| Greetings!
Welcome to our January 2009 newsletter. Thank you for all that you do to pray for and support our ministry. May I take this opportunity to wish you a Happy and Blessed New Year, as we seek to serve God throughout the next 12 months.
Please contact us for any further information you require, including requests for booking speakers at your church or organisation.
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Do UK teachers want creationism or not?
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There seems to be some confusion about the interpretation of
the recent Ipsos Mori poll, regarding the willingness or otherwise of UK
teachers to teach creationism in science classes. The Yahoo News headlined with
"Creationism 'should be taught in schools'"[1],
whereas Ipsos Mori's own website headlines with "Teachers Dismiss Calls For Creationism To Be Taught In School Science
Lessons"[2].
The confusion is
common with interpretation of statistical data. One's headline depends on the
particular issue, on which one is focussing. Ipsos Mori's own report starts by focussing
on what proportion of teachers wants to teach creationism. This seems to be an
odd place to start. Creationist organisations have frequently been accused of
wanting to infiltrate state schools, but, in fact, the position of Answers in Genesis has always been that
we do not support the idea of forcing non-Christian teachers to teach
something, in which they do not believe. What is more pertinent is the response
of teachers to the concept of creationism being brought up in discussion. 65%
of teachers believe that creationism should be discussed. This figure actually
increases (to 73%) when specialist science teachers are asked. These statistics
do not appear simply to support the idea of discussing creationism only to
debunk it. Professor Chris Higgins, vice-chancellor of Durham University,
stated that he thought creationism should only be discussed in classes "to
demonstrate why the idea is scientific nonsense and has no basis in evidence or
rational thought".[3]
The teachers questioned were given this quote, and 54% disagreed with it.
 In 2008, Dr Michael Reiss was forced to resign as the Royal
Society's Director of Education over this issue. He is not a supporter of
creationism, nor an advocate of teaching it. He merely suggested that, when
pupils bring the subject up, they should be treated with respect. It is clear
that, although the Royal Society disagreed, the majority of science teachers
are in favour of treating creationist pupils with respect.
This resonates with my own experience of 16 years working in
state schools in the UK. When I was designing programmes of study for science
lessons, it was important to us to teach scientific methodology, so that pupils
would learn not just scientific 'facts', but also how to think in a scientific
way. If pupils are to think in a scientific way, they should not be taught that
one scientific idea is above criticism. Yet that is how some 'experts' are now
suggesting that pupils should be taught about evolution. Such dogmatic
evolutionist indoctrination would have been anathema to the majority of science
teachers, with whom I worked, and who used my programmes of study. Most science
teachers are caring reasonable people, who are passionate about teaching
children how to think in a spirit of scientific enquiry. It is small wonder
that even non-Christian and evolutionist teachers would reject the notion of
dismissing creationism as "rubbish" - especially when their own pupils point
out the lack of evidence for evolution.
[1]
< http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081223/tuk-creationism-should-be-taught-in-scho-dba1618.html >
[2]
< http://www.ipsos-mori.com/content/home-page-news/teachers-dismiss-calls-for-creationism-to-be-taugh.ashx >
[3] ibid
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Atheist buses?
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 A group of atheists - led by Dr Richard Dawkins - have raised £140,000 to place this advert on London buses. Obviously, they have a right to do so in a free society, sdo we have no problem with the placing of the advert. However, this incident makes me think. Would Christians raise money as quickly and in such large quantities for more Godly projects? With 2009 being the bicentenary of Darwin's birth, how about bus adverts with a legend such as "Creation or Evolution? - The Answer's in Genesis!"? £140,000 would provide resources for a great deal of biblical ministry for AiG-UK, if such sums were forthcoming, that could have more lasting consequences than bus adverts.
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Thank you so much for reading this newsletter. May God bless you in all that you do for Him. Please keep praying.
 Sincerely,
Paul Taylor
Senior Speaker / Head of Media
Answers in Genesis (UK/Europe)
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Check out these important resources
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 Truth, Lies and Science education (DVD)Paul Taylor In this talk, Paul Taylor explains the history of science education, in the context of what the Bible teaches. Modern science education and the National curriculum is weighed against these biblical standards, and found, in many aspects, to be wanting. Normal Price: £10 Sale Price: £6SKU: 30-9-192
 Refuting Evolution, Refuting Evolution 2, Refuting Compromise
Jonathan Sarfati
These three books provide a through biblical and scientific analysis of the errors of evolution and old-earth scenarios. Price: £2 each Refuting Evolution: SKU: 10-2-110 Refuting Evolution 2: SKU: 10-2-150 Refuting Compromise: SKU: 10-2-164 |
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