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Bible-quoting science students on rise (USA spreads 'infectious diesease to UK)
Sidney Morning Herald ^ | 22 Feb 2006 | Duncan Campbell

Posted on 02/21/2006 6:57:32 PM PST by gobucks

A GROWING number of science students on British university campuses are challenging the theory of evolution, saying that Darwin was wrong.

Some are being failed in university exams because they quote sayings from the Bible or Koran as scientific fact and at one college in London, most biology students are now thought to be creationists.

Earlier this month, Muslim medical students in London distributed leaflets that dismissed Darwin's theories as false. Evangelical Christian students are also increasingly vocal in challenging the notion of evolution.

In the US, there is growing pressure to teach creationism or "intelligent design" in science classes, despite legal rulings against it. Similar trends in Britain have prompted the Royal Society, Britain's leading scientific academy, to confront the issue head-on with a talk next month entitled "Why Creationism is wrong", when the award-winning geneticist and author Steve Jones will deliver the lecture and challenge creationists, Christian and Islamic, to argue their case rationally.

"There is an insidious and growing problem," said Professor Jones, of University College London. "It's a step back from rationality. They [the creationists] don't have a problem with science, they have a problem with argument. And irrationality is a very infectious disease, as we see from the US."

Leaflets that question Darwinism were circulated among students at the Guys Hospital site of King's College London this month as part of the Islam Awareness Week, organised by the college's Islamic Society. One member of staff at Guys said that he found it deeply worrying that Darwin was being dismissed by people who would soon be practising as doctors.

The leaflets are produced by the Al-Nasr Trust, a charity based in Slough, west of London, set up in 1992 with the aim of improving the understanding of Islam.

The passage quoted from the Koran says: "And God has created every animal from water. Of them there are some that creep on their bellies, some that walk on two legs and some that walk on four. God creates what he wills for verily God has power over all things."

A 21-year-old medical student and member of the Islamic Society, who asked not to be named, said the Koran was clear that man had been created and had not evolved as Darwin says. "There is no scientific evidence for it [Darwin's Origin of Species]. It's only a theory. Man is the wonder of God's creation."

He did not feel that a belief in evolution was necessary to study medicine, although he added that, if writing about it was necessary for passing an exam, he would do so. At another London campus, some students have been failed because they have presented creationism as fact. They have been told by their examiners that, while they are entitled to explain both sides of the debate, they cannot present the Bible or Koran as scientifically factual if they want to pass exams. David Rosevear, of the Britain-based Creation Science Movement, which supports the idea of creationism, said that there was an increasing interest in the subject among students.

"I've got no problem with an all-powerful God producing everything in six days," he said, calling it an early example of the six-day week. Most of the next generation of medical and science students could be creationists, according to a biology teacher at a leading London college. "The vast majority of my students now believe in creationism," she said, "and these are thinking young people who are able and articulate and not at the dim end at all."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: crevolist; darwin; europeanchristians; evangelicals; evolution; fideism; fundamentalism; intelligentdesign; irrationality; scienceeducation; secularism; ukmuslims
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"The vast majority of my students now believe in creationism," she said, "and these are thinking young people who are able and articulate and not at the dim end at all."

One can almost hear the tone of bewilderment in her voice. But given that all 'rationalism' has its origins in France, or near it, one can expect that all anti-creation and anti-ID arguments in the future will try to tar and feather w/ the "Islamic are Creationists too" card.

1 posted on 02/21/2006 6:57:34 PM PST by gobucks
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To: gobucks

bump


2 posted on 02/21/2006 6:59:30 PM PST by VOA
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To: gobucks

I suspect its the orthodox muslimes behnd this.
Doesn't bode well 4 the UK, mussay.


3 posted on 02/21/2006 6:59:38 PM PST by voletti (Awareness and Equanimity.)
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To: gobucks
I've got no problem with an all-powerful God producing everything in six days

Satan to media: Must Work Harder!

4 posted on 02/21/2006 7:01:55 PM PST by neodad
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To: gobucks

Once again...

Evolution is scientific fact. It is a "theory," but most scientific theories are indeed undeniably true.

Evolution does not kill God.


5 posted on 02/21/2006 7:04:50 PM PST by Lunatic Fringe (North Texas Solutions http://ntxsolutions.com)
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To: Lunatic Fringe

"Evolution does not kill God."

The keys of your keyboard must of had very confident clicking sounds as you typed all that....


6 posted on 02/21/2006 7:07:55 PM PST by gobucks (Blissful Marriage: A result of a worldly husband's transformation into the Word's wife.)
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To: Lunatic Fringe

I wince every time I hear that someone can quote the Bible.


7 posted on 02/21/2006 7:08:02 PM PST by cripplecreek (Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
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To: cripplecreek

Someone can quote the Bible.


8 posted on 02/21/2006 7:09:42 PM PST by BlueYonder
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To: gobucks
Most of the next generation of medical and science students [in the UK] could be creationists...

The Islamonazis are having all the kids, so yeah. They export terrorism, backward cultural wonders, hatred of women, hatred of freedom, and their scientific ignorance. Joy.

9 posted on 02/21/2006 7:10:06 PM PST by M203M4
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To: BlueYonder

bump lol!


10 posted on 02/21/2006 7:11:10 PM PST by gobucks (Blissful Marriage: A result of a worldly husband's transformation into the Word's wife.)
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To: gobucks

Are there any other branches of science you think are false besides evolution?


11 posted on 02/21/2006 7:11:49 PM PST by trashcanbred (Anti-social and anti-socialist)
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To: cripplecreek

I remember reading once that humans are becoming less hairy, and in about 5,000 years we'll be born bald for life.


12 posted on 02/21/2006 7:13:51 PM PST by Lunatic Fringe (North Texas Solutions http://ntxsolutions.com)
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To: gobucks
Now they see that Christians are not the only one who question the status of evolution theory as dogma. They have to answer Muslims too. And there are many practicing Muslims Scientists (like Abdus Salam, the Nobel Laureate in physics) in the world. (There are many Christians too, but some people seem to listen more to 'minorities' or 'people from other cultures' than their Christian fellow).
13 posted on 02/21/2006 7:14:46 PM PST by paudio
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To: trashcanbred

Christian Science


14 posted on 02/21/2006 7:16:53 PM PST by gobucks (Blissful Marriage: A result of a worldly husband's transformation into the Word's wife.)
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To: gobucks
one can expect that all anti-creation and anti-ID arguments in the future will try to tar and feather w/ the "Islamic are Creationists too" card.

Pretty much a cert to happen after the Christianist Dover school board brought Islamist Mustafa Akyol over to testify for the case for presenting Intelligent Design to innocent kids.

15 posted on 02/21/2006 7:18:00 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (The Wedge Document ... offers a message of hope for Muslims - Mustafa Akyol)
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To: gobucks

For an excellent discussion of the evidence for creation visit the following web site:

http://www.nationalmorality.com/index_files/Page2605.htm


16 posted on 02/21/2006 7:18:38 PM PST by tenn2005 (Birth is merly an event; it is the path walked that becomes one's life.)
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To: trashcanbred

See, I think when Mary Baker Eddy had her 5 year old son taken from her ... the one she named after her dead husband ... I think that hurt.

So, I think healing became a really, really big deal to her. Unfortunately, she became head pastor of a cult she founded to bring it about....

Darwin had a little girl he loved dearly ... who died when she was young. Did you know the only formal degree Darwin was ever awarded was a ....Theology degree?


17 posted on 02/21/2006 7:19:28 PM PST by gobucks (Blissful Marriage: A result of a worldly husband's transformation into the Word's wife.)
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To: Lunatic Fringe
Facts are facts, scientific or not. It is a fact that IDEAS evolve, and that as those IDEAS evolve the DESIGNS that instantiate those ideas also evolve.

And perhaps you can explain what "undeniable truth" means. Most of us think truth is truth. Are you suggesting there is some bipolar version of truth, with one pole being deniable truth and the other undeniable truth? What, praytell, do you mean?

18 posted on 02/21/2006 7:20:30 PM PST by bvw
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To: Lunatic Fringe

Name just one scientific theory proven true. Bet you a dollar you can't.


19 posted on 02/21/2006 7:20:50 PM PST by doc30 (Democrats are to morals what and Etch-A-Sketch is to Art.)
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To: gobucks

CS Lewis called it "good infection"..


20 posted on 02/21/2006 7:21:42 PM PST by Dick Vomer (liberals suck......... but it depends on what your definition of the word "suck" is.)
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