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Path: utzoo!utgpu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!ukc!mucs!logitek!grep!frank
From: frank@grep.co.uk (Frank Wales)
Newsgroups: alt.censorship,alt.atheism,sci.electronics,talk.religion.misc,alt.activism,sci.bio
Subject: Re: Forrest Mimms fired by Scientific American
Message-ID: <1991Mar08.102619.27139@grep.co.uk>
Date: 8 Mar 91 10:26:19 GMT
References: <17200@sdcc6.ucsd.edu> <5472@tellab5.tellabs.com>
Reply-To: frank@grep.co.uk (Frank Wales)
Organization: Grep Limited, LEEDS, UK
Lines: 23


In article <5472@tellab5.tellabs.com> pauls@tellabs.com (Paul Silver) writes:
>Scientific American fired Forrest Mimms because having someone who
>believed in creationism as a member of their staff would cause the
>magazine to lose its reputation.

Quite the contrary, IMHO.

>I can see where this would be true.
>Would you read a book on, say, quantum mechanics, which contained
>contributions from the witch doctor of some Amazonian Indian tribe?
>Probably not.

Speak for yourself; that way lies closed-mindedness.

Ideas shouldn't be judged according to their creators; many of the greatest
contributors to science were also religious, but that doesn't mean that we
disregard their work; the science is not the scientist.  We should be
sceptical, but not pre-judgemental.  Any publication with the word
"scientific" in its name should appreciate and uphold this ideal.
--
Frank Wales, Grep Limited,             [frank@grep.co.uk<->uunet!grep!frank]
Kirkfields Business Centre, Kirk Lane, LEEDS, UK, LS19 7LX. (+44) 532 500303