After 150 years Polls in the UK still show doubts about Darwinism with around 50% of the population favouring Creation and Intelligent Design being taught alongside Darwinian Evolution in the Classroom. Much of the continuing doubts about Darwinism can be attributed to the over-zealous atheist evangelists such as Richard Dawkins. The next atheist evangelistic campaign (sold out) is ‘down under’.
“The 2010 Global Atheist Convention will be the biggest ever atheist event in Australia’s history.
This is your chance to hear world-class atheist speakers, and meet Australian and internationally acclaimed atheists, skeptics, humanists, rationalists and academics in one of Australia’s most vibrant and exciting cities.
The bigger we can make this convention, the stronger the signal it will send to Australia’s religious and political institutions that atheism and secularism are forces to be reckoned with.”
Much of the overabundance of published contrary materials in recent years by book and newspapers editors on whatever side of the belief spectrum must welcome Richard Dawkins with open arms for the financial income the debate brings.
The Intelligent Design Movement has produced some excellent materials such as Michael Behe’s Darwin’s Black Box with the latest being Stephen Meyer’s “The Signature In The cell“. Contrary to popular propaganda that this is all about science versus faith the I.D. and Creationist movements are driven by well-qualified scientists - some with more than one doctorate as with Stephen Meyer. Among the endorsements of Meyer’s book is one by double science doctorate Professor John Walton of St Andrews. Said by some to be the ‘father of intelligent design’ was A. E. Wilder-Smith, with three science doctorates.
Creationists are equal to atheists in producing scientific evidence contradicting Darwinism. As well as many lesser websites the big guns of creationism like AiG and CMI with an over-abundance of science articles/materials available - even downloadable books such as ‘Refuting Evolution’ and ‘In Six days’ on their websites answering the claims of atheism, responding to the flaws in the Darwinian arguments as well as drawing attention to bogus claims or hoaxes and embarrassments from over-enthusiasm for claims about missing-links. Both AiG and CMI provide colourful quarterly journals to subscribers.
So who would want to teach Darwinian evolution in schools as the only explanation of origins when there is so much material now available and accessible to bright youngsters who can ask intelligent questions in class that can be a source of embarrassment to teachers who have no time to view and study the origins debate?
As anyone who is well-read in the origins debate will know, it is not about Science V faith but one ‘Faith’ versus another ‘Faith’, the belief that somehow somewhere in the long-distant past primitive life spontaneously emerged from inanimate matter to give rise to intelligence and consciousness - you and me. It only happened once - it has not been repeated and has not been observed and is not testable - it is something that is believed - a ‘faith’ that it must have happened because we are here - any other faith system of origins is excluded because they are not verifiable! Which is quite strange seeing that evolutionary origins are also not verifiable - in fact - for matter to give rise to life would have to be a belief in miracles! Which is what the alternative view of origins is - that a supernatural being - Mind or Intelligence brought material into being - our universe with life and you and me - with intelligence and consciousness - living on this planet that is so finely tuned to maintain life. Those are the only two views of origins - both belief systems - so will teachers have the courage in the classroom to present both views impartially - in respect of the over 50% of the population who want both views presented in the classroom - to allow pupils/students to come to their own conclusions? If not? - it seems to me with all the information now available on the Internet - the teaching of evolution in schools as the only view has to be ‘A Hot Potato’!
