The Toronto star carries an edited version of a Financial Times editorial on the threat of Creationism:TheStar.com – Creationism’s assault on science
The article points out a valid analogy. There is overwhelming evidence that the Holocaust was real, yet a minority of ideologically driven historians still deny it.
The consensus amongst historians as to the reality of the Holocaust is statistically equivalent to the consensus amongst scientists in support of evolution, yet a particular sect of militant protestant Christianity, which is popular in the US and Brazil is enforcing the irrational belief of the minority on the majority.
Sure, it can be argued that it is part of the scientific process to encourage debate and look at alternate theories, but some theories are better than others. Suspicion should be aroused when theories are in fact hypotheses masking as theories and when those hypotheses are things that are driven not by minds open to alternate theories but minds which are only open to theories that match a particular ideology. There is a point where it doesn’t make sense to consider theories with no merit.
That point was reached between Christians and scientists many years ago regarding the earth revolving around the sun, yet the debate was decided by killing people with opposing views to the church. More recently, some people have challenged the evidence regarding the wanton destruction of 6 million lives. Make no mistake, creationism is about lack of debate and closed minds.
To deny the fact of evolution and deprive people an education because of a particular belief not shared by everybody, is equivalent to the shameful historical revisionism by anti-Semites who wish to rewrite history because of their own ideological agenda.
Despite this, for a number of reasons, the views of evangelical Christians are treated with respect, such that the President of a first world democracy is able to state ‘the jury is still out on evolution’.
Imagine if that statement had been: ‘the jury is still out as to whether the Holocaust happened’.
Eppur si muove.