February 2024 Newsletter
In this Clergy Letter Project update you’ll find the following 21 items:
- Religion, Science and the Common Good;
- Astrobiology News for February 2024: Exoplanets and the Optimal Habitable Zone;
- Grace Elected Fellow of the American Astronomical Society;
- Religion, Science and the Public Good;
- Defending Science Against Fundamentalism;
- A Scientist’s Search for An Intellectually Strong Faith;
- A Breathing Earth;
- Martin Luther King, Jr. on Religion and Science;
- Religious Encounters with Evolution;
- The Clergy Letter Project is Evolving;
- Frigid Temperatures are Due to Global Warming;
- Reinventing Society with Philosophy, Religion and Science;
- Goshen College Conference on Religion and Science;
- Submit Your Religion and Science Sermons;
- An Extreme Take on The Clergy Letter Project;
- Climate Records Set in Texas;
- Creationism Legislation in West Virginia;
- Creationism Legislation in Wisconsin;
- Creationism Legislation in Oklahoma;
- Creationism Legislation in New Hampshire;
- Creationism Legislation in New Jersey.
1. Religion and Science Weekend 2024
Thank you to all who participated in Religion and Science Weekend 2024. I hope and trust that your events were successful and invigorating. While an exact count is obviously impossible to ascertain, it appears that over the 19 years this event has been occurring, it’s fair to say that we’ve probably reached approximately one and a half million people directly and many, many millions more through various media reports. Your efforts have kept the reality of religion and science being compatible in the public sphere, especially at a time when both mainstream religion and science are under attack. Again, thank you for your efforts – we are making a difference, and it is a difference that matters.
If you’ve participated but are not listed on our web page, please let me know. Alternatively, if you’ve not yet participated but are moved to do so at this point, it’s not too late. As I’ve said over the years, our annual event, while targeted for a specific weekend, is not limited to that weekend. It’s not too late to have interesting and meaningful conversations with your congregation about religion and science. If you do so, please let me know.
_____ I’ll do it! Please sign me up to participate in Religion and Science Weekend 2024.
Name of Congregation (or other group):
Location:
Your Name:
2. Astrobiology News for February 2024: Exoplanets and the Optimal Habitable Zone
In this month’s Astrobiology News essay, Grace Wolf-Chase, Senior Scientist and Senior Education & Communication Specialist at the Planetary Science Institute as well as a Clergy Letter Project consultant, discusses the ongoing search for habitable planets and her expectations for the future.
The Planetary Habitability Laboratory (PHL), maintained by the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, distinguishes two types of potentially habitable exoplanets: optimistic and conservative.(1) Worlds ranked among the conservative sample are more likely to have rocky compositions and support liquid surface water; however, the optimistic sample, which is characterized by somewhat larger and more massive exoplanets, may include some ocean worlds.(2) Of the more than 5,000 known exoplanets, only 29 are currently listed among the conservative sample, while 40 additional worlds fit the criteria for the optimistic sample. TOI-715 b is the most recently discovered exoplanet added to the conservative list.
At a distance of 137 light-years, and only about 1.5 times the size of Earth, TIO-715 b orbits within the habitable zone of its red-dwarf star.(3) This world may help astronomers better understand the formation of planetary systems, and why there appears to be a dearth in exoplanets between 1.5 and 2 times the mass of Earth orbiting low-mass stars.(4) The research team that made and confirmed the discovery of TIO-715 b, led by Georgina Dransfield at the University of Birmingham, also reported a second, possibly Earth-sized, exoplanet within the star’s habitable zone.(5) If the second world is confirmed, it will represent the smallest habitable-zone exoplanet detected by the TESS mission(6) to date.
I remember the first Moon landing and the world-wide excitement it generated in 1969. I also recall how, during the brief three years between 1969 and when the Apollo Program ended in 1972, public reaction to human exploration of the Moon amazingly became “ho-hum, been there, done that.” It has now been three decades since the discovery of the first exoplanets, and I fear that public responses to new exoplanet discoveries may be similar. Here’s where I like to remind myself that for most of human history, generations passed without the world looking much different, and yet today, we take for granted the incredible technological breakthroughs that transform our lives every day and make possible knowledge that was inconceivable just a few generations ago.
The number of recognized potentially habitable exoplanets may seem exceedingly small – indeed, roughly 1% of the list of all currently known exoplanets – but as good as present surveys are, detecting Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars is in its infancy, as is our understanding of the conditions under which diverse types of life can flourish. Unless we experience a massive technological crisis, which, given all the existential threats we face today may be more likely than many assume, I suspect that within the span of a single human generation, we’ll know whether life is common or rare in our little corner of the Milky Way Galaxy. This seems to be a good time to remind you that you can be a part of the search for exoplanets by joining a project like Planet Hunters NGTS(7) on zooniverse.org!
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://phl.upr.edu/hwc 2. I’ve written about ocean worlds many times (see the Astrobiology News Archive: https://www.theclergyletterproject.org/Resources/Astrobiology.html) 3. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/exoplanets/discovery-alert-a-super-earth-in-the-habitable-zone/ 4. https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/516/3/4585/6692875 5. https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/527/1/35/7172075 7. https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/mschwamb/planet-hunters-ngts
3. Grace Elected Fellow of the American Astronomical Society
I am thrilled to announce that Grace Wolf-Chase has been elected a fellow of the American Astronomical Society. Grace was cited for her “outstanding and sustained work to bring the wonders of astronomical research to the general public, especially to diverse religious communities; and for significant investigations into bipolar molecular outflows within star-forming regions through multi-wavelength observations and analyses.” You can read more about Grace and this honor here. Please join me in congratulating Grace on this fabulous accomplishment.
4. Religion, Science and the Public Good
The Rev. Ted Peters, pastor at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Tiburon, CA, emeritus professor of Systematic Theology at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and a member of The Clergy Letter Project, posted an essay on his blogsite Public Theology discussing Religion and Science Weekend and our 2024 theme, Religion, Science and the Public Good. The essay is simply entitled “Religion and Science Weekend 2024” and is well worth your time.
5. Defending Science Against Fundamentalism
The Reverend David Felten, pastor at The Fountains United Methodist Church in Fountain Hills, AZ and a member of The Clergy Letter Project, recently interviewed me to discuss the goals of The Clergy Letter Project. His interview, published in Progressing Spirit, is entitled “Now's the Time to Defend Science Against Fundamentalism.” You can read his interview here.
6. A Scientist’s Search for An Intellectually Strong Faith
Our good friends at BioLogos recently published an essay by Dr. Josh Owens, assistant professor of biology at Lipscomb University entitled "A Scientist’s Search for An Intellectually Strong Faith.” Josh explains how he grew up in the South where “evolution is often seen as a dirty word.” He also notes that a graduate school professor of his told him, “Christianity is only followed by those who are intellectually weak.” His essay discusses how he came to embrace both science and religion despite antagonism from adherents on “both” sides – concluding that “I’ve discovered for myself that one can be both a faithful Christian and a good scientist. One does not impede or negate the other.”
7. A Breathing Earth
Here’s a gift article from The Washington Post entitled “Watch the Earth Breathe for One Year.” The subheading explains the article’s visual exceedingly well: “This image of our planet is the closest we get to a real-time view of how carbon dioxide builds up in our atmosphere.” Enjoy the distressing video and add your name to our Climate Crisis Letter if it’s not already there.
8. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Religion and Science
Chuck Austerberry, a member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants, recently brought to my attention an essay written by Martin Luther King, Jr. when he was a student at Crozer Theological Seminary. The short essay discusses his views on religion and science and is well worth reading. He opens by noting, “There is widespread belief in the minds of many that there is a conflict between science and religion. But there is no fundamental issue between the two.” He goes on to say, “Science and religion and not rivals,” and “Religion and science are two hemispheres of human thought. They are different though converging truths. Both science and religion spring from the same seeds of vital human needs.” You can read the full essay here.
9. Religious Encounters with Evolution
Dr. David Livingstone is emeritus professor of Geography and Intellectual History at Queen's University Belfast and the author of Dealing with Darwin. His latest book, The Empire of Climate, is a magisterial look at how climate has been perceived over the ages and is scheduled to be published in April. A while back he presented the Dudleian Lecture at Harvard Divinity School. That lecture, entitled “Religious Encounters with Evolution: Place, Politics, Polemics,” is fascinating and can be viewed here.
10. The Clergy Letter Project is Evolving
I was recently invited to write an essay about The Clergy Letter Project for the fall issue of Religious Humanism. In that piece I discuss the decision made by membership to change the name of Evolution Weekend to Religion and Science Weekend and the decision to draft and circulate our Climate Crisis Letter. You can read the piece here.
11. Frigid Temperatures are Due to Global Warming
Yes, you read that heading correctly! Here's a nice graphic showing that the frigid temperatures experienced by parts of North America this winter are due to patterns associated with a warming planet.
12. Reinventing Society with Philosophy, Religion and Science
Neil Wollman, a good friend of The Clergy Letter Project and professor emeritus of psychology at Manchester University, is the editor of a volume of essays (Reinventing Society with Philosophy, Religion and Science) exploring ways that society might change and improve if it incorporated a variety of perspectives including religion and science. You can read a review of the book, written by another good friend of The Clergy Letter Project, Susan Barreto, here.
A paperback edition of the book was just released. You can read more about it and purchase it with a discount of approximately 50 percent, using code AUTHOR40, here.
13. Goshen College Conference on Religion and Science
The 23rd annual Goshen College Conference on Religion and Science is scheduled to take place on 8-10 March 2024. This year’s theme is Neuroscience and Christian Life with Dr. Warren Brown, professor of psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary and Founding Director of the Travis Research Institute, serving as keynote speaker. You can attend the conference live or virtually and two of Dr. Brown’s talks, “Whatever Happened to the Soul” and “Lessons from the Natural Split Brain,” are free. You can read more about the conference and register here.
14. Submit Your Religion and Science Sermons
This note will serve as a quick reminder that The Clergy Letter Project has been collecting sermons delivered by members. If you’ve delivered a sermon discussing the compatibility of religion and science, please submit it to me and I’ll get it posted on our sermon page. We already have a number of interesting ones from this year. Here's one written by Pastor Marty Toepke-Floyd from First United Methodist Church, Jamestown, ND. Among other points, he notes that “Holding faith and science together in our lives might be a challenge at times, but I hope it is not a struggle. They are equally important and to be honored in our common heritage as human beings.” I look forward to posting more of your thoughts.
15. An Extreme Take on The Clergy Letter Project
The radio program Crosstalk America, broadcast on Christian Information Radio, spent an hour discussing The Clergy Letter Project and Religion and Science Weekend. Needless to say, the take was quite extreme! A number of points stood out. First, Darwin was attacked by being a racist and a plagiarist (neither are true) but the myth that he recanted his views on evolution on his death bed was denied. Second, the point was made that the fact that so many clergy members and congregations have associated with The Clergy Letter Project is not surprising since evolution is accepted broadly by scientists, teachers and the general public, but that doesn’t make it correct: the Bible says otherwise. “When you are into something that the vast majority of people believe, that might be a red flag that is probably not Biblical.” Third, the approach is one of Biblical inerrancy demanding a belief in a young Earth created in seven days, and the proposition that the speed of light was millions of times faster when the universe was created that it is today. Take a listen here; you’ll be amazed and depressed.
16. Climate Records Set in Texas
Texas, a hotbed of climate change denialism and anti-evolution sentiment, broke the mark for the hottest year on record. An article in the San Antonio Current explains how 2023 “was the hottest ever recorded in Texas based on average temperature.” The piece quotes Dr. Andrew Dessler, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, as saying, “You can think of (2023) as kind of a preview of the future and it's not pretty.” He went on to say that “by the time his 18-year-old twins are middle aged, he expects that 2023 could feel like an average summer to them. And when they are old, they might remember 2023 as a relatively cool summer.”
The Texas Tribune published a related story associated with the record heat experienced across the state. It turns out that “More than 300 Texans died from heat in 2023, the most since the state began tracking such deaths in 1989.”
We need to act. If your signature is not yet on our Climate Crisis Letter, please let me know and I’ll get it added.
17. Creationism Legislation in West Virginia
With the new year comes the start of legislative sessions around the country. And with the start of those sessions, comes a flood of creationist legislation. Our good friends at the National Center for Science Education do a wonderful job of tracking that legislation. In this item and the next four I share their report on the attack on science education and, implicitly, on religion in five states.
The West Virginia Senate passed (by a 31-2) vote a bill that, according to its sponsor, would protect the teaching of “intelligent design.” Read more here.
18. Creationism Legislation in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Assembly passed a bill that would permit parents to have their children opt out of any instruction based on “either religion or personal conviction.” The bill is clearly designed to permit students to skip instruction in both evolution and climate change. A companion bill has been introduced in the Wisconsin Senate. Read more here.
19. Creationism Legislation in Oklahoma
A bill was introduced in the Oklahoma Senate that would require instructors who teach about evolution to "also provide instruction to students on the concepts of creationism and/or intelligent design." Read more here.
Two bills were introduced in the Oklahoma House that would permit instructors to "teach and discuss the theory of intelligent design." This legislation ignores that fact that intelligent design is a religious rather than a scientific concept, and one which a broad swath of religions oppose. Read more here.
20. Creationism Legislation in New Hampshire
A bit of good news has come forward from New Hampshire. The House Education Committee rejected a bill that, if passed, would have prohibited “educators from presenting ‘unproved theories as fact’ and ‘educators and school administrators from pushing or asserting, advocating for, or otherwise compelling belief in, any particular theory or ideology.’” The language of the bill implicitly refers to the teaching evolution and climate change. Read more here.
21. Creationism Legislation in New Jersey
A bill has been introduced in the New Jersey Assembly that would require the state board of education to adopt rules to prevent public school teachers in the state from engaging in "political, ideological or religious advocacy in the classroom." The bill would also require teachers to "provide students with materials supporting both sides of a controversial issue being addressed and to present both sides in a fair-minded and nonpartisan manner.” “Controversial issue” in the bill is defined as "an issue that is part of an electoral party platform at the local, state, or federal level." As elsewhere, this would have a direct impact on the teaching of evolution and climate change. Read more here.
Concluding Thoughts
You might have noticed that this month’s newsletter has more items than usual; there’s a great deal going on that impacts our mission! While I recognize that you don’t have to read all of the items, I do hope that the size of the newsletter is not off-putting. Toward that end, please let me know what you think. Should I provide fewer items in the future? Are there some types of items in which you are particularly interested? Any that you wish I would omit in the future? Please let me know!
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