It was though to be an American problem – the teaching that the world was created in 7 days as the bible says, and that evolution is wrong – but increasingly it is clear that both Muslim and Christian fundamentalists dogma is having an impact on the thinking of young people. This is now impacting on their ability to study Biology
It was though to be an American problem – the teaching that the world was created in 7 days as the bible says, and that evolution is wrong – but increasingly it is clear that both Muslim and Christian fundamentalists dogma is having an impact on the thinking of young people. This is now impacting on their ability to study Biology – and on the way fundamentalists use religion to restrict what they will do as doctors. I find this seriously worrying- are we supposed to be an intelligent species or not ? I do doubt it more and more.
A report in the Independent finds that creationist ideas are becoming more popular. Professor Steve Jones, the author of an updated version of the Origin of Species said “It's not a problem we've faced in Britain until now. I get feedback from Muslim schoolkids who say they are obliged to believe in creationism, because it's part of their Islamic identity, but the people I find more surprising are the other British kids who see creationism as a viable alternative to evolution. That's alarming. It shows how infectious the idea is."
There are major organisations concerned about these findings such as the Royal Society and other scientific organisations such as the British Humanist Association (BHA) and the Secular Society; and by teachers' unions such as the NUT, who if you remember I mentioned that at their recent conference called for an end to state funding for faith schools "to prevent the growing influence of religious organisations in education and the teaching of creationism or intelligent design as a valid alternative to evolution."
A teacher at a London school is reported as saying "A significant proportion of my students - both Christian and Muslim - believe in creationism," the teacher says. "My colleagues routinely have creationist literature dumped in their pigeon-holes after lessons where they teach evolution. Most of our students can, however, separate what goes on in the classroom from what goes on in a mosque or church. Our biology results are very good. These are bright students who may well go on to do medicine."
London medical schools, too, have seen a rise in the rejection of evolution by their large proportion of Islamic students and it is reported to cause fundamental problems in understanding. Another lecturer has encountered students who refuse physical contact with women during gynaecological examination and surgery. Moral judgements based on religious belief have an undeniable effect on the doctor-patient relationship and, at the very least, complicate a doctor's treatment of Aids, venereal disease, and someone wishing to have an abortion
Steve Jones has met teachers keen on creationism during his lectures to schools, which have confrontational titles such as "Why intelligent design is stupid". He is "disappointed that teachers would do this. It's very hard for anyone with two neurons bolted together to believe that the earth was created 6,000 years ago. Deliberate irrationalism is dangerous, but it's most dangerous to the people that believe it.
"Think of an intelligent 11-year-old who's told by a teacher that humans and dinosaurs lived together on the earth 6,000 years ago. Then think of the same kid doing A-level biology at 16, when it becomes clear that that's complete nonsense. Why, then, should they believe anything else that their religion tells them?"
I don’t know about you, but all this gives me the shivers. I just hope that my medical concerns will never be at the mercy of a fundamentalist doctor.
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