• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Randal Rauser

Home of progressively evangelical, generously orthodox, rigorously analytic, revolutionary Christian thinking (that's what I'm aiming for anyway)

  • About
  • Books
  • Articles
    • Articles (single)
    • Articles (in series)
  • Audio/Video
    • Audio Interviews, Lectures, and Debates
    • Video Interviews and Lectures
    • Powerpoint Slides
  • Blog
    • Current Posts
    • Blog Archives
  • Podcasts
    • The Tentative Apologist Podcast
    • Archived Podcasts
    • Reviews

Is it time to teach the controversy?

June 28, 2014 by Randal

Teach the ControversyYou probably know this phrase as the clever marketing strategy of The Discovery Institute. Right in the upper echelons of marketing slogans, alongside DeBeers’ “A diamond is forever” and Nike’s “Just do it!” we have Discovery Institute’s “Teach the controversy”, a clever plea for open-mindedness and free inquiry as a way to bring intelligent design into the science classroom.

As you can guess, evangelical churches have gotten behind the slogan. They enthusiastically intone that we must “teach the controversy”.

Just so long as “the controversy” is understood to be intelligent design and evolution.

Apparently the marketing isn’t meant to extend to other controversies. Like biblical inerrancy. Or the nature of hell. Or gay marriage. Or, for that matter, the meaning of Genesis 1-2.

But I say, if you’re going to buy into the marketing, go all in.

Charity, they say, begins at home. Good advice does as well.

So don’t ask others to teach any controversies unless you’re willing to teach your own.

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: church, dialogue, evangelicalism, open society, Teach the Controversy

Footer

Against Malaria Foundation

Against Malaria Foundation

Support Kiva

Support Kiva

Search this website

Archives



Copyright © 2022 • Randal Rauser • A Steady Site