November 2024 Newsletter
In this Clergy Letter Project update you’ll find the following 18 items:
- The Future of The Clergy Letter Project;
- Across the Cosmos for November 2024: Empowering Diverse Faith Communities through Engagement in Participatory Science;
- Together…;
- Now What? Who Do We Choose to Be?;
- Education: The Ultimate Form of Activism;
- Cosmic Thanksgiving;
- ACLU Sues Oklahoma Over Bibles;
- Dealing with Environmental Guilt and Shame;
- The Greatest Threat to US Democracy that You've Never Heard Of;
- Undoing the False Impressions of America's Faithful;
- Separation of Church and State;
- In Memoriam: Michael Ruse;
- How Do We Dare to Speak?;
- Has America Lost Its Faith in Science?;
- Using Evolution to Understand Diversity;
- NABT Condemns Efforts to Ban Controversial Topics;
- Covalence Magazine: Embracing Science; and
- Braterman on The Lie.
1. The Future of The Clergy Letter Project
Let me pose a simple question: Has The Clergy Letter Project run its course? I ask this question for several reasons. First, I fear that the US election that has just concluded might be the beginning of a slide away from democracy and into autocracy. Or, more pessimistically, not a slide but a headlong rush. If this is the case, perhaps there are more important issues for us to focus on that the relationship between religion and science and a search for truth.
Second, although I was very pleased by the number of members who voted on our election statement, I think it’s fair to say that participation has been waning over the past several years. The number of congregations participating in Religion and Science Weekend is far smaller than it had been. And, even though it is obvious that the vast majority of members feel strongly about the perils associated with climate change, most members have not taken the simple step of adding their signature to our Climate Crisis Letter.
Third, the number of new members coming from referrals from existing members has slowed to a mere trickle.
None of this is meant as a criticism. I believe that together we’ve accomplished a great deal over the years. We’ve reached millions of parishioners and an order of magnitude more than that via outreach efforts and news reports. We’ve helped shape the conversation, nationally, internationally and locally. We’ve educated people, we’ve engaged people, we’ve entertained people and we’ve shown that it is possible to do all of that with respect. But is it time to move on?
I don’t yet know the answer to that question and I’m curious to read what you think. So please let me know.
One way to express your opinion is to sign up to participate in Religion and Science Weekend 2025, if you’ve not yet done so.
Another way to do so is to add your signature to our Climate Crisis Letter, if you’ve not yet done so.
A third way to do so is to ask a friend or two to join our ranks.
_____ Yes, I want to keep the movement alive. Please:
_____ sign my congregation up as a participant in Religion and Science Weekend 2025
_____ add my signature to the Climate Crisis Letter
Name:
Congregation (or other entity):
Location:Together, let’s proactively decide what our future will entail.
2. Across the Cosmos for November 2024: Empowering Diverse Faith Communities through Engagement in Participatory Science
In this month’s essay, Grace Wolf-Chase, Senior Scientist and Senior Education & Communication Specialist at the Planetary Science Institute as well as a Clergy Letter Project consultant, points you to an article she wrote discussing strategies that promote meaningful dialogue between scientific and religious communities. As you’ll see, the article is based, in part, on responses provided by Clergy Letter Project members.
This month’s column is very short! Some of you may recall that Michael distributed surveys to Clergy Letter Project members a few years ago to help me gather information for a project I led entitled Engaging Faith-based Communities in Citizen Science through Zooniverse.(1) I presented some of the results of this project in a session on the Science and Religion track, which was organized by the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS),(2) at the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago.(3) IRAS subsequently invited participants in this track to write articles for a special edition of Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science.(4) Zygon is an open-access journal, and although the full issue won’t be compiled for a month or two, my article has just been published and can be accessed by anyone at the link supplied below.(5) Since many of you contributed to surveys we used for evaluating this project, I thought you might be interested in the resulting peer-reviewed publication – please read and distribute as you see fit!
Until next month,
Grace
Grace Wolf-Chase (she/her/hers) (gwolfchase@gmail.com)
Senior Scientist & Senior Education & Communication Specialist, Planetary Science Institute (www.psi.edu/about/staffpage/gwchase)
Vice President, Center for Advanced Study in Religion and Science (CASIRAS: www.casiras.org)1. https://sciencereligiondialogue.org/projects/zooniverse/
3. https://parliamentofreligions.org/parliament/2023-chicago-2/
4. https://www.zygonjournal.org/
5. https://www.zygonjournal.org/article/id/15245/
3. Together…
The results of the US presidential election have been difficult for many of us. Senior Rabbi Jason Gary Klein of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City, and board president Ivan Zimmerman, wrote a particularly moving note in the election’s immediate aftermath. They open by saying, “What we prayed would not happen has happened. In this moment of grief, despair, and fear, we pray for ourselves, for each other, for our government -- and for our own strength to keep going, to keep fighting, and to hold our leaders accountable. The consequences of this election are dire, but we will not let fear hold us back.” You can read the full note here.
4. Now What? Who Do We Choose to Be?
The Rev. Cameron Trimble, founder and CEO of Convergence, also wrote a moving note immediately following the election. She opens by writing, “Today, many of us feel shaken. For those who had hoped for a different vision of our shared future, these election results are painful. We find ourselves facing uncertain days ahead, and it's natural to feel fear when so much is at stake. Many of us are worried—not just for ourselves, but for those we love, and for our communities and our country. Our hearts ache for the America we hoped we were building. As we hold this moment together, a timeless question invites us to center ourselves: 'Who do we choose to be?'" You can read her full note here.
5. Education: The Ultimate Form of Activism
Dr. Amanda Townley, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, wrote a column on the importance of meaningful science education. She notes that “In a time once anticipated with flying cars and space colonies, we instead find ourselves fighting book bans, continued underfunding of education, and movements to stop teaching critical topics that impact everyone — evolution, diversity, climate, vaccinations, and even dissection.” She notes that “The interference with science teaching that we are facing feeds the misconception that there is controversy surrounding specific topics in science, including climate change, vaccinations, and evolution when that controversy does not exist scientifically. Science teachers are at the forefront of action to protect the accurate representation and teaching of science in our K–12 schools.” You can read her full column here.
6. Cosmic Thanksgiving
Brother Ivan Nicoletto is a Benedictine Camaldolese monk who, among many other offerings, has written a “Cosmic Thanksgiving Song.” The piece was originally published in this month’s Newsletter of Yale Forum on Religion & Ecology. You can read the full song here.
7. ACLU Sues Oklahoma Over Bibles
As I’ve reported in the past, the State of Oklahoma has mandated that the Bible be incorporated into public school curricula. I’m delighted to report that on behalf of “more than 30 Oklahomans – including parents and children, public school teachers and faith leaders –” the ACLU has filed suit to block the mandate from going into effect. You can read the press release issued by the ACLU about the suit here.
8. Dealing with Environmental Guilt and Shame
The details for The Goshen College Annual Conference on Religion and Science have recently been released. This year’s theme is “Living Well During Climate Change” and the keynote speaker is Dr. Sarah Fredericks, Associate Professor of Environmental Ethics, The University of Chicago Divinity School. Two of her lectures, “Dealing with Environmental Guilt and Shame” and “Can We Rest During Climate Change?,” are free and open to the public. The conference is scheduled for 5-7 March 2025. You can read more about the conference here.
9. The Greatest Threat to US Democracy that You've Never Heard Of
The New Apostolic Reformation is an evangelical Christian group led by a loose network of self-appointed prophets and apostles who claim that God speaks directly to them. They are seeking an explicitly Christian command of public schools, social policy, and all levels of the government, including the courts. Its laser focus on starting a spiritual war to Christianize America has led the Southern Poverty Law Center to call NAR “the greatest threat to US democracy that you have never heard of.” LGBTQNation just reprinted an article that originally appeared in Mother Jones detailing this threat. You can read the article here.
10. Undoing the False Impressions of America's Faithful
Our good friends at Sinai and Synapses recently ran a article entitled “Promising Revelations: Undoing the False Impressions of America’s Faithful.” The interesting piece examines what the authors call three big myths: faith is all about politics; faith is becoming irrelevant in Americans’ lives; and religious Americans are intolerant. You can read the full article here.
11. Separation of Church and State
Texas Public Radio recently ran a piece on the legal issues surrounding the separation of church and state. They note that "Under federal law, churches and nonprofits exempt from taxes are restricted from participating in political campaigns. But lax enforcement of those rules means that churches continue to weigh into the political fray more and more, pushing the boundaries of what is allowed…. A 2022 Texas Tribune/ProPublica investigation into churches’ political speech found at least 20 across the country, including many in Texas, violated the law during the 2020 election and 2022 midterms." You can read the full piece here.
12. In Memoriam: Michael Ruse
Our good friends at the National Center for Science Education just published a piece memorializing Michael Ruse. He was one of the founders of the field of philosophy of biology and the author of numerous books, including Taking Darwin Seriously and Darwin and Design. Michael passed away on 1 November 2024. You can read NCSE’s tribute here.
13. How Do We Dare to Speak?
Greg Cootsona opens his helpful essay entitled “How Do We Dare to Speak?” by writing, “When it comes to integrating theology and science, it’s easy to feel at least half stupid (to speak frankly) because very few of us are specialists in both areas. I think that’s why many of us don’t try.” Not only does he urge you to try, but he also offers helpful advice on ways to do so. You can read his essay here.
14. Has America Lost Its Faith in Science?
If you’re interested in finding out the answer to the question, has America lost its faith in science, you’ll want to read this short piece.
15. Using Evolution to Understand Diversity
The latest issue of Reports of the National Center for Science Education has a review of a book entitled Integrating Racial Justice into Your High-School Biology Classroom: Using Evolution to Understand Diversity. You can read the review here.
16. NABT Condemns Efforts to Ban Controversial Topics
The National Association of Biology Teachers has issued a statement on the growing efforts to ban “controversial topics” from public school science classes – topics including evolution, climate change, reproduction, and vaccines. The statement affirms that “The National Association of Biology Teachers will continue to advocate for science education that is taught in a standards-based instructional framework, upholds scientific integrity, and ensures teachers the right to teach accurate and current science without penalty, or political or religious influences on content.” You can read the full statement here.
17. Covalence Magazine: Embracing Science
The theme of the October issue of Covalence is Embracing Science and the Search for Truth. Rather than detailing all of the great pieces in this issue, let me simply direct you to it!
18. Braterman on The Lie
Ken Ham, the founder of the young Earth creationism organization, Answers in Genesis, has published an updated version of his 1987 book, The Lie. Paul Braterman, a member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants, has published a review of the new edition and, more importantly, in the context of that review, he provides important information about the young Earth creationist movement, including ties to the incoming Trump administration. You can read his review here.
Concluding Thoughts
Frankly, the US presidential election has left me virtually speechless and thus I have little to say here. Similarly, the ongoing death and destruction in Ukraine and the Middle East is beyond belief. I hope you’re dealing with these crises better than I am and that you’re able to help those who are closest to you.
Finally, as I do every month, I urge you to take one simple action. Please share this month’s Newsletter with a colleague or two (or post a link via any social media platform you use) and ask them to add their voices to those promoting a deep and meaningful understanding between religion and science. They can add their signatures to one of our Clergy Letters simply by dropping me a note at mz@theclergyletterproject.org. Spread the word; change the world. Together we are making a difference.
Michael
Michael Zimmerman
Founder and Executive Director
The Clergy Letter Project
www.theclergyletterproject.org
mz@theclergyletterproject.org