G*M
发帖数: 6042 | 1 【 以下文字转载自 Belief 讨论区 】
发信人: theisland (the island), 信区: Belief
标 题: Scientist alleges religious discrimination in Ky. (ZT)
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Fri Dec 17 13:38:07 2010, 美东)
Scientist alleges religious discrimination in Ky.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – An astronomer argues that his Christian faith and his
peers' belief that he is an evolution skeptic kept him from getting a
prestigious job as the director of a new student observatory at the
University of Kentucky.
Martin Gaskell quickly rose to the top of a list of applicants being
considered by the university's search committee. One member said he was "
breathtakingly above the other applicants."
Others openly worried his Christian faith could conflict with his duties as
a scientist, calling him "something close to a creationist" and "potentially
evangelical."
Even though Gaskell says he is not a creationist, he claims he was passed
over for the job at UK's MacAdam Student Observatory three years ago because
of his religion and statements that were perceived to be critical of the
theory of evolution.
Gaskell has sued the university, claiming lost income and emotional distress
. Last month a judge rejected a motion from the university and allowed it to
go to trial Feb. 8.
"There is no dispute that based on his application, Gaskell was a leading
candidate for the position," U.S. District Judge Karl S. Forester wrote in
the ruling.
Gaskell later learned that professors had discussed his purported religious
views during the search process. Gaskell told the AP in an e-mail that he
didn't grow frustrated, but felt "one should not allow universities to get
away with religious discrimination."
University scientists wondered to each other in internal e-mails if Gaskell'
s faith would interfere with the job, which included public outreach,
according to court records.
The topic became so heated behind the scenes that even university biologists
, who believed Gaskell was a critic of evolution, weighed in by citing a
controversial Bible-based museum in Kentucky that had just opened.
"We might as well have the Creation Museum set up an outreach office in
biology," biology professor James Krupa wrote to a colleague in an October
2007 e-mail. The museum was making national headlines at the time for
exhibits that assert the literal truth of the Bible's creation story.
Science professors cited a lecture Gaskell has given called "Modern
Astronomy, the Bible and Creation," which he developed for "Christians and
others interested in Bible and science questions...," according to an
outline of the lecture. Gaskell told the AP he was invited to give the
lecture at UK in 1997, and organizers had read his notes.
The wide-ranging lecture outlines historical scientific figures who discuss
God and interpretations of the creation story in the biblical chapter
Genesis. Also in the notes, Gaskell mentions evolution, saying the theory
has "significant scientific problems" and includes "unwarranted atheistic
assumptions and extrapolations," according to court records.
Gaskell was briefly asked about the lecture during his job interview in 2007
with the chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michael
Cavagnero, according to Gaskell's deposition. Gaskell said he felt that
questions related to religion during the job interview were "inappropriate."
"I think that if I had a document like this and I was advocating atheism ...
I don't think it would be an issue," he said of his lecture.
Science professors also expressed concern that hiring Gaskell would damage
the university's image.
An astrophysics professor, Moshe Elitzur, told Cavagnero that the hire would
be a "huge public relations mistake," according to an e-mail from Cavagnero
in court records.
"Moshe predicts that he would not be here one month before the (Lexington)
Herald-Leader headline would read: 'UK hires creationist to direct new
student observatory.'"
University spokesman Jay Blanton declined to comment Monday because the
litigation is pending.
Gaskell said he is not a "creationist" and his views on evolution are in
line with other biological scientists. In his lecture notes, Gaskell also
distances himself from Christians who believe the earth is a few thousand
years old, saying their assertions are based on "mostly very poor science."
Gaskell's lawsuit is indicative of an increasingly tense debate between
religion and science on college campuses and elsewhere, said Steven K. Green
, a law professor and director of the Center for Religion, Law & Democracy
at Willamette University in Salem, Ore.
"I think it reflects a phenomenon that the sides in this debate are becoming
more encamped, they're hunkering down," Green said. "Because certainly
within the biology community and within the science community generally,
they see the increasing attacks creationists are making as very threatening
to their existence — and vice versa, to a certain extent."
Gaskell was uniquely qualified for the new position at the University of
Kentucky, according to court records, because he oversaw the design and
construction of an observatory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He
also advised UK during the building of the MacAdam facility. He currently
teaches at the University of Texas.
His attorney, Frank Manion, said scientists at UK were too quick to place
Gaskell on one side of the creation-evolution debate.
"Unfortunately too many people get hung up on the idea that you have to be
one extreme or the other," said Manion, who works for American Center for
Law & Justice, which focuses on religious freedom cases. They say "you can't
be a religious believer and somebody who accepts evolution, which is
clearly not true. And Gaskell's a perfect example of that." | G*M
发帖数: 6042 | | E*****m
发帖数: 25615 | 3 跟巫術降頭差不多。
【在 G*M 的大作中提到】
: 原来神创论者在科学界的形象这么糟啊
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