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“Science and Human Origins”: the Discotute misrepresent science once more…

July 4, 2012 in creationism, intelligent design by GrumpyBob | No comments

The Discovery Institute recently published a brief book (maybe booklet would e more accurate) penned by Anne Gauger and Douglas Axe of the Biologic Institute and Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute. Having recently ploughed through Stephen Meyer’s effort, I am in no mood to waste further time on Discotute crud. But, lo! Over at Still Monkeys, Paul McBride blogs his way through this, chapter by chapter:

Here starts a chapter-by-chapter review of Gauger, Axe and Luskin’s Science and Human Origins, a Discovery Insititute publication that is intended to challenge–amongst other things–the notion that humans share a common ancestor with chimpanzees, and that we couldn’t have had descended from a literal Adam and Eve.

As one might expect, the religious creationist bent of the authors seems to shine through. McBride is really very thorough in his demolition of the booklet.

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UK Government doesn’t ban Academies from teaching creationism as science

February 16, 2012 in creationism by GrumpyBob | No comments

The British Humanist Assosiation has noted that Government changes Academy model funding agreement… but DOESN’T ban creationist schools

The Government yesterday revised the Academy model funding agreement to bring it in line with all the recent changes made to the Free School model funding agreement – except it declined to ban creationist schools. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has expressed dismay at this missed opportunity, and is unsure why the Department for Education (DfE) decided against making this change.

Maybe it’s just an oversight?  But it’s clear that many religious groups which hold creationist views are bidding to run Free Schools (and as I noted earlier are trying to erase evidence of this from the internet).

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On the efficacy of prayer

April 3, 2011 in atheism by GrumpyBob | No comments

Over at Epiphenom, Tom Rees has a nice ‘Research Blogging’ style article (Efficacy of prayer questioned) about a paper by Francis Galton dating back a few years now – doing the review as if it were of a contemporary paper.

Bottom line: no statistical evidence for efficacy (but it might make people feel good).

Galton, F (1872). Statistical Inquiries into the Efficacy of Prayer. Fortnightly Review , 12, 125-135

Intelligent Design centre launched in the UK

September 25, 2010 in intelligent design by GrumpyBob | 2 comments

I notice at the Nature Blogs site (The Great Beyond: New intelligent design centre launches in Britain) that a new “Centre for Intelligent Design” has been set up in the UK.  It’s Director is none other than Alastair Noble, about whom I blogged a few months ago, following a risible article he wrote for the Guardian website (Alastair Noble, proponent of Intelligent Design;Intelligent Design is not science, and should not be taught in science lessons).  The other leading lights are as follows:

President: Prof Norman Nevin OBE, Emeritus Professor of Medical Genetics, Queens University, Belfast
A quick Google search reveals Nevin has been very active in human genetic research. The British Centre for Science Education lists Nevin in an article about the DUP’s promotion of creationism in schools (Northern Ireland’s Leading Political Party is Creationist). Nevin apparently defends Truth in Science (Norman Nevin defends Truth in Science). I blogged about (the ridiculously-named) Truth in Science (Discovery Institute takes the wedge strategy to UK schools) – note that Alastair Noble favourably reviewed the key text in TiS’s wedge strategy for UK schools.

Vice-President: Dr David Galloway, Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow, Scotland
David Galloway’s website (very flash-button-heavy) has a bunch of links to church activities, and seems to be rather evangelical in tone.

The C4ID website has a list of Terms and Conditions which are full of legalese about usage of the site’s content. Interestingly, it lists the url http://www.darwinordesign.org.uk/ which at the time of writing (26/9/10) points to a Joomla! site either under development or maintenance.

The website appears to be full of the hoary old half-truths so beloved of the ignorant: for example their article The Scientific Case for Design.  All five headings reveal the depths of ignorance of the author.

While the Nature Blog article says:

“For the time being, the organization isn’t looking to promote ID in Britain’s schools, Noble says. “I would stress that we’re not targeting schools”,

I’d be cautious – Noble has past experience as a Schools Inspector, as I recall, and as observed above Nevin backs the Truth in Science wedge strategy aimed at schools.

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Irish Minister won’t now launch anti-evolution book

September 14, 2010 in skeptic by GrumpyBob | No comments

According to the Irish Times (Minister withdraws from launch of anti-evolution book – The Irish Times – Tue, Sep 14, 2010), Conor Lenihan, the Irish Minister for Science will not be launching the anti-evolution book “The Origin of Specious Nonsense”.  This book has a website – but beware, on my notebook, it seemed to set the processor racing – presumably the over-enthusiastic application of graphics. Certainly the site uses copious amounts of Flash.

It does seem to be the usual stuff.  A self-educated author embraces religion, and none of his background really suggests he has beene exposed to any training or education in science.  The website includes some quotes from the book, which conists mostly of the usual creationist canards.  I wonder if Mr Lenihan took the time to look at the website (or even the book itself) before agreeing to the now-cancelled book launch.

Judging from the book website, I would suggest that having a Science Minister associated with it in any way would raise questions about the Minister’s fitness for that office.  But, hey, this is another country’s government, and the UK also seems to specialise win Government Ministers with no special qualifications for the job!

I looked up Conor Lenihan on Wikipedia.  Seems like an interesting guy with a record of public pronouncements seemingly at odds with his political roles.  Take for example, the article’s section Attitude to Immigrants (Mr Lenihan was Minister of State for Integration Policy from June 2007 to April 2009).

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Guardian Blog: Creationists seek to insert their own brand of ‘truth’ into education

September 10, 2010 in religion by GrumpyBob | No comments

Paul Sims of the New Humanist magazine takes aim once again at the Noah’s Ark zoo (as featured on this blog also) in the Guardian: Creationists seek to insert their own brand of ‘truth’ into education.

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Religous schools more likely under new Government rules?

September 3, 2010 in religion by GrumpyBob | No comments

Just a quick note to observe the report over at the National Secular Society site regarding the likely expansion of faith schools under Michael Gove (Michael Gove in religious schools rethink | National Secular Society).  Turns out that our Education Secretary’s grand vision of widespread secession of academies from local authority control has been less successful than he had intended.  To try and rescue this situation, it appears that Mr Gove plans to relax the 50% rule, which meant that 50% of the pupils in a faith-based academy must be from other (or presumably no) faiths.

This is pretty outrageous, and one wonders whether Mr Gove watched Richard Dawkins’ excellent broadcast the other week (More 4) on the dangers of faith schools.  I imagine that even if he did, it would be ignored in the big push to roll out all those Tory policies that have been waiting in the wings since 1997.

 

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More news coverage of the Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm fracas

August 19, 2010 in creationism by GrumpyBob | No comments

Wales Online features a story on the Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm furore (’Creationist’ zoo in row over school visits), in which a creationist zoo was awarded an imprimature of educational quality – apparently it’s a hot destination for Welsh schoolkids. The article quotes principally from the Zoo’s website, which clearly indicate the creationist bias of the establishment. One quotation is “After looking at the current explanations for origins and evolution, it is our view that the evidence available points to widespread evolution after an initial creation by God”.  But what evidence actually points to any creation by a supernatural being (and what actual evidence is there for any god?).  The article also quotes an NSS spokesperson:

“Parents should be clearly told what kind of place this is before signing their children up. Not only is it a creationist zoo, it’s a Christian one so children from other faiths or none are effectively being told their beliefs – or lack of them – are wrong.

“Noah’s Ark may be suitable for a Sunday school trip but not for a school trip to teach children about science and nature, especially if teachers are not qualified or able to separate fact from propaganda and explain to children that creationism is a minority view based on faith, not facts.”

I read the WalesOnline report shortly after watching Richard Dawkins’ TV programme on the issue of faith schools (Faith School Menace, More 4).  There was a very interestign segment towards the end in which a child psychologist was demonstrating that when young kids are presented with two explanations for something, theyb will tend to choose the one that has a “purpose”.  The inference of course is that when exposed to religious explanations (for example to of the diversity of life), they will be receptive, not just because the explanation is from an “authority figure”, but because religious explanations feature a cause and a reason.  It seems to me that creationist zoos such as this one should not receive educational plaudits from dubious quangos, for this very reason.

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Being Christian doesn’t bring with it the right to discriminate

August 18, 2010 in religion by GrumpyBob | No comments

More grumblings from Christian Concern for Our Nation (More registrars under pressure due to homosexual civil partnerships – CCFON.org – Christian Concern For Our Nation), who seem to suffer from the delusion that their religious beliefs entitle them to discriminate against specific sectors of our population (thereby breaking the law).  Unfortunately the CCfON website doesn’t have a commenting facility.  CCfON write (my emphasis):

The investigation follows the case of Lillian Ladele, a registrar working for Islington Council who refused to conduct civil partnership ceremonies because they were against her Christian beliefs. She had also tried to change her rotas but homosexual colleagues complained and she later had to resign. She lost her claim for discrimination last December when the Court of Appeal ruled that her refusal to conduct civil partnership ceremonies breached equality laws. 

Of course this is taken as a “religious bar to office” by the Christian Legal Centre.  I say being Christian doesn’t bring with it the right to discriminate. I guess it’s all part of the “victim culture” that seems to be UK christians’ main plank in the argument that they should continue to receive favoured status in society.

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Christian Legal Centre “Shocked”!

August 13, 2010 in religion by GrumpyBob | 1 comment

A quick update on a story I posted several months back concerning a council housing officer’s sacking following an incident where he pushed dubious religious advice on an incurably ill member of the public (Delusional housing officer given the boot) – the BBC reports that the legal appeal mounted by the Christian Legal Centre has been rejected (BBC News – Christian Wandsworth Council worker loses sacking claim).  It turns out this isn’t just about the religious aspects of the case:

Wandsworth Council said Ms X complained that she faced a “30 minute barrage” from the advisor during which she was also told not to bother with doctors.
The council said it was “inappropriate and unacceptable” that Mr Amachree also revealed details about Ms X to the media which could have led to her identification.
The London South employment tribunal, which heard the case in June and July, ruled the dismissal was “fair” and there was no discrimination on the grounds of his religion.

Of course the Christian Legal Centre regard this as a “shock outcome” (Shock decision against Council worker sacked for mentioning God), while being somewhat economical with the truth.  One supposes this is one more plank in The slow, whiny death of British Christianity).

h/t The Freethinker

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