Some guy celebrates a victory over creationists

[Ziggy Stardust]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education...-creationism-intelligent-design?newsfeed=true

The Department for Education has revised its model funding agreement, allowing the education secretary to withdraw cash from schools that fail to meet strict criteria relating to what they teach. Under the new agreement, funding will be withdrawn for any free school that teaches what it claims are "evidence-based views or theories" that run "contrary to established scientific and/or historical evidence and explanations".

The British Humanist Association (BHA), which has led a campaign against creationism – the movement that denies Darwinian evolution and claims that the Earth and all its life was created by God – described the move as "highly significant" and predicted that it would have implications for other faith groups looking to run schools.

Free schools, which are state-funded and run by local people or organisations, do not need to follow the national curriculum. Scientific groups have expressed concerns that their spread will see a reduction in the teaching of evolution in the classroom.

Several creationist groups have expressed an interest in opening schools in towns and cities across England, including Bedford, Barnsley, Sheffield and Nottingham. Critics say they seek to promote creationism, or the doctrine of "intelligent design", as a scientific theory rather than as a myth or metaphor.

The revised funding agreement has been seized upon by anti-creationists who are pressing for wider concessions from the government.

"It is clear that some faith schools are ignoring the regulations and are continuing to teach myth as though it were science," Dawkins said. "Evolution is fact, supported by evidence from a host of scientific disciplines, and we do a great disservice to our young people if we fail to teach it properly. "

A spokeswoman for the BHA said: "The government's new wording is quite wide and in practice could prevent those who promote extreme religious or particular spiritual or pseudoscientific approaches from including them as part of the school curriculum as science or as evidence-based."

Score one for sanity. Ok, it was an empty net, and a 5 on 1 powerplay goal, but still. No more taxpayer money into dumbing down a nation.

One question though, I'm kind of surprised this had to be ruled in the UK. I was under the impression that it is just as heretic a hell hole as the Netherlands is. Never thought the fundies were so close to home. Thank Zeus for the North Sea.

 

[Arakhor]

You get creationists in the most unlikely places, Ziggy. Amongst their various unorthodox beliefs, it seems that Jehovah Witnesses are also creationists.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Are they influential in the UK, or just some fringe occurrence?

We have Creationists in the Netherlands of course, but for some reason they don't seem to be very vocal, or bothered by why others believe.

 

[Ayn Rand]

One question though, I'm kind of surprised this had to be ruled in the UK. I was under the impression that it is just as heretic a hell hole as the Netherlands is. Never thought the fundies were so close to home. Thank Zeus for the North Sea.

Sorry to take the wind out of your sails Ziggy, but this is almost certainly aimed at the growing spread of intolerant Islamic faith schools in Britain.

Spoiler :

Quick! Reverse course and start making excuses for Islam!

 

[useless]

I'm not sure anyone is, or has, made any excuses for Islam.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Sorry, wind, sails, Ziggy

Oh Yee of Missguided Speedy Assumptions. How I long to live in a world so simple as yours. Just for a day or I'd become claustrophobic.


Look what Ziggy quoted:

A spokeswoman for the BHA said: "The government's new wording is quite wide and in practice could prevent those who promote extreme religious or particular spiritual or pseudoscientific approaches from including them as part of the school curriculum as science or as evidence-based."

It's almost as if Ziggy was aware it can also be used against public funding for Intolerant Faith Schools. It's a happy coincidence, but not the aim. And Zeus is not Islamic by the way

 

[Ayn Rand]

Oh Yee of Missguided Speedy Assumptions. How I long to live in a world so simple as yours. Just for a day or I'd become claustrophobic.

As said in the article, it's a happy coincidence, but not the aim. And Zeus is not Islamic by the way

My Apologies - please get back on-topic to the Christian "fundie" bashing, oh sophisticated and complex one

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

My Apologies

Ta very much ol' Chap.

please get back on-topic to the Christian "fundie" bashing

We prefer the term: "Celebrating the Liberty of Science"

It has "liberty" in it, see?

oh sophisticated and complex one

Pip pip!

 

[Arakhor]

Are they influential in the UK, or just some fringe occurrence?

We have Creationists in the Netherlands of course, but for some reason they don't seem to be very vocal, or bothered by why others believe.

Well, in our all too British way, we make jokes about them coming to the door and suddenly remembering that we have something in the oven! I had a couple come to my door just this week and they seemed quite pleasant people, but I don't believe in the Devil or literal Biblical creation, so if we talked for any length of time, we'd certainly have started to disagree!

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

I do not think after 40 years of comunism and becouse Czech is dubbed as one of the most atheistic countries this could by a problem over here.
The theory of evolution and existence of God are not mutualy excluding anyway...

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Nope, they're not. Far from it.

 

[aelf]

I don't see the Christian bashing in this thread. Where is it? I demand more Christian bashing!

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I don't see the Christian bashing in this thread. Where is it? I demand more Christian bashing!

Gosh, those Christians sure don't accept evolution!

(Except the ones who do . . . but neither side likes us. )

 

[EnglishEdward]

The supposed "free schools" are not free from government interference.

And to further annoy the secularists and islamics.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jan/17/michael-gove-king-james-bible

 

[Antilogic]

Gosh, those Christians sure don't accept evolution!

(Except the ones who do . . . but neither side likes us. )

Hey, Kenneth Miller is just fine in my book.

 

[Winner]

I do not think after 40 years of comunism and becouse Czech is dubbed as one of the most atheistic countries this could by a problem over here.
The theory of evolution and existence of God are not mutualy excluding anyway...

Do us all a favour and use the full name, ok? "Czech" is an adjective. It's either the Czech Republic or, colloquially, Czechia. We have plenty of foreigners who make this mistake, no need to feed the flames ourselves

And there are creationists even in this country. Just a few, but some of them are quite annoying.

 

[stormerne]

Are they influential in the UK, or just some fringe occurrence?

Having lived in the UK for over 55 years, and in 40 different places there, I can assure you they're fringe. BUT... by fringe I mean there's not much of it but there's always some of it. It's always and persistently there. And yes it's lampooned. But the important thing is that British character is too secular*, too established and too slow to change to be much influenced by them.

*Secular yes. Despite having an established church, despite the head of state being the guardian of the faith, the UK tends to be pragmatic not fanatic about its beliefs. The Church of England is a very accommodating religion - though some critics would say wishy-washy! Check out Eddie Izzard's sketch on this.

 

[Arakhor]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jan/17/michael-gove-king-james-bible

Well, unlike many Americans' idea of their country, the UK is explicitly a Christian country and after all the KJV is a famous British product. It's a bit of a silly idea, especially if it costs so much, but it's not an atrocious idea, unlike some.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

Do us all a favour and use the full name, ok? "Czech" is an adjective. It's either the Czech Republic or, colloquially, Czechia. We have plenty of foreigners who make this mistake, no need to feed the flames ourselves

Hey, thanks. Czechia sounds a bit ********. Btw isnt Czech (Čech / Češka )also a noun? When I say I am from Czech I speak also colloquially. I sense the time for change has come.

And there are creationists even in this country. Just a few, but some of them are quite annoying.

I dont know about any schools though...

 

[classical_hero]

Gosh, those Christians sure don't accept evolution!

(Except the ones who do . . . but neither side likes us. )

So you are willing to put your hat in with those who are trying to destroy Christianity.