-- Press Release -- The Letter Project and the Peoples‟ Church of Dover Announces Ninth Annual Weekend 7-9 February 2014

The Peoples Church of Dover will join with Nearly 550 Congregations from 13 Countries to Discuss the Compatibility of Religion and Science

Local Contact: The Rev. Douglas L. Griffin, Ph.D. The Peoples‟ Church of Dover United Church of Christ 46 S Bradford St 302-674-4177 [email protected]

National Contact: Dr. Michael Zimmerman, Founder/Executive Director The Clergy Letter Project 317.964.3188 [email protected]

Web address: www.evolutionweekend.org

The Peoples‟ Church of Dover United Church of Christ will be one of more than 540 congregations from across the country and around the world to participate in Evolution Weekend, Feb. 7-9, a period designed to recognize that religion and science, two fields of critical importance to , should be seen as complementary rather than confrontational.

Religious people from many diverse faith traditions and locations around the world understand that evolution is quite simply sound science; and for them, it does not in any way threaten, demean, or diminish their faith in . In fact, for many, the wonders of science often enhance and deepen their awe and gratitude towards God.

Many of the participating congregations participating in Evolution Weekend this year have opted to focus on the fact that religion and science ask different questions and offer different insights. Indeed, religion‟s primary purpose is not to convey scientific information but to transform hearts.

A list of participants can be found at www.evolutionweekend.org. Evolution Weekend is sponsored by The Clergy Letter Project whose members include more than 13,700 members of the clergy in the who have signed letters urging school boards to teach evolution rather than in public school science classrooms and laboratories. More than 1,000 scientists on six continents, representing 32 countries, have signed on as consultants.

On Sunday, February 9, during worship at 10 a.m., Peoples Church welcomes Ms. Jill White, a biomedical scientist to join with Rev. Dr. Griffin in dialogue between pastor and scientist on how evolution and the , science and religion can function creatively to nurture Christian faith. The dialogue will build from readings of Genesis 1 and John 1, two biblical accounts of creation. An open forum will follow worship in which participants can interact with Ms. White and Rev. Griffin.

Griffin says, “The United Church of Christ comes from a teaching tradition emphasizing that scientific knowledge and biblical knowledge are both divine gifts and must be seen as complementary, not contradictory. As knowledge in each arena expands the assumptions and beliefs of previous generations must yield to the advances by subsequent ones. This is what we mean by our proclamation, „God is still speaking.‟”

Michael Zimmerman, founder and executive director of Evolution Weekend and Vice President for Academic Affairs at The Evergreen State College, noted that “with Evolution Weekend becoming institutionalized in so many diverse congregations, there should be no doubt that mainstream religious leaders are fully comfortable promoting all facets of modern science as well as their faith.” He went on to point out that “despite seemingly endless legislative initiatives to introduce creationism into the public schools of various states, religious leaders and scientists continue to work together to demonstrate that such activities demean religion while doing irreparable harm to science.”

Zimmerman added that “promoting creationism in any of its guises, from „creation science‟ to , privileges one religion over all others and is, as federal courts have repeatedly ruled, against the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Members of The Clergy Letter Project show us a way to move forward, to respect the deeply held religious tenets of neighbors while honoring our own traditions and promoting the best knowledge science has to offer.”

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