Creation Banned from UK’s State-Funded Schools

by Ken Ham

Here is another sign of the increasing secularization of the Western world, as secular humanists are trying their hardest to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). It’s the result of a minority viewpoint being imposed on a public that is seemingly oblivious to the ongoing loss of religious liberty and the growing intolerance of Christianity all around.

This week a number of news sources around the world have reported on a series of bias-filled documents produced by the Department of Education in the United Kingdom. One of these documents includes this comment about new science standards: “They explicitly require that pupils are taught about the theory of evolution, and prevent academy trusts from teaching ‘creationism’ as scientific fact.” In other words, teaching creation as science has been banned in state-funded schools; instead, the education department wants the belief in molecules-to-man evolution to be taught as fact to UK students.

“Theory of Evolution” vs. “Creationism”

Notice the wording on the UK website. It frames the issue as “the theory of evolution” vs. “creationism.” Why do they not present it as evolution vs. creation? Because that would make creation sound more legitimate. As we have consistently stated, evolution does not even qualify as a valid scientific theory. Furthermore, secularists will gladly use the term creationism, indicating that it is a belief system and is not scientific, but they avoid the term evolutionism. Is there even such a word? Dr. David Menton has written an insightful article on the word evolutionism.

The use of the word creationism and avoidance of the word evolutionism is intentional: the secularists want you to believe that evolution (the belief that life arose by natural processes; also called naturalism or atheism) is fact, and creation (the belief that life is designed by the Creator God) is an outdated idea that should be extinct.

Biblical Creation

The document further states, “’Creationism’ . . . is any doctrine or theory which holds that natural biological processes cannot account for the history, diversity, and complexity of life on earth and therefore rejects the scientific theory of evolution.”

In other words, the UK government has declared that the only acceptable starting point for interpreting evidence about origins is naturalism or atheism. The UK government is now essentially declaring that the state religion is atheism and that this view must be imposed on students as fact.

Biblical creation as described in Genesis 1–2 is clearly opposed to molecules-to-man evolution. When we take God at His Word, we understand that He created the universe as a whole and all life in it.

The Problem in the Church

The education document continues, “Creationism, in this sense, is rejected by most mainstream Churches and religious traditions, including the major providers of state funded schools such as the [Anglican] [Catholic] Churches, as well as the scientific community.”

This statement actually hits the nail on the head. Why is the United Kingdom in its current state as a nation? One of the main reasons is because many Christian leaders have compromised God’s Word starting in Genesis by accepting man’s fallible opinions of evolution and millions of years. If we cannot trust God’s Word in Genesis, how can we trust the Bible in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John? The simple answer is that we cannot, which is one of the major reasons we are seeing so many youth leaving our Western churches in droves.

If you have not read my coauthored book Already Gone, I highly encourage you to do so. Then share it with pastors, other Christian leaders, school teachers, etc. The book is backed with statistics and research into the mass exodus of our youth in America from the church, and what we can do to stop it both here and in the UK. This book is freely available to read online.

Science Confirms the Bible

The education document states further, “Creationism . .. . does not accord with the scientific consensus or the very large body of established scientific evidence; nor does it accurately and consistently employ the scientific method, and as such it should not be presented to pupils at the Academy as a scientific theory.”

Directly contrary to what the documents state, observational science consistently confirms the Bible. Furthermore, Bible-based predictions can lead to scientific discoveries. And as I showed very clearly in my February debate with Bill Nye, biblical creationists can be great scientists and make leading technological achievements.

Starting Points

The document goes on to state, “The parties further recognise that the requirement on every academy and free school to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, in any case prevents the teaching of creationism as evidence based theory in any academy or free school.”

In other words, the UK’s education officials have a starting point when discussing origins and God is already ruled out! Only one view is allowed to be taught to students: naturalism. Thus, no matter what evidence is found, students have to be taught to interpret that evidence within an atheistic framework.

Religion vs. Fact

Finally, the document states, “The Secretary of State acknowledges that clauses . . . do not prevent discussion of beliefs about the origins of the Earth and living things, such as creationism, in Religious Education, as long as it is not presented as a valid alternative to established scientific theory.”

So, UK classes can discuss what they call “creationism” in “Religious Education” courses, but only if it is not presented as true!

Rejoicing in Their Rejection of God

A UPI article provides some of the background of this recent development. They report, “The British Humanist Association has been lobbying against the instruction of creationism since 2011 with its Teach Evolutionism, Not Creationism campaign” and “is currently celebrating the UK government's declaration.” We all need to wake up to the fact that atheists are celebrating the news because they have been successful in imposing their anti-God religion on this current generation of students, and perhaps future generations. And sadly, many Christian leaders in the UK are helping the atheists when they accept evolutionary views and teach generations in the church to accommodate the secularist religion into God’s Word!

Interestingly, the UPI article features a picture of the main hall of our Creation Museum, with this caption: “This display in the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky appears to depict a young prehistoric man coexisting with a velociraptor, an [sic] carnivorous dinosaur and an especially lethal predator. The United Kingdom just banned the teaching of creationism as scientifically valid in all public schools.” In contrast, we use the same scene from the museum on our “Dinosaurs and Humans” topic page which highlights the evidence that dinosaurs and humans existed together, since both were made on Day Six of Creation Week.

Spiritual Battle

We are in a spiritual battle: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Thus it is vital to bring up our children “in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). This year’s theme for the Answers in Genesis ministry in the US and UK is “Standing Our Ground, Rescuing Our Kids” (based on Galatians 1:4). To help teach children biblical truths, all children ages 12 and under can come to the Creation Museum free of charge in 2014 (with the purchase of a full-priced adult or senior admission to accompany them).

Teaching our children starts in the home, of course. We must be sure to stand strong on the authority of God’s Word in every area—equipped to give answers for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15). How can we stop this degradation of nations? By seeing hearts turned to our Creator and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

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