Jerry Bergman

Dr Gerald R. "Jerry" Bergman is an American young earth creationist. He is an active supporter of the anti-cult movement (ACM). He is also known for his stance against Jehovah's Witnesses.

Biography

Dr. Bergman is an adjunct associate professor at Medical University of Ohio and also teaches biochemistry, biology, chemistry and physics at Northwest State Community College in Ohio. He has taught at the college level for 35 years including seven years at Bowling 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 (MCO; now Medical University 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. 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, with majors in sociology, biology, and psychology; and an M.Ed. in counseling and psychology from Wayne State in 1971. He also studied for a PhD in measurement and evaluation, minor in psychology from Wayne State, and received an M.A. in social psychology from Bowling Green State in 1986.

In 1992 Bergman received his Ph.D. in human biology from Columbia Pacific University, a now-defunct nonaccredited distance learning school. Columbia Pacific University lost its state approval to operate in 1995 and was ordered to close permanently in October 2000 by the State of California. A court invalidated all degrees awarded after 1997 and ordered the student fees refunded. Bergman has written a detailed perspective on the school's fall from grace. [Jerry Bergman, [http://www.rae.org/cpu.html A Successful Attempt by California to Close a College: Was Intelligent Design Involved in the Closure of Columbia Pacific?] , Revolution Against Evolution website (accessed May 22, 2008)]

Bergman also received a Master of Science degree in biomedical science, from the Medical College of Ohio in 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 University). In 2004 he received another MA from Medical College of Ohio. Dr. Bergman has also completed coursework at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Miami University (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 a member of Mensa, and received the 1998 Edgar Langsdorf award for excellence in writing.

Bergman's opinions on creationism are often published by Answers In Genesis. In the 1990s he was also known for his Usenet postings to the talk.origins newsgroup. Many of his views are highly controversial, such as implying a causal relationship between Darwinism, Nazism, and the Holocaust.

Tenure, credential controversy

Bergman was hired in the 1973-74 school year by Bowling Green State University. He was initially employed as an assistant professor but was reduced to the rank of instructor later for not receiving his Ph.D. as soon as he had expected. 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 while studying for his Ph.D at Wayne State. In 1978 Bergman was denied tenure. Bergman believed this was due to his involvement in the creation movement and his religious beliefs and subsequently filed 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, with both agencies ultimately ruling that he was not let go due to his religious beliefs, but because his peers voted to terminate him.

Bergman filed suit against Bowling Green State University 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 arose from his allegation 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." [ [http://jehovah.to/gen/freedom/bergman.htm Gerald R. Bergman v. Bowling Green State University] transcript of the court's ruling from Jehova's Witnesses United]

Religious background

Jerry Bergman was reared by an atheist father and a religiously indifferent mother who became a follower of Jehovah’s Witnesses when he was 8 years old. Some time later, he was disillusioned with all religion and followed his father into atheism. As an atheist he knew many of the leading atheists (including Gordon Stein; Garry De Young; and, Madalyn Murray O'Hair), and published scores of articles in their various journals. Years later, he also became disillusioned with atheism.

Presently, he teaches Sunday school at a Mennonite church in West Unity, Ohio, and is also a lay speaker at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Montpelier, Ohio. Today he has an active share in publishing articles against Jehovah's Witnesses.

Bibliography

Creationism

* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v18/i2/abiogenesis.asp Why the Miller–Urey research argues against abiogenesis]
* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4162.asp Darwinism and the Nazi race Holocaust]
* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4102.asp Understanding Poisons from a Creationist Perspective]
* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/magazines/tj/docs/TJ_v9n1_homosex.asp Creationism and the problem of homosexual behavior]
* [http://www.rae.org/notracist.html Are Jerry Bergman and Henry Morris Racists? – An Example of the Irresponsible “Research” of Darwinists]

References

External links

* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/bios/j_bergman.asp Jerry Bergman biography] from Answers in Genesis
* [http://www.premier1.net/~raines/papers.html Bergman papers on Jehovah's Witnesses]
* [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/bergman-and-racism.html Jerry Bergman and Racism Replies to Bergman's "Are Jerry Bergman and Henry Morris Racists?"] The Talk.Origins Archive