“GAG the creationists,” goes up the cry from the fundamentalists of science and politics; those who can’t abide the idea of an incredible God creating our beautifully-designed universe.
As far back as Tony Blair, MPs have been demanding that schools mentioning a Creator and Creationism in their curriculum be censored and disciplined by Ofsted.
A month ago, Britain’s science leaders in the Royal Society sacked their highly qualified education officer for daring to suggest that creation might be discussed along with evolution as an explanation for how we’ve got where we are today.
In July, the European Committee on Culture, Science & Education proposed a ban on teaching creationism and Intelligent Design, the argument that a universe has a designer.
Now, this committee has had its knuckles well and truly rapped by the European Centre for Law and Justice.
“To censure discussion and teaching of creationism” declares the centre, “would violate . . . the European Convention on Human Rights, the Charter on Fundamental Rights of the EU and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.”
It also points out it would hamper “progress of students by restricting their examination of competing scientific ideas and would necessarily violate the freedom of expression, including academic freedom, as well as the rights to the free exercise of religion.”
When fundamentalists of any persuasion seek to censure everyday ideas, society does well to remove the gag and fight hard for its God-given freedoms.
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