Fresh calls to ban creationism in Welsh schools

What is really behind these moves?

by Andrew Sibley

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There are fresh calls to ban the teaching of ‘creationism’ in schools in Wales. The latest demand comes from the National Secular Society (NSS). Teaching biblical creation as a scientific theory is already prohibited from English schools because of such campaigns, but not in Welsh schools. Creation Ministries International has previously discussed these developments in relation to English schools in several articles: Dawkins, BHA schools and creation, Creation and religious education, Humanist crisis campaign, and Humanist censorship.

The Llanidloes High School in Powys, Wales, has recently been accused by the NSS of evangelising and teaching creationism. NSS chief executive Stephen Evans commented that the material displayed by the head teacher, Daniel Owen, represents an “extensive campaign of evangelism”, and “is a gross violation of the trust which should exist between pupils, parents, and staff.” He suggests that a significant amount of time and resources has been given over in an attempt to “inculcate the religious ideology of the head teacher.”¹

The evidence presented by the BBC (from photographs supplied by the NSS) is of a number of posters depicting different Bible verses. One poster, in the form of an annotated map of the world, quotes from the Apostle Paul’s speech in Athens about the interrelatedness of all humanity:

“From one man God made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands” (Acts 17:26 (NIV).

Another poster of the solar system has the caption:

“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them” (Psalm 111:2 ESV).

The third poster is of sea creatures with the note:

“God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it … And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:21 NIV).

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What the BBC did not report is that the posters are partly bi-lingual (in Welsh and English) and quote from various sources other than the Bible as well. The school also runs a Christian lunchtime club where children may support one another and share Bible verses. The BBC article mischievously pointed out that the head teacher is an elder of an evangelical church in the nearby town of Newtown. Christians have, in the past, lost their jobs in education for expressing religious beliefs, but this is potentially a breach of the UK Equality Act (2010) wherein religion is stated to be a protected characteristic.

Daniel Owen has defended himself and the school via a four-page letter written to parents (17 June),² although the BBC failed to give his point of view in its article. In a more balanced article, the Powys County Times reported that the head teacher has informed parents and guardians “that the school will ‘continue to adhere to the law regarding collective worship’, support children from faith communities, and support the new Curriculum for Wales using themes including ‘Religion, Values and Ethics.’”³ Previous government inspections have praised the school.

Previous campaigns

This latest media coverage follows previous demands in recent years by secular humanists. In 2019, Humanists UK (formerly the British Humanist Association) campaigned for creationism to be banned in schools in Wales. This was ahead of a revision of the Welsh schools’ curriculum. Around 50 leading humanists, including the well-known television naturalist David Attenborough, and professors Richard Dawkins, Steve Jones, and Alice Roberts, signed a letter to the Welsh Assembly. This called for evolution to be taught in primary and secondary schools, and for creationism and intelligent design to be banned. They wrote that they feared the new curriculum did not sufficiently support the teaching of evolution in science and technology lessons, nor prohibit the evidential presentation of creationism and intelligent design in schools. Instead, they asserted that school children should be introduced to evolution at an early age, and at greater depth in secondary schools.^4,5

The failure of secular humanism

The latest campaign by secular humanists comes at a time when many agnostics and atheists are having second thoughts about the loss of Christian influence in society. Academics such as English historian Tom Holland and Somali-born activist, writer, and former atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, have moved much closer to Christianity in recent years. Holland noted the beneficial influence that Christianity has had in shaping Western culture in his acclaimed book (2019) Dominion: The making of the western mind. Hirsi Ali now professes Christianity. Even Richard Dawkins now claims to be a cultural Christian, and expresses regret over the decline of Christian influence in society, even though he remains wilfully ignorant of Christianity and denies its fundamental teaching.

There are perhaps two consequences that particularly arise from the undermining of Christianity by secular humanists such as Dawkins. The first concerns the rise of militant Islam, which may expand into the spiritual vacuum created by the loss of Christian faith. The second is that post-modernism is leading to a post-truth society, where feelings matter more than facts in establishing ‘the truth.’ This is undermining science, even as some secular scientists are complaining. The most obvious example is over transgender issues, and whether sex is binary, which Dawkins has affirmed as a scientific fact.⁶ Dissenters from this feeling-oriented post-modern orthodoxy may face cancellation in terms of jobs, reputation or access to finance, and unlike Christianity there is no place for forgiveness in the cancel culture.

Author and political commentator Douglas Murray, a self-confessed ‘Christian atheist’,⁷ laments the loss of respect and lack of mercy that has arisen as a result.⁸ He says secular atheists have failed to provide a suitable foundation for an ethical and equitable society without the Christian worldview. Rejecting the teaching that mankind is created in God’s image, post-Christian society inevitably ends up rejecting the idea that human life is valuable. Murray thinks that the only option is to re-embrace Christian faith commitments, saying in a podcast that “The sanctity of human life is a Judeo-Christian notion which might very easily not survive [the loss of] Judeo-Christian civilisation”.⁹

Teaching evolution

In terms of the teaching of evolution it is noticeable that an increasing number of academics and naturalists recognise the failure of neo-Darwinism to explain the origin and diversity of life. For example, consider American philosopher and atheist Thomas Nagel, and comments in his book Mind and Cosmos: Why the materialist neo-Darwinian conception of nature is almost certainly false.¹⁰ He asks:

“In the available geological time since the first life forms appeared on earth, what is the likelihood that, as a result of physical accident, a sequence of viable genetic mutations should have occurred that was sufficient to permit natural selection to produce the organisms that actually exist?”¹¹

His assessment is that:

“It is prima facie highly implausible that life as we know it is the result of a sequence of physical accidents together with the mechanism of natural selection.”¹¹ 

The scientific discovery of the incredible complexity of life at the molecular level—in the genetic code and carefully folded proteins—defies naturalistic explanations. School children are not exposed to such facts and arguments in the classroom. Must they be protected from the latest findings of modern science that point increasingly to serious problems with evolution, and support design explanations?

The wub CC BY-SA 4.0

Christianity and education in Wales

While secularists wish to undermine the influence of Christianity in Welsh schools, the faith has for centuries shaped the culture for the good. Christian faith arrived in Britain when the Celtic tribes were ruled by the Romans—this was several centuries prior to Augustine of Canterbury’s evangelism among the Anglo Saxons (AD 597). Celtic Christians spread the message of Christ and established centres of learning across the country; for example, the monastic school established by St Illtyd at Llantwit Major, South Glamorgan, prior to AD 490. Christians have often been at the forefront of learning through the establishment of schools and the translation of Scripture.

The Bible was translated into Welsh by an Act of Parliament during the time of Elizabeth I (1563), which helped strengthen ties between Wales and England, despite language differences. It was completed in 1588. As occurred in England with Tyndale’s translation (1522–1535) and then the King James Version (1611), the new Welsh translation allowed ordinary people to have access to the scriptures in their own language and encouraged the faithful. Much later, there is also the well-known story of Mary Jones who, in 1800, walked the 26 miles (40 km) bare-foot from Dolgellau to Bala to get hold of the Welsh Bible. Wales has seen periods of spiritual revival through its history.

Summary

It was, in fact, Christian faith commitments that led to the rise of modern science as theologians and academics sought to know something of the mind of God through studying God’s creation. Christian believers have historically been at the forefront of establishing places of learning in the West. There should be no denial of the biblical roots of modern science in school science lessons, because this provided the foundation for truth in science and also social values.

Secular humanism shows its regressive colours because it prevents children from knowing more about the wonders of God’s design; for example, as seen in the machine-like complexity of the cell. Secular humanism utterly fails to provide a solid foundation for good ethical conduct and equality, but instead opens the door to harmful ideologies.

This latest campaign by the National Secular Society is running against a welcome rising tide of respect for Christian faith amongst an increasing number of once-liberal commentators. We would hope that that this is reflected in more school classrooms and that the stranglehold of secularism upon education might be loosened. Christians should pray to this end.