World scientists unite to attack creationism . . .

[OneBlueSky]

By Sarah Cassidy, Education Correspondent
The Independent
22 June 2006

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article1094699.ece

The world's scientific community united yesterday to launch one of the strongest attacks yet on creationism, warning that the origins of life were being "concealed, denied or confused".

The national science academies of 67 countries warned parents and teachers to ensure that they did not undermine the teaching of evolution or allow children to be taught that the world was created in six days.

Some schools in the US hold that evolution is merely a theory while the Bible represents the literal truth. There have also been fears that these views are creeping into British schools.

The statement, which the Royal Society signed on behalf of Britain's scientists, said: "We urge decision-makers, teachers and parents to educate all children about the methods and discoveries of science and foster an understanding of the science of nature. Knowledge of the natural world in which they live empowers people to meet human needs and protect the planet.

- more . . .

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article1094699.ece

[Warpy]

1. That they feel a need to unite to attack it is a measure

of just how incredibly backwards this country has become.

Perhaps we needed the religious lunatics to come into their own so that we could properly appreciate just why the founding fathers felt it necessary to found a purely SECULAR government and keep the churches separate.

They've always been here. They've always been this vile and pernicious. It's just that they've been easier to ignore when they've been on the lunatic fringe, and we never quite appreciated how dangerous they are to reason and civility.

[rodeodance]

2. I have to admit--I am surprized at how loud, daring and vocal the

creationists have become over the years. A window of opportunity opened--the neocon society and in they came.

[ladjf]

3. I'm amazed that any idea as stupid as "creationism" needs to

be debunked. It would seem that it debunks itself. However, it's always a mistake to overestimate the intelligence of the religious fundies. They dream up their core beliefs without benefit of evidence.

[obreaslan]

4. This is the U.S.A.,...

Not the People's Republic of Global Warming & Crazy Theories!!!!!!

Tell these ACTIVIST SCIENTISTS to go back to Scienceland or what every Communist country they come from and read the BIBLE!!!! This is 'Murka and we don't want them!









:sarcasm:

[Ezra the Prankster]

5. The Fatal Flaw with Evolution Is...

...That the Bible is a story of the world. Every civilization that has ever succeeded has had a story of the world. There are certain artistic techniques to telling a story that reaches an emotionally satisfying conclusion, which the scientists either aren't aware of, or at least, aren't employing very effectively. Those artistic techniques are used much more effectively in the Bible, which is why the Christian fundamentalists have been so successful at using their artistically complete but scientifically invalid book to lure people into their global suicide cult, no matter how many academic books the scientists publish.

Unfortunately, the scientists aren't in a position to do much about that, because they have to maintain professional academic reputations in order to be able to function. They depend on a lot of governmental, corporate, and private grants to conduct their research, and you can't win votes by telling your voters things they don't want to believe, and you can't sell them stuff by telling them things they don't want to hear. As long as "our" government is "controlled" by "votes" "cast" by religious people, all that secular government business is meaningless.

The scientists can only do so much to solve the problem, and then it's up to other people. If the problem is ever going to be solved, it's going to be by someone figuring out how to tell a story of the world that's both emotionally satisfying AND scientifically valid. It's hard to write a new story that can compete against a 2,000 year old myth, some might say impossible, but if civilization is going to have any kind of a future, we have no choice but to do the impossible.