Creationism to be banished from Swedish schools

[Tock]

This is all kinds of wonderful -- there is indeed hope for civilization on this planet.
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http://www.thelocal.se/8790/20071015/



Creationism to be banished from Swedish schools
15th October 2007

The Swedish government is to crack down on the role religion plays in independent faith schools. The new rules will include a ban on biology teachers teaching creationism or 'intelligent design' alongside evolution.

"Pupils must be protected from all forms of fundamentalism," said Education Minister Jan Björklund to Dagens Nyheter.


Some Christian schools teach biology students that the world and the organisms on it were created by a supreme being. This is often presented as another valid scientific theory alongside evolution - something most scientists reject.

Religious Education will remain on the curriculum and it will still be allowed to start the school day with prayers. But in classes teachers will be expected to stick to the curriculum.

"End-of-term services in school are great," he said, and added that religious education would remain a school subject. But all elements of religious worship would have to be completely separate from class teaching.

Most independent schools in Sweden are privately owned but funded by government grants.

Björklund also said the Swedish National Agency for Education would double the number of inspections of both council-run and independent schools. He also announced a ban on anonymous financial donations to schools and said he would make it easier to close schools that were breaking the rules.

The stricter rules will be introduced in next year's education act.

[Kärnfysikern]

One of the best moves by this goverment

[pimpdawgin]

Wow. THere is some sanity left in the world.
If all these creationists demand "fairness" for their thoughts, how come Nordic (Thor, Odin, etc.) Creationism isn't taught? Or various Native American creation myths? Or all the pagan, Buddhist, etc., etc.?

[Amorphic]

Sweden is awesome, best metal bands and a sensible government. I'm packing my bags

[Odpierdol_sie!]

Who cars about Music, what if i go deaf? govornment eh??

WOMEN!!!!!!! Swedish woman are he hottest on the face of the planet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[farrebarre]

One of the best moves by this goverment

i really have to agree!!

whatsup kärnfusikern, long time no see..

[RuhlFreak55]

One of the best moves by this goverment

i concur......now if only we could do it in the US......come everyone....gather your torches...it's time to burn some torches...oh wait..sorry no one heard taht

[Flagg]

Time to move to Sweden.

It's a sign of things to come, all religions, like past ones and superstitions fade away over time. True there's is always going to be something else to replace the old one, but man is always going to be intrigued with spirituality.

[RA]

90% of the US believes in some god. Of course the minority anti god movement is pretty strong.

i concur......now if only we could do it in the US......come everyone....gather your torches...it's time to burn some torches...oh wait..sorry no one heard taht

[Kärnfysikern]

90% of the US believes in some god. Of course the minority anti god movement is pretty strong.

That still doesnt mean that religion has any place in science classes!

i really have to agree!!

whatsup kärnfusikern, long time no see..

Things are great , but a bit stressfull. What about you?

[Carlos_E]

90% of the US believes in some god. Of course the minority anti god movement is pretty strong.

Children should learn about God at home, not in schools.

[spywizard]

Sweden is awesome, best metal bands and a sensible government. I'm packing my bags

and they only have a 60% tax rate.. go get you some..

http://www.heritage.org/research/fea....cfm?id=Sweden

[RuhlFreak55]

90% of the US believes in some god. Of course the minority anti god movement is pretty strong.

well i sure as hell don't.....and if i did it would be Odin and Thor

[BigLittleTim]

welcome to the 19th Century, people!

In other news: German schools ban the teaching of Alchemy classes, and Canada insists that private schools drop Astrology as a pre-requisite for graduation.



-BigLittleTim

[Red Ketchup]

Hey I got nothing against creationism being thougt in schools, but teach it where it belongs, in religion class... it has no place in any science classes as it is not science.

When I was in grade and high school we had a choice between having "religion" or "morals" classes. The message was the same in both, except that the "religion" one was was bible based and the "morals" was religion-free.

Red

[GREENMACHINE]

Hey I got nothing against creationism being thougt in schools, but teach it where it belongs, in religion class... it has no place in any science classes as it is not science.

When I was in grade and high school we had a choice between having "religion" or "morals" classes. The message was the same in both, except that the "religion" one was was bible based and the "morals" was religion-free.

Red

[mcpeepants]

the thing that fundamentally gets me about "intelligent design" in that it seems to contradict the key thing to many religions which is faith. If you have proof in God's existence, how can you have faith in God?

[RA]

Just because were not advanced enough to apply science to it?

That still doesnt mean that religion has any place in science classes!

[Kärnfysikern]

Just because were not advanced enough to apply science to it?

If we go down that road we should also teach about ghosts, ESP, people that communicate with animals and all other pseudosciences.

Evolutionary theory explains how life has evolved on this planet in a perfectly satisfying way that fits the fossile records and other evidence. ID on the other hand does nothing but try to point out a few flaws in evolutionary theory and then claim ID is better. But ID is not a scientific theory, its makes no testable predictions and it adds nothing to our knoweledge.

So it makes no sense at all to have ID in science class.

[BigLittleTim]

When I was in grade and high school we had a choice between having "religion" or "morals" classes. The message was the same in both, except that the "religion" one was was bible based and the "morals" was religion-free.

Red

Back in Catholic School the same nuns who taught us Evolution in Science class also taught us, in Religion class, that the Creation of Man in Genesis was a poetic story that has spiritual significance but not scientific evidence.

Jeesh! If the NUNS can get it straight you'd think it would be a piece of cake for a bible-belter.


-BigLittleTim

[Red Ketchup]

Back in Catholic School the same nuns who taught us Evolution in Science class also taught us, in Religion class, that the Creation of Man in Genesis was a poetic story that has spiritual significance but not scientific evidence.

Jeesh! If the NUNS can get it straight you'd think it would be a piece of cake for a bible-belter.

I know bro, I went to catholic school in both grade and high school and you are 100% right. I remember thats exactly how it was thought to us.

But remember, bible belter fundamentalists don't have to make sense... they just rant and rave about the parts of the bible they like (and ignore those they don't like or which contradict other parts). It's more about imposing their will and beliefs on others.

Red

[Hoggage_54]

I know bro, I went to catholic school in both grade and high school and you are 100% right. I remember thats exactly how it was thought to us.

But remember, bible belter fundamentalists don't have to make sense... they just rant and rave about the parts of the bible they like (and ignore those they don't like or which contradict other parts). It's more about imposing their will and beliefs on others.

Red

Same here, both grade school and high school. I did, however, live in the US (Connecticut) for a year and went to a private Catholic school. Man was that ever messed up. I think I learned more about hating Islam in Religion class than I did learning Catholicism and God's teachings.

[Psychotron]

If we ignore the evolution versus the "POOF WERE HERE" part and look at the history of the creation and formation of the universe then the bible agrees with most of what we have come to accept as the history of events up to the appearance of man.

It really comes down to a few things: do you take the Genesis account literally? If you do then you can harmonize it, I would reference the book "Creator and the Cosmos" by Dr. Hugh Ross or check out this website: http://www.kiva.net/~kls/

If you don't take it literally then it is just mans basic understanding of the world we live in.

Either case I think it is a crime for religous people to be telling their children the earth and the universe is less than 10,000 years old. I got thrown into the Reformed Baptist circle early in my christian life and have had many arguments with the "young earthers".

A good deal of the bible comes down to interpretation anyways.

Edit: I live in the bible belt here, so it can be an interesting discussion, especially when I get to the logistics of the flood and noah's arc.