Christian biologist fired for beliefs

[kfrost06]

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Christian biologist is suing the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, claiming he was fired for refusing to accept evolution, lawyers involved in the case said on Friday.

Nathaniel Abraham, an Indian national who describes himself as a "Bible-believing Christian," said in the suit filed on Monday in U.S. District Court in Boston that he was fired in 2004 because he would not accept evolution as scientific fact.

The latest U.S. academic spat over science and religion was first reported in The Boston Globe newspaper on Friday. Gibbs Law Firm in Florida, which is representing Abraham, said he was seeking $500,000 in compensation.

The zebrafish specialist said his civil rights were violated when he was dismissed shortly after telling his superior he did not accept evolution because he believed the Bible presented a true account of human creation.

Creationists such as Abraham believe God made the world in six days, as the Bible's Book of Genesis says.

Woods Hole, a federally funded nonprofit research center on Cape Cod, said in a statement it firmly believed its actions and those of its employees in the case were "entirely lawful" and that it does not discriminate.

Abraham, who was dismissed eight months after he was hired, said he was willing to do research using evolutionary concepts but that he had been required to accept Darwin's theory of evolution as scientific fact or lose his job.

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination dismissed the case this year, saying Abraham's request not to work on evolutionary aspects of research would be difficult for Woods Hole because its work is based on evolutionary theories.

Abraham said this condition was never spelled out in the advertisement for the job and that his dismissal led to severe economic losses, an injured reputation, emotional pain and suffering and mental anguish.

The case underscores tension between scientists, who see creationist views as anti-science, and evangelical Christians who argue that protections of religious freedom enshrined in the U.S. Constitution extend to scientific settings.

Abraham, 35, is now a biology professor at Liberty University, a Baptist school in Virginia founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell, a Christian pastor and televangelist.

[Amorphic]

seems like a odd choice for a religious person to work in the scientific field.

not grounds for discrimination or termination though

[Kärnfysikern]

Mixed feelings about this.

By his statement he obviously shows that he is not a competent scientists. If say a physicist where to reject theory of relativity flat out it would be quite ridiculous and I would not mind seeing that physicist fired since he is then denying 80 years of experimental proof.

But on the other hand if the work this biologist is doing doesnt require evolution in anyway then he can probably do his job.

Ohh well if a scientists can not put religion aside then he/she should probably find another job.

[Tock]

Looks like someone in the Texas Education Agency lost her job because of favoring evolution:
========================

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/us...gewanted=print

December 3, 2007

Official Leaves Post as Texas Prepares to Debate Science Education Standards

New York Times

By RALPH BLUMENTHAL
HOUSTON, Dec. 2 — After 27 years as a science teacher and 9 years as the Texas Education Agency’s director of science, Christine Castillo Comer said she did not think she had to remain “neutral” about teaching the theory of evolution.
“It’s not just a good idea; it’s the law,” said Ms. Comer, citing the state’s science curriculum.
But now Ms. Comer, 56, of Austin, is out of a job, after forwarding an e-mail message on a talk about evolution and creationism — “a subject on which the agency must remain neutral,” according to a dismissal letter last month that accused her of various instances of “misconduct and insubordination” and of siding against creationism and the doctrine that life is the product of “intelligent design.”
Her departure, which has stirred dismay among science professionals since it became public last week, is a prelude to an expected battle early next year over rewriting the state’s science education standards, which include the teaching of evolution.
Debbie Ratcliffe, a spokeswoman for the state’s education agency in Austin, said Ms. Comer “resigned. She wasn’t fired.”
“Our job,” Ms. Ratcliffe added, “is to enact laws and regulations that are passed by the Legislature or the State Board of Education and not to inject personal opinions and beliefs.”
Ms. Comer disputed that characterization in a series of interviews, her first extensive comments. She acknowledged forwarding to a local online community an e-mail message from the National Center for Science Education, a pro-evolution group, about a talk in Austin on Nov. 2 by Barbara Forrest, a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University, a co-author of “Inside Creationism’s Trojan Horse” and an expert witness in the landmark 2005 case that ruled against the teaching of intelligent design in the Dover, Pa., schools.
“I don’t see how I took a position by F.Y.I.-ing on a lecture like I F.Y.I. on global warming or stem-cell research,” Ms. Comer said. “I send around all kinds of stuff, and I’m not accused of endorsing it.” But she said that as a career science educator, “I’m for good science,” and that when it came to teaching evolution, “I don’t think it’s any stretch of the imagination where I stand.”
Ms. Comer said state education officials seemed uneasy lately over the required evolution curriculum. It had always been part of her job to answer letter-writers inquiring about evolution instruction, she said, and she always replied that the State Board of Education supported the teaching of evolution in Texas schools.
But several months ago, in response to an inquiry letter, Ms. Comer said she was instructed to strike her usual statement about the board’s support for teaching evolution and to quote instead the exact language of the high school biology standards as formulated for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills test.
“The student knows the theory of biological evolution,” the standards read, and is expected to “identify evidence of change in species using fossils, DNA sequences, anatomical similarities, physiological similarities and embryology,” as well as to “illustrate the results of natural selection in speciation, diversity, phylogeny, adaptation, behavior and extinction.”
The standards, adopted in 1998, are due for a 10-year review and possible revision after the 15-member elected State Board of Education meets in February, with particular ramifications for the multibillion-dollar textbook industry. The chairman of the panel, Dr. Don McLeroy, a dentist and Sunday School teacher at Grace Bible Church in College Station, has lectured favorably in the past about intelligent design.
Ms. Ratcliffe, of the Texas Education Agency, said Dr. McLeroy played no part in Ms. Comer’s departure.
Ms. Comer said that barely an hour after forwarding the e-mail message about Dr. Forrest’s talk, she was called in and informed that Lizzette Reynolds, deputy commissioner for statewide policy and programs, had seen a copy and complained, calling it “an offense that calls for termination.” Ms. Comer said she had no idea how Ms. Reynolds, a former federal education official who served as an adviser to George W. Bush when he was governor of Texas, had seen the message so quickly, and remembered thinking, “What is this, the thought police or what?”
Under pressure, Ms. Comer said, she sent out a retraction, advising recipients to disregard the message.
But Ms. Comer, the divorced mother of a grown son and daughter and the supporter of an ailing father, was still forced out of the $60,000-a-year job, she said, submitting her resignation on Nov. 7. She and the agency said nothing about her departure until The Austin American-Statesman obtained a copy of the “proposed disciplinary action” and her resignation letter.
Ms. Comer said that Tom Shindell, director for organizational development, had told her to resign or be terminated for a series of unauthorized presentations at professional meetings and other reported transgressions.
“Tom,” Ms. Comer said she asked, “am I getting fired over evolution?”

[Lexed]

I agree with Kar it really depends what field he was in. Christians are very stubborn even though there is shit load of proof they beileve in there "fairy tales". In college we had to discuss if god was real or not. My first most basic point was about dinosaurs. The crap that was coming out of there mouth was like amazing they where telling me that dinosaur where created by god and that it was "practice' before he made humans... I was wondering how the hell they got into college. Religion is just a fariy tale to keep ppl in check so you dont do bad shit gotta give mad props who ever created it cause it worked lol.... I love how the ppl in the class said that the greeks where stupid in believing in so many gods. and I told him your just as stupid as they are. and then i got kicked out of the class

[Logan13]

I'm sure that if this person were part of any other group, plenty of you would be bitching about it...........

[thegodfather]

I'm sure that if this person were part of any other group, plenty of you would be bitching about it...........

You're probably right. We are probably tired of peoples religious idealogies being shoved down our damn throats, finding their way into our laws and legislations, and hearing our Politicians endorse religious doctrines.

Religion has absolutely no place in the government. The government exists to protect the interests of all people, regardless of their beliefs. Any government which endorses a religion is flawed, IMO. Because, 100% of your society will never chose to believe in the same religious doctrine, so in any case where a government endorses a particular religion, at least some percent of the population is being oppressed. And as we know, oppressing people is wrong.

As far as the evolution/ID argument. I dont see why they cant co-exist. I believe that whoever/whatever created everything in existence, may have used evolution as a "tool" by which to carry out their/it's creation. That seems like the most obvious conclusion to me. Evolution is for all intents and purposes, a fact, it is proven. A selective pressure applied to any species causes it to evolve. The only argument still open for discussion is who/what started evolution, and I dont believe that is a question science or humans will ever answer. Unless the person/thing behind the curtains decides to let us in on it....

[thegodfather]

Abraham, 35, is now a biology professor at Liberty University, a Baptist school in Virginia founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell, a Christian pastor and televangelist.

Wow....you mean this guy even acknowledges biology? If there was a Christian version of Osama Bin Laden, I would nominate Jerry Falwell to be the Christian Jihad leader.

[Logan13]

You're probably right. We are probably tired of peoples religious idealogies being shoved down our damn throats, finding their way into our laws and legislations, and hearing our Politicians endorse religious doctrines.

Religion has absolutely no place in the government. The government exists to protect the interests of all people, regardless of their beliefs. Any government which endorses a religion is flawed, IMO. Because, 100% of your society will never chose to believe in the same religious doctrine, so in any case where a government endorses a particular religion, at least some percent of the population is being oppressed. And as we know, oppressing people is wrong.

As far as the evolution/ID argument. I dont see why they cant co-exist. I believe that whoever/whatever created everything in existence, may have used evolution as a "tool" by which to carry out their/it's creation. That seems like the most obvious conclusion to me. Evolution is for all intents and purposes, a fact, it is proven. A selective pressure applied to any species causes it to evolve. The only argument still open for discussion is who/what started evolution, and I dont believe that is a question science or humans will ever answer. Unless the person/thing behind the curtains decides to let us in on it....

Personally, I am tired of minority groups shoving their agendas down the populations' throats............

[Kärnfysikern]

Personally, I am tired of minority groups shoving their agendas down the populations' throats............

And this is done in this case how?

Would you hire a carpenter that doesnt belive in nails?

[Logan13]

And this is done in this case how?

Would you hire a carpenter that doesnt belive in nails?

would you force a population to marry a same sex couple even though the vast majority does not believe in it........?

[Kärnfysikern]

would you force a population to marry a same sex couple even though the vast majority does not believe in it........?

I dont se how they would be forced considering your living in a democratic country and I fail to se how it is relevant to this thread?

[thegodfather]

Personally, I am tired of minority groups shoving their agendas down the populations' throats............

I dont believe in doing that either. But the way you're talking is DANGEROUS. You feel that what the majority believes should be forced down the throats of the minority? Thats not right either. The "Democracy" is set up so that 99 people cant take away the rights of 1 person. That means that just because the "majority" believes in religion does not mean it should be shoved down MY throat either.

I believe, and feel that its also the AIM of democracy, that everyone can believe what they want, without either majority or minority beliefs being IMPOSED or shoved down the throat of either group. Anyone who doesn't agree with that is a tyrant.