Jeff, let me give you my first take on this interesting question of faith
vs. proof. It may be a disguised way of saying religion vs. science--and
old but never-ending topic--especially for your students who don't believe
in evolution.
Now understand that I am neither a fundamentalist "bible" thumper nor an
atheistic "bible" thrasher. It just seems to me that science and religion
have a complimentary place in the scheme of things. That is, you seem to
working with a less than object and disengaged assumption that if you
teach a science of psychology, you exile all faith. It is a false
assumption that to be a scientist you can't be religious, or if you are
religious forget trying to be an objective scientist. It would be the
height of arrogance for either scientists or religionists to proclaim to
have all the answers--and an act of faith to proclaim they can. And it
seems to me that science has carefully delineated which questions it
answers. Science has a power and authority to deal with quiestions of
"how." But, there are other questions. If nothing else, there is the
annoying teleological questions of the ultimate "Why." That is the realm
of religion. Taken together, and left in their own delineated realm of
inquiry, they make an awesome couple whereby reason supports faith and
faith reciprocates. The problem is, as shown by both the Kansas and
Georgia State Boards of Education, when an imbalance occurs, when one
denies the legitimacy of the other, when religion attempts to enter the
realm of science and answer the "hows." Or, when science takes on the
character of religion and makes proclamations on faith on the ultimate
"whys." Maybe the answer is in the deistic "compromise."
Make it a good day.
--Louis--
Louis Schmier [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of History http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698 /~\ /\ /\
912-333-5947 /^\ / \ / /~\ \ /~\__/\
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