Subject: [Fwd: UUs]

From: "R.Stephens" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 09 Dec 2006 00:17:52 +0000

More from the clergy letter:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	UUs
Date: 	Fri, 8 Dec 2006 09:49:15 -0600
From: 	Paul Beckel <[email-masked]>
To: 	<[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, "Mary 
Detweiler" <[email-masked]>

I'm happy to continue working with you all on Darwin Day and I very much 
appreciate your efforts.
 
As you continue, here's a detail you should understand about many of the 
congregations who support Darwin Day, and who identify themselves as 
Unitarian Universalist: we are not a Christian denomination.
 
I am happy tho to be a part of your interfaith efforts.
 
Many thanks!
Rev. Paul Beckel
First Universalist Unitarian Church
Wauau WI

    ----- Original Message -----
    *From:* Mary Detweiler <mailto:[email-masked]>
    *To:* [email-masked] <mailto:[email-masked]>
    *Sent:* Thursday, December 07, 2006 3:25 PM
    *Subject:* Evolution Sunday February 2007

    The Rev. Paul Beckel

    First Universalist Unitarian Church
    Wausau, WI

    [email-masked] <mailto:[email-masked]>

    Dear Rev. Beckel:

    We are contacting you because you were one of the faith leaders who
    answered Dr. Michael Zimmerman and the Clergy Letter Project?s call
    to support ?Evolution Sunday.?  Many of you participated by
    preaching sermons explaining the harmony between Christianity and
    evolutionary science.  Your public stance in favor of good science
    was an important example for all Americans.

    We, the Alliance for Science, are writing you to offer our support
    and assistance in the observation on February 11, 2007 of ?Evolution
    Sunday, 2007.?  We feel that your participation and continuing
    support are vital.  Today, as the highly visible court cases fade
    from view, the confusion and untruths spread by the anti-evolution
    forces continue to grow and pervade our society, and we need your
    help more than ever..

             The Alliance for Science is an organization composed of
    scientists, science teachers and non-scientists of all faiths and
    creeds.   The mission of the organization is to heighten public
    understanding and support for science and to preserve the
    distinctions between science and religion in the public sphere. We
    bring together scientists, teachers and people interested in science
    with the many religious bodies that have found no conflict between
    religion and science. Together we work to reawaken America?s love of
    science, and to restore our competitive edge in science and technology.

    The members of the Alliance for Science and its affiliated groups
    are offering our help to you and your congregations in the
    exploration of the boundaries between faith and science.  We are
    willing to participate in adult education classes, seminars, and
    ?teach-ins.? We are also contacting scientific societies to inform
    them that ?Evolution Sunday 2007? will be observed on February 11
    and asking them to educate their members about this event. We hope
    many scientists and science teachers will contact their own and
    local clergy to offer to lead discussions and classes.

    In addition, organizations such as the American Association for the
    Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Academies of Science
    have developed background and educational materials that are
    available for your use. One such resource is AAAS?s /The Evolution
    Dialogues: Science, Christianity, and the Quest for Understanding. 
    /This book describes the historical relationship between
    Christianity and evolution along with the science of evolution and
    the nature of science, and is accompanied by a study guide designed
    to guide church group discussions.

    The members of the Alliance for Science will be glad to discuss any
    ideas you may have, as well as support your efforts by supplying
    written or personal resources. Please consider adding ?Evolution
    Sunday 2007? activities to your church?s schedule for February, and
    feel free to contact us with any requests for information or support.

    Visit www.evolutionsunday.org <http://www.evolutionsunday.org/> for
    information about Evolution Sunday and to sign up.

    We look forward to working with you on the important event.

    Sincerely,

    Dr. Irving W. Wainer, PhD, Dr. Hon. Causa

    Chair, The Alliance for Science, [email-masked]
    <mailto:[email-masked]>

    /A supporting letter from Dr. Robert J. Stephens, President, Darwin
    Day Celebration, follows:/

    Darwin Day Celebration

    AN INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF SCIENCE AND HUMANITY

    2682 Middlefield Rd., Suite P, Redwood City, CA  94063-3467  l 
    [email-masked]  l  650-701-1948

    Dear Supporters of the ?Clergy Letter Project?,

    Greetings, and congratulations to all who participated in the Clergy
    Letter Project and Evolution Sunday on February 12, 2006.  We look
    forward to many additional participants in 2007!

    Darwin Day was pleased to coordinate its /International Recognition
    of Science and Humanity/, with the Clergy Letter Project initiated
    by Dr. Michael Zimmerman in 2006 and we will be participating again
    in 2007.  Darwin Day Celebrations take place each year on, or near
    February 12, Charles Darwin?s birthday and many institutions have
    become a part of this tradition --- they include universities,
    colleges, museums, churches, and libraries, as well as private
    groups --- and they are currently planning for 2007.  It is our hope
    that the supporters of the Clergy Project will continue to hold
    /Evolution Sunday/ in their churches of differing traditions each
    year and become a part of the GLOBAL CELEBRATION for Darwin?s
    bicentennial birthday in 2009!

    It must be clear to all of us that it serves no one?s interest for
    the American public to remain mislead about science in the 21^st
    century, so it's heartening to have so many of the clergy willing to
    use their influence to educate their parishioners informally about
    the central role of evolution in science today.  Darwin Day
    Celebration was founded in the year 2000 on the premise that
    *science, like music**,* is an international language that speaks to
    all people in very similar ways.  While music is both intellectual
    and entertaining, science is our* **most reliable knowledge
    system**.*  Science has been, and continues to be, acquired through
    human curiosity and ingenuity.  Because of Charles Darwin?s central
    role in discovering the theory of evolution and from subsequent
    research that confirms his theory, we have concluded that he is a
    worthy symbol on which to focus, in order to build a Global
    Celebration of Science and Humanity that is intended to promote a
    common bond among all people of the earth.

    The dual mission of Darwin Day Celebration is to /*promote public
    education about science*/ and in addition /*to encourage the
    celebration of Science and Humanity*/ throughout the global community.

    Darwin Day is pleased to join /The Alliance for Science/ and the/
    Clergy Letter Project/ in a common effort to provide the American
    public multiple opportunities to learn the true nature of science! 
    We look forward to working with you in coming years and, in
    addition, you may find the information on our website helpful to you
    as you prepare for Evolution Sunday.

    Sincerely yours,

    Robert J. ("Bob") Stephens, Ph.D.         

    President, Darwin Day Celebration, a 501(c)(3) non-profit,
    tax-deductible corp.

    Website: http://www.darwinday.org <http://www.darwinday.org/>

    Email: [email-masked] <mailto:[email-masked]>