September 2019 Newsletter
In this Clergy Letter Project update, you’ll find the following seven items:
- Evolution Weekend 2020: You’ve Selected a Theme;
- Astrobiology News for September 2019: Helping Life on Earth from Your Home;
- The Teaching of Evolution Is NOT Responsible for Gun Violence;
- Too Little Too Late: Zen and Climate Change;
- Naturalism – As Religion, Within Religions, or Without Religion?;
- In Defense of the Endangered Species Act; and
- The Teaching of Evolution in Wales.
1. Evolution Weekend 2020: You’ve Selected a Theme
The membership of The Clergy Letter Project has voted and we have a theme for Evolution Weekend 2020: How Science and Religion Can Work Together to Deal with the Problems of Climate Change.
Interestingly, of the 14 themes that were on the ballot, those dealing with environmental issues fared the best – although every one of the 14 received some votes. Thank you to all who voted.
There can be no doubt that both religion and science teach us the importance of caring for the natural world. And there can be no doubt that, in the face of global climate change, we are facing an environmental problem that demands our immediate attention. The Clergy Letter Project is well positioned both to educate people and to spur them to productive action about this critical topic while continuing to demonstrate the compatibility of religion and science.
I very much hope that you opt to participate in Evolution Weekend 2020 and engage your congregation in meaningful discussions about these twin topics. Please remember, though, your participation does not have to be centered on the theme we’ve selected. Anything you opt to do, in whatever form you opt to do it, as long as it promotes a dialogue between religion and science, qualifies you to be listed on our roster of participants in Evolution Weekend 2020.
Your participation not only engages your congregants but it sends a message around the globe that religion and science have much to offer one another. Please sign up now!
_____ Yes, I want to help keep the movement of bringing religion and science together alive. Please sign me up to participate in Evolution Weekend 2020.
Name of Congregation (or other institution):
Location:
Your Name:
2. Astrobiology News for September 2019: Helping Life on Earth from Your Home
In this month’s Astrobiology News, Clergy Letter Project consultant and Adler Planetarium astronomer Grace Wolf-Chase discusses how an exciting crowd-sourcing program, Zooniverse, can be used to make the world a better place.
You may wonder what on Earth (pun intended) the title of this month’s news has to do with astrobiology! In Astrotheology: Science and Theology Meet Extraterrestrial Life, planetary scientist Christopher McKay adopts the following astroethical premise: “The long-term goal for astrobiology is the enhancement of the richness and diversity of life in the universe.”(1) So here’s the connection - Earth is presently the only known habitat of life in the universe, and human beings are the sole species able to act on the premise of enhancing the diversity – and quality – of life on our planet.
Now to the second part of the title – helping from home. The motto of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is “God’s work. Our hands.” This phrase is a mandate to lend a helping hand to others and care for creation in whatever way you are able; whether that means preparing meals for invalids, volunteering at animal shelters, building homes for the homeless, or traveling to provide onsite disaster relief. While the words employed may be different, I know that diverse communities of faith share similar values and express similar sentiments. What the aforementioned activities require, though, are mobility and the wherewithal to participate in activities that may require efforts beyond the physical means or financial circumstances of many who want to be of service.
What if there was a way to assist disaster relief efforts, help the environment and endangered species, or contribute to medical research (No, you don’t need to be a doctor!), without having to leave your house? There is! I’ve written about Zooniverse before, but you may not be aware of the breadth of diversity of online projects to which you can contribute. As I write this, there is a short-term Zooniverseeffort to help those affected by Hurricane Dorian, which requires nothing more than an internet connection and the willingness to inspect before and after satellite images. Volunteer inspections will inform relief efforts on the ground.(2)
At the present time, there are more projects in the humanities than in the space sciences, and about four times as many projects classified as 'biology' or 'nature.' Many of these are contributing to critical research on ecology and the environment. I would be very surprised if anyone couldn’t find a project of interest in Zooniverse – at the present time, there are 112 options!(3) I encourage everyone to check out this short video(4) and a great article about Zooniverse in the October 2018 issue of Astronomy Magazine,(5) although some of the numbers reported in the latter (such as participants and publications) have significantly increased over the past year.
Stay tuned for more information on how you might use Zooniverse in group programs, such as adult education or youth classes, and how your community might even build its own crowd-sourced project!
Until next month,
Grace Wolf-Chase, Ph.D. (gwolfchase@adlerplanetarium.org)
1. Christopher McKay, “Astroethics and the Terraforming of Mars,” in Astrotheology: Science and Theology Meet Extraterrestrial Life, ed. Ted Peters (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2018): 381.
2. https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/mrniaboc/planetary-response-network-hurricane-dorian
3. https://www.zooniverse.org/projects
4. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K8lDcXYp8R0BVKXZJuyJrbujphsF7t6J/view?usp=sharing
5. http://www.astronomy.com/magazine/2018/09/a-citizen-science-success-story
3. The Teaching of Evolution Is NOT Responsible for Gun Violence
I suspect that, like me, you think that the heading of this section is absurd. Of course the teaching of evolution is not responsible for gun violence, so why do we need to address the point?
Well, Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, was invited on CNN the day after the terrible shootings in Odessa, Texas and after August saw 53 individuals killed in mass shootings in the United States to express the point that the teaching of evolution was indeed responsible. I took Perkins to task in an essay I wrote the following day that I hope you find interesting.
As I explained, Perkins is following in the footsteps of many before him who have blamed evolution for many of society’s ills, from (supposed) immorality and AIDS to the shootings at Columbine and Virginia Tech and to the attack on the World Trade Center. As I explain, if there weren’t serious consequences arising from making such ludicrous claims, it would be easy, and appropriate, to ignore Perkins and others of his ilk. But we must push back because of those consequences and because Perkins is regularly given significant media attention. Pushing back is exactly what The Clergy Letter Project is all about. Please share the essay and please let me know what you think of what I’ve written.
4. Too Little Too Late: Zen and Climate Change
Taiun Michael J. Elliston, a member of The Clergy Letter Project, serves as Abbot of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center. He writes a regular column and has offered to share it with Clergy Letter Project members. I’ve previously shared two such essays dealing with the intersection of Zen and Science. This month’s column offers a Buddhist perspective on climate change and, given the topic selected for the theme of Evolution Weekend 2020, it is particularly appropriate. I hope his words encourage some of you to participate in Evolution Weekend – just let me know!
5. Naturalism – As Religion, Within Religions, or Without Religion?
The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science’s (IRAS - a good friend of The Clergy Letter Project) annual summer conference is scheduled for 27 June – 4 July on Star Island, Portsmouth, NH. This year’s topic is “Naturalism – As Religion, Within Religions, or Without Religion?” IRAS has just released a brief description of the conference as well as a call for proposals for short papers. I hope some of you opt to participate.
6. In Defense of the Endangered Species Act
Clergy Letter Project member Reverend Bob Hall co-authored a powerful op-ed piece urging support for the Endangered Species Act. The essay makes several very important points and ends with the following call to action:
We are ordained clergypersons who have worked to mobilize our faith communities in support of health and welfare. We have come to realize that this necessarily includes protecting Delaware’s natural environment. As clergy, we have worked and will continue to work to save our native plants and animals. We are calling in confidence on our outstanding Congressional delegation – Senators Carper and Coons and Representative Blunt Rochester - to take leadership in rejecting these changes and overturning these regulations.
Given the topic just selected as the theme for Evolution Weekend 2020, Bob’s piece is particularly appropriate. I hope it moves some of you to agree to participate in Evolution Weekend 2020. Just let me know!
7. The Teaching of Evolution in Wales
Paul Braterman, a member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants, has brought a relevant petition to my attention. The petition explains that: “The new curriculum for Wales lacks specific teaching about evolution before ages 14-15, and contains zero safeguards against teaching creationism as science. We’re asking the Welsh Government to follow the example set by England by banning the teaching of creationism as science and ensuring that evolution is taught to all pupils from primary school onwards.”
Additionally, those circulating the petition have made it clear that they welcome support both from within and outside the UK.
You can read more about the petition and sign on by clicking here.
Concluding Thoughts
It was just days ago that the world saw the Global Climate Strike, an amazing event in which upwards of four million individuals on every continent came together to demand that political and corporate leaders, as well as average citizens, take action to reverse anthropogenic climate change. This event was catalyzed by the actions of students and their passion is reason for optimism – if we act both quickly and decisively. In light of this movement, it seems particularly fitting that the membership of The Clergy Letter Project just voted to adopt the ways that religion and science can work together to deal with climate change as our theme for Evolution Weekend. I hope you agree and that, in addition to doing what you can to reduce your carbon footprint and to encourage your elected officials to take concrete steps, you sign up to participate in Evolution Weekend 2020. Let our collective voice be heard. Together we can demonstrate that religion and science can productively join forces in the important work of saving our planet.
Finally, as always, I want to thank you for your continued support and 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. Together we are making a difference.
Michael
Michael Zimmerman
Founder and Executive Director
The Clergy Letter Project
www.theclergyletterproject.org
mz@theclergyletterproject.org