Panel lauds creationism
By SALLY HODGKINSON
Of th* EmtnM
Citizens who advocate that
scientific creationism be
taught with evolution in public
schools should start at the
beginning — the local school
board, agreed a panel of crea
tionist experts Friday night
The panel, held at the cam
pus Koinoma Center was part
of a statewide summit con
ference' on scientific crea
tionism sponsored by the
Eugene-based Citizens
Recommending Educational
Alternatives to Evolutionary
Doctrine
Although all five panelists
are Christians, they down
played the religious aspects of
creationism and emphasized
scientific arguments
"When we re dealing with
scientific creationism we re
not dealing with religion, said
Tom Kindell, a resource
specialist tor the Oregon Moral
Majority
"I can't look at my car and
determine who the mechanics
were who put it together
but I can say there was an
intelligent designer behind
it." he said
One hurdle to the educa
tional endorsement of scien
tific creationism is that some
times creationist advocates
don't even know what they re
talking about Kindeli said
All they know is that it
sounds good It's important to
know what you believe and be
able to discuss it intelligently "
Photo by Bin W»ck
Panelists Roll Hemmerick and Dean Griffeth. along with three
other panelists, spoke in favor of scientific creationism Friday at
the Kotnonia Center
Creationism is a strong
scientific theory that can hold
its own against evolution said
Ken Evans, a science teacher
tor Rex Putnam High School
near Milwaukie
"If what we believe can't
stand up against opposing
views it doesn't deserve to be
taught," Evans said adding
that he would "fight to the
death" for everyone s right to
express their views
But evolution and creation
ism are theories that can't be
proven scientifically because
they both come down to philo
sophical questions about how
life began Evans said
You don't prove a world
view you choose it Evans
said There s definite
religious undertones on both
sides Kindeli agreed
Evans said most students in
his high school biology class
are hostile to creationism
because they ve been taught
that evolution is the truth
"We just need equal oppor
tunity not equal time," Evans
said adding that students
should be exposed to both
views and be allowed to
decide which theory the facts
support best
Creationists generally are
limiting their fight to elemen
tary and secondary schools
and leaving state-funded un
iversities and colleges alone
Kindell said
"If you attack the problem at
its root, the university will take
care of itseff
Kindell advocated a 1982 ini
tiative referendum on crea
tionism saying the studies
show a that 70 to 80 percent of
the public favor teaching both
evolution and scientific crea
tionism in public schools
Weaver offers plan
for Watt’s removal
By STEVE KNIGHT
CH thm Enwratd
Oregon Congressman Jim
Weaver is petitioning the U S
House ot Representatives with a
plan he believes will help save
the West from environmental
degradation
Weaver wants Interior Secre
tary James Watt replaced
In a news release last week
Weaver accused Watt of trying
to destroy "our environmental
heritage" by "using the
mandate President Reagan
received as an excuse to gut the
land and ruin ou« air and water "
Weaver currently is circulat
ing a congressional petition on
Capitol Hill urging Reagan to
fire Watt Twelve congressmen
have signed the petition,
including Oregon Rep Ron
Wyden
As Interior Secretary. Watt is
responsible for the man
agement of millions of acres of
public land which in the West is
mostly national park and Bu
reau of Land Management
lands
Dave Dix, Weaver s press
aide says one of the mam rea
sons behind the petition drive is
Weaver s concern over Watt s
renewed interest in a primi
tive mining practice which li
terally blows the top off a
mountain to reach the minerals
inside
The Rocky Mountains would
be destroyed in a generation if
this mining technique is used
Dix says
Dix says Weaver also is dis
turbed over Watt s recent deci
sion to lease Northern California
off-shore waters to oil compan
ies tor drilling
Geological studies have
shown no more than 12 days of
oil off the California coast, Dix
says
• Those (off-shore) leases
shocked industry people as well
as environmentalists There s
plenty of leases available on
land — it's not like we ve run out
of oil on land and now are
forced to drill off the coast of
California '
Dix says an oil spill, coupled
with northbound winds and
currents could rum Oregon s
fishing and tourist industry
Dix admits, though, that
Weaver's anti-Watt campaign
can't, in itself, keep the 20-story
oil platforms out of California
waters or force Watt out of his
appointed position
But what the petition can do
is send a message to Reagan
telling him clearly that people
didn t vote to have the environ
mental movement's gains over
the past two decades destroyed
overnight Dix says
And if Reagan doesn't get the
message a bill recently in
troduced by Weaver might force
the president and Watt to
reconsider the oil leases
Weaver s bill — The National
Security and Gas Reserve Act —
would set aside areas such as
the waters off the coast of
California for emergency and
national security purposes Dix
explains
1
Sound on
SALE!
For a limited time only
you can get your
favorite sounds for less!
Bob Seger
Bruce Springsteen
Chuck Mangione
Pat Travers
Pat Benatar
John Lennon
Van Halen
Al Stewart
Doobie Brothers
Dan Fogelberg
Kenny Rogers
Joni Mitchell
Boz Scaggs
Willie Nelson
Steve Winwood
Pure Prairie League
Earth Wind and Fire
The Clash
Sale Ends July 17
Prices from $2.99