Scientists still concerned science minister is anti-evolution

I noticed that Tony Keller is wondering if recent questions from The Globe and Mail about Canada’s minister for science holding anti-evolutionist beliefs were “worth asking”. Some Canadian scientists are still concerned about that question and the minister’s answer:

Denis Lamoureux, a professor of science and religion at the St. Joseph’s College at the University of Alberta, said Goodyear’s comments don’t rule out the possibility that he could be a young Earth creationist who believes the world is only a few thousand years old instead of four billion years old.

Even such creationists believe change occurs on a small scale, allowing different breeds of dogs to arise, for example, Lamoureux said. That would still make him an anti-evolutionist.

In order to find out for sure, one would have to ask Goodyear more specific questions, Lamoureux added.

“Let’s say he is an anti-evolutionist … If that’s the case, then I think there would be some serious concern,” said Lamoureux, a former anti-evolutionist himself who now teaches about religion and evolution. “We’re in a downturn right now, so there’s going to be some shuffling of money.”

That’s [Simon Fraser University biology professor Elizabeth] Elle’s worry. “I have some concerns about there being some prejudice against basic science that has evolution as a component of it,” she said.