is an important part of biology. It’s the foundation of all of biology…
Peck hopes Mormon leadership stays away from promoting an official stance on evolution. If they were to come out against it, that could disrupt his teaching and research. That’s happened before; between 1920 and 1970, evolution wasn’t taught at BYU, Peck said.
“There are a lot of members of the church who aren’t on board with evolution, who see it as a problem, who worry that it isn’t in any way compatible with Mormonism,” Peck said. But despite the potential for controversy, Peck said he hadn’t received much negative feedback from Thursday’s speech.” IS EVOLUTION REAL? CHRISTIANS SHOULD EMBRACE DARWIN’S THEORIES, MORMON COLLEGE PROFESSOR SAYS BY KATE SHERIDAN ON 3/1/18
Understanding the Principles of Evolution
Article from BYU Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum
https://mlbean.byu.edu/exhibits/understanding-the-principles-of-evolution
What is evolution? How do we observe it in the natural world? Understanding the Principles of Evolution is an exhibit which delves into the theory of evolution, the evidence for evolution, and how scientists use evolution to better understand life on Earth. Often misunderstood, evolution is a fascinating theory used by scientists to explain how life changes and adapts.
Regarding evolution, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have stated, “The Church has no official position on the theory of evolution. Organic evolution, or changes to species’ inherited traits over time, is a matter for scientific study. Nothing has been revealed concerning evolution. Though the details of what happened on earth before Adam and Eve, including how their bodies were created, have not been revealed, our teachings regarding man’s origin are clear and come from revelation.” (New Era Oct 2016)
The exhibit Understanding the Principles of Evolution is an exploration of how scientists interpret the theory of evolution and does not establish the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Visitors are encouraged to consider how natural selection plays a part in nature to help animals, plants, and other life forms adapt. We at the Bean Life Science Museum hope this exhibit will help to spark conversations among our guests as they ask, “What is evolution?”
More information about how BYU’s Faculty are working to build bridges between religion and science can be found at Reconciling Evolution
New Bean Museum Exhibit Explores Evolution
March 10, 2019 The Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum opens a new exhibit today exploring the theories and observations of evolution, and how evolution changes life on Earth.
“There is a plaque posted on the exhibit stating that it is not Church doctrine and the Church has no stance on the issue.” Daily Universe Paper By Rachel Keeler -July 30, 2019
“There’s a lot of confusion out there about what is and is not evolution,” said Travis Schenck, exhibit designer for the Bean Museum. “In designing this exhibit we wanted to be very clear about how science defines evolution.”
While designing the new exhibit, Understanding the Principles of Evolution, Schenck and his design team consulted with BYU professors who teach about evolution so the exhibit would be able to communicate the principles of evolution in the most approachable way. The language used in the displays is more relatable by using everyday language rather than complex scientific terms. Many of the complex words are still there but are explained in an easy to understand way.
“The heart of our mission here at the Bean Museum is to celebrate the role of Jesus Christ as the creator of life on Earth, and to use science to understand His works better.”
Understanding the Principles of Evolution is a long term exhibit and will be on display for many years to come, though parts of the exhibit may change over time. The Bean Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., but closed Sundays. Admission is free. For more information about the museum and its exhibits visit mlbean.byu.edu. Article Source: https://news.byu.edu/news/new-bean-museum-exhibit-explores-evolution
Evolution on Display at BYU By Kristen L. Evans (BA ’19)
A tree is depicted in BYU’s Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, but instead of leaves, this tree displays 25 different kinds of hominid skulls, including everything from Australopithecus afarensis to us—Homo sapiens.
The display is part of a new permanent exhibit, Understanding Evolution, and it raises questions. Do members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in evolution?
For Jamie L. Jensen (BS ’99, MS ’03), Seth M. Bybee (BS ’04), and other evolutionary biologists at BYU, evolution is simple: there is genetic change in populations over time. The world is full of evidence; flu shots change annually because the influenza virus evolves so quickly. That said, Jensen and Bybee understand that evolution is a theological issue too.
Evidence like the hundreds of hominid skulls that suggest humans share a common ancestor with apes often leaves students disconcerted. “They feel like it’s in conflict with their religion,” says Jensen. “So our main motivation is, let’s help save their testimonies.”
Historically, the matter has been explained in an either-or model; that is, either the science is correct or the religion is. But in a video for a Smithsonian Human Origins committee, Jensen says that science and religion answer two very separate sets of questions—both of which get at truth.
“If you’re talking about the origin of life on the planet, then science is answering questions such as mechanisms: How did it happen? When did it happen? How long ago?” says Jensen. “Whereas religion is more interested in answering questions of why did it happen? Why are we here? Who might have been involved? . . . If we respect the fact that these are two different ways of getting at the same truth, then they really don’t have to be in conflict.”
This reconciliation approach is put forth in every BYU Biology 100 class. Along with scientific data, the professors give students every official Church statement on evolution from the 1909 First Presidency essay to a 2016 statement in the New Era, which reads: “The Church has no official position on the theory of evolution. Organic evolution, or changes to species’ inherited traits over time, is a matter for scientific study.” A wide variety of opinions fit within Church doctrine—from denial of human evolution to full acceptance.“I wonder if that’s how God actually did this.” —Seth Bybee
“We’re not out to indoctrinate students one way or another,” Jensen explains. “We’re out to help find ways that they can keep their faith and still be knowledgeable.”
BYU’s reconciliation model is opening minds. Jensen and Bybee coauthored a 2018 study published in the prestigious journal PLOS One, in which they examined BYU-student attitudes toward evolution from the ’80s to now. In the fall of 1988, 10 percent of polled students accepted evolution and believed it was in harmony with their religious beliefs. In 2016 that number jumped to 60 percent.
Both Bybee and Jensen have had spiritual experiences as they’ve sought to understand and explain evolution. “I’m literally praying over essentially understanding evolution better,” Bybee says. “But there’s also those moments where you see something, you discover something, and you’re kind of like, ‘Wow. That’s amazing. I wonder if that’s how God actually did this.’” Evolution on Display at BYU
The Saddest Study You Will Read!
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0205798
“The data shown here reveal a shift toward acceptance by LDS youth of evolutionary theory as a valid explanation for current life on earth. While human evolution is still something of an issue, there has been a dramatic decrease in conflict in comparison with the views of college students of two to three decades ago. As explanations, the data support the influence of an improved K-12 educational experience, a reduction in negative messaging from people in authority within the religious organization, and the positive effects of a strong BYU science education in a faith-friendly manner, which we suggest can be transmitted as a generational legacy. Students both previous and current have responded with approval of both the theoretical framework and empirical evidence for evolution when presented in an instructional strategy that clarifies the authoritative position of their church and encourages reconciliation of faith and science. These data are specific to those of the LDS faith, some aspects of which may be unique (i.e. close adherence of the membership to authoritative pronouncements of any current church leadership, a unity of belief and standardized religious practice in congregations world-wide, and highly effective programs of religious education for youth at both the family and ecclesiastical levels). On the other hand, a case can be made for generalization. The BYU population represents students of a Christian faith whose teachings are informed by Biblical scripture (including the precept of divine creation), with notorious cultural (but not doctrinal) barriers to evolution, a case similar to many other conservative religions. As a result, we believe our findings can be applied more broadly, used as an “ecological case study,” whose results can be replicated with students of other religious affiliations. As “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” [78], the fact that trends are changing among one of the most resistant populations in America should serve as a point of encouragement for life science educators from all institutions.” Bold added The Church and BYU: An evolution — of evolution
Jonathan Neville’s Blog
http://www.moronisamerica.com/revisiting-evolution-byu-vs-math/
The Church’s official magazine for youth, the New Era said this in 2016:
The Church has no official position on the theory of evolution. Organic evolution, or changes to species’ inherited traits over time, is a matter for scientific study. Nothing has been revealed concerning evolution. Though the details of what happened on earth before Adam and Eve, including how their bodies were created, have not been revealed, our teachings regarding man’s origin are clear and come from revelation.
Before we were born on earth, we were spirit children of heavenly parents, with bodies in their image. God directed the creation of Adam and Eve and placed their spirits in their bodies. We are all descendants of Adam and Eve, our first parents, who were created in God’s image. There were no spirit children of Heavenly Father on the earth before Adam and Eve were created. In addition, “for a time they lived alone in a paradisiacal setting where there was neither human death nor future family.” They fell from that state, and this Fall was an essential part of Heavenly Father’s plan for us to become like Him. (See Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet,” Apr. 2015 general conference.)For further reference, see “The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, 78; Ensign, Feb. 2002, 29. See also Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 5 vols. (1992), “Evolution,” 2:478. [2]
Editors Opinion
Many intellectuals and scientists love sharing the quote above which says, “The Church has no official position on the theory of evolution.” The Church has also said they are neutral on the Geography of the Book of Mormon. These statements by the Church don’t say that we have to be neutral about these things. I believe the Church is telling us to search and pray for ourselves. The Church shouldn’t tell us everything as we are accountable for our own intelligence we learn in this life.
Supposedly those writers at FAIR Mormon use Elder Holland’s statement below as he says, “I do not know the details of what happened on this planet before that”, to feel they can tell us all about evolution as they are smarter than the Prophets. This secular society needs to have the faith of the Brethren and end this tremendous amount of time spent in promoting evolution of ape to man and from nothing comes something.
WE DID NOT COME FROM AN APE OF THIS I AM MOST CERTAIN! MAN DID NOT EVOLVE FROM NOTHING! ADAM WAS PLACED ON THE EARTH IN ABOUT 4,000 BC!
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
“In our increasingly secular society, it is as uncommon as it is unfashionable to speak of Adam and Eve or the Garden of Eden or of a “fortunate fall” into mortality. Nevertheless, the simple truth is that we cannot fully comprehend the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ and we will not adequately appreciate the unique purpose of His birth or His death—in other words, there is no way to truly celebrate Christmas or Easter—without understanding that there was an actual Adam and Eve who fell from an actual Eden, with all the consequences that fall carried with it.
I do not know the details of what happened on this planet before that, but I do know these two were created under the divine hand of God, that for a time they lived alone in a paradisiacal setting where there was neither human death nor future family, and that through a sequence of choices they transgressed a commandment of God which required that they leave their garden setting but which allowed them to have children before facing physical death. To add further sorrow and complexity to their circumstance, their transgression had spiritual consequences as well, cutting them off from the presence of God forever. Because we were then born into that fallen world and because we too would transgress the laws of God, we also were sentenced to the same penalties that Adam and Eve faced.
What a plight! The entire human race in free fall—every man, woman, and child in it physically tumbling toward permanent death, spiritually plunging toward eternal anguish. Is that what life was meant to be? Is this the grand finale of the human experience? Are we all just hanging in a cold canyon somewhere in an indifferent universe, each of us searching for a toehold, each of us seeking for something to grip—with nothing but the feeling of sand sliding under our fingers, nothing to save us, nothing to hold on to, much less anything to hold on to us? Is our only purpose in life an empty existential exercise—simply to leap as high as we can, hang on for our prescribed three score years and ten, then fail and fall, and keep falling forever?
The answer to those questions is an unequivocal and eternal no! With prophets ancient and modern, I testify that “all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.” Thus, from the moment those first parents stepped out of the Garden of Eden, the God and Father of us all, anticipating Adam and Eve’s decision, dispatched the very angels of heaven to declare to them—and down through time to us—that this entire sequence was designed for our eternal happiness. It was part of His divine plan, which provided for a Savior, the very Son of God Himself—another “Adam,” the Apostle Paul would call Him—who would come in the meridian of time to atone for the first Adam’s transgression. That Atonement would achieve complete victory over physical death, unconditionally granting resurrection to every person who has been born or ever will be born into this world. Mercifully it would also provide forgiveness for the personal sins of all, from Adam to the end of the world, conditioned upon repentance and obedience to divine commandments.” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet,” Apr. 2015 general conference.
Origin of Man 1909 First Presidency
“It is held by some that Adam was not the first man upon this earth and that the original human being was a development from lower orders of the animal creation. These, however, are the theories of men. The word of the Lord declared that Adam was “the first man of all men” (Moses 1:34), and we are therefore in duty bound to regard him as the primal parent of our race. It was shown to the brother of Jared that all men were created in the beginning after the image of God; whether we take this to mean the spirit or the body, or both, it commits us to the same conclusion: Man began life as a human being, in the likeness of our Heavenly Father.” The Origin of Man, Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, 78; Ensign, Feb. 2002
Gordon B. Hinckley
“What the church requires is only belief ‘that Adam was the first man of what we would call the human race.’ Scientists can speculate on the rest.” Bold added. Gordon B. Hinckley in 2002; cited in Elaine Jarvik, “Beliefs on Darwin’s evolution vary from religion to religion,” Deseret Morning News (19 January 2006).
And the intellectuals do speculate and theorize as they think they are the smartest ones in the room. This is dangerous.
