Creationist Descends on Brit. to Take Debate on Evolution into...Classroom

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com

Plus more stories in my Journal


5//The Independent, UK Published: 21 April 2006

http://education.independent.co.uk/news/article359111.ece



CREATIONIST DESCENDS ON BRITAIN TO TAKE DEBATE ON EVOLUTION INTO THE CLASSROOM

By Sarah Cassidy, Education Correspondent

A leading creationist who claims to use science to prove the Bible's version of how the Earth was made begins a controversial tour of Britain today.

John Mackay, an Australian geologist who believes he has uncovered fossil evidence which dismisses evolution and proves that Noah's flood really did happen will speak at several state schools and universities during his eight-week visit to the UK.

His visit has provoked anger among educationalists who are concerned about what they see as an increasing focus by evangelists on children.

They fear creationism - which rejects Darwin's theory of natural selection and insists that God created the world in six days - is becoming an increasingly accepted view in Britain's classrooms and lecture halls.

(SNIP)

Steve Jones, the award-winning geneticist and author, argued that suggesting that creationism and evolution be given equal weight in education was "rather like starting genetics lectures by discussing the theory that babies are brought by storks".

MORE

[Warren DeMontague]

1. There is no "debate"

there's reality, and then there's the sunday school fantasies of these fundy crackheads.

[Gman]

2. Now that is a great analogy

"rather like starting genetics lectures by discussing the theory that babies are brought by storks".

I'll keep that one in my hip pocket.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. I hope they laugh him out of the country.

[madeline_con]

4. "... fossil evidence which dismisses evolution ..."

:wtf:

Fossils formed in 6,000 years?!

[drhilarius]

5. As Monty Python would say...

There's a new contender for upper class twit of the year.

[Rocket Surgeon]

6. Isn't this the same guy who started

the "Christian Disneyland" in Kentucky?

[lakercub]

7. No, that'a another Australian

Ken Ham. If you ever get the chance to go to one of Ham's seminars, don't. I have, it was brutal. Watching him estimate ark sizes was awful. Even worse was his "astronomer" friend explainig how stars can appear to be millions of light years away when, in fact, they were created 6000 some years ago. Unbelieveable. Of course, this being Colorado Springs, the sheep just ate it up. I have never been so depressed.

[pschoeb]

8. Why is he called a geologist?

From what I can tell he claims to have a geology degree from U of Queensland, but he doesn't say Master's and doesn't use the title Dr., so it's clear he probably has no graduate degree in geology. I actually have a BS in geology, but I don't go around claiming to be a geologist, nor would I expect people, when writing an article about my opinoins, call me a geologist, even if it was about geology. It seems he mostly taught High school science, and later he taught at a Vocational/Trade School. Maybe someone can tell me if High School teachers with a BS in geology are usually called geologists?

[Bridget Burke]

10. I don't have ANY degree in Geology....

But I've been to the Weiss Energy Hall at our Museum of Natural History. It covers the petrochemical industry (this is Houston!), then diversifies a bit. The first part of the exhibit is a cool animated film about how petroleum was formed--over millions of years. This guy is NO geologist.

www.hmns.org/exhibits/permanent_exhibits/energy.asp

And Weiss Energy Hall is right next to Paleontology--trilobites, dinos & mammoths, Oh My!

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. He claims it was at tertiary education level

"lectured in Geology at Tertiary level for Technical Education" - but I find it strange that he doesn't seem to say where, in his biographies on the 'net - despite detailing the time he got to speak at a conference at Oxford University, or speak to the Union Society at Cambridge. Which makes me wonder if he just filled in for someone one week, teaching students who weren't actually going to become geologists, but civil engineers or something.

[yellowcanine]

19. Yes, "geologist" should be in quotes if he believes in a world wide flood.

[AlCzervik]

9. They should all take a visit to the Museum of natural history in London

there is an excellent Darwin exhibit there.

[poverlay]

11. Do we have to rehash every ridiculous, faith-based, debunked

theory ever to be dreampt up by an ignorant public over and over ad nauseum? When are we going to debate the flat earth theory, or the one about blood-letting to release ill humours? Crop circles, bathing in winter, Republican's caring for the less fortunate, etc. etc....

Please feel free to add to the list, which I will then use to form a PAC for which to stymie all progress and education in the hopes of setting us back to the good old days(dark ages).

[DuaneBidoux]

13. I predict these guys make NO inroads in the UK,

[supernova]

14. Is this that little red-haired troll?

[lakercub]

15. see post 7

Ham is the red-haired troll....actually I think he looks more like an elf or a young garden gnome.

[supernova]

16. Gotcha

Thanks for the distinction. I couldn't remember what his name was. I saw him on a documentary one time singing creationist songs to a bunch of kids. :scared:

looks more like an elf or a young garden gnome.

:rofl: I thought at the time he looked like an ape baby, he was so small and so much facial hair, almost mutton chops.

Welcome to DU lakercub! :hi:

[karlrschneider]

17. "educationalists"????????

:eyes: :puke: :grr:

[stepnw1f]

18. They Will Lose There Too

Just like they already did here.

GOP forces religious fanaticism on Americans... don't forget it.