I translated this from my newspaper: NRC Next. As an exercise, but also because I know some of you might find this interesting.
Creationism growing in European schools
Politician resists against American creed stating that the world is created in a short period of time
The Luxembourg politician Anne Brasseur is concerned about teachings in creationism.
Soon students won't know the difference between science and religion, according to her.
By JEROEN VAN DER KRIS
BRUSSELS. Creationism, the idea tat the world is ceated in a short period of time, is no longer an American phenomenon. It's also in Europe on the rise. And here it's primarily a threat for education.
That's the intent of that resolution subject to debate today in the European Council, the organization of 47 countries in Strassbourg. "If we're too careless creationism can form a threat to the human rights", says Anne Brasseur, a Luxembourg liberal, in the resolution. Brasseur is member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council. The Council is the oldest pan-European institute, mainly focussing on human rights. The Parliamentary Assembly is made up out of representatives of national parliaments.
The handling of the resolution was initially planned for June. A close majority in the Assembly obstructed this. "The resistance came primarily from the christian democrats", says Brasseur. "They saw the resolution as an attack against religion." That was not her intent. The resolution says that creationists - christian as well as islamic - are mainly trying to obtain a place for their ideas in the curriculums. To do so they argue that the evolution theory is only an "interpretation". Next to that they present their ideas as science.
In the Netherlands former minister of Education Maria van der Hoeven caused a fuss by stating that the evolution theory is "incomplete".
The risk lies in the fact that children are unable to separate religion from science, according to Brasseur. "This may lead to an 'everything-is-equal'-attitude which might look appealing and tolerant, but is actually disasterous". Next to her resolution Brasseur wrote a report in which she points to attempts of the Turkish creationist Harun Yahya to spread books in France, Switzerland and Belgium. "In one of his works", she writes, "Darwinism is described as a 'source of terrorism'."
The Luxembourger is also concerned about expressions of certain European politicians. "The minister of education of the German confederation Hessen for example said that creationism had to be a part in biology lessons."
In Poland some politicians went even further. There Miroslaw Orzechowski, secretary of education up till recently, said the evolution theory is "a lie". And he added: "We shouldn't teach in lies."
Brasseur didn't change much of the text that was held up in June. She did add a few lines to emphasize that it was not her intent to "start a discussion about faith or to fight against it".
In the resolution the countries joined in the European Council are called upon to oppose against the presentation of creationism as a theory that is equal to the evolution theory. The Luxembourg politician thinks that accepting this resolution won't have direct consequences. "I hope to achieve that people become aware of the danger", said Brasseur.
Creationism and Intelligent Design
Creationism, a christian movement trying to make the Creation compatible with modern science. The movement came up halfway through the last century, when because of Darwin's theories theology was no longer considered relevant when reflecting on the creation of life on earth.
Creationists state that the theory of evolution of Darwin does not satisfy to explain the creation of life on earth. It is a 'purely materialistic theory' that assumes that all life came into being out of one single organism without providing any evidence. Creationists argue that the 'creation' can only be explained by assuming that God created the earth.
A modern variant of creationism is Intelligent Design (ID). An intelligent designer would have a part the realization of life. In the US the ID-movement is large and well organized in the conservative christian Discovery Institute.
In the American state of Kansas and Pennsylvania school councils have tried to get IDinto the curriculum. The judge put the enterprise in the bud.