Atheists, Humanists push for Darwin Day

[ringmastery]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=572&ncid=572&e=2&u=/nm/20040212/lf_nm/darwin_dc_1

Atheists, Humanists Push Campaign for 'Darwin Day'
Thu Feb 12, 9:27 AM ET

By Robert Evans

GENEVA (Reuters) - Atheist, agnostic and humanist organizations in the Americas, Europe and Asia are gearing up for a five-year campaign aimed at achieving international recognition of Feb. 12 as "Darwin Day."

Their target date is 2009 -- the bicentenary of the birth of British biologist Charles Darwin whose own faith in a deity who created the world collapsed before the theory of evolution he set out in 1859 in his ground-breaking "The Origin of Species."

Why push for an annual celebration of Darwin now? His ideas are widely shared and even religious leaders from churches that once denounced him as a heretic accept that life on Earth evolved over 3 billion years from primitive forms.

"Because a Darwin Day would send out a signal that science matters in an era when pseudo-science and fear of science seem to be gaining ground," argues the British Humanist Association, which is playing a key role in the campaign.

In the United States, where a survey in 2002 found that 45 percent of the population believe an all-powerful deity created the universe and all life in it within the last 10,000 years, this concern has even stronger force.

[Ediacara]

1. I hate the title of the article, but like the idea

It should be changed to "Rational Thinkers Everywhere Push for Darwin Day"....

[Kinkistyle]

2. I'm an atheist: NO we do not need a Darwin Day.

I don't think we need to declare a day for Darwin anymore than we need to declare a special day for Galileo or Copernicus or Mendel or Crick and Watson or any of the major scientists who flew in the face of the church. Just keep teaching his works in school and expanding upon his invaluable theories. Having a holiday for Darwin will just cause unnecessary animosity and grief.

[Ediacara]

4. I wouldn't mind Copernicus and Galileo Days :-)

[AZCat]

5. Why not Galileo Day? Sounds cool...

Heck, we could kick all those extra "special" days off the year and add these- I vote for Michael Faraday Day!

:party:

[Jesus H. Christ]

6. I disagree.

Nobody still disagrees with those other five scientists.

It might cause animosity and grief, but it wouldn't be unnecessary.

[Qanisqineq]

7. As a biologist and an agnostic

I agree 100%. We don't need any more damn days for people just because it is their birthday.

[cprise]

8. Disagree

It solidifies the position of science everywhere there is no powerful fundamentalist influence.

That, and the long lead-up to 2009 will promote discussion of Darwin and the heart of science itself.

It's brilliant. Humanists and liberals are thinking strategically on an international scale again.

[cprise]

3. America: "Humanism, what's that?"

.