THE Russian Orthodox Church this week called for an end to the “monopoly of Darwinism” in Russian schools, saying religious explanations of creation should be taught alongside evolution.
But opponents, according to this report, said they would fight efforts to include religious teaching in schools.
Archbishop Hilarion
Russia’s dominant church has experienced a revival in recent years, worrying rights groups who say its power is undermining the country’s secular constitution.
In a lecture to Russian Foreign Ministry officials in Moscow, senior Russian Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion said:
The time has come for the monopoly of Darwinism and the deceptive idea that science in general contradicts religion. These ideas should be left in the past. Darwin’s theory remains a theory. This means it should be taught to children as one of several theories, but children should know of other theories too.
The atheist Soviet state, which collapsed in 1991, used Darwin to disprove religious teachings. The theory, which biologists say gives a verifiable explanation for how life forms develop through natural selection, now dominates in Russian schools as it does in science teaching in most countries.
Hilarion said the theory that one species could evolve into another had never been proved. Children, he said:
Should know about the religious picture, the creation of the world, which is common to all the monotheistic religions.
But Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a veteran dissident said Russian liberals would fight any attempt to introduce religious teaching into Russian classrooms, particularly in science.
It’s a dangerous idea and we will do all we can to stop it. We overcame Communism as the state ideology and certain forces want to replace it with Orthodox Christianity.
She said it was unlikely religious teaching would replace Darwin in the national curriculum, but it could find its way into some schools with enough pressure from the Church.
Hilarion heads the Church’s external relations department. His lecture to Russian Foreign Ministry officials in Moscow was dedicated to fighting the “fanatical secularism” of liberals hostile to religion, and he called for dialogue with moderate secularists and cooperation with Catholics against common foes.
Meanwhile, it was reported earlier this week that some silly evangelical group wants creationism reflected at the planned Giant’s Causeway visitors centre in Northern Ireland. The iconic World Heritage Site is made up of spectacular basalt stone columns left by volcanic eruptions 60 million years ago.
The Caleb Foundation said it wanted equal prominence for its religious viewpoint. Foundation chairman, Wallace Thompson, has met the tourism minister Arlene Foster to discuss its request.
All we are asking for is that the views that we hold, which are based on the Word of God, are at least respected and taken on board. A Christian politician in a position of power can make a difference.
SDLP MLA Alban Maginnis said he was opposed to a creationist representation at the new facility.
The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland
You are talking about a visitors’ centre which will attract people from all over the world. It will be dealing with the natural sciences in relation to the Giant’s Causeway. I do not think it would be appropriate in these circumstances to have a very narrow religious view expressed.
The Foundation, according to its website, is also trying to force dotty creationist propaganda into the Ulster Museum. It states:
We fully accept that the theory of evolution is the view of the majority of scientists, but it is important to note that evolution is a theory and not a fact. A visit to the Ulster Museum would not give that impression. Indeed, the very clear assertion is made across the entire ‘Nature Zone’, that evolution is a fact. This, presumably quite deliberate, error is further compounded by the complete absence of even the merest mention of any other theory of origins such as the Biblical account of creation, for which there is strong scientific evidence.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
June 13th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
We fully accept that the theory of evolution is the view of the majority of scientists, but it is important to note that evolution is a theory and not a fact.
Technically it is a fact. Nonetheless, the blithering idiot makes the assumption that “scientific theory” means “guess”.
the Biblical account of creation, for which there is strong scientific evidence.
ROFL!!!
June 13th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Could someone give these idiots a science dictionary with the definition of “theory” highlighted, please?
June 13th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Why is evolution always called “The Theory”? These god cunts should realise it’s a fact and their alternative is just hand-waving hocus pocus. If they were all put on an island with nothing and started from year zero, they would develop science to dig themselves out of the shit they were in.
It’s all about holding on to dwindling respect and power.
Hilarion is hilarious and should fuck off and die.
As for the Giant’s Causeway being 60M years older than the xian earth. I don’t think the Irish are in a mood to listen right now, you kiddie fiddling bastards.
June 13th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Starting in pre school, all children should be taught the difference between “theory” and “hypothesis” (and “guess”).
June 13th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
From now on, every time a christian says God did it, I am going to demand a detailed explanation how she actually did it. And I will either get it or chase their religious asses out the room. They know the answers, then let them provide the answers to our satisfaction.
What do you guys think about this idea ?
June 13th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Mike
I would take bets on how long the enlightened folk you describe would last in a pub before getting headbutted.
June 13th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Actually…the Soviet state rejected Darwinism and preferred Lysenkoism. Darwinism, with it’s ideas of survival of the fittest, was much to capitalist an idea. in the 30′s and 40′s many geneticists were executed or sent to work camps.
June 13th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Bad news from a country that gave us the man who described religion as the opiate of the masses. I’m not a fan of the Russian communist era, but it did keep a lid on religion.
As for evolution not being factual: the religious choose to ignore the evidence because it doesn’t fit their dogma – all part of their illness.
Anyway, didn’t the mice make the earth and Slartibartfast design the crinkly bits and Fjords?
June 13th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Angela – Karl Marx was a German who loved America and hated Russia.
_____
June 14th, 2010 at 12:15 am
Cat’s Staff,
According to wiki, where a scientologist can tell the story his own way, the resurgence of the ROC occurred:
After Nazi Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Joseph Stalin revived the Russian Orthodox Church[29] to intensify patriotic support for the war effort. On September 4, 1943, Metropolitans Sergius, Alexy and Nikolay had a meeting with Stalin and received a permission to convene a council on September 8, 1943, which elected Sergius Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. This is considered by some violation of the XXX Apostolic canon, as no church hierarch could be consecrated by secular authorities.[25] A new patriarch was elected, theological schools were opened, and thousands of churches began to function. The Moscow Theological Academy Seminary, which had been closed since 1918, was re-opened.”
But, I guess the point may be how far you read into the bible before you realize it’s bullshit.
Let’s try the first verse:
“In the beginning god created the heavens and the earth.”
Oops! That tends to indicate that the heavens are something created seperately from the earth, and not that the earth is a piece of dust orbiting in a universe so unimaginably huge that our puny minds cannot perceive it.
Genesis 1:14-19: And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
While the fourth creative day was a few thousand years ago, we see light from stars millions of light years away. So interesting.
Religion is bullshit. It has no place in a classroom in the UK, Russia, Australia, the US, or anywhere on this planet. Those who feel like the bible or the koran hold some sacred equality with science need to go to a Sarah Palin rally where they can see themselves in a mirror in every retarded face in the crowd. Shitwits abound, thank god for you people. (I know, paradox)
NeoWolfe
June 14th, 2010 at 1:08 am
As long as they keep on breeding, passing their idiocy to their off-spring, this will go on.
June 14th, 2010 at 2:03 am
Well I hope they’re teaching creationism alongside the theory Finn McCool built the causeway to fight a scottish giant up at this new centre.
June 14th, 2010 at 2:46 am
So Har Davids, that is why they fear the condom? It’s so obvious and hiding in plain sight, condom reduce the amounts of fresh minds that they can inflect. Ok, new rule, every religious family has to use condoms from now on.
June 14th, 2010 at 8:03 am
“Evolution is a theory. It is also a fact. And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world’s data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts do not go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein’s theory of gravitation replaced Newton’s, but apples did not suspend themselves in mid-air, pending the outcome. And humans evolved from ape-like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin’s proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be discovered.”
Stephen Jay Gould
June 14th, 2010 at 8:54 am
I wouldn’t mind betting there’s a bunch of American fundies encouraging the ROC leaders with moral and financial support, not to mention the benefit of their experience of getting the ludicrous nonsense they believe foisted on the young and impressionable.
June 14th, 2010 at 9:13 am
Adam Tjaavk, thanks you are correct. I’m confusing Russia with Prussia – I shouldn’t post after drinking cider
June 14th, 2010 at 9:36 am
Angela_K
Can’t fault you. Don’t beat yourself up too much. I’ve been on it all weekend. My comments can be a little sweary because of it and I’m surprised I don’t find myself apologising more often than I do.
June 14th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Broadsword —
Don’t sit on the fence—tell us what you really think ;0)
Anyway, this ‘theory’ thing really, really, really pisses me off; but what are we going to do about it? I always thought ‘theorem’ would be a better word to use. I remember a teacher telling me once that ‘theorem’ was Greek for ‘truth’, but theorems deal with mathematical proofs, so wouldn’t really be applicable in the world of science.
I dunno. Maybe we should ask all the creotards to show us that Newton’s Theory of Universal Gravitation is ‘only a theory’ by throwing themselves off the nearest tall building…
June 14th, 2010 at 9:51 am
@Tim
We could always march them off the edge of a flat Earth. Or maybe just laugh at them cringing after they hadn’t fallen into their imagined abyss. Some may go insane whilst the others could rejoin the human race.
June 14th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Broadsword, there are too many of us on the planet already; let’s not have the religulous or brain-dead (re)join us; extinction is their way to go. Better for the planet, better for us, without homo sapiens dominating/exploiting it.
June 14th, 2010 at 10:19 am
You’re right Har
It’s usually the religiots who are encouraged to multiply. If you ban religion they will go “underground” and be more fervent. I think the only way to beat them is to take the long-term view of mild discrimination, reasoned argument, proper science lessons and no religion in schools.
On the population thing I have to admit hypocrisy. I can afford all my kids but my 23 year old stepson has just joined the Army. Mrs B has gone into breeding mode once more so we’ll be polluting the gene pool once more I’m afraid.
June 14th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Ah, you are all so correct. A theory is a way of joining the dots…and the dots are facts. A good theory joins the dots in such a way that new facts fit, rather than having to add new dots, or assume invisible dots. It seems so simple doesn’t it? However you are all preaching to the choir. Abusing those who disagree only reinforces their position, because there is no reason behind it…so, clearly, reason cannot overcome it. You cannot argue against those who will not accept facts, those who are defending a position…and that is what really worries me. Atheists and ‘scientists’ have no position to defend and no creed to inflict, and by that alone we are weaker and less unified than any bunch of believers that can be assembled. A foaming at the mouth believer is more passionate and more dangerous than a sceptic and a scientist, because they have something to promote. It is the difference between a commission salesman and someone on the street…only one has a way of winning. We need less abuse, although ridicule has some appeal, and less tolerance and more defence of our rights to self-determination. Otherwise the stupid will win.
June 14th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Scott
That’s a nice analogy, it makes science beautiful. I loved the bit where you said “new facts fit” if the theory was correct. Get in the lab and test it!
June 14th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Scott, excellent post! We do tend to preach to the choir too much. I’ve said this many times before but us non-theists must attack our enemy at every opportunity: write to your MP, the BBC, newspapers, take part in ‘phone-ins on the Radio, use the comments section in the online newspaper editions, use any means to get our message across. If we don’t speak up no one will hear us.
June 14th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Religion is the exact opposite of science, and this will be its eventual downfall.
June 14th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Gravity is also a theory. see them arguing with that??
June 14th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
@Angela_K What has atheism done for science? it removed the risk of scientists being burned at the stake for controverting the divinely revealed truth. It removed the necessity of having to distort observations, facts, experimental results and observations to fit an ancient doctrine as far from what observation and experiment revealed as one could possibly get. it liberated the mind and enquiries of man. Decreasing religious dominance and rapidly increasing scientific and technological knowledge.In short, during the last four centuries, in mutually reinforcing tandem: the less religion, the more science; the more science, the less religion. And this is a universal phenomenon. As you say us non-theists must attack our enemy at every opportunity:
June 14th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
If everyone understood the difference between the generic use of the word theory and the scientific definition of the word, then these people would be shown up for the fools that they are the second that they opened their mouths.
A scientific theory not only has to draw together a number of known facts, but every single on of those facts has to fit. Any known fact that does not fit proves that either the theory or that fact is incorrect. Genesis fails on the claim that the moon is a light that rules over the night. The moon is not a light and spends half of its time in the daytime sky.