From: utzoo!decvax!duke!bcw Newsgroups: net.misc Title: Re: RE: Matters Religious Article-I.D.: duke.2959 Posted: Fri Jan 28 18:32:17 1983 Received: Sat Jan 29 05:17:35 1983 References: ihuxa.186 From: Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University Re: Use of the Bible It probably wouldn't matter too much for a biologist to not refer to Darwin in disputes about evolution; it would be fairly easy to refer to others who would have the same amount of authority (even amoung Darwin's contemporaries, Wallace and Huxley would do just about as well as Darwin). There is quite a difference - the Bible claims to be in some way *unique*, and hence enjoys a special status which no scientist, living or dead, would enjoy in such a dispute. I think that it was *this* special appeal to authority which was objected to, not at all like an appeal (for example) to a scientist who is probably only considered one of thousands. Probably a more appropriate analogy would be to restrict a Communist (of any stripe) engaging in a debate to refrain from any references to Marx; though many Communists look suspiciously like members of a secular religion and not like scientists or humanists ... Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University