Creationism in Switzerland
Fri, Aug 22, 2008 at 3:37:35 pm PDT
An LGF reader emailed a link to this article from last November at swissinfo.ch, showing that the deniers of evolution are hard at work in Europe as well: Scientists and education experts criticise textbook which put creationism on a par with evolution.
Thirty percent of the Swiss public rejects evolution? Who knew?
A heated debate over the inclusion of creationism in a school science book highlights the success Swiss evangelicals are having sowing seeds of doubt about evolution. The debate over the textbook raises questions about why increasing numbers of Swiss are willing to turn away from science and accept creationist views that God created the earth a few thousand years ago.
The school authorities in canton Bern quickly revised the brochure included in the textbook after it was harshly criticised by scientists and education experts.
The controversial passage presented creationism and evolution as two ways of “explaining” the origin of the universe and life on earth. Critics of teaching creationism in science classes say it suggests there is a controversy when there isn’t one since evolution has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt. Even one of the authors admitted that the 12- to 14-year-olds who were to use the book could get the wrong impression that one theory was just as valid as the other.
The publication came just before the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe appealed for members – including Switzerland – to “oppose firmly any attempts at teaching creationism as a scientific discipline”. In its resolution the council warned that creationist ideas – once an almost exclusively American phenomenon – were spreading throughout Europe and could threaten not only human rights but democracy itself.
But the Swiss proponents of creationism are working on fertile ground. An international survey last year found that 30 per cent of the Swiss reject evolution, one of the highest rates in Europe.
The fringe Christian organisation Pro Genesis commissioned a survey earlier this year which found that 80 per cent of Swiss want creationism taught alongside evolution in biology class.
“Many people think science is devoid of any meaning of life and this of course makes them critical,” biologist Guido Masé told swissinfo. “That’s why they try to find common ground between science and belief and end up leaning towards a creationist view.”
Masé is curator of an exhibition called Adam, Eve and Darwin, currently running in the northwestern town of Liestal.
