By Norm Miller, Louisiana College communications
Louisiana College’s first annual Values and Ethics Conference drew more than 300 people who heard experts on the design of the universe, current and future implications of biotechnology, and the fundamentals regarding the sanctity and dignity of human life, Oct. 10.
“The keynote speakers proved they are top-flight experts, whose credentials are as impressive as their content was stimulating,” said Louisiana College president Rick Brewer.
Doug Axe, PhD – chemical engineer-turned-molecular biologist – said school children “start to invoke an ultimate God-like designer to explain the complexity of the world around them, even the children of atheists.”
Because humans have the knowledge to make things, then intuitively humans know all that exists is designed from knowledge, Axe said. He believes this intuition should be taken seriously particularly as opposed to the random and accidental nature of Darwinian evolution and related modern theories.
“Accidental causes do not invent,” said Axe, who is gaining popularity for his recent book: “Undeniable: How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life Is Designed.”
“Undeniable” and Axe are touted by scientists worldwide, who have said design intuition can be trusted because it is supported by science, whereas “evolutionary stories are anti-science.”
Mark C. Biedebach – professor emeritus of Biological Sciences, California State University – notes, “As a protein chemist, [Axe] gives numerous examples and reasons why unguided evolution (even of a cell’s protein molecules) is improbable in the extreme. [Axe’s] power to convince surpasses that of anything else I have ever read (on origins science).”
In 2005, Axe founded The Biologic Institute in Redmond, Wash., a non-profit research organization developing a new approach to biology with the hypothesis that life is by design.
Axe said some “call my work kooky.” But they don’t do the lab work to disprove his theses.
“We are poised at the edge of embracing a future that is less human, not more human,” said bio-ethicist C. Ben Mitchell, PhD, who is provost and academic vice president at Union University in Jackson, Tenn.
We are headed for a “post-human” era that postulates we can divest ourselves of the human body, he added.
Citing numerous sources, Mitchell warned that technology is becoming a god in our culture. People will camp on sidewalks outside electronics stores to be among the first to own the latest techno-gizmo; but he warned we ought no be so accepting.
Referring to Hitler’s eugenic efforts, Mitchell said: “Modern eugenics is the old eugenics with new proponents, and posits that technology will help engineer the perfect human.”
Some say technology will make immortality possible, he added. Because of technological advances, “are we moving toward human gods?” he asked. Such “technological advancements require Christians to engage in theological reflection.”
Mitchell holds a PhD in medical ethics from the University of Tennessee. He completed residencies at UT Knoxville and Vanderbilt University. He is a consultant with the Center for Genetics & Public Policy at Johns Hopkins University, and is co-director for, and fellow of the Biotechnology Policy in Washington, DC.
Mary Kienzle, MSW – of conference sponsor Christus St. Francis Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria – completed the trio that explored the implications of society’s and science’s view of human origins.
Christian principles are the foundation of compassion for others, Kienzle noted, and those principles guide her and the ministry of Christus Cabrini Hospital.
“There is a universal call to holiness … We must follow in Jesus’ footsteps,” said Kienzle, director for Missions Integration Services and Spiritual Care Departments.
Kienzle’s admonition is reflected in this “Religious and ethical directive: Protecting every human being created in God’s own image; protecting, upholding and ministering to every patient and their family members in Christus Health Care.”
“The intrinsic value or inherent worth of every human being stems from being made in God’s image and likeness. All people have it, regardless of race, creed, color, functional status, or any other characteristic. And it means we must respect all people,” she said.
Life is God-given and must be protected in all stages, “from conception to natural death,” she said. “Abortion is fundamentally against our ethics and our values.”
Kienzle appealed to biblical principles, saying: “Human life is sacred and a gift of God. There is a duty to protect and preserve our lives. Though sacred, physical life is not the ultimate goal of our existence.”
Reflecting on the Q and A session after the conference and his time lecturing in LC classrooms, Mitchell told LCNews: “This conference provided a marvelous opportunity to demonstrate how the liberal arts and sciences prepare a person to understand how relevant all of these issues are, and, from a Christian liberal arts perspective, to demonstrate that the Christian faith has something to offer by way of critique and helping to build a truly human future.”
Axe said: “For young people to be addressing some of the most important questions in life — who we are and how we got here and how we’re supposed to live our lives — is absolutely important.”
He said students’ questions, some of which challenged the speakers “clearly revealed they were thinking about the subject matter deeply. I could tell that these students have teachers who pour into them and do not simply convey material, but are interacting with them personally.”
Mitchell observed: “I think your students are amazing. The high quality of their questions give me a sense of encouragement about what’s happening at Louisiana College – about the kind of students you’re attracting and cultivating and the kind of students who will graduate. I am so encouraged about what the opportunities are in this region because of the outreach of Louisiana College.”
Expressing his gratitude for Christus Cabrini’s sponsorship of the conference Brewer said, “On behalf of all involved in the conference, I extend our deepest thanks to Christus Cabrini Hospital for underwriting the conference. Without such sponsorship, the hundreds who attended the conference, as well as those who watched online would not have been exposed to such scientific, scholarly and compassionate responses to bio-ethical and biological issues that have faced and will continue to confront the Christian community.”
“We were enriched by these scholarly and stellar speakers, whose presentations were engaging, thought-provoking and encouraging,” Brewer said.
