Talk:Jerry Bergman
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Below is much more accurate:
Dr Gerald R. "Jerry" Bergman is an American critic of Neo-Darwinism. He is also known as a critic of Jehovah's Witnesses as part of the anti-cult movement.
Dr. Bergman is an adjunct associate professor at Medical University of Ohio and he is also teaching at Northwest State Community College in Ohio where he teaches biochemistry, biology, chemistry and physics. He has taught at the college level for 35 years including 7 years at Bowing Green State University, 6 years at the university of Toledo, and 20 years at Northwest State. He started as a graduate student in biochemistry at Medical College of Ohio in 1985, and was later hired as an adjunct instructor and research associate in the experimental pathology department and he still is still on the faculty at MCO (now named Medical University of Ohio). He has also worked for several years as a therapist at various psychological clinics including Arlington Psychological associates in Toledo, Ohio. Bergman has nine academic degrees. He obtained an Associate in Arts degree in Biology and Behavioral Science, from Oakland Community College, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in [[1967], a BSc from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan in 1970 where he had majors in sociology, biology, and psychology, from where he also obtained an M.Ed. in counseling and psychology in 1971 and studied for a PhD in measurement and evaluation, minor in psychology from Wayne State.Bergman received an M.A. in social psychology from Bowling Green State in 1986.
In 1992 he received a Ph.D. in human biology, from Columbia Pacific University, San Rafael, California. This degree is legal, but the university faced various accusations and had its accreditation removed in 1997. Some feel that the schools support of Intelligent Design in required readings may have been involved. Others believe that their support of various alternative medical treatments was a factor. The real reason is unknown. Bergman has written a detailed paper on the schools fall from grace.
Bergman also received a Master of Science degree in biomedical science, from the Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, Ohio, 1999. In 2001 he obtained a Master of Public Health degree from the Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health (consisting of the Medical College of Ohio, the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State). In 2004 he received another MA from Medical College of Ohio. Dr. Bergman has also completed coursework at the University of Wisconsin, Miami University in Oxford Ohio (where he was accepted into the doctoral program in chemistry, so far completing 33 semester hours) and the University of California, Berkeley. He now has over 700 publications in a variety of scientific and popular journals, plus 20 books and monographs. His work has now been translated into 12 languages and he has spoken widely in the United States, Canada and Europe on his research.
He is listed in Marquis Who’s Who in the Midwest, since 1992 Marquis Who’s Who in America since 2000, Marquis Who’s Who in Education since the 6th Edition, Marquis Who’s Who in Science and Engineering since the 8th edition, Marquis Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare since 2005, Who’s Who in Theology and Science., p. 18-19, Winthrop Publishing Company, Framingham, MA, 1992 and 1996 edition (New York, Continuum 1996 p. 32), and Who’s Who in America 47th Ed., New Providence, NJ 07974, Research Centers Directory edited by Maurice Michelle Watkins, Gale Research Company, Book Tower, Michigan. 1990 and in Internationales AdreBregister der Sektenarbeet Munchen 1997-1998. His library is listed in The Directory of Special Libraries and Information Centers (Gale Group, Farmington Hills, MI. 2001). His teaching Awards include Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers for the years 2000 and 2005. He is a member of MENSA, and received the 1998 Edgar Langsdorf award for excellence in writing.
Bergman's doubts about Darwinism, which resulted from a 35 year long study of evolution, has resulted in much opposition from what Stephen Gould calls Darwin Fundamentalists. For example, he was hired in the 1973-74 school year by Bowling Green State University. In his first year opposition to his beliefs surfaced. For example he was initially employed as an assistant professor but was reduced to the rank of instructor later under the pretence that he did not receive his Ph.D. as soon as he had expected, but his employment was continued until 1976 when the university recommended that he receive a terminal contract for 1976-1977. Bergman's contract for 1976-77 year was changed from terminal to temporary after he completed his Ph.D from Wayne State. In 1978 however, Bergman was denied tenure quite openly due to his involvement in the creation movement and his religious beliefs. Bergman subsequently filed charges with both the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission on the grounds that he had been discriminated against on the basis of religion. He had a dozed signed notarized affidavits from his colleagues at Bowing Green supporting his claim that he was let go based on religion, yet both agencies ruled that he was not let go due to religion, but because his peers voted to terminate him (which he already knew). His case received widespread support from the Christian community.
Bergman filed suit in federal district court in 1980, alleging that his due process rights had been violated and that he had been denied tenure on the basis of his religious views. The due process claim was based on the fact that he never received annual written evaluations as required by the University charter. The case was dismissed in 1985. Bergman appealed but the appeal was turned down in 1987. The court ruled that the reason he was let go was because of ethics, namely that he claimed to have credentials in psychology when, in fact, he “had no psychological credentials.” The court rubber stamped the claims of the University.
The fact is he originally applied for a test and measurement position at BGSU, but was hired in the psychology area. The reason was, as Dr. Robert Reed in a letter dated Feb. 21, 1973, stated, his “credentials have been … evaluated favorably by faculty members in the Educational Psychology Area” (emphasis in original). The first classes that he taught at BGSU were in the psychology area, and he taught in that area during the entire 7 years he was on the faculty there. He has a masters in social psychology, and another in counseling psychology. The minor for his doctorate was in psychology and his dissertation was on an experimental treatment project for second-felony offenders. His graduate course work in psychology includes a total of 131 quarter hours—well over the hours needed for both a masters and a doctorate. Immediately after he left BGSU, he was hired as an associate professor of psychology at Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Michigan. He also has over 50 publications in the area of psychology, including several books. He was a licensed therapist, trained under Dr. Ricardo Girona and Dr. William Beausay at Arlington Psychological Associates, both licensed psychologists. Until he was licensed, he was registered with the state board of psychology as a psychological assistant. The state law requires that, to obtain a license, the candidate must
complete a minimum of ninety quarter hours of graduate credit ... including a minimum of thirty quarter hours in: (a) Clinical psychopathology, personality, and abnormal behavior; (b) Evaluation of mental and emotional disorders; (c) Diagnosis of mental and emotional disorders; (d) Methods of prevention, intervention, and treatment of mental and emotional disorders. The individual must complete supervised experience ... supervised by a ... qualified professional approved by the committee (Ohio Laws and Rules, 1997, p. 6).
After he met these requirements, he was licensed. His license enabled him to “diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders” without supervision (Ohio Laws and Rules, 1997, p. 6). The court also ruled that "Dr. Siefert, Dr. Yonker, Dr. Davidson, Dr. Rurke (sic), and Dr. Wiersma... all testified to their negative impressions of plaintiff's work" The fact is, all of these persons admitted they never read any of his work or could not remember Bergman's work. They did object to a Phi Delta Kappa monograph he authored on the creation evolution controversy, but evidently did not read it. It was clear that their total objections were to Bergman's concerns about the validity of Darwinism.
He is sometimes called a young earth creationist but his publications indicate he holds a very view different than the standard YEC. See his chapter in the book In Six Days : Why Fifty Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation edited by John Ashton.
•Jim62sch• 20:16, 23 May 2006 (UTC)
