Creation Science Rebuttals

Institute for Creation Research News Report

Academic Censorship of ICR School

First Published 24 Apr 09

As many of you know, the Institute for Creation Research operates a school that issues a graduate degree in Science Education. Because of the recent move of ICR to Texas, they applied to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to be able to issue the Master's of Science degree in Texas. This is the subject of the daily article from ICR on 22 April 2009.¹

The article explains, from ICR's perspective, the decision of the Board, one year ago, to deny ICR's request to issue M.S. degrees. On this one year anniversary of this decision, ICR felt it necessary to re-live this event, to update its readers on the issue. There appears to be no change from last year, as ICR continues to pursue the overturning of this decision.

I can certainly understand the decision of the Texas Board in this issue. Texas, like other states, has requirements that must be taught in order for degree programs to be authorized. For the Board to approve the ICR program, they would in essence be calling ICR's program the equivalent of other programs at other schools in Texas. This is not something they could do, given ICR's failure to meet the scientific standards as set by the state of Texas.

Although ICR calls this censorship, I do not see it that way. ICR has not been "censored," in that they cannot teach young earth creationism, which is anti-evolution. They are free to teach this all they want...they just cannot issue scientific degrees. If they rename the degree program, and call it something besides "science," they can begin issuing degrees. However, a Master's of Pseudoscience just doesn't carry the same weight as a Masters of Science degree. In all seriousness, they could just call it a Master of Arts, or Master's of Theoretical Science, or some other name, and be done with it. Of course, this could hinder their graduates from obtaining certain jobs, unless the employers were understanding of this problem.

In the article, ICR goes to great lengths to show how this whole thing shows discrimination. I agree with the courts that this might look like discrimination, since it appears to be a regulation of speech based on the content of the speech. However, this issue is much larger than free speech. For example, when a student earns a M.S. degree from a secular Texas university, he has fulfilled certain educational requirements, and he earns certain rights and privileges. He can apply for jobs, and list his scientific degree on his resume. Should someone at ICR, who has not met the educational requirements of the state of Texas, have the same rights and privileges as other Texas graduates? When viewed this way, the Board had no choice but to deny ICR's request.

If I might suggest a solution...ICR should teach a graduate level courses in evolution, astronomy, and geology, from an old earth perspective. Hire an evolutionist, astronomer, and geologist, and have them teach with an old earth perspective, with no criticisms of the science whatsoever (and no questioning of the theories during the course). The first semester of courses should all be from an old earth perspective. Let the students be indoctrinated in old earth theory. Then, follow it up the following semesters with the young earth perspective, which they already teach. If they truly have faith that evolution and long ages is wrong, then their students should be able to withstand these classes, and survive with their faith intact. However, ICR will not do this...they fear evolution and long ages too much to allow it to be taught in their own school. Perhaps they realize that if they allow the truth to be taught, that more of their students might leave the young earth viewpoint.

Notes:

¹ http://www.icr.org/article/4598/

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