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."
And THIS is why creationists consider evolutionists their enemies. The Royal Society is not presenting something called "Why Creationism is Not Scientific", but "Why Creationism is Wrong." This alleged scientific body is taking a dogmatic position on the truth of a religious belief. Thus, the creationists have every reason to regard this sort of militant Darwinism as a religious belief system, at least in part.
Wow an easy buck. Copernican Theory - Earth and other solar system objects circle the Sun.
Of course, you are ignorant as to what theories are. Just about every component on the computer you are using right now is based on theory. That is right... on things that are not provable or have not been proven to be true. From Quantum Theory, Electromagnetic field theory, Circuit Theory and of course Optics for that connection over fiber somewhere out there on the net.
"Thus, the creationists have every reason to regard this sort of militant Darwinism as a religious belief system, at least in part."
Well, I must say that, in short, yup!
See, here is also the issue: ice skating. Mrs. Gb is watching it, I'm bored to tears. Clearly, the scientists are wrong, of course. There is no evolutionary benefit to humans being able to ice skate.
Anyway, NBC is making a ton of money, leaving Ms. Cohen until the end.
Here's the kicker...
Even if you could go back and witness the spark that started sentient life, the "theory of evolution" would never become "scientific law." Because it is a THEORY. You can put a cat in the oven, that don't make it a biscuit.
I disagree with ID and do not believe it is science. I think it is pure faith with very little backing it up. That said, I agree with you that scientists should not be creating symposiums that are purposely out to attack religious beliefs.
However, when people tout ID as a valid scientific theory, then you sure as heck better expect scientists to stand up and start attacking it if they have proof to the contrary. This is the normal validation process that scientists go through... so you better get used to it if you want to push ID as a science.
In other words, you can't have it both ways... it is either science of faith.
"Evolution is scientific fact. It is a "theory," but most scientific theories are indeed undeniably true. "
Yes, the Ptolemaic theory of the solar system/universe comes to mind. The scientific theory of removing bad humors with leeches is often maligned. No leeches? A simple bleeding should suffice. And who can forget that falling off the edge of the Earth thing? That theory is indeed fact, insofar as you have just tumbled off, dweeb.
Theory: An assumption based on limited information or knowledge; a conjecture.
Where do you see "fact" in there?
Anybody who states that theory = fact = undeniable truth without blushing isn't going to give you reasoned discourse.
"It is better to keep one's mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and it be proven so."
You hit the nail on the head. It seems irrational of the Royal Society to expect people to take them seriously regarding science while at the same time they are attempting to make a theological point.
"Mere Christianity"
I do agree with the idea of ID, but I also agree with you that it's not science. It's a philosophical concept that cannot be tested scientifically. I think IDers would be more inclined to stay out of science if evolutionists would in turn stay out of religion.
Once again...
Scientific facts are considered laws, not theories. For example, we have the Law of gravity, a fact of life. In comparison, we have the Theory of evolution, not a fact of life, but something marginally more substantive than a hypothesis.
I can quote the Bible.
My wife can quote the Bible.
My neighbors can quote the Bible.
President Bush can quote the Bible.
President Reagan could quote the Bible.
Thomas Jefferson could quote the Bible.
Charles Darwin could quote the Bible.
Albert Einstein could quote the Bible.
Let me know how many more are needed until you wince yourself to death, then you can go meet Satan, who, by the way, can also quote the Bible.
One scientific theory proven true.
Einstein's E=mc2 was proved when we dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.
Pasteur proved the theory of germs as causing disease with smallpox vacination. Which we have now eliminated from the world (except in germ warfare laboratories).
Semmilweis (sp?) proved the theory of germs by showing that washing with disinfectant would stop the transmission of fatal infections from new mother to new mother. Unfortunately it was 70 years before open minded scientists actually admitted his theory of washing might be true. So many dead mothers, even worse than abortion.
At least the Koran seems to have one thing right. Water probably did begin in the water.
I meant to say life did probably begin in water.
I would also like every creationist/ID person if they take the annual flu shot. If they don't then that is consistent. If they do, then on some level they must believe in evolution, because it is the capacity of the virus to evolve that requires a new vacine every year. People world wide are afraid bird flu is going to evolve to spread from human to human. If it does and is as deadly as scientists fear, will crevos deny themselves and their children the benefits of a vaccine?
When a person says: "exclusively either science of faith", he understands neither.
I meant:
When a person says: "exclusively either science or faith", he understands neither.
Satan can quote the bible. Are you going to follow him because he can?
What is not proven, or even a "theory" well-supported in evidence, is macro-evolution. There are no observed cases of macro evolution.
Macro evolution is the development of a new "kind" of life-form by non-intelligent step-wise mutations. What is a kind? For the time being, we can use the definition of a viable descendent with new complex organs.
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