Senseless cynical censorship
Humanists target creationism in Welsh schools
Published: 17 September 2019 (GMT+10)
Credit: 123rf.com
British secularists are yet again up in arms about teaching creationism in schools—this time in Welsh schools. But Welsh schools are not actually teaching creationism, and it’s not as though creationists have been pushing for it either. The fact of the matter is, since humanists erupted in 2011 over the inclusion of the creationist perspective in a religious education class,1 teaching creationism in science classes has already been effectively banned in British schools, even including religious education classes! So why have 46 leading science organisations and scientists, including British atheist big-guns Richard Dawkins, David Attenborough, Steve Jones and Alice Roberts, joined forces in a campaign to ban teaching creationism in Welsh schools?
In what can only be described as a highly cynical move, they have written to the Welsh Government expressing their deep concern that a new draft Welsh science curriculum could “increase the possibility of teaching creationism as science”.2 Increase the possibility? The campaign, unsurprisingly, is organised by the British Humanist Society (BHS), who also ran the ‘Teach evolution, not creationism!’ campaign in England in 2012. This led to the ban on creationism (mentioned above), which saw evolution added to the British National Curriculum for primary schools. The BHS’s latest alarmist clarion call demands that any possible loop holes be closed, and potential weaknesses in the Welsh curriculum be exposed—lest these somehow be exploited by those ‘pernicious creationists’, masquerading as science teachers!
Evolution: a self-refuting philosophy
So why get so hot-under the collar about it all? Why the panic? After all, if God doesn’t exist, as the BHS signatories proclaim, why the rush to censor all references to His existence or creative design within schools? Furthermore, evolution, as a philosophy, is self-refuting, in that nothing can be truly known if we really are merely the sum-total of random, meaningless processes. Therefore, no concept of ultimate truth, including the ideas that creationism is bad or evolution is true, can be defended within the atheist world-view. Critical thinking must actually be sacrificed by these humanist campaigners, in favour of empty dogmatism.
Indeed, science itself was rooted within the biblical worldview, and the founding fathers of the major branches of science, were practically all Bible-believing creationists. The fact that science should work at all is testament to the existence of an Ultimate law giver, one who created a logical universe that can be comprehended by His creatures. Atheist Richard Dawkins, one of the signatories of the BHS letter, once infamously stated the implication of evolution for ‘truth’:
“The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.”3
He is wrong of course, for the design in the universe is real, not apparent. Furthermore, can you think of a more damaging doctrine to teach the next generation than the one Dawkins espouses? In the minds of those who succumb to its tenets, such thinking divests them of any basis for ultimate truth, knowledge, morality, or human dignity and value.
Censored and silenced
The fundamental problem for the BHS and those who are leading this latest campaign, is that the new draft Welsh science and technology curriculum doesn't explicitly prohibit the teaching of creationism. But that surely is a given, since the carpet-ban against creationism came into force in British schools in 2012. However, apparently not content with the censorship that already exists, they are pushing for evolution to be more actively taught in Welsh primary schools, rather than waiting until the age of 14–15 years. So, in reality, it is not the creationists who are attempting to exploit the system to their advantage, rather it’s those who are pushing a godless, atheistic agenda. These people seek to expunge all religious faith, replacing it with a religion of materialism. Such militant atheism cannot tolerate even one instance of a dissenting voice. It recoils in horror at the idea of questioning Darwin in the minds of the young and impressionable. So much for critical thinking!
The campaign letter represents a concerted effort by the BHS to pressure the Welsh Government with ‘science’,2 thereby silencing Welsh schools into submission. The letter (which can be seen in full on the BHS web site4) begins by expressing the collected sense of alarm of its signatories at the perceived areas of vulnerability in the new curriculum. The second paragraph of the letter boldly asserts that “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”; they offer no citation for this dictum but it was originally stated by leading twentieth century evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky.5 However, the facts do not bear this out when it comes to most biologists’ day jobs. It has been stated that evolution’s "day-to-day irrelevance is a great ‘paradox’ in biology", and furthermore, it can be shown that evolution has harmed science and society.
Who is denying whom?
The BHS letter continues that evolution must be taught to primary school children, so that “children in Wales are not exposed to pseudoscientific doctrines masquerading as science.”4 Welsh Humanists Coordinator (for BHS) Kathy Riddick comments further that it is “very worrying” that there is no explicit ban on creationism in Welsh schools. In her opinion, “This would deny Welsh students the right to a high quality, evidence-based education that enables them to understand how life came to be, to reason scientifically, and to be equipped to tackle misinformation in everyday life.”4 But it would deny no such thing and is an illogical claim! How can removing a competing paradigm in any argument better enable children to develop critical thinking? How can they better reason scientifically if they are not even allowed to critique the opposing side’s claims?
Denying the right to know that a competing paradigm even exists is censorship, plain and simple. One can only shake one’s head in disbelief at the obsessive paranoia displayed by the BHS and those who have signed their latest letter. Such efforts seek to completely excise from public life all vestiges of the Christian worldview, that which underpins our laws and institutions, culture and education, and the foundations of science.
Always a silver lining
However, there is hope. God can and does use the message of creation to reach pupils, parents and teachers with the message of salvation, even if creation is censored from the schools. That is why CMI’s primary ministry focus is to the Church, and it is through many Christian testimonies, and by being armed with good apologetic materials—such as CMI’s Creation magazine or Creation.com articles—that the battle for the hearts and minds of the next generation can be effectively waged.
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References and notes
- CMI-UK/Europe’s Philip Bell was given equal time, along with a theistic evolutionist, to teach religious education classes at a secondary school, which sparked an alarmist national campaign against creationism. Return to text.
- Anon, Scientists want creationism teaching ban in Welsh schools, bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-49579519, 5 September 2019; accessed 6 September, 2019. Return to text.
- Dawkins, R., River out of Eden, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, p. 133, 1995. Return to text.
- UK’s top scientists tell the Welsh Government: ‘Teach evolution, not creationism!’, humanism.org.uk/2019/09/05/uks-top-scientists-tell-the-welsh-government-teach-evolution-not-creationism/, 5 September 2019; accessed 6 September, 2019. Return to text.
- Dobzhansky, T., “Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution”, American Biology Teacher 35(3):125–129, March 1973. Return to text.
Readers’ comments
"Jesus Christ was a man. Just a man. He was a great moral teacher, but only a man."
It had no effect upon me though: I knelt and asked Jesus to forgive my sins a few years later and am glad to say that He is the Son of God.
But we may recall that Lady Bracknell, in Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest' says: 'Fortunately, in Britain, public education produces no effects whatsoever'.
I guess we can see it, but we just can't see it happening.
All good science.
God bless Wales!
What I don’t understand is both the BHS and Creationists have a worldview.
Why can’t both worldviews be taught in schools?
Why is Creation such a threat, we as creationists are not afraid of the evolutionary theory - ideally we wouldn’t want it taught but why can’t we have a shared platform where both beliefs are taught. Creationism is as valid as any other worldview surely?
By their own terms and admission ‘there is nothing but blind pitiless indifference’ then why is the BHS not ‘indifferent’ about creationism being taught? You can’t have it both ways?
The only explanation is that this group of people do believe in God but hate him, please repent and turn away from your sin before it is too late. Jesus is the only truth and the only way to peace. I pray for Richard Dawkins etc because he is part of the multi-pronged unexplained rage against God that we have all over the world in all different forms - the spirit of the age has a motto: ‘Anything but Jesus, anything but the God of the bible’ and there is a reason for that which is that there is a battle for the world happening right now it is a battle of truth vs lies, love vs hate, life vs death. The bible says ‘there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death’ Proverbs 14:12. Jesus said ‘Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it’ Matthew 7:13. For those who don’t understand destruction means hell. The message of Jesus is essentially repent from your sin, love God and love those around you, that’s a good message.
"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion". Watch this space... and above all, pray for the lost, and all the children!
In a similar vein, my nephew, who lives in London, tells me that a significant number of increasingly occurring, serious stabbing attacks go unreported or flushed under the carpet. There is a growing social awareness and fear that crime and lawlessness is escalating out of hand in Britain. I just did a Google search on "lawlessness on the rise in Britain" that confirms my suspicions. This, I postulate, is a direct result of rejecting the laws and principles of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. With no inner rudder to control them, the youth are acting out their most strident impulses. You reap what you sow.
Pray for them and pray for the finishing of the church and the Lords' return.
May it be soon!
Sadly it's infiltrated the church by compromising with Theistic evolution. Worse, they claim creationism hurts spreading the Gospel. Since when did God's Gospel need updating etc? Truth is always Truth.
Weird in that it's well accepted you can't deny Jesus is fully God and Man. Yet they think they can accept Jesus as Savior, yet deny Him as fully Creator as the inerrant Bible declares. When did Jesus ever allow compromise?
Students can show other students in the classrooms that evolutionists' arguments are a farce & don't add up. If teachers try to silence class discussions, then confront them about it, 'what are you afraid of??' It's time for laypeople to go on the offensive for Christ. God will give us opportunities to do this if we are serious about it.
We can rest that God is sovereign over all. We can pray for all the scores of lost and hurting souls in the world today. I can’t even imagine what millions are going through in other countries. I can have my Bible with me anytime. But they must keep their faith. For those who are allowed a Bible in their home, it’s urgent that they find out what’s in it - for their eternal life depends on it.
If, in our own families, cities, states, & countries, we have laws and consequences for our actions, how could evolution be true? If we’re evolved, there should be chaos all the time? But wouldn’t a Creator have some kind of order? - some laws, some kind of judgment just like we do?
As evil and catastrophic events around the world speed up, I see the Revelation of Jesus nearing. My heart breaks for those who don’t know Christ, and who think he’s just a good man who walked the earth. But he raised the dead, healed the lame, made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, calmed the raging sea, walked on water, cast demons out of people, turned water into wine...there’s lots of ‘good’ people in the world but I never heard of nor knew any that could do these miracles nor who loved a world of heathen so much that they’d die in our place of punishment on a cross in a most cruel way - for the whole world - even those who deny him! God have mercy on those who know not what they do!
thus we have people like Dawkins who attempt to suppress the truth lest their lie be revealed.
- If you had a child or grandchild who was born very prematurely, or became seriously ill, would you have them left to die?
- Do you think it right that the rich, powerful and clever exploit the poor, weak and vulnerable?
- Do you think Hitler was right in his attempt to rid the world of those he considered 'inferior' or 'less-highly evolved'?
- Since the earth is becoming over-populated, putting a strain on limited resources, shouldn't people in under-developed countries simply be left to die of famine and disease?
For anyone who really believes that 'natural selection' leading to 'the survival of the fittest' is the mechanism by which evolution advances, the answer should be 'Yes', but I have no doubt that the actual answer would be 'No'! This clearly demonstrates that atheists cannot live by their own professed philosophy!
You really have me confused on how you combine the two & how they can possibly work together. Its seems to me they can't & one [of the two] has to give. Remember this. God has said Man's wisdom is foolishness to Him. Yet you're choosing Man's wisdom vs God's foolishness.
Especially when there is so much info now on websites to validate creationism & God's inerrant word that solve that impossible contradiction. Joshua 24:15: Chose this day whom you will serve!
For those wrestling with these problems, we recommend reading 10 dangers of theistic evolution and Perils of Theistic Evolution.
An in-depth look at these problems with theistic evolution (and many more besides) is the recent book, Evolution and the Christian Faith: Theistic Evolution in the Light of Scripture.
BTW, a great modern view of ongoing research on evolution is Neil Shubin's "Your Inner Fish." I suggest that anyone objecting to this comment first read "Your Inner Fish" before posting any criticism.
-Wait, Harry, did you just say "Poor old Mr Dawkins"?
I sure did.
-Mind explaining that?
Certainly. The poor chap does not seem to understand his strident views don't seem to do much except offend and alienate people, even among his fellow atheists. For example when The God Delusion was released several of his fellow atheists critcised it heavily, including Michael Ruse, who went on record to say The God Delusion made him embarrassed to be an atheist, and another book, (I believe it is called The Dawkins Delusion? by Alister McGrath) showed why. And the poor chap is still at it, embarrassing himself. Does he not realise that by insisting all questioning and debate be curtailed, he is in fact encouraging them? Naturally I can't speak for anyone else, but to me when somebody starts insisting their viewpoint is the only correct one and insists all debate be curtailed, it leaves me wondering what have they got to hide? Have they not heard the words of the Father God, who says, "Let us reason together"? What are they afraid of? Let us hope they realise perfect love drives out fear, and that perfect love will only be found in God.
No, people cannot probe for themselves if they are unaware of what's available. I'm often reminded of the words of John Stuart Mill, which I have posted in a previous comments thread: "He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion... Nor is it enough that he should hear the opinions of adversaries from his own teachers, presented as they state them, and accompanied by what they offer as refutations. He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them...he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form." [Mill - On Liberty]
Honestly do you really believe that dear old Noah gathered polar bears and penguins, lions and giraffes and I am told by CMI in US of A - baby dinosaurs - all in a wooden vessel that naval architects say could never have floated?
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