A growing number of science students on British campuses and in sixth form colleges are challenging the theory of evolution and arguing that Darwin was wrong. Some are being failed in university exams because they quote sayings from the Bible or Qur’an as scientific fact and at one sixth form college in London most biology students are now thought to be creationists.
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In the United States there is growing pressure to teach creationism or “intelligent design” in science classes, despite legal rulings against it. Now similar trends in this country have prompted the Royal Society, Britain’s leading scientific academy, to confront the issue head on with a talk entitled Why Creationism is Wrong. The award-winning geneticist and author Steve Jones will deliver the lecture and challenge creationists, Christian and Islamic, to argue their case rationally at the society’s event in April.“There is an insidious and growing problem,” said Professor Jones, of University College London. “It’s a step back from rationality. They (the creationists) don’t have a problem with science, they have a problem with argument. And irrationality is a very infectious disease as we see from the United States.”
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Most of the next generation of medical and science students could well be creationists, according to a biology teacher at a leading London sixth-form college. “The vast majority of my students now believe in creationism,” she said, “and these are thinking young people who are able and articulate and not at the dim end at all. They have extensive booklets on creationism which they put in my pigeon-hole … it’s a bit like the southern states of America.”
The photo used for this posting is just priceless.
“Most of the next generation of medical and science students could well be creationists”
Only if they do not fail there exams (which the article says they are doing). More job opportunities for sane people.
The psyche hath need of its credulities & is loath to let go of them. Archaeologists recently dug up a fossil skeleton of a woman with thumbs on her feet, but even that won’t cure our collective creationitis.
Since I believe in real science (hence my disbelief in AGW), I would have to agree with libs on this one. There are things not yet explained by evolution, but simply plugging in ID or creationism as a “scientific” alternative is ridiculous.
There are scientific theories of creationism. Unfortunately, Intelligent Design is not science.
Article is way too vague. I call “shenanigans!” The Brit church going/affiliation rate is around 10%? Hard to believe the idiocy of creationism is that big a movement==Especially if the kiddies are getting flunked out of science classes?
I’m sure a public confrontation with rational science will clear things up.
Get those Global Warming deniers! All minds must comply to political correctness! No open inquiry allowed! The politicians are the arbiters of Truth. Just listen to our politicians and you would know that is true. They will tell you so. (NOT)
Most people are manimals (man + animal) not rational reasoning apes. It is to bad we can’t put all of the anti-science types in their own area of the planet and let them die of preventable diseases and starvation.
Science is really no more than what we know or have theorized about the Creation.
This explanation is uncomfortable to atheists because it forces them to consider that there really is a Creator.
Truth and discovery is rarely behind the Creation/Science debate, only the defiant rejection of God in the name of Science.
#5 Shubee
Would one of these scientific theories be capable of producing a testable prediction? If not, then it isn’t a scientific theory but a philosophical or theological hypothesis. I think that’s the point you’re trying to make.
Don’t get me wrong, philosophy and theology are important. I have a degree in philosophy. However calling something a scientific theory doesn’t make it the genuine article.
“Most of the next generation of medical and science students could well be creationists,”
Medical students do not tend to become creationists. Once you see how poorly designed the human body is, how much can go wrong, how jerry-rigged so much of it is, you either decide that god is a committee or that god didn’t really have a finger in the plan (which leads us back to evolution). Many just decide no god could be this wrong ergo there is no god.
So #9, what is the Science behind creationism? So far every argument consists of some version of ” Science can’t explain X, so my explanation must be true.”
If Science is to teach the alternative theories, then you need to present a Scientifically testable theory.
I suggest you look up the definition of Theorem first so you know that it does not mean any crack-pot idea that sacrificing a goat is involved in.
#9 Why am I not surprised that Doddger is a creationist… 🙂
These are Brits!! Who do we care, I don’t. The more I meet them the more I’m coming to understand why white people make fun of them like they do. Haven’t met a decent English person yet.
@Theone
What about Doctor Who? Oh, wait, he’s from Gallifrey.
#11–Animby==could you favor us with 1-2 of your favorite “this body part doesn’t work” examples?
I can think of several, but none very “interesting.” More like: why do they wear out?
I LOVE that cartoon. One cartoon is worth a thousand words.
So–whats with the admiration of this cartoon?
Squint just a little bit, and it very much reminds me of Pope in full regalia swinging that ball of smoke on a chain.
Equally foolish. Men in dresses/masks/costumes. Yea, verily.
#3 t0llyb0ng
“Archaeologists recently dug up a fossil skeleton of a woman with thumbs on her feet, but even that won’t cure our collective creationitis.”
I googled skeleton with thumbs on feet and got nothing. Can you link me to the article?
Cursor_
“Intelligent Design” really needs the right title to make it more accurate. Perhaps “Risible Design” would suffice, given the sheer volume of errors in DNA that lead to fatal diseases and chronic conditions that cause random suffering.
The number of spontaneous abortions, miscarriages and still births humans endure (10-50% depending on age, health, etc.) should tell you something about how very smart the process is.
Maybe if we just re-tagged these as “God-induced” abortions, murderers like Scott Roeder would have less psychotic fuel for their feelings of self-appointed vengeance.
#16 Bobbo,
What good is the appendix for other than breaking down?
“it’s a bit like the southern states of America”
WTF is up with bashing the great American south?
I’m from California and trust me, this state is full of the most ignorant religious nutters I’ve ever met. And it is Kansas and South Dakota, those most midwestern of states, and not Alabama that has pushed religious intolerance and the Christian Taliban agenda the furthest.
With statements like this, this guy sounds just as closed minded and ignorant as the creationist that he claims to loath.
#14 The0ne
You need to get out more.
Bobbo, would you rather go to a doctor who is an expert in their field and happens to believe in creation or a doctor who barely made it out of medical school but believes in evolution? Just curious, but I would rather have the doctor who knows what they are doing regardless of their stance on creation/evolution.
Medicine has nothing to do with creation/evolution. It is about curing sick people and knowing methods that work and knowing what can go wrong. Also, you can’t be squeamish about blood or body parts. (Ick. Why I am not a doctor.)
In most cases, a belief in creation or evolution has nothing to do with the field of study one is in.
#14 The0ne
It’s spelled p.a.s.s.p.o.r.t. It’s used to go places and see the world. The world? Oh yeah, you don’t know, it’s a place outside your basement.
“Creationism” is not wrong, it’s just not science.
This is the message that needs to be stated in science classrooms.
It’s not correct to say that creation mythologies are wrong.
Worse, it sets-up a needless fight.
Religion and science can both be true. It’s only a problem if you confuse them.
And, the confusion goes both ways.
There are atheists who claim that science disproves God or religion. These people are as ignorant as the Creationists and just as guilty of confusing the two disciplines.
I don’t see the problem. My zoology prof used to acknowledge the creationists, even invited them to write at the very top of their paper or test: “I do not believe in evolution but below reflects the course material…” Or some such thing. And then the students were required to answer all the exam questions precisely as taught for full marks.
RBG
Intelligent Design should be called Worshipping Ignorance.
What the IDers are saying to the world is that they observe the wonders of Nature but are too lazy to find out the true charactistics of Nature so they state some all powerful invisible being designed Nature.
This leaves more time to write many books about what one bad written book is actually saying.
#24, #26
Damn, all this time I’m just been visiting the wrong countries. Maybe I’ll find some Brits in Cambodia shagging some little girl who’s actually a pretty little boy.
As you two so eloquently confirmed, haven’t met any decent Brit yet and I don’t think I will. Hell, our VP of Engineering two doors down from me is Brit and he’s such a two-face snobbish fck. Funniest sht is he tells me he hates just about everyone in the office here and would gladly replace them if he had the chance but come home and he acts like he’s your best friend 🙂
And here’s the best part, this group of people I work with here, except the Brit fellow, are the nicest, smartest and funniest people you will meet in a work environment. I’m here because the atmosphere is so pleasant to be in, aside from the Brit, and that everyone is smart enough to realize we can’t make shtty products 🙂
Now, does it bother some of you that I haven’t met a decent Brit fellow? It’s only a matter of time…and the laws of probability.
Brits, they’re funnier every time I come to the realization why white people make fun of them so often.
When you forgive people for being completely irrational in any aspect of life, as the widespread acceptance of religion does, there is no way to prevent these monkey trials from happening over and over again. We need to fight the disease, not the symptom.