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Clergy Letter Project a circus

by Adrian Bates

Published: 3 February 2009(GMT+10)

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The Clergy Letter Project has created a circus amongst liberal clergy

Roll up, roll up!

Yes folks, here we have the amazing spectacle of a ‘wolf in wolf’s clothing’ acting as ringmaster to a performing circus of clergy. Many readers may have heard of the grandiose ‘Clergy Letter Project’. Simply put, it involves self-avowed atheist and evolutionist, Michael Zimmerman, inviting churches to endorse evolution—thereby denying biblical creation.

Incredibly, in their haste to enrol on the ‘dark side’, clergy from liberal churches across the USA have been scrambling at this chance to pledge allegiance to the flag of Darwinian evolution. The resulting ‘roll of dishonour’ no doubt delineates with some accuracy the spread of apostasy across the contemporary Christian landscape. And now, no doubt seeking new worlds to conquer, Zimmerman is casting a wider net. Reproduced below is a letter he is circulating among clergy within New Zealand.

Dear Reverend XXX,

I am writing to you in the hope that you will join together with thousands of clergy and congregations to demonstrate that religion and science can comfortably coexist. Please allow me to introduce myself and explain. I am Michael Zimmerman and, in addition to being the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University in Indianapolis, I am the founder of an organization called The Clergy Letter Project (www.theclergyletterproject.org). The Clergy Letter Project was created to demonstrate that religion and science can be compatible and to offer an alternative voice to those who claim that modern science must be refuted if a religious life is to be lived.

For the past three years, The Clergy Letter Project has been sponsoring Evolution Weekend—an opportunity for congregations of various faiths from all corners of the world to discuss the compatibility of religion and science. Our events have been remarkably successful with increased participation occurring every year. Last year, 814 congregations representing every state and nine countries opted to participate.

I am hoping that Anglican congregations will be interested in participating in Evolution Weekend 2009 (13-15 February 2009). This weekend will be an opportunity for groups around the world to elevate the quality of the debate on this important subject. Participation takes place in each local congregation with each doing what it thinks would be most productive for its members. Some have listened to sermons (and our web page lists more than 100 of them) while others have had lunch time discussions or invited speakers. Anything you deem appropriate IS appropriate. I’ve taken the liberty of attaching a flyer announcing Evolution Weekend 2009. Participation will make it clear that despite the efforts of those Christian fundamentalists who are attempting to pass off their religion as the norm and who are attempting to insert that particular religion into science classrooms and laboratories, there are many who recognize and celebrate the importance of other religious traditions. If you are able to participate, please let me know and I’ll get you added to our growing list (www.evolutionweekend.org).

I’m delighted to say that New Zealand seems to be having a significant presence in Evolution Weekend 2009 with seven congregations already on board (www.evolutionweekend.org)!

On behalf of thousands of religious leaders and scientists, and our children, around the world, thank you so very much for considering this invitation to join in our efforts to explain the relationship between religion and science to a wider community.

I hope to be hearing from you soon.

Michael

Michael Zimmerman
Office of the Dean
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Butler University
Indianapolis, IN 46208

There is something rather sad and pathetic about this eager flock of compliant clergy. Assuming they have some familiarity with the Holy Scriptures they must be aware of the enduring principle that truth is never settled by weight of numbers. Just one man, Elijah, embodied a moral majority over 400 zealous prophets of Baal. Just one man, the apostle Paul, outweighed a crowded Ephesus stadium (another circus!) of rioting idol worshippers. As with Luther these two men stood tall and conquered by taking their lonely but God-glorifying stand. The fact is that in all ages, those who reject the inspired Scriptures always seek the broad road of safety in numbers.

As for ‘atheist’ Zimmerman—consciously misquoting Shakespeare, ‘methinks he doth protest too much’.¹ It is interesting to appraise his motivation vis a vis the following truth stated in the Holy Scriptures:

‘Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen-being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.’
Roman 1:20

Taking into account this inbuilt ‘God consciousness’ that the Bible states all men possess, Zimmerman is easily understood. Under the ‘casual atheist’ persona is a driven man. A man on a desperate mission to orchestrate a ‘church-choir’ of clergy big enough to expunge his own inner knowledge of the existence of Almighty God.

Related articles

• Is God ‘simple’?
• Response to the evolution appeasers (refuting theistic evolutionists in New Zealand’s Treasury magazine)
• Church of England apologises to Darwin: Anglican Church’s neo-Chamberlainite appeasement of secularism
• Be skeptical about the skeptics-Part 1
• A Who’s Who of evolutionists
• Famous evangelical apologist changes his mind (R.C. Sproul)
• The Skeptics and their ‘Churchian’ Allies
• Churches celebrating the ‘Year of Darwin’

Further reading

• Creation Compromises
• Is God ‘simple’?

Reference

1. This is a common misquote of the actual line in Hamlet where Queen Gertrude says: ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks.’ Return to text.

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