This month's Jewish Action, an official publication of the OU, features a series of articles on the evolution vs. ID debate, including articles by Gerald Schroeder and Nathan Aviezer. A couple of thoughts:
1. Why now? This was news in December, when the Dover school board decision was handed down. Perhaps its was in response to the Slifkin book? Neither his book nor his name is mentioned in any of the articles. These articles have nothing to do with Slifkin. Maybe it is a response to the Jewish Observer articles discussed here? Again, neither those articles, nor the attack on the OU's sister institution, the RCA, contained in those articles, are addressed.
2. While I would have liked to see the OU stand up for itself against the JO -- after all, the JO articles visciously attacked the RCA and Slifkin, whose book was the subject of a glowing introduction by the OU's leading figure, R' Weinreb -- the contrast with the JO pieces is stark. Not one mean-spirited word, personal attack, or misleading, out of context quote.
3. Why is Slifkin completely ignored? His views on evolution are certainly the most newsworthy. His recent book is probably the most comprehensive statement of all of the different views of the matter, including those of Avioezer's and Schroeder, both of whom he rejects. It would have been nice to see Aviezer or Schroeder respond to Slifkin's critique, or at least address Slifkin's approach. Slifkin is like the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about. It would also have been nice to see some dialogue between Aviezer or Schroeder, each of whom take opposite approaches to ID. Yet each of their articles are written in a complete vacuum as if the other didn't exist.
Well, that's it for me for now, DB. Here are the keys. Thanks. It was fun while it lasted. And the dent on the fender wasn't my fault.
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