John G. West

Archives

The Magician’s Twin

_{John G. West
September 1, 2012}

Beloved for his Narnian tales for children and his books of Christian apologetics for adults, best-selling author C.S. Lewis also was a prophetic critic of the growing power of scientism in modern society, the misguided effort to apply science to areas outside its proper bounds. In this wide-ranging book of essays edited by John G. West, contemporary writers probe Lewis’s warnings about the dehumanizing impact of scientism on ethics, politics, faith, reason, and science itself. Issues explored include Lewis’s views on bioethics, eugenics, evolution, intelligent design, and what he called “scientocracy.” Contributors include Michael Aeschliman, author of C.S. Lewis and the Restitution of Man; Victor Reppert, author of C.S. Lewis’s Dangerous Idea; Jay Richards, …

Noted Atheist Philosopher Thomas Nagel: “Defenders of Intelligent Design Deserve Our Gratitude”

_{John G. West
August 22, 2012}

In September, Oxford University Press officially releases the hardcover version of a new book by renowned philosopher Thomas Nagel at New York University. It's a bombshell.

Oklahoma House Passes Academic Freedom Act by Overwhelming Margin

_{John G. West
March 15, 2012}

Striking a blow for academic freedom, the Oklahoma House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that would protect the rights of teachers and students to learn about scientific controversies over biological evolution, climate change, cloning, and other issues.

New Film Exposes Bigotry and Junk Science of Early Twentieth-Century Darwinists

_{John G. West
November 10, 2011}

The scientific community can be dominated by a dogmatism that subverts rational thought and an honest evaluation of the evidence. Intriguingly, this truth seems to have been recognized by none other than John Scopes later in life.

North Carolina Faces Legacy of Forced Sterilization as Hollywood Releases New Film Alleged Dramatizing Impact of Eugenics in the South

_{John G. West
November 8, 2011}

As North Carolina grapples with its legacy of forced sterilization, a new feature-length film dramatizes the personal toll of eugenics as well as its connection with Darwinism.

Governor Perry Thinks Texas Schools Teach Creationism, while Texas Education Agency Stifles Even Scientific Criticism of Darwin

_{John G. West
August 18, 2011}

Governor Perry of Texas wrongly thinks public schools in his home state teach creationism, but he seems unaware that his own education commissioner is trying to stifle scientific criticisms of Darwin.

Fundamentalist Christian or Deranged Social Darwinist?

_{John G. West
July 27, 2011}

The media establishment botch the story about Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Behring Breivik's ideology.

The Professor and the Madman

_{John G. West
July 27, 2011}

Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Behring Breivik may be a madman, but his ideas for eugenics come from an Ivy League evolutionary biologist, Lee Silver.

Refuting Intelligent Design, BioLogos Style

_{John G. West
June 16, 2011}

New BioLogos video attacking intelligent design is short on substance, long on personal attacks.

UK Atheist Finally Agrees to Debate William Lane Craig

_{John G. West
June 16, 2011}

Richard Dawkins still nowhere to be found, the head of the British Humanist Association agrees to vindicate the honor of atheists everywhere.

Is Richard Dawkins a Coward?

_{John G. West
June 10, 2011}

That's what a fellow atheist is now suggesting because Dawkins is refusing to debate one of his most articulate critics, philosopher and theologian William Lane Craig.

Journal Apologizes and Pays $10,000 After Censoring Article

_{John G. West
June 7, 2011}

After censoring a peer-reviewed article critical of Neo-Darwinism, the journal Applied Mathematics Letters has had to apologize and pay $10,000.

Inherit the Wind at Christianity Today

_{John G. West
June 4, 2011}

Inherit the Wind's mythical treatment of the Scopes trial gets a boost from Christianity Today, while the new feature film Alleged tries to set the record straight.

Scientists Issue Letter Supporting Louisiana Science Education Act

_{John G. West
May 27, 2011}

Fifteen Ph.D. scientists wrote a letter to the Louisiana State Legislature defending the Louisiana Science Education Act and challenging critics for misrepresenting it.

Lauri Lebo’s Amnesia

_{John G. West
March 23, 2011}

We've heard of re-writing history, but Lauri Lebo takes it to a whole new level in her fight against objectivity in journalism.

Darwin v. Design Conference Coming to Oklahoma to Address Debate Over Science and God

_{John G. West
February 24, 2011}

The good news is that the new atheists are wrong. Far from establishing a blind and purposeless universe, the findings of science increasingly provide powerful evidence that we live in a purpose-driven universe of incredible beauty and design.

Darwin, Racism, and Eugenics in Detroit

_{John G. West
November 5, 2010}

Last week I participated in a stimulating panel discussion on Darwin, scientific racism, and eugenics at the Charles Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. Other participants included distinguished evolutionary biologist Morris Goodman of Wayne State University, historian Damon Salesa of the University of Michigan, and biology professor Jerry Bergman of Northwest State College in Ohio. The moderator was author and broadcast journalist Edward Foxworth. The Charles Wright Museum is the world’s largest institution devoted to the subject of African American history, and it’s well worth a visit. The museum’s presentation of the African American experience is outstanding; its galleries place you in the very midst of history, including a slave ship, …

Discovery-BioLogos Conference Session Canceled

_{John G. West
October 22, 2010}

Yesterday morning ENV reported about a forum at the upcoming Vibrant Dance of Faith and Science Conference that would feature an exchange of views from leading scientists from Discovery Institute and the BioLogos Foundation. Unfortunately, yesterday afternoon we were informed by a conference organizer that the session in question was being canceled. The good news is that attendees will still be able to hear the same speakers at other sessions, and the rest of the conference is going forward. For my part, I earnestly hope that another forum for a public exchange of views can be found in the …

UK Group Announces Michael Behe Lecture Tour This Fall

_{John G. West
September 29, 2010}

The UK-based Centre for Intelligent Design has just announced a fall lecture tour featuring Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Michael Behe. The tour will include lectures in Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow, and London. Here is the group’s press release about the tour, which will take place in November: Controversial ID Scientist tours UK Professor Michael Behe, a key figure in the Intelligent Design (ID) movement, will challenge his critics in a lecture tour of the UK in November. Prof. Behe is one of an increasing number of scientists who believe that modern biochemical evidence undermines the basis of Darwinian evolution. The author of two ground-breaking books on ID – ‘Darwin’s Black Box‘ (1996) and ‘The Edge of Evolution‘ (2007) – …

Cyber Attacks Attempt to Shut Down Discovery Institute’s Websites on Day of Event Challenging Darwinism

_{John G. West
September 23, 2010}

Since early this morning, the pro-intelligent design Discovery Institute has faced repeated denial-of-service attacks on its server in an effort to shut down the Institute’s various websites. The attacks coincided with the scheduled appearance tonight of Institute-supported scientists at the “4 Nails in Darwin’s Coffin” event at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. Want to bet there is a connection? Because of the cyber attacks, the web page providing information about tonight’s event was unavailable several times today. Last fall, Darwinist cyber bullies similarly attempted to close down the website for a conference on intelligent design in Colorado in order to prevent people from registering …