Professor's Snub of Creationists Prompts U.S. Inquiry

New York Times ^ | 2/02/03 | NICK MADIGAN

[kattracks]

UBBOCK, Tex., Feb. 2 — A biology professor who insists that his students accept the tenets of human evolution has found himself the subject of Justice Department scrutiny.

Prompted by a complaint from the Liberty Legal Institute, a group of Christian lawyers, the department is investigating whether Michael L. Dini, an associate professor of biology at Texas Tech University here, discriminated against students on the basis of religion when he posted a demand on his Web site that students wanting a letter of recommendation for postgraduate studies "truthfully and forthrightly affirm a scientific answer" to the question of how the human species originated.

"The central, unifying principle of biology is the theory of evolution," Dr. Dini wrote. "How can someone who does not accept the most important theory in biology expect to properly practice in a field that is so heavily based on biology?"

That was enough for the lawyers' group, based in Plano, a Dallas suburb, to file a complaint on behalf of a 22-year-old Texas Tech student, Micah Spradling.

Mr. Spradling said he sat in on two sessions of Dr. Dini's introductory biology class and shortly afterward noticed the guidelines on the professor's Web site (www2.tltc.ttu.edu/dini/Personal/letters.htm).

Mr. Spradling said that given the professor's position, there was "no way" he would have enrolled in Dr. Dini's class or asked him for a recommendation to medical school.

"That would be denying my faith as a Christian," said Mr. Spradling, a junior raised in Lubbock who plans to study prosthetics and orthotics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. "They've taken prayer out of schools and the Ten Commandments out of courtrooms, so I thought I had an opportunity to make a difference."

In an interview in his office, Dr. Dini pointed to a computer screen full of e-mail messages and said he felt besieged.

"The policy is not meant in any way to be discriminatory toward anyone's beliefs, but instead to ensure that people who I recommend to a medical school or a professional school or a graduate school in the biomedical sciences are scientists," he said. "I think science and religion address very different types of questions, and they shouldn't overlap."

Dr. Dini, who said he had no intention of changing his policy, declined to address the question of his own faith. But university officials and several students who support him say he is a religious man.

"He's a devout Catholic," said Greg Rogers, 36, a pre-med student from Lubbock. "He's mentioned it in discussion groups."

Mr. Rogers, who returned to college for a second degree and who said his beliefs aligned with Dr. Dini's, added: "I believe in God and evolution. I believe that evolution was the tool that brought us about. To deny the theory of evolution is, to me, like denying the law of gravity. In science, a theory is about as close to a fact as you can get."

Another student, Brent Lawlis, 21, from Midland, Tex., said he hoped to become an orthopedic surgeon and had had no trouble obtaining a letter of recommendation from Dr. Dini. "I'm a Christian, but there's too much biological evidence to throw out evolution," he said.

But other students waiting to enter classes Friday morning said they felt that Dr. Dini had stepped over the line. "Just because someone believes in creationism doesn't mean he shouldn't give them a recommendation," said Lindsay Otoski, 20, a sophomore from Albuquerque who is studying nursing. "It's not fair."

On Jan. 21, Jeremiah Glassman, chief of the Department of Justice's civil rights division, told the university's general counsel, Dale Pat Campbell, that his office was looking into the complaint, and asked for copies of the university's policies on letters of recommendation.

David R. Smith, the Texas Tech chancellor, said on Friday afternoon that the university, a state institution with almost 30,000 students and an operating budget of $845 million, had no such policy and preferred to leave such matters to professors.

In a letter released by his office, Dr. Smith noted that there were 38 other faculty members who could have issued Mr. Spradling a letter of recommendation, had he taken their classes. "I suspect there are a number of them who can and do provide letters of recommendation to students regardless of their ability to articulate a scientific answer to the origin of the human species," Dr. Smith wrote.

Members of the Liberty Legal Institute, who specialize in litigating what they call religious freedom cases, said their complaint was a matter of principle.

"There's no problem with Dr. Dini saying you have to understand evolution and you have to be able to describe it in detail," said Kelly Shackelford, the group's chief counsel, "but you can't tell students that they have to hold the same personal belief that you do."

Mr. Shackelford said that he would await the outcome of the Justice Department investigation but that the next step would probably be to file a suit against the university.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Exactly how is this student prevented from challenging evolutionary theory. He may publish his ideas if he so wishes. However, he must meet normal scientific standards whatever his religion. He seems to be claiming an entitlement to a letter from this professor (whose class he didn't take) for religious reasons.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for your post!

This isn't the article. The student seems not to even have asked for a letter.

I'm not sure of the particulars of the complaint. But there have been several articles with bits and pieces. The Associated Press article for instance discloses:

The Department of Justice asked Texas Tech in Jan. 21 letter to respond to the allegations, university officials said....

The legal complaint began with Texas Tech student Micah Spradling, who withdrew from Dini's class and the university in the fall and enrolled at Lubbock Christian University after learning about Dini's policy.

Spradling, 22, wants to become a physician and said he needed a letter of recommendation from a biology professor but, as a creationist, he said he couldn't "sit there and truthfully say I believe in human evolution." ...

Spradling re-enrolled at Texas Tech this semester, after obtaining a recommendation letter at the other school.

The issue is whether or not religious discrimination has occurred, not whether the student even said hello to the professor much less attempted to get a letter from him. If the practice is discrimination based on religion, it is illegal under federal law per se

[Doctor Stochastic]

For another, an atheist who has so little regard for human life that he thinks of it as just a little more advanced than a mouse should not be allowed to make life and death decisions.

So, do you believe that a student who is an atheist should be denied entrance to medical school?

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for your post!

The student doesn't have a "right" to a letter of recommendation.

I have repeatedly explained on this thread that the right has to do with not being discriminated against based on race, gender, age, religion, etc. It does not have to do with a “right” to a letter. That is a total fabrication. It is not a right. Please see my post to Nebullis at 395

The a) and c) points are contained in this paragraph I posted at 329

If a) Dini is not being paid by government funds and, b) if Dini's job description does not include writing letters of recommendation and, c) if Texas Tech is not receiving any government funds, and d) if letters of recommendation are not required for medical school - then the student's case will not prevail in civil court.

If either a) or c) are true then the government has a substantial interest in protecting the student's rights under the Constitution. If any of these are true, the student has good cause.

Again, if government money is being used in the act of violating a citizen's constitutional rights, then the government has a substantial interest. This involves the government as party to the illegal conduct. They cannot just ignore it!

[JavaTheHutt]

You err when you call it a religious belief.

I disagree. There is absolutely zero proof that evolutionary theory is correct. In all the years that this theory has been floating around, nobody has produced evidence to prove it. To continue to believe in evolution without any evidence is a matter of faith. Some people are so overzealous in their extreme faith in evolution that it could easily be considered a religion.

[Nebullis]

Whatever happened to the creationist argument that evolution is false for scientific reasons, not for religious reasons?

[gore3000]

Can any one honestly claim that the back and knee, for example, were 'intelligently' designed?

And why not? They are an important part of a human being, a well organized, complex and thoroughly interrelated organism. In fact it is the advocates of evolution who apply reductionism to every question that are the failures in medicinal science. It is the interrelatedness of functions that is essential for the understanding of the ailments of human beings.

[Doctor Stochastic]

That argument doesn't seem to have occurred to the Liberty Legal Institute or to Michael Spalding. And just to pour gasoline on the fire: is Michael Spalding a descendent of Solomon Spalding? (Or is he one of the golf ball Spaldings?)

I'm not sure that either Spalding or the LLI has standing to file a complaint.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Ignore the last parts of the comment. I read the student's name incorrectly. (Us dislexics are untied in this.)

[gore3000]

For another, an atheist who has so little regard for human life that he thinks of it as just a little more advanced than a mouse should not be allowed to make life and death decisions.-me-

So, do you believe that a student who is an atheist should be denied entrance to medical school?

No, I did not say that and my full post shows it:

There is no reason why someone should be an atheist in order to practice medicine. In fact, the opposite should be the case. For one thing it has been scientifically proven that faith heals. For another, an atheist who has so little regard for human life that he thinks of it as just a little more advanced than a mouse should not be allowed to make life and death decisions.

What I am saying is that if one is going to forbid someone to become a doctor based on religion, it is the atheist not the Christian that should be the one to be forbidden from becoming a doctor. And unlike the evolutionists I give valid reasons for my position. Also unlike evolutionists, I do not believe in discriminating against people due to ideology, or religion. I believe in persuading, not forcing people to my views.

[gore3000]

Whatever happened to the creationist argument that evolution is false for scientific reasons, not for religious reasons?

No one is saying that evolution is science in the first place. That is another argument against professor Dini. He obviously, being as biased as he is, is not presenting the whole truth to his students.

[bondserv]

The Bible and the Value of "PI"
Does the Bible contain a mathematical error?

I Kings 7:23–26 and II Chronicles 4:2–5 describe a huge brass bowl built by King Solomon. If the diameter of this bowl was 10 cubits, then the circumference should have been 31.415926...cubits, not just 30 cubits! Any math student will tell you that the circumference of a circle is found by taking the diameter times Pi (3..141592653589793...). This apparent mathematical error caused me, as a new Christian, to doubt the accuracy of the Bible.

The answer is so simple!

The diameter of 10 cubits is from outer rim to outer rim, the way anyone would measure a circular object. The circumference of 30 cubits, however, was of the inner circle, after subtracting the thickness of the brass (two handbreadths—one for each side) from which the bowl was made. This would be the number needed to calculate the volume of water.

Check for yourself.

Substitute the length of your cubit (elbow to longest fingertip) for the letter C in the following formula, and solve for H.

30C / p + 2H = 10C

The width of your handbreadth will be the result. For example, my cubit is 20 inches long. If I had built the brass bowl, the outer diameter would have a circumference of 600 inches (30 x 20 inches) and a diameter of 190.986 inches (600 inches / 3.14159). The difference between the two diameters is 9.014 inches (two of my handbreadths).

Rest assured God makes no mistakes, mathematical or otherwise. The Scriptures do not contain error. By the way, Solomon built this sea in 1000 B.C., long before the Greeks rediscovered Pi (p). We may not understand some things at first glance, but the problem is with us, not with the Bible. Please be sure you are on the solid foundation of God’s Word, saved by the blood of Christ.

www.drdino.com

[Dan Day]

If it were taken as a matter of fact, Darwinists would have no problem with a bunch of 'dopey' creationists challenging it.

"Challenging" it *how*, exactly?

I have no problem with someone challenging it by publishing opposing hypotheses or data in peer-reviewed journals, for example, but I sure as hell have a problem with them "challenging" it by trying to get it banned in school (and yes, that still happens).

For some reason, however, they don't seem willing to have an open debate on the issue...

I'm always willing to have an open debate on the issue. So don't tell fibs. Or do you have something else in mind when you say "open debate"?

[Alamo-Girl]

I'm not sure that either Spalding or the LLI has standing to file a complaint.

Er, in criminal cases it is the government which has legal standing to bring the case in federal court (e.g. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. John Doe.) The offense is to the rule of law.

The complainant only has to show probable cause (usually to law enforcement, but possibly directly to the DOJ). The prosecutor investigates and if he agrees, then he presents to a grand jury which hands down the indictment.

A federal civil matter may also be titled UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. John Doe. Again, the reasoning is that the offense is to the rule of law.

Legal standing for the student is relevant should he bring a civil suit against the professor and the university. At the end of the article, the law firm mentioned it will not file a lawsuit until seeing what the DOJ does.

[Doctor Stochastic]

In that case, you will note that the student was not denied a letter of recommendation nor would his religion have entered into the question had he in fact asked for such a recommendation.

[DaGman]

"No one is saying that evolution is science in the first place."

HELLO! Evolution is science.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I made no claim about biblical estimates of pi. Only that the value 3 is exact for a hexagon.

[Alamo-Girl]

nor would his religion have entered into the question had he in fact asked for such a recommendation.

Er, from Dini's website (emphasis mine):

Good medicine, like good biology, is based on the collection and evaluation of physical evidence. So much physical evidence supports the evolution of humans from non-human ancestors that one can validly refer to the "fact" of human evolution, even if all of the details are not yet known. One can deny this evidence only at the risk of calling into question one’s understanding of science and of the method of science. Such an individual has committed malpractice regarding the method of science, for good scientists would never throw out data that do not conform to their expectations or beliefs. This is the situation of those who deny the evolution of humans; such a one is throwing out information because it seems to contradict his/her cherished beliefs. Can a physician ignore data that s/he does not like and remain a physician for long? No. If modern medicine is based on the method of science, then how can someone who denies the theory of evolution -- the very pinnacle of modern biological science -- ask to be recommended into a scientific profession by a professional scientist?

[RightOnline]

""He's a devout Catholic," said Greg Rogers, 36, a pre-med student from Lubbock. "He's mentioned it in discussion groups.""

Bulls**t. If you profess to be a believer, then you either believe.........or you don't. This guy wants it both ways, like too many other self-proclaimed "Christians" these days.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Exactly. Nowhere is religion mentioned.