"They need to devolve some management to schools. I think most people would agree with that. But you can't devolve the truth. Something is either true or it's not and creationism is not". - Steve Jones, evolutionary biologist, UCL

"It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane (or wicked, but I’d rather not consider that)". - Professor Richard Dawkins

"Of course, like every other man of intelligence and education, I do believe in organic evolution," he replied. "It surprises me that at this late date such questions should be raised". - Woodrow Wilson 1922

"No one has ever tried to persuade us of the merits of handing huge swathes of our schools over to the Christian religion. It has been done by stealth, by a Prime Minister whose Christianity is more to the fore than any PM since Lord Salisbury left office in 1902, but who would not have been able to persuade the electorate that it was a good thing to do, if he had done it openly. Almost two thirds of voters oppose plans to increase the number of religious schools." - Francis Beckett Schools for scoundrels

“Any science teacher who denies that the world is billions…of years old is teaching children a preposterous, mind-shrinking falsehood.” – Richard Dawkins

The idea that religious schools have a distinctive, presumably superior, ethos is an insult to the dedicated teachers at non-religious schools. - Frank Dobson. The Guardian

Creationists now seem to be perfectly reasonable people to run our schools, which I find staggering. I also find it staggering that the Minister should think that because the people of Doncaster rejected creationism as a theme for their school, we should think them outrageous.- Phil Willis (L Dem) - Academies

Concerns about teaching creationism in science lessons or explaining that God saved us in the second world war in history lessons have been aired before. Bob Edminster, who is to sponsor two more city academies, defended the Vardy schools' teaching of creationism:
"If you tell people they are descended from monkeys how can you expect them to behave like anything other than monkeys?"
Such people should not be given control of two tax-funded state schools.
Paul Holmes (L Dem) - Academies

The trouble with the belief that sacred texts are the word of God is that you cannot argue with them. You can say that philosophy sometimes raises questions which have no answer, or which you may not answer; but religion often means answers which may not be questioned - Lord Taverne

Suppose John Major had introduced an education bill that proposed taking the nation's schools away from elected local authorities and handing them over to crackpot creationists and second-hand car salesmen. Every single Labour MP would have voted against it. - Derek Gillard

“Every utterance from government - from justifying 90-day detention to invading other countries [and] to curtailing civil liberties is about the dangers of religious division and fundamentalism. Yet New Labour is approving new faith schools hand over fist. We have had the grotesque spectacle of a British prime minister, on the floor of the House of Commons, defending like some medieval crusader the teaching of creationism in the science curriculum at a sponsor-run school whose running costs are wholly met from the public purse.” Keith Mitchell - director of education, Durham County Council.

But another thing strikes me while listening to Mr Solomon's depiction of Islam as a dangerous fundamentalist belief: he could be describing the beliefs of the Christian fundamentalists I've met. He says these crazed fanatics believe any non-believer is destined only for hell (check). That they must convert all non-believers to their belief (check). That they think society must be built on their beliefs alone (check). - Christian fundamentalists fighting spiritual battle in Parliament