HAVE YOU WONDERED how the Louisiana legislature could have been so spectacularly bone-headed when they overwhelmingly passed their anti-evolution law? We’ve been wondering too, and we’ve found a piece of the puzzle.
From The Town Talk, which describes itself as “Serving Alexandria, Pineville, and Central Louisiana,” we have Origins of life education law prompts debate. Here are some excerpts, with bold added for emphasis:
Educators say the Louisiana Science Education Act will have no initial impact on Rapides Parish students, although opponents say it opens the door to teach religion and creationism in public school classrooms.
Fine, then they tell about the factions on both sides. Very journalistic. But this got our attention:
Louisiana College’s Wade Warren, assistant dean of the college and associate professor of biology, supports the law.
He said he thinks people who are upset by the bill have not read it. Warren said opponents argue that the new law pushes intelligent design and creationism into the classroom, and it doesn’t.
The professor at the private Baptist college in Pineville said he liked the bill because it allows teachers to teach current science information in a field that moves fast.
Really? He’s an “associate professor of biology” and he actually liked the bill? So we checked out Louisiana College in Pineville, La. That’s located where the newspaper we’re quoting from is also located, so we see a natural affinity here. When we click on About LC we learn that the degrees offered are: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Social Work, Bachelor of General Studies. Fine. Not every school offers graduate-level science degrees. We also learn:
Louisiana College is a private, Baptist coeducational college of liberal arts and sciences with selected professional programs.
Also fine. This is America. From there we click on Identity & Mission, where we read this:
The mission of Louisiana College is to provide a liberal arts education characterized by academic excellence, a commitment to the preeminence of the Lord Jesus, an allegiance to the authority of the Holy Scriptures, and a passion for changing the world for Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
[skip]
The Holy Bible is truth without any mixture of error. The college seeks to view all areas of knowledge from a distinctively Christian perspective and integrate Biblical truth thoroughly with each academic discipline.
Well, this too is fine. That’s how they like it and it’s up to them. But we noted above that they offer a degree they call “Bachelor of Science.” What is that? We have to wonder, given the scriptural orientation of Louisiana College, whether the biology they teach is essentially “creation science.”
They tell us more here: Division of Natural Sciences. We learn that Dr. Wade Warren, the man quoted above, is indeed the Coordinator, Department of Biology; Assistant Professor of Biology, and that department has three other members besides Dr. Warren.
So we keep digging. We click on a link to a pdf file named Major and Minor Requirements and Course Descriptions for the Department of Biology. It’s eight pages long, and a search on either “evolution” or “Darwin” produces no hits. “Natural selection” gets two hits. Once in a course on “Cell Function and Plant Diversity,” and another in a course on “Ecological Interactions and Animal Diversity.” Neither course seems to specifically teach the theory of evolution, but it’s difficult to judge without knowing the textbooks they use.
So we read the whole eight-page document. There are some apparently detailed courses, but we don’t see anything that suggests they teach the theory of evolution. Unless we learn otherwise, we strongly suspect that they don’t teach anything that might contradict Genesis.
Why, you are wondering, is the Curmudgeon spending his time exploring the biology curriculum of a small (1,056 students) Baptist college in Louisiana? It’s because the story we’re discussing tells us this:
[Dr. Wade] Warren was among three LC professors who testified in Baton Rouge on the [creationism-friendly] bill.
Whoa! Three legislative witnesses from one Baptist college? Yes, and the legislature apparently knew just what was going on. The newspaper story continues:
While there [testifying in Baton Rouge], he [Wade Warren] said some in the science community testified after the LC professors that there was no controversy about evolution.
But a senator pointed out that there was controversy just in the room among the science educators.
Yes, the presence of “science educators” from a bible-based college will certainly do that. The article goes on about what Wade Warren told the legislature:
“Not all evidence does that [support Darwinism],” Warren said.
He said he sees where teachers would be fearful to bring up evidence that does not support the Darwin model.
Warren said he does not understand why some in the science community are upset with the bill.
“I don’t know what they are afraid of,” he said.
So there you have it, Curmudgeon fans. The Louisiana legislature loaded up the hearings on their new “science” bill with testimony from such as Wade Warren. Now you know.
The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
Odd how Prof. Warren’s bio info on the Louisiana College’s Faculty web site gives his degrees (BS and PhD) and the institutions from which he earned them (Louisiana College, Texas A&M), but omits the subjects in which his degrees were awarded.
Hmmmm…..
More details: His PhD degree is in “Chronobiology,” and appears to have authored perhaps 5 published papers, based on a Google Scholar search using his name.
Curiously, the last paper he authored appears to have been published in 1998…..
It is left as an exercise for the reader to decide what if any research Prof. Warren does at Louisiana College.
Thanks for the info. Chronobiology sounds like Noah’s Ark stuff, but it appears to be real topic. Wikipedia has an article on it: Chronobiology. So maybe Dr. Warren is an old-earth creationist.
Hi! I’m a graduate of LC and would like to help address the concerns, as expressed above, over whether Louisiana College is teaching good science and graduating good scientists, or simply handing degrees to every home-schooled creationist hillbilly that can scrounge together the money for four-years (ever rising) tuition. I would like to provide information on Dr. Warren’s current status as a laboratory researcher, the science text-books used at LC and the relative success or failure of recent LC students in the scientific world, and would like to answer that very important question; is evolution being taught at Louisiana College. I’m afraid my analysis is a bit lengthy, so I’d like to ask the author’s permission before posting the next comment. May I? I’ll understand if none of you want to hear any of it, Confirmation bias being what it is.
Your post was a setup for martyrdom, as all you needed to do was give us a simple link to Dr. Warren’s published research, and maybe a list of the texts used in his classes.
I’m sure that many LC graduates succeed in later life, and we don’t require details of that. What I’d like to see is Dr. Warren’s evidence that doesn’t support Darwin. He testified under oath that it exists. Where is it? Surely a fine man like that wouldn’t lie under oath.
If he’s not a creationist, why did he sound like one when he performed for the legislature?
Dear Curmudgeon and readers, a few quotes from the above essay, and ensuing comments.
“But we noted above that they offer a degree they call “Bachelor of Science.” What is that? We have to wonder, given the scriptural orientation of Louisiana College, whether the biology they teach is essentially “creation science.””
“Neither course seems to specifically teach the theory of evolution, but it’s difficult to judge without knowing the textbooks they use.”
“There are some apparently detailed courses, but we don’t see anything that suggests they teach the theory of evolution. Unless we learn otherwise, we strongly suspect that they don’t teach anything that might contradict Genesis.”
“But a senator pointed out that there was controversy just in the room among the science educators.”
Yes, the presence of “science educators” from a bible-based college will certainly do that. ”
“Odd how Prof. Warren’s bio info on the Louisiana College’s Faculty web site gives his degrees (BS and PhD) and the institutions from which he earned them (Louisiana College, Texas A&M), but omits the subjects in which his degrees were awarded.
Hmmmm…..”
“Curiously, the last paper he authored appears to have been published in 1998…..
It is left as an exercise for the reader to decide what if any research Prof. Warren does at Louisiana College.”
“Thanks for the info. Chronobiology sounds like Noah’s Ark stuff, but it appears to be real topic. Wikipedia has an article on it: Chronobiology. So maybe Dr. Warren is an old-earth creationist.”
Over and over again, the same idea appears; “we have to wonder,” “it is difficult to judge,” “Unless we learn otherwise.” The above essay is filled with statements that, if taken in earnest, seem to be requests for information. You even ask and answer the question on our minds;
“Why, you are wondering, is the Curmudgeon spending his time exploring the biology curriculum of a small (1,056 students) Baptist college in Louisiana?”
And yet, when I offer to provide detailed information on LC, its science textbooks, whether or not its students are learning their Darwin, and if they are or are not doing well in medical school and graduate school and research labs and other places well outside of any possible creationist bubble, you change tones. Don’t claim that you did not, just go back and look at your last comment.
“I’m sure that many LC graduates succeed in later life, and we don’t require details of that. What I’d like to see is Dr. Warren’s evidence that doesn’t support Darwin. He testified under oath that it exists. Where is it? Surely a fine man like that wouldn’t lie under oath.”
We have made an issue out of a small baptist college not teaching science properly, and yet having its science faculty testify under the guise of ‘science educators.’ We have made it seem like the school has a creationist/ID science department, and have cast doubt on whether it is teaching evolution at all by claiming that we can assume it doesn’t until we learn otherwise. And yet, when someone with recent experience offers to provide such information, we claim that what we really want is evidence against evolution, not information about the little baptist college.
So, I ask you the question; is this the sort of blog dedicated to making the most reasoned and educated analysis possible? The type that doesn’t mind if one or two or most of its theories or arguments fall through in light of new data, knowing that this is the very heart of scientific and intellectual inquiry? The type that can stand strong and march forward whether three individuals from a small college in Pineville, Louisiana teach science well or not?
or
Is it the type that exists solely to string together one after the other of fruitless, misleading arguments? The type that cannot stand to be contradicted on even the smallest point, for fear of the whole grand illusion crashing down around them? The type that is always pointing away from the current issue toward something more nebulous, in hopes of evading that most embarrassing of internet dooms; that of having to admit to even a tiny mistake, and then move on.
It seems to me that you have a choice. Will you let Morton’s Demon control you forever?
Let me take back the last few questions. I’ve just browsed over a few of the “Curmudgeon’s Best” articles. I had thought that this blog was a sincere attempt at providing analysis of current scientific issues. I didn’t realize that it was nothing more than an avenue for you to vent your frustrations at creationists and christians through unrelenting insult and unreasonable blanket statements. We all need the opportunity to vent from time to time; I am sorry for having misunderstood your motives in posting these articles. Please continue to have a good time; I hope it makes you feel better.
And yet another indignant warrior for TRVTH sacrifices himself in the Lake of Fire surrounding the Curmudgeon’s Palace ….
1chapelcredit, you could have provided links to Dr. Warren’s published research, and even a brief precis thereof, in far less space than you have used in seeking martyrdom. Even a comprehensive list of textbooks used in the Biology classes would have taken far less time and space than you have used, and been more germane.
Evidence advances discussion and understanding; ‘witnessing’ does not.
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The kind of science taught by L.C. is the kind that has it first in the state of Louisiana in gaining its student’s access to medical school, gained it two guaranteed spots at Tulane medical schools, etc.
It is the kind that has gotten Dr. Warren invited to the state universities to share with them how their students can learn to examine science for themselves and think critically. The government run schools who have spooned out pablim have come to this small private university professor seeking his help on how to help their students succeed as L.C.’s students have.
Alumi 1984
The type that can stand strong and march forward whether three individuals from a small college in Pineville, Louisiana teach science well or not?
I dont get this^^^
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