EU Group Set to Vote on Creationism in Schools

"Europe's primary human rights body will vote on a proposal this week to defend the teaching of Darwinian evolution and keep creationist and intelligent design views out of science classes in state schools in its 47 member countries."

If passed by the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, the non-binding resolution will affect how science is to be taught in state schools. It supports Darwin's theory of evolution as scientifically based, and rejects creationism, also known as intelligent design, as a danger to human rights and to scientific knowledge. The recommendation will be made that creationism can be discussed in courses on culture or religious studies, but not any scientific context. For some Europeans, the creationist threat from Islamists is more serious than from Christian groups. Recently, a Muslim group distributed a book, "Atlas of Creation," to schools throughout France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Spain. Many European countries, including England, have a large and growing Islamic population, which is leading to increased religious conflicts. Christian creationism is not being ignored, however. Reports have come from Poland, Italy, and the Netherlands of officials who have questioned the teaching of evolution in the schools. The report noted that Pope Benedict XVI rejects the literalist interpretation of the Bible, as have the leadership of all the main monotheistic religions. The Archbishop of Canterbury and Britain's Royal Society have all taken a stand against teaching creationism in English schools.