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Phil Receives the Wilberforce Award
(An excerpt of an account of the proceedings by Prison Fellowship Ministries' Donald McLaughlin) |
Wednesday, February 4th, Phillip Johnson was honored by the Wilberforce
Forum with their annual Wilberforce Award at a gala dinner attended by 260
people at the Washington Hilton in Washington D.C. On hand for the
presentation were Mark Earley, President of Prison Fellowship Ministries, of
which The Wilberforce Forum is a part, Chuck Colson, Chairman and Founder of
Prison Fellowship, Michael Snyder, Head of the Wilberforce Forum, and Sen. Sam
Brownback of Kansas (last years recipient). A
gentleman from Minnesota named Chip Mahon shared a personal testimony on
how Phil's books and writings have influenced his Christian Worldview
thinking and that of his entire family. Chip gave a great "man in the
street" view on the impact that Phil has had.
The award was presented to Phil by Chuck Colson and then Phil delivered a
wonderful acceptance speech, tying in how William Wilberforce, in whose
spirit the award is given, fought against slavery, with how today we fight
against the slavery of the mind.
Following is the inscription on the award:
"Motivated by his Christian faith to pursue truth, Dr. Phillip E. Johnson,
professor of law at the University of California-Berkeley, is one of the
founders and most articulate proponents of the intelligent design movement
in the academic debate on the origins of the universe. And he has revealed
not only to the scientific community, but especially to the Church, that the
significance of this issue goes beyond evolution versus creation; it speaks
to such ultimate questions as: What does it mean to be human? What gives
our lives meaning? And how do we distinguish between right and wrong?
"Like William Wilberforce, who battled the slave trade because it denigrated
the nobility of human life created by God, Dr. Johnson battles a
naturalistic philosophy that demeans humanity, eschews personal
responsibility, and promotes moral relativism. His numerous books,
articles, and lectures counter naturalist assumptions and defenses with the
same keen legal and logical thinking that earned him a clerkship with Chief
Justice Earl Warren of the U.S. Supreme Court.
"While Dr. Johnson's stand has triggered controversy and even scorn in the
academic and scientific communities, he has consistently responded to his
opponents with Christian love and grace, seeking to build bridges rather
than dividing walls. As with other "isms" that have fallen when challenged
by truth, he believes that naturalism will in due course crumble, as long as
the Church understands and is prepared to defend what truly gives us life,
significance, and value.
"We honor Dr. Johnson for his commitment to truth, and for his courage,
conviction, and compassion in making it known out of love for the Creator
and for his Creation."
Phil also spent Tuesday and part of Wednesday visiting with several Senators
and Congressman on the Hill with respect to ID issues.
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