I am contacting the list to see if anyone would be interested in persuing
what I think is a terrific opportunity - or may know of someone who would
be interested.
Michael Dowd, an invited keynote speaker at a conference I have just
attended, devotes his life to trying to spread the word about evolution.
I know we all do this, but he is amazing - a truly inspiring preacher of
the American Christian evangelist style. (He is an American.) His whole
life and history is interesting. Like many conventional American
evangelists, he become a born again Christian at low point in his life
when he was addicted to drugs. He decided to become ordained as a
minister but he also openned his mind to evolution and realised that this
could give purpose to life that he saw as much greater than Christian
teachings and not incompatible with them - at least no incompatible with
those teachings that were important to him. He did not hide his
unconventional views from his teachers and (I guess) convinced them of
their value because he became an ordained minister. Now he and his wife
travel around the US, living in a van, and speaking at venues where they
are invited to preach to Christian and scientific groups about the
compatibility of evolution and religion.
Michael spent several days at this conference I attended and we got to
know him as a nice perfectly rational guy with an excellent understanding
of cosmology and evolution.
A documentary TV programme that followed Michael and his wife from venue
to venue would be really interesting. It could look at the face-to-face
interactions and well as his preaching. People could also be interviewed
to get their reactions to his message. Such a programme would give people
insight into American "born again" Christians as well as scientists and,
of course, evolution. Broadcasting organisations are under some
obligation to air religious and science content. Such a documentary would
do both.
If you would be interested in learning more about Michael Dowd, please get
in touch.
Lesley
--
Lesley Newson
University of Exeter School of Psychology
[log in to unmask]
http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/ln202
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