Creation Row in Northern Ireland

Answers in Genesis–U.K., Leicester, England
Press Release: Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Re: Government Guidelines on Teaching Creationism

The British Government can at least be commended that they have recognized that there are times when the subject of creationism must be tackled in science lessons. Indeed, this is in line with the original intentions of the National Curriculum, which requires that:

Pupils should be taught ... how scientific controversies can arise from different ways of interpreting empirical evidence [for example, Darwin's theory of evolution]

and

ways in which scientific work may be affected by the contexts in which it takes place [ for example, social, historical, moral and spiritual ] , and how these contexts may affect whether or not ideas are accepted. (Science: The National Curriculum in England, 1999, statements 1.1b and 1.1c, p46)

Paul Taylor, Head of Media and Publications at Answers in Genesis (UK/Europe), and a former comprehensive school Head of Science, said today:

“It is not the policy of Answers in Genesis that any evolutionary science teacher in a state school should be forced to teach something in which they do not believe. However, the Government’s guidelines maintain that creationism and intelligent design ‘have no underpinning scientific principles.’ This is demonstrably not correct.

“It is to be hoped that the guidelines’ assertion that ‘hypotheses are developed on the basis of the body of knowledge and are tested experimentally to generate further evidence that may be supportive or contradictory’ will be used to remind pupils that no experimental evidence has ever been found for the theory of evolution, nor is it capable of scientific testing, as it makes assertions about unrepeatable events in the past. Therefore, evolution is not a scientific theory, by the guidelines’ own definition, but rather a set of beliefs, used by most (but not all) scientists to interpret their findings. At that level, a belief in evolution is no different to a belief in creation—except that the latter belief is more consistent with the actual experimental evidence.”