British Humanist Association: DfES answers anti-creationist call (17 Nov 06)
The British Humanist Association and the Christian think-tank Ekklesia have welcomed a statement from the DfES in answer to the two organisations call that they denounce materials sent to schools by the organisation Truth in Science' which encouraged schools to incorporate intelligent design into school science.
The DfES has said that officials are currently working with the QCA to find a suitable way of communicating to schools it is not part of the Science National Curriculum. The two organisations wrote to the DfES on 29th September (see http://tinyurl.com/ydmvod.)
Does “Soft Machines” present arguments for Intelligent Design? (10 Oct 06)
Latest - Government rejects Truth In Science information packs
"Neither intelligent design nor creationism are recognised scientific theories and they are not included in the science curriculum, the Truth in Science information pack is therefore not an appropriate resource to support the science curriculum."
Questions for creationists (11 Oct 06) More Times
Sir, Richard Buggs challenges his critics to find any errors on the Truth in Science website (letter, Oct 7). It is hard to know where to begin.
his is not a complete list, but the group misquotes scientists to make it look as though they doubt evolution; claims that archaeopteryx is the only member of the dinosaur-bird transitional sequence and that it lived after its theropod ancestors; implies that the fact that asexual bacteria do not form species shows that they do not evolve; states that there is no geological reason to expect Pre-Cambrian transitionals to be rare, and also that no Pre-Cambrian transitionals are known; asserts that there is no good evolutionary pathway for the development of the bacterial flagellum; and even claims that asymmetric molecules cannot preferentially bond to one isomer over another. All this is demonstrably untrue.
At the same time, the group makes no reference to the recent torrent of discoveries supporting evolution, from remarkable fossils such as Stromatoveris, Tiktaalik and immature A. afarensis to the latest molecular data and increasing numbers of completely sequenced genomes.
I look forward to seeing these errors removed, as promised. If it genuinely wishes to promote good science, the group might even explain how each of these fits with, or provides good evidence for, universal common descent, and, in several cases, flatly contradicts the claims of creationists.
CHRIS PREEDY Bath
Letters to the Editor - Further Times Responses
"To suggest that evolution is still on trial ignores the weight of evidence: even the initial oscillations in the background radiation (Nobel prize level, and just awarded) imply the evolution of the galaxies and stars as observed, let alone the overwhelming fossil evidence and observations of continuing evolution in species.\"
Jeremy Vine Show transcript– BBC Radio 2 - 6 Oct 06
Responses to Roger Stanyard (See below)
Typical creationist boilerplate.
See Letters to the Editor – The Times (7 Oct 06)
Read & puke.
The Times - Letters to the Editor
State of science in our schools (3 Oct 06)
Sir, The British Centre for Science Education is deeply concerned about the teaching of pseudoscience in place of science in schools in the UK.
We are a new pressure group that aims to keep science and only science in the science classrooms of the UK. In particular, we are alarmed at the launch of a creationist religious group called Truth in Science (report, Sept 29). It is aiming to get creationism taught in science lessons in schools.
Truth in Science recently sent free materials to every school in the UK. We urge teachers to treat this material with extreme caution. It is full of scientific errors and misrepresentations and fails to tell the recipients about the group’s creationist beliefs and objectives. Attempts to deliver this material in a science classroom may confuse children, and could well place their future academic success at risk.
Truth in Science is pushing supernaturalism as a viable alternative to the accepted science regarding the origins and development of life on this planet and established geological knowledge that the Earth is very old.
This is at its heart a theological debate fit for a religious education class, but not a science class.
ROGER STANYARD Spokesman, British Centre for Science Education
I can barely Adam and Eve it, but creationism's catching on over here
Nick Cohen - Sunday October 1, 2006 - The Observer
"To be told that it is easier for creationists to get at children in Britain than the US is as shockingly incongruous as opening a paper and reading that more prisoners are executed in Devon than Texas. Yet British scientists trying to uphold basic intellectual standards are starting to believe just that."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1885071,00.html
Creationists On The March - Into Schools
29 Sept 06
The march of the creationists into our kids schools must be getting bad when even other Christians are complaining about it to the Government. http://www.workersliberty.org/node/6998
Truth in Science: far from true
29 Sept 06
The creationist group, ‘Truth in Science’ have launched a new website designed to encourage the teaching of creationism and ‘intelligent design’ in school science. To accompany their launch, the group claim to have written to every secondary school and college Head of Science; the British Humanist Association (BHA) has learned they have also sent them copies of ‘teaching resources’ on CD http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/newsarticleview.asp?article=2245
Humanists and Christians in joint call on DfES to rule out creationist teaching
29 Sept 06
The British Humanist Association and the UK Christian think tank Ekklesia have today written to Education Minister Alan Johnson asking him to ensure that their guidelines are explicit in requiring teachers to maintain a wholly scientific perspective on the matter of the origin of species by evolution.
The move comes after a new group calling itself ‘ Truth in Science ’ sent a letter and free teaching resources to all secondary heads of science seeking space for creationist ideas, and appealed to parents through a new website to challenge the current science teaching agenda. BHA and Ekklesia are calling on the Government to ensure that teachers know this material is not appropriate for school science. http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/newsarticleview.asp?article=2246
Creationists have launched a new website, claiming it will promote good science!
27 Sept 06
Truth in Science Welcome to Truth in Science, a new organisation to promote good science education in the UK. Our initial focus will be on the origin of life and its diversity. See internal link Truth in Science