Gove shows the door to creationism as science

[amateur51]

I would quite like them to prohibit the teaching of harmul nonsense, and that is what Gove is doing in this instance.

Well put, Vile Consort!

[amateur51]

Woof Woof Woof

[Flosshilde]

S-A was right in saying: "Science and religion can co-exist, but creationism is neither. It's a mixture of legend and gullibility. Only a minority of Christians take this fundamentalist view."

But it's not a minority. The pages I linked to above make it clear that the Catholic Church's position is that while creationism isn't valid as an explanation of how things came about, neither is evolution (or 'Darwinism'), & it suggests a sort of mid way or compromise - which sounds like 'intelligent design' to me.

[teamsaint]

I would quite like them to prohibit the teaching of harmul nonsense, and that is what Gove is doing in this instance.

harmful nonsense?
Hmmmm
we are in pretty dangerous territory when we start deciding what is harmful nonsense, and what isn't.

In my opinion, a huge amount of what is taught as history is harmful nonsense....but what we really need is not my view or yours being espoused, but young people being taught to really think for themselves, and to question the state of our world.

Personally, I would be just as happy(or unhappy) with my kids being taught certain "creation " stories from the bible, as I would be with them taught about how great the roman empire was.

And I am not Christian , or anti Italian !!

[amateur51]

But it's not a minority. The pages I linked to above make it clear that the Catholic Church's position is that while creationism isn't valid as an explanation of how things came about, neither is evolution (or 'Darwinism'), & it suggests a sort of mid way or compromise - which sounds like 'intelligent design' to me.

That thrumming sound is Galileo spinning away

[Flosshilde]

harmful nonsense?
Hmmmm
we are in pretty dangerous territory when we start deciding what is harmful nonsense, and what isn't.

In my opinion, a huge amount of what is taught as history is harmful nonsense....

Examples?

[Mahlerei]

The bare facts of history speak for themselves' it's the wilful distortion of said facts to suit a particular agenda that's harmful.

[PatrickOD]

but what we really need is not my view or yours being espoused, but young people being taught to really think for themselves, and to question the state of our world.

Is that not where we came in, teamsaint? What will young people think for themselves? And will their answers be any better than ours? And will some future Minister, who thinks for himself and knows the answers, reform the whole system? There's a catch here somwhere, or is it a round?

[Pabmusic]

But it's not a minority. The pages I linked to above make it clear that the Catholic Church's position is that while creationism isn't valid as an explanation of how things came about, neither is evolution (or 'Darwinism'), & it suggests a sort of mid way or compromise - which sounds like 'intelligent design' to me.

Too true. How could I have overlooked the Catholic Church? That makes the need for this move even stronger.

[Vile Consort]

what we really need is not my view or yours being espoused, but young people being taught to really think for themselves

How is that consistent with teaching them creationism - a view of the world that relies entirely on authority?

[Budapest]

Humans are completely, totally and utterly mad (stares into the middle distance for a while). Of course it's a good thing that kids get teached a rational view of the world. The monkeys do religion, and it becomes a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.

[teamsaint]

How is that consistent with teaching them creationism - a view of the world that relies entirely on authority?

I didn't suggest that we teach creationism.

[teamsaint]

Examples?

after work tonight.
lots of history for a start.

if you cant think of any, I am worried !!

[Bryn]

I'd agree if 'creationism' means extreme US-style right-wing evangelism.

However, I'm sure billions of folk would be perfectly happy to describe themselves as 'creationists', being believers in 'a Creation of the Universe'.

To be honest, I would consider any believer or atheist who did not accept such an obvious reality as being slightly 'barking' ...

Hoyle and WIckfamasinghe's sgeady state theory may have been 'wrong', but they were hardly "barking".

[scottycelt]

Too true. How could I have overlooked the Catholic Church? That makes the need for this move even stronger.

That in basically says it all in a nutshell, I suspect ... nothing much to do here about teaching 'creationism' in science class.

Even Flossie reluctantly concedes, in his demonising, Romophobic manner, that Catholic belief is quite different from what is erroneously known as 'creationism', ie naive, right-wing fundamentalism.

What the heck, who cares? ... let's ban all religion from schools and teach our kids atheism instead. That'll wipe out the silly religion thing forever and we can all believe that our little hearts miraculously happen to beat away because .. er, we haven't a clue why, really .., even the towering brains of Professor Dawkins and Sir David Attenborough admit it's all a bit of a mystery... maybe it's the Good Fairy instead of God ... fantastic, we can simply call it 'proven science' instead, you see!

Trouble is, all this banning of religious conviction and belief has already been tried in Soviet Russia and Communist China and failed miserably, and 'the people' led by the Catholic Church, (not Reagan or Thatcher) saw off secular fascism in the form of Communism in Poland.

Good luck, guys ...