January 2021 Newsletter
Vaccines for Covid-19 are in distribution, albeit more slowly and with more difficulty than many of us had hoped. But they are here and many more doses are on the way. I hope each and every one of you opts to be vaccinated and uses any platform you might have to encourage others to do the same. Vaccines will resolve our current situation only if enough of us make use of them. (Just to be safe, I’m repeating what I said last month. Although in August I explained why I was not planning to participate in any vaccination program approved by the Trump administration because at the time their efforts were politicizing vaccine approval, I changed my opinion when the politics of the situation changed. Vaccine approval in the United States ultimately was reached via a sound scientific process, with political considerations removed, and thus my opinion changed.)
Please accept my most sincere wishes that you, your families, your congregants, and your communities are staying as healthy as possible. I also hope that you are caring for your psychological well-being in addition to your physical well-being. Similarly, I hope that our collective activities demonstrating that religion and science, working together, have an important role to play in defeating this pandemic eases the pain so many of us are feeling. Be vocal, be safe, and be compassionate. Thank you for all you are doing.
In this Clergy Letter Project update you’ll find the following nine items:
- Truth Matters: It’s Time to Sign Up for Evolution Weekend 2021;
- Astrobiology News for January 2021: Astrobiology for the Physically and Spiritually Incarcerated;
- A Creationist Accrediting Body for Colleges and Universities;
- WesleyNexus Evolution Weekend Program;
- The Climate Crisis Letter;
- Extraterrestrial Species: Will They Be Moral? Will They Be Religious?;
- Acceptance Level of Evolution in 20 Countries;
- There Is Nothing Christian About Rioting; and
- Beauty as a Compass for Truth.
1. Truth Matters: It’s Time to Sign Up for Evolution Weekend 2021
The riotous events that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021 makes the theme members chose for Evolution Weekend 2021 (Religion and Science in a Time of Denial) ever more pressing. As so many have rightly pointed out, the crisis the United States is facing arises in large part because so many among us have decided to deny simple facts. The claim that the presidential election was stolen has been termed “the big lie.” But it is a big lie that has been accepted by millions of individuals, despite no supporting evidence. Similarly, many believe that by attacking the government they are acting in the name of religion. As Bishop Marianne Budde points out below, “There is nothing Christian about rioting.” I would go further and assert that no religion countenances what occurred at the Capitol.
Let Evolution Weekend 2021 be a time to discuss the importance of truth and the importance of religion. Truth, whether it is scientific truth, political truth, religious truth, or truth of any other kind, needs to be defended now more than ever.
Truth deniers and religious deniers make it all-but-impossible for us to have rational and meaningful conversations. While we don’t have to agree on everything, indeed, disagreeing and doing so civilly and productively is a hallmark of civilization, there are some things that need to be beyond dispute. Opinions, as important as they are, are not the same as facts.
Please sign up to participate in Evolution Weekend and add your voice and the voices present in your congregation to this important message. As always, you can participate any way you deem appropriate. You can do something big (a sermon, a discussion, a workshop) or you can do something small (a note in your weekly bulletin) but please do something. Similarly, if the official date of Evolution Weekend 2021 (12-14 February 2021) doesn’t work for you, you may participate any time in the temporal vicinity. Finally, if the theme selected by membership doesn’t resonate with you, you can still participate by taking some action (big or small) that advances the compatibility of religion and science. But please sign up!
_____ Yes, I want to be a part of this effort. Please sign us up to participate in Evolution Weekend 2021.
Congregation (or related group):
Location:
Your Name:
2. Astrobiology News for January 2021: Astrobiology for the Physically and Spiritually Incarcerated
In this month’s Astrobiology News Grace Wolf-Chase, Senior Scientist and Senior Education & Communication Specialist at the Planetary Science Institute as well as a Clergy Letter Project consultant, makes a compelling case for the importance of astrobiology. She also offers to work with you and your congregation to create an interesting, interactive science project. I hope you join with me in thanking her and take her up on her offer. Drop her a note; you won’t be disappointed.
"In the space sciences, we talk a lot about doing what we do for the good of all humankind—but who do we really mean when we say that? When NASA says humankind, we mean everyone. When we go to other worlds and look for alien life, we're involving every community, so we can all make that journey together." Chief Scientist Jim Green expressed these views while referring to NASA’s unique program to bring astrobiology to the incarcerated, a program that has demonstrated a significantly positive impact in raising scientific interest and literacy, especially among incarcerated minorities and women.(1) Intellectual humility is at the heart of this program, which creates spaces that honor all perspectives on the fundamental questions of our universe.
Why is astrobiology particularly powerful in connecting people of diverse backgrounds, and levels of education, to science? In the words of Daniella Scalice, the lead for education in NASA's Astrobiology Program through Wyle Laboratories, “The story of our cosmic origins illustrates our fundamental interconnectivity and relationality, and highlights that we're all capable of transformation and change. Through Astrobiology for the Incarcerated, we can share these messages embedded in the science: that adaptability and resilience, in even the harshest environments ... [are] fundamental to the nature of life itself.”(2)
These words of wisdom resonate particularly well during these isolated and uncertain times -- we’re all incarcerated to various degrees, and we most certainly need messages of inclusion opposing the heartbreaking voices of division! I’ve expressed some of my own thoughts on how astrobiology compels us to re-examine critically our connection, and responsibility, to all life on Earth in Astrobiology, astroethics, and astrotheology in conversation, the chapter I wrote for the new book in the Routledge Science and Religion Series,Intersections of Religion and Astronomy.(3) This book contains contributions from diverse scholars, who consider how our cultural ideas about "the heavens" shape religious ideas and are shaped by them in return.
I know how difficult it’s been to maintain sanity and “normality” through the current state of affairs; however, the offer I made last month(4) stands. You may be tired of me writing about this, but participating in citizen science really is a great way for everyone to make a meaningful contribution to human knowledge -- in the words of Mary Voytek, senior scientist for NASA's Astrobiology Program, "knowledge is transformative." Please contact me if you’d like to brainstorm ways to incorporate citizen science via the online Zooniverse(5) platform into any of your programs, during Evolution Weekend or at any time.
Until next month,
Grace
Grace Wolf-Chase (gwolfchase@gmail.com)
Senior Scientist and Senior Education & Communication Specialist, Planetary Science Institute (http://www.psi.edu)
Vice President, Center for Advanced Study in Religion and Science (CASIRAS: http://www.casiras.org)
1. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/ast.2019.2209
2. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/astrobiology-for-the-incarcerated
3. https://www.routledge.com/Intersections-of-Religion-and-Astronomy/Corbally-Dinell-Ricker/p/book/9780367369460
4. http://www.theclergyletterproject.org/pdf/abnews122020.pdf
5. https://www.zooniverse.org/projects?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=projects-CLP
3. A Creationist Accrediting Body for Colleges and Universities
Paul Braterman, a retired geochemist and member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants, brought a troubling issue to my attention recently. The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) is up for a recognition review as an official accrediting body of institutions in the United States.
As Paul points out in his note raising this issue, institutions accredited via TRACS must teach about “the literal existence of Adam and Eve as the progenitors of all people” and must accept “special creation of the existing space-time universe and all its basic systems and kinds of organisms in the six literal days of the creation week.”
Institutions and organizations (but not individuals) can submit comments raising issues with this review. See Paul’s note for more details. Whether you are a part of a group that might file a comment or not, it’s worth noting just how widespread creationism still is in the United States.
4. WesleyNexus Evolution Weekend Program
As they have for the past seven years, WesleyNexus will be holding an exciting Evolution Weekend event that’s open to all of you and members of your congregations. This year’s event, scheduled for 15 February 2021 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time, will be a virtual one.
The event will consist of a panel discussion entitled “Naturalism: 3 Distinct Views.” Here’s how WesleyNexus describes the panel:
This panel will address the topic from three distinct perspectives: (1) Daniel Spiro, President of the Spinoza Society, will speak first, outlining the classic position as laid out by Baruch Spinoza. In the popular view, Spinoza is considered a pantheist, conflating God and nature, but that is a shallow reaction to his thought. (2) The second position, presented by Maynard Moore, will represent a “Christian naturalism,” though not an articulation that is mainstream. This view is gratefully aware of the richness of life and the resourcefulness of the natural world, but the perspective will reflect the distinctiveness of the Christian naturalist position that is worthy of commitment, while being compatible with the best thinking that characterizes science. (3) The third position will represent a classical Muslim view, articulated by Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, based on the Qur’an and the basic affirmation that God is the author of all creation. The Qur’an and the universe should be seen as twin manifestations of the divine act of Self-revelation. Thus, nature must be seen as a “written scroll” with information that must be read according to its meaning.
More details will be forthcoming at the WesleyNexus website in the coming weeks.
Additionally, WesleyNexus has created a video archive of their previous seven Evolution Weekend events. You can view the archive, and use one of these events with your congregation this year, by going here.
_______ These opportunities look fabulous. I plan to make use of them with my congregation! Please sign us up as participants in Evolution Weekend 2021.
Congregation (or related group):
Location:
Your Name:
5. The Climate Crisis Letter
Do you know (or are you a) clergy member from Utah who cares about the environment? If so, please keep reading!
I’m delighted to say that our Climate Crisis Letter is nearing 1,000 signatures! If yours has not yet been added, please let me know. (If you’re not certain whether you’ve signed the letter or not, please click here and search for your signature.)
I’m also delighted to say that clergy members from 49 states and 13 countries are present on the Climate Crisis Letter. For some reason, Utah is not yet represented! I’m certain that many of you have colleagues in Utah who would be eager to sign on if they only knew of our project. Please reach out to such a colleague (and others in any other state!) and ask them to join our effort. Similarly, I’m certain that you have colleagues in countries not yet present on the Letter. (You can check the geographical distribution of signatures here.) Please reach out to those colleagues and help us extend our impact.
_____ Yes, by all means, please add my signature to the Climate Crisis Letter
Name:
Congregation/Denomination/Religion (optional):
City, State, Country:
6. Extraterrestrial Species: Will They Be Moral? Will They Be Religious?
IRAS (The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science) is scheduled to hold its January installment of its monthly series “Science, Religion, and Society” on 28 January 2021 at 5 pm Eastern time. The webinar is entitled “Extraterrestrial Species: Will they Be Moral? Will They be Religious?”
The program is free but registration is required. You can register and learn more about this exciting program here. You can also access recordings of previous sessions at the same location. Any of these programs would likely be a great way to participate in Evolution Weekend 2021 with your congregation (or other group). Please let me know if you would like to be added to our list of participants.
7. Acceptance Level of Evolution in 20 Countries
Our good friends at the National Center for Science Education recently reported on a Pew study examining the acceptance of evolution in 20 countries. Not surprisingly, the United States did not fare very well relative to the other countries surveyed. Only 64% of Americans indicated acceptance. “Acceptance of evolution was lower only in Poland (59%), Singapore (59%), India (56%), Brazil (54%), and Malaysia (43%), while it was higher in South Korea (70%), Russia (71%), Australia (72%), the United Kingdom (73%), Taiwan (74%), Italy (75%), Canada (77%), the Netherlands (77%), France (81%), Germany (81%), the Czech Republic (82%), Sweden (85%), Spain (87%), and Japan (88%).”
You can read NCSE’s summary here and you can read the full Pew report, filled with many interesting items, here.
8. There Is Nothing Christian About Rioting
The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal Bishop for Washington and a member of The Clergy Letter Project, issued a moving statement soon after the U.S. Capitol was stormed by rioters on 6 January 2021.
Directly addressing President Trump, she said, “Mr. President, there has been no fraudulent election. You called your supporters to our Capitol, you fed their wild fantasies and conspiracy theories, you whipped them into a frenzy; this is not acceptable.”
She went on, in strikingly clear terms, to say “Let us be clear, to those who see this as a Christian endeavor, or something to be blessed in the name of Jesus, there is nothing Christian about what we are witnessing today. Nothing.”
You may remember that Bishop Budde was equally clear and outspoken in June when she condemned Trump for violently clearing peaceful protestors from Lafayette Square so he could walk to St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo op. (Revisit what she said and did by re-reading our June Newsletter.)
Thank you Bishop Budde for your passion, your courage and your wisdom.
9. Beauty as a Compass for Truth
The Rev. Bill Graham, a member of The Clergy Letter Project, pointed out a fascinating, recent edition of Krista Tippett’s radio show On Being that I want to pass along. On 7 January 2021 she interviewed Princeton physicist Frank Wilczek on an episode entitled “Beauty as a Compass for Truth.” Rev. Graham notes that “He talks some about truths (e.g. light being both waves and particles) which can't both be true (i.e. compatible) at the same time. I think much of what he said would apply to the relationship between religion and science.” Enjoy!
Concluding Thoughts
As I said above, I hope all of you, your families, and your communities are healthy and safe. With widespread vaccine distribution comes the promise of the end of the pandemic. But we are not there yet and it is as important as it has ever been to remain vigilant, to practice good social distancing behaviors and to continue to wear masks. We’ve come this far; now is not the time to let down our guard.
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. Spread the word; change the world. Together we are making a difference.
Stay safe and healthy.
Michael
Michael Zimmerman
Founder and Executive Director
The Clergy Letter Project
www.theclergyletterproject.org
mz@theclergyletterproject.org