German Politician Sparks Creationism Education Row (reject, tradition, contradiction, minority)

[SirKnight1788]

German Politician Sparks Creationism Education Row
www.christiantoday.com.../11748.htm
A German minister for culture has provoked outrage among politicians and some religious figures for suggesting theological questions about the origin of the world should be included in school biology lessons.
Posted: Friday, July 20, 2007, 13:00 (BST)

A German minister for culture has provoked outrage among politicians and some religious figures for suggesting theological questions about the origin of the world should be included in school biology lessons.

The remarks by Karin Wolff, culture minister in the affluent western state of Hesse, have fuelled fears that creationist views could creep into science classes in Europe.

Creationists believe God made the world in six days, as the Bible says, and oppose teaching of evolution. Mainly held by conservative Protestant Christians, creationism also has a Muslim version being promoted in Europe by Turkish Islamists.

Critics, who see creationist views as anti-science, are worried the ideas that have increasing support in the United States are getting a toehold in Europe.

Earlier this year Britain published school guidelines saying the issue should be discussed in religious education classes, rather than in science classes where U.S. creationists want it.

Wolff, a Protestant who rejects charges she is promoting creationist ideas, sparked the debate in Germany by telling a newspaper she wanted "modern" biology lessons and that she saw common ground between natural sciences and religion.

"I see no contradiction between biological evolution and the biblical explanation for the world's origin," she told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily. "In fact there is an amazing overlap between the Bible's explanation of the seven days of creation and scientific theory."


ALARM

Wolff has won support from some conservative religious figures, including Augsburg's Catholic Bishop Walter Mixa.

But Social Democrats and Greens have called her a "Christian fundamentalist" who is not qualified to be Hesse's culture minister. Her own conservative and mainly Catholic Christian Democrats have also sent mixed signals.

Wolff's comments have caused alarm because Germany's federal states are largely responsible for education policy. She also seems to have raised questions about the traditional separation of questions of faith from scientific theory in German schools.

Both Protestants and Catholics, about equally represented in Germany, have criticised Wolff.

"Frau Wolff is ignoring the differences between natural sciences, religion and philosophy. That does not correspond to the Protestant view," said Michael Beintker, a member of the EKD Protestant Church in Germany's theology committee.

A spokesman for the local branch of the Catholic Bishops' Conference said biology lessons were not the right place to discuss creationist theory.

The debate is also creating waves among Germany's 3.2 million Muslims, most of whom are Turkish.

"I do not find this a very sensible debate, said Safter Cinar of Berlin's Turkish Alliance.

"The constitution says our lessons should be based on science and that religion and science should be separated. A conservative minority of Muslims might like the idea but most Turkish Muslims in Germany don't support (creationist) ideas

[Ever learning]

Well, I dont think karin Wulff will get that one passes anytime soon.

[Jaymes]

Originally Posted by SirKnight1788

"I see no contradiction between biological evolution and the biblical explanation for the world's origin," she told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily. "In fact there is an amazing overlap between the Bible's explanation of the seven days of creation and scientific theory."

Then teach it in church. Yeesh.

[MaddLlama]

Until one can reasonably prove the existence of God and the exact mechanism of his involvement in biological processes, then God has no place in any form of science.

[Seyorni]

Agreed, Llama. Science deals with mechanism, not agency. I have yet to see a physical mechanism proposed by creationists. They are proposing magic be included in the science classroom.

[MidnightBlue]

Originally Posted by SirKnight1788

"I see no contradiction between biological evolution and the biblical explanation for the world's origin," she told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily. "In fact there is an amazing overlap between the Bible's explanation of the seven days of creation and scientific theory."

That suggests, as biologist Thomas Junker has already pointed out, that either Frau Wolff is unfamiliar with modern science, or she is unfamiliar with the biblical creation narrative.

However, if Frau Wolff were correct in her assumption that the biblical narrative is consistent with science, wouldn't that make it redundant to teach the biblical account in science classes?

[Seyorni]

But what does "consistent with science" mean, MidnightBlue -- Testable? Reproducible? Falsifiable?

[Random]

The Catholic Church also believes that Evolutionary theory in no way impunes the Genesis narrative, so perhaps the German woman is just agreeing to an established postion of some repute.