Lents and Swamidass Apply for Discovery Insitute's 2019 Summer Seminar

[Patrick]

@Agauger

I already answered.

Thank you.

[Art (Arthur Hunt)]

@Patrick

2019 Summer Seminars in Seattle: Study with Michael Behe and Other ID Superstars | Evolution News

@pnelson

I can’t speak for Ann – she keeps her own counsel, as you well know – but I’d love to have you and Nathan there. I don’t make the admissions decisions, however. The main issue, as Ann just noted, would be confidentiality: protecting the other students.

Gee, a week in Seattle in early July sounds like a nice idea. I’m slightly disappointed that @pnelson didn’t think to ask about bringing Professor Steve Steve …

Without knowing any of them, if the attendees are on a par with the undergrads I met at Biola, then I can confirm Paul’s assessment of them. I am sure the meeting is an interesting and rewarding experience.

[Agauger (Ann Gauger)]

@NLENTS
Egnor and Klinghoffer don’t usually attend. But there are others that have some history with @swamidass for example. How would you two handle that situation? Especially since your reviews of Behe will have been recent how will you handle that? (And you still don’t know what I’m going to say.)

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

@Agauger

Egnor and Klinghoffer don’t usually attend. But there are others that have some history with @swamidass for example. How would you to handle that situation? Especially since your reviews of Behe will have been recent how will you handle that?

I’d sit to listen and learn where you are all coming from. If I was asked for my opinion, I would give it. I suppose Behe could just ignore the fact that I’m in the room, or he could choose to engage with me. That would be up to him.

My opinion, also, would not be a personal critique, but substantive, and also I’d point to common ground. There is, after all, quite a bit of common ground. I’m not interested in the ad hominem on either side.

[Patrick]

@Art

Gee, a week in Seattle in early July sounds like a nice idea. I’m slightly disappointed that @pnelson didn’t think to ask about bringing Professor Steve Steve …

Yes, and Professor Steve from the University of Your Choice and of course Professor Steve for over there. This is starting to get like a Monty Python sketch.

[Patrick]

@swamidass

I’d need to have my way paid, just like I paid your way (2x) and I paid Walter Bradley’s way (2x) and I paid Paul Nelson’s way (1x), and you are paying the way for the students. I’m sure the same is true for @NLENTS. It is up to you guys, I suppose, if you want to have us there or not.

And it is all tax deductible because of your freedom of religion in this country. We all should be grateful that we leave in a nation with a secular, godless Constitution where Freedom of Religion and Freedom From Religion is absolute.

JFK Speech on Separation of Church & State (1960)

[Art (Arthur Hunt)]

@Art

I’m slightly disappointed that @pnelson didn’t think to ask about bringing Professor Steve Steve …

Speaking of whom, in the hallowed halls …

[cwhenderson (Curtis Henderson)]

@swamidass

@Jordan and @cwhenderson, do you want to come along too? Put in an application.

I’ll be very interested to see how this progresses, but I’m afraid my heavy Summer teaching load would prevent my participation.

[T.j_Runyon]

I’ve thought about applying before. But with me moving pretty firmly outside biology it didn’t make much sense to try.

[Mung]

@swamidass

My opinion, also, would not be a personal critique, but substantive, and also I’d point to common ground. There is, after all, quite a bit of common ground. I’m not interested in the ad hominem on either side.

This is good to hear. In effect, the other students there would be anonymous. Can you find common ground with an Anonymous ID Advocate?

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

@Mung

Can you find common ground with an Anonymous ID Advocate?

I hope so! I think we have.

1. We both affirm common descent.
2. We both are puzzled by ID spends so much time arguing against CD.
3. We are both Christians that trust Scripture and believe God designed us all.

That is quite a lot of common ground.

[Mung]

@swamidass

That is quite a lot of common ground.

We should spend more time talking about what we agree on.

Now these students at the summer seminar, if they were to come here to post, do you think they would use their real names? It might be good for you to go. You might come away with a reason to take a different approach towards anonymous ID advocates.

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

@Mung

That is quite a lot of common ground.

We should spend more time talking about what we agree on.

I agree. Focus there and you will get much farther with me.

@Mung

Now these students at the summer seminar, if they were to come here to post, do you think they would use their real names? It might be good for you to go

Agreed.

@Mung

You might come away with a reason to take a different approach towards anonymous ID advocates.

Doubtful. You are not a random student nor do you have any professional risk.

[T_aquaticus]

@NLENTS

I think what they’re trying to do is prevent “evolutionists” from crashing their seminars by talking about all the scientific evidence that they will ignore. As usual, they don’t come out and say that, but they are perfectly within their rights. These are probably equally about making money for the DI, but that’s no different than what all universities do with summer classes.

That’s a bit ironic . . . actually, more than a bit. Here we have a scientific organization who claims to be for academic freedom and the ability to challenge scientific theories, and yet they have a strange screening process for their own conferences, ostensibly for screening out those who may disagree or challenge their ideas.

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

Give them some time to think about it. My application is in. @NLENTS says he would come too. Let’s see how they respond before taking swipes like this at them.