William A. Dembski : biography
In September 2007, the SWBTS hosted a conference on ‘Intelligent Design in Business Practice’, presented by Dembski, Acton Institute theologian Jay Richards, and three business academics presently or formerly teaching at universities in the Southern United States.See "What’s new" http://www.religionlink.com/tip_071008.php
Mims–Pianka controversy
On April 2, 2006, Dembski stated on his blog that he reported Eric Pianka to the Department of Homeland Security because he and fellow Discovery Institute Fellow Forrest Mims felt that Pianka’s speech while accepting the Texas Academy of Sciences Distinguished Scientist of the Year Award in 2006 fomented bioterrorism., William Dembski This resulted in the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewing Pianka in Austin. On April 5 Dembski wagered that Pianka’s popularity would drop if the full text of his speech to the Texas Academy of Sciences was made public. William Dembski. Uncommon Descent.
Baylor Evolutionary Informatics Lab controversy
Subsequently in July and August 2007, Dembski played a central role in the formation of the Evolutionary Informatics Lab (EIL), formed by Baylor University Engineering Professor Robert J. Marks II. According to Baylor administration, the EIL website hosted at Baylor was deleted because it violated university policy forbidding professors from creating the impression that their personal views represent Baylor as an institution. Dembski says the website was removed because it dealt with intelligent design. William A. Dembski, "FIRST-PERSON: Vindication for I.D. at Baylor?," Baptist Press, May 6, 2010 Baylor said they would permit Marks to repost his website on their server, provided a 108 word disclaimer Mark Bergin, "Baylor’s treatment of an ID-advancing research lab has shifted from friendly to fire," September 14, 2007. accompany any intelligent design-advancing research to make clear that the work does not represent the university’s position., Evolution News & Views, Discovery Institute, Mark Bergin, World MagazineBaylor U. Removes a Web Page Associated With Intelligent Design From Its Site by Elizabeth F. Farrell. Chronicle of Higher Education, Sept. 4, 2007. subscription access The site The Evolutionary Informatics Lab. now resides on a third-party server and still contains the material advancing intelligent design. Dembski’s participation was funded by a $30,000 grant from the Lifeworks Foundation, which is controlled by researcher Brendan Dixon of the Biologic Institute (which has close ties to the Discovery Institute).
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary flood controversy
While serving as a professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dembski wrote The End of Christianity (2009), which argued that a Christian can reconcile an old earth creationist view with a literal reading of Adam and Eve in the Bible by accepting the scientific consensus of a 4.5 billion year of Earth."The young earth-solution to reconciling the order of creation with natural history makes good exegetical and theological sense. Indeed, the overwhelming consensus of theologians up through the Reformation held to this view. I myself would adopt it in a heartbeat except that nature seems to present such strong evidence against it." in William Dembski, The End of Christianity (B&H Academic, 2009) He further wrote that "Noah’s flood likely was limited to the Middle East rather than being global in scope."David Roach, "," Florida Baptist Witness Oct 20, 2010 This caused controversy and Dembski’s reading of the Bible was criticized by Tom Nettles, a young Earth creationist, in The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, Southern Seminary’s official theological journal.Tom Nettles, "," Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 13.4 (2009): 80–85 In 2010, Southwestern’s School of Theology Dean, "released a White Paper through the seminary’s Center for Theological Research defending Dembski as within the bounds of orthodoxy and critiquing Nettles for misunderstanding the book. The paper included Dembski’s statement admitting error regarding Noah’s flood."David L. Allen, A Reply to Tom Nettles Review of William A. Dembski’s The End of Christianity: Finding a Good God in an Evil World (The Center for Theological Research, February 2010)(Preamble by Dr. Paige Patterson) Southwestern Seminary president Paige Patterson, a young Earth creationist, "said that when Dembski’s questionable statements came to light, he convened a meeting with Dembski and several high-ranking administrators at the seminary. At that meeting, Dembski was quick to admit that he was wrong about the flood. "Had I had any inkling that Dr. Dembski was actually denying the absolute trustworthiness of the Bible, then that would have, of course, ended his relationship with the school,” he said."
