The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 37, Ed. 1, Tuesday, February 4, 1986 Page: 2 of 6
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tuesday feb. 4 1986
optimist A-2
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Optimist
dndU patterson editor-in-chief
laura smitn tuesaay ectttor
mlthella morris features editor
key payton atst. ferure$ editor
thomas graham (porta editor
keny cole -asst sports editor . '
skip dampler- tuesday design editor
lortt hunter tuesday copy editor
brtan chlsm tuesday chief photographer
konnethpybus-stats
dr. tharles mailer adviser
shOril statler ad director
scott bray sales
davo cole sales
connle swlck production manager
ames billlngsley asst production
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Editorial opfnkrn tppwfcig ki th Optinltt ii vlmm of th tult
tnd da no mcnwrOy rtrt th oRktal policy ol Dm ACU iiinlr-tML-Sgnod
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letters policy
Letters to the editor should be mailed
to ACU Box 8203 or hand-delivered to
the Optimist office Morris Room 308.
Letters should be received no later than 5
rin. Sunday for the Tuesday issue or 5
p'.in. Wednesday for the Friday issue.
opinion policy
Opinions expressed in the Optimist ore
those of the author or the editor and not
necessarily those of the administration.
clarification
"Joe Flacencia junior Bible major from
Beaumont Calif. requests a clarification
ofhis viewpoint of Dr. Bert Thompson's
' Genesis Myth?.
Placenda in Friday's Optimist article
"Students hand out Thompson's book"
was paraphrased as saying "he is not en-
dorsing the book because 'a lot of things
in the book are wrong.' "
However Placenda after further
discussion with the Optimist reporter has
clarified his position by stating that he
does approve of Thompson's purpose
but not his tactics.
Graduate
To the editor.
Several days ago I read Is Genesis Myth?
6y Dr. Bert Thompson of Montgomery
"Ala. I really had no time from my
'graduate studies to do this. But it caught
my interest since I know Thompson per-
sonally from my undergraduate days at
Texas A&M and a major part of my
course work was in earth and life
sciences. I have even taught life science at
a Christian school in Corpus Christi.
When the evolution matter mushroom-
ed a ACU I was surprised and in-
credulous since it obviously would do
much damage here so I ordered the book
J.p learn Thompson's angle.
To be honest I was biased against it for
several reasons. I do want to make the
point that though the book is very
-negative it can be read for profit.
For years I have known Thompson to
be influenced by the mentality of others
who are characterized by a patronizing
ego that expresses itself in a hammering
merciless and negative literary style.
... Their writings are given to frequent
bold-typing of words exclamation marks
and adjectives such as "shocking" "scan-
.dalous" "outrageous" "rabid" "horri-
fying" etc. (For an example read the
book's introduction.)
That mentality loses all credibility with
me. Next in his writing it nowhere oc-
curs to him the possibility that he is
associated with negative and intolerant
journalism. People arc reluctant if not
jesistant to answer to that mentality for
no one wants to dignify it. That should
- answer much of this alleged "cover up"
discussed in the book.
Also Thompson is intolerant of any
view that allows the days mentioned in
Gensis 1 to be anything other than literal
24-hour days. He believes the fossils were
laid during the Noahic flood and
dinosaurs were on the Ark.
. - To allow the universe to bcolder than a
-few thousand years implies organic evolu-
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Election
Filipinos must back their politicians
The Filipino election scheduled for
Friday may end the long vicious battle
between President Ferdinand Marcos
and presidential candidate Carazon
Aquino.
However the election won't end the
Filipinos' fight against economic and
political strife.
The country is wrecked with economic
crisis. The unemployment rate is at 45
percent and the nation has a foreign debt
of $26 billion the fifth largest inthc-
world. Also since Marcos took office the
number of families below the poverty line
has risen from 66 percent to 71 percent in
1983.
To combat such economic woes Mar-
cos has offered a program of reform with
letters to the editor
student
tion he asserts. Many Christians who do
not believe in organic evolution take ex-
ception to this 24-hour day view because
of the appearance of great age in the earth
and the cosmos for as they say "God
does not' deceive."
The book is 199 pages. Thompson lays
out his material in a chronology of how
the events unfolded to him from last spr-
ing until mid-November. The last
chapter is a loose gathering of happenings
mostly pertaining to December.
One of his friends wrote the introduc-
tion and it is horrible. Its literary style is
vicious and akin to a screaming banshee.
If one could get past it he may find the
rest of the book interesting.
The main point of the book is not that
evolution is taught but whether the crea-
tionist's side is also presented. Is there a
balance? Thompson argues "no" for the
classes of two certain biology professors.
Now he admits that the side of organic
evolution (which he means amoeba to fish
to ape to man) needs to presented for
understanding. But along with it must
come an adequate refutation to this
theory.
Thompson charges there is no refuta-
tion being presented by these professors.
He also says that the theory itself is
believed by the professors themselves in
the form of theistic evolution and is
taught as the only life-generating process
worth considering. (Theistic evolution is
the idea of God "creating" life by means
of organic evolution.)
He documents his case with the pro-
fessors' class handouts (photo-
reproduced) parents' letters transcripts
of taped conversations reports from
third-party witnesses and conversations
with present and former biology
students.
On one handout of Genesis lj one of
the professors had written in the margin
"myth" so Thompson asks Is Genesis
Myth? hence the title of his book. He
priorities in such areas as agricultural
productivity land reform labor reform
housing resettlement and slum
improvement.
Aquino also has made the economy a
central issue in her campaign. In short
her answer for the economic problems is
to get rid of Marcos.
Aquino has definitely been Marcos'
most serious political battle. The
housewife and mother did not come into
the foreground of the political arena until
after the assassination of her husband
Marcos foe Benigno Aquino. She blames
Marcos for the death of her husband a
formidable Marcos opponent.
Although politically inept Aquino has
attracted the support and love of
reviewsThompson
asks for the handouts the professors
would provide in refuting organic (and
theistic) evolution but none are
provided.
He says students are afraid of speaking
up because of intimidation from intimida-
tion from the professors because in one
case a student did have his grade lowered.
He impugns several people here with
sinister motives for a coverup and for be-
ing non-cooperative.
He makes at least two major mistakes.
First he alleges the Optimist bowed to
administrative pressure in publishing its
Dec. 13 editorial in exonerating the pro-
fessors. As the Optimist say in a recent
editorial "We re not under the iron grip
of an administration that manages the
news and opinion that appears in the
Optimist."
Second he alleges a prominent figure
in this controversy was barred from spr-
ing enrollment because of his public
stand against evolutionary instruction
but he does not mention that it was
because of this student's refusal to sigh a
document asking for decent behavior.
In spite of the book's problems
Thompson does raise interesting points
that do require investigation. I do not
know the two professors personally to
know their side of the story.
I know Thompson's position well
because I have taken an apologetics class
under his tutelage a few years ago when
he was still in Texas and I want to do
some clarifying ofhis position
When Thompson uses the term
"organic evolution" this means all living
plants and animals ultimately trace their
ancestery to single-cell organisms.
Sometimes this is called "vertical evolu-
tion" because the idea teaches that some
lower form organisms have evolved up-
ward to higher form creatures and
ultimately man
"Horizontal evolution" occurs when
organisms do not evolve to higher or
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thousands of Filipinos. She has drawn the
largest campaign crowds in the natiisflk
history.
In contrast Marcos' speeches drew an
embarrassing low number of people. But
as the campaign ncars an end Marcos .has
been more aggressive in his campaign
and consequently the crowds have in-
creased in number.
Whoever the winner may be .Friday
must have the support of the Filipinos
backing them or the political unrest will
grow.
If Marcos should win he must do so
legitimately. If the Filipinos suspect vote
fraud their response could be close to
civil war given the already strong com-
munist influence in the country.
lower forms but simply change within
their own kind and such an example is
when a canine family evolves wolves
foxes and dogs or when the feline family
evolves lions tigers cougars lynxes and
domestic house cats.
Horizontal evolution is the only kind of
evolution Thompson believes and teaches
as factually substantiated.
"Theistic evolution" la organic? evolu-
tion warmed over to include God. All
atheists by necessity must believe organic
evolution but theistic evolution teaches
God "created" all plant and animal life
by evolving them from lower to higher
life forms.
This would mean man evolved from
ape and our first sinners were not Adam
and Eve but rather Cheetah and Bonzo.
Such a process would not allow for a
woman to be created from the ribs of a'
man.
"Fiat creation" occurs when God br-
ings into existence a creature or
something from nothing. Thompson
would hold for example the feline fami-
ly was brought into existence by fiat crea-'
tion yet they evolved horizontally within
their own kind.
The same process is repeated for man
because Adam was created from the dust
of the ground. His descendants have
evolved into the different races of the
world.
I hope I treated Thompson's book fair-
ly This review is simply my own a
student's. In some small way at least I
hope it will contribute to the healing of
the hurt and misunderstanding between
brethren who are striving to the image of
Christ.
Tom Walker
Graduate
Bible major
Jefferson
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Changing
religions
"' ' " '
michelle
morns
Every time I heard the song "Why Not
Tonight" In church I wanted to cry. I
was scared to death to go forward and just
as scared not to.
However I was not frightened because
I was a child or because I did not unders-
tand baptism. I was frightened because I
was Methodist.
I grew up in a tiny Presbyterian church
with about 13 regular1 members. I often
sang solos or read scriptures during
church. I thought I must be especially.
talented but actually I realize now they
probably could not decide how to tell me
no.
When I was in high school I wanted to
go to church with my friends; so I started
attending the Methodist church. I was ac-
tive in the youth program and in the
choir and we had lots of fun planning
after-game dances and big fund-raisers.
Sometimes however I felt like there
should be more to our youth group;
maybe more serious time or Bible study.
Actually though I attended Sunday
School and church regularly on Sundays
I never truly understood what we belies
ed. We often studied Sunday. School
literature but we seldom studied the Bi-
ble as the main source of information.
Then I began attending the Church of
Christ with a friend. My mom got more
and more upset as I began skipping the
Sunday night Methodist services and the
Wednesday choir practices to attend with
my friend.
At first I was constantly asking ques-
tions and I simply could not believe
some of the things the people in the
had been studying a different Bible o
somcimng. ro mujicr vwiniuuiuou
every Sunday?
As my involvement and friendships in
the Christ of Christ expanded I began to
give much less attention to my Methodist
nrtivitic TVnuinn Dm nf ttnmr. nnr! f
started trying to make compromises witrTl
my family and friends. Mom would often
cry about my "deserting my family" and
at one point she said the Church of Christ
must be some kind of cult or something.
I received no pressure from my friend
to join the. church. In fact I often had to
ask that we attend church; I was hungry
for knowledge. I discovered that the more
I understood the more I wanted to know
Finally I came to a decision inside
myself: I needed to be baptized. I had this
unreasonable fear of the baptistry
somehow derived from scarv movies and
lack of knowledge. Therefore when f
heard "Why Not Tonieht" I would fee! i
like I should answer somehow but I
knew my parents would not approve if I
totally left the Methodist church.
In November 1982 an evangelist came
to our congregation. I heard him Sunday
night then I went back Wednesday
night. Between those times something
stirred in mc. By Wednesday I knew a
change was inevitable.
That night the evangelist made us
silently answer certain questions about
nnr faith. Th nnswr tn mch one was
supposed to be yes but nine out of 10 cQ
my list were no. 'I
I was suddenly airaid. ine preacner
gave a special invitation and my friend
went forward. By the time we were on
the fifth verse of "Just As I Am" I was
crying too hard to sing. I went forward.
That night I was baptized. My dad
took it better than I expected and even
joked about the time his preacher almost
drowned him. But my mom had trouble
understanding. I love my mom and I
think she is the greatest mother in the
whole world but I could not go back to
the Methodist church. I was the happi S I
I had ever been in my life but I was tH "
saddest too.
Finally mom began to understand; if
not my beliefs at least the fact that I had
made my own decision. She is a wonder
fill woman.
This story is probably similar to many
others on campus. People arrive here
from many countries and many religions
and some of them are converted to the
Church of Christ
Changing religions is not easy. This
process may be one of the most difficult
you'll ever experience. Therefore if yr' I)
have a friend who docs not have the sarhv."
beliefs as you do not push them.
Give them understanding and help
them to find their own way. And if they
do not change to agree with you do not
be discouraged Love them more than
ever. Your example speaks rnch louder
than your words.
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 37, Ed. 1, Tuesday, February 4, 1986, newspaper, February 4, 1986; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth92035/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.