Daniel Schorr almost made me drive my car off the road again recently. His thoughts on Intelligent Design seemed to me to be angry, vindictive, and without any form of theological reflection. The undertone of his comments about Christian folk felt condescending, patronizing, and simply annoying. More of the same from the main stream press.
Now, a quick look on the web indicates that Mr. Schorr is now 89 years old, and has had a remarkable and distinguished career in journalism. He brought us much of the Watergate story, and did the first interview with Nikita Khrushchev. However, a remarkable career in journalism does not excuse grandpa from saying silly things. I have told my girls that when and if I reach my 80's, that if I begin acting like a cranky old guy or start spouting off completely silly things, they have complete release to thonk me on the upside the head. Mr. Schorr's smug attitude about crucial world-view topics is frustrating to me, he needs thonking.
Mr. Schorr observed that President Bush had "staked out a non-position" on the debate between evolution and intelligent design. Bush had said that "both sides ought to be properly taught in the schools of America." Then, with a snide tone that came right through my car speakers, Mr. Schorr linked the devastation of Hurricane Katrina with the concept of intelligent design with the following invective:
"[Bush] might well have reflected that, if (hurricane Katrina) was the result of intelligent design, then the Designer has something to answer for."
Alright now. This is shallow thought, and NPR can do much better than letting their "very senior correspondent" hall off on topics like this whenever he likes. While I do not pretend to be an apologist for Ats of God, I also understand enough of the mystery of God not to tell Him that He has "something to answer for".
I would direct Mr. Schorr (who comes from the Jewish tradition) to Job 38. To me, it is sad that a fine man who has a remarkable career as a journalist should conclude that God is in big trouble with us humans because he has misbehaved. This indicates a complete misunderstanding of the order of God's creation. I would also direct Mr. Schoor here and here; for two separate deep and thoughtful responses to the calamities of life that are far more than I am capable of conjuring up here.
