Creationism Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Europe=== In Europe, literalist creationism is more widely rejected, though regular opinion polls are not available. Most people accept that evolution is the most widely accepted scientific theory as taught in most schools. In countries with a Roman Catholic majority, [[Catholic Church and evolution|papal acceptance of evolutionary creationism]] as worthy of study has essentially ended debate on the matter for many people. In the UK, a 2006 poll on the "origin and development of life", asked participants to choose between three different perspectives on the origin of life: 22% chose creationism, 17% opted for intelligent design, 48% selected evolutionary theory, and the rest did not know.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=January 26, 2006 |title=Britons unconvinced on evolution |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4648598.stm |work=BBC News |location=London |publisher=BBC |access-date=2014-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/poll.aspx?oItemId=262 |title=BBC Survey On The Origins Of Life |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=January 30, 2006 |website=[[Ipsos MORI]] |publisher=Ipsos MORI |location=London |access-date=2014-03-27}}</ref> A subsequent 2010 [[YouGov]] poll on the correct explanation for the origin of humans found that 9% opted for creationism, 12% intelligent design, 65% evolutionary theory and 13% didn't know.<ref name="YouGov">{{cite web |url=http://cdn.yougov.com/today_uk_import/YG-Archives-Pol-Prospect-Evolution-181110.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://cdn.yougov.com/today_uk_import/YG-Archives-Pol-Prospect-Evolution-181110.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=The origin of humans |date=November 20, 2010 |website=YouGov Global |publisher=[[YouGov|YouGov Plc]] |location=London |type=Prospect Survey Results |access-date=2014-03-24}}</ref> The former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, head of the worldwide [[Anglican Communion]], views the idea of teaching creationism in schools as a mistake.<ref name="Archbishop_2006">{{cite news |last=Bates |first=Stephen |date=March 20, 2006 |title=Archbishop: stop teaching creationism |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/mar/21/religion.topstories3 |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=2014-03-27}}</ref> In 2009, an Ipsos Mori survey in the United Kingdom found that 54% of Britons agreed with the view: "Evolutionary theories should be taught in science lessons in schools together with other possible perspectives, such as intelligent design and creationism."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shepherd |first1=Jessica |title=Teach both evolution and creationism say 54% of Britons |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=25 October 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/oct/25/teach-evolution-creationism-britons |access-date=6 April 2020}}</ref> In Italy, Education Minister [[Letizia Moratti]] wanted to retire evolution from the secondary school level; after one week of massive protests, she reversed her opinion.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=May 3, 2004 |title=Italy Keeps Darwin in its Classrooms |url=http://www.dw.de/italy-keeps-darwin-in-its-classrooms/a-1188423-1 |work=Deutsche Welle |location=Bonn, Germany |publisher=ARD |access-date=2014-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Lorenzi |first=Rossella |date=April 28, 2004 |title=No evolution for Italian teens |url=http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/22817/title/No-evolution-for-Italian-teens/ |journal=[[The Scientist (magazine)|The Scientist]] |access-date=2014-03-27}}</ref> There continues to be scattered and possibly mounting efforts on the part of religious groups throughout Europe to introduce creationism into public education.<ref name="Economist_2007">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=April 19, 2007 |title=In the beginning |url=http://www.economist.com/node/9036706 |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |location=London |publisher=[[Economist Group]] |issn=0013-0613 |access-date=2007-04-25}}This article gives a worldwide overview of recent developments on the subject of the controversy.</ref> In response, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has released a draft report titled ''The dangers of creationism in education'' on June 8, 2007,<ref name="Doc11297">{{cite web|url=http://www.assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/XrefViewHTML.asp?FileID=11678&Language=EN |title=The dangers of creationism in education |date=June 8, 2007 |work=Committee on Culture, Science and Education |publisher=Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe |type=Report |id=Doc. 11297 |access-date=2014-03-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309011447/http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/XrefViewHTML.asp?FileID=11678&Language=EN |archive-date=March 9, 2013 }}</ref> reinforced by a further proposal of banning it in schools dated October 4, 2007.<ref name="R1580">{{cite web|url=http://assembly.coe.int/main.asp?link=/documents/adoptedtext/ta07/eres1580.htm |title=The dangers of creationism in education |date=October 4, 2007 |work=Committee on Culture, Science and Education |publisher=[[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]] |type=Resolution |id=Resolution 1580 |access-date=2014-03-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307163155/http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=%2FDocuments%2FAdoptedText%2Fta07%2FERES1580.htm |archive-date=March 7, 2014 }} Paras. 13, 18</ref> Serbia suspended the teaching of evolution for one week in September 2004, under education minister [[Ljiljana Čolić]], only allowing schools to reintroduce evolution into the curriculum if they also taught creationism.<ref name="Serbian_schools">{{cite news |last=de Quetteville |first=Harry |date=September 9, 2004 |title=Darwin is off the curriculum for Serbian schools |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1471367/Darwin-is-off-the-curriculum-for-Serbian-schools.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1471367/Darwin-is-off-the-curriculum-for-Serbian-schools.html |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |access-date=January 24, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> "After a deluge of protest from scientists, teachers and opposition parties" says the BBC report, Čolić's deputy made the statement, "I have come here to confirm Charles Darwin is still alive" and announced that the decision was reversed.<ref name="Serbia_Darwin">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=September 9, 2004 |title=Serbia reverses Darwin suspension |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3642460.stm |work=[[BBC News]] |location=London |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=2014-03-21 }}</ref> Čolić resigned after the government said that she had caused "problems that had started to reflect on the work of the entire government."<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=September 16, 2004 |title='Anti-Darwin' Serb minister quits |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3663196.stm |work=BBC News |location=London |publisher=BBC |access-date=2014-03-27}}</ref> Poland saw a major controversy over creationism in 2006, when the Deputy Education Minister, [[Mirosław Orzechowski]], denounced evolution as "one of many lies" taught in Polish schools. His superior, Minister of Education [[Roman Giertych]], has stated that the theory of evolution would continue to be taught in Polish schools, "as long as most scientists in our country say that it is the right theory." Giertych's father, [[Member of the European Parliament]] [[Maciej Giertych]], has opposed the teaching of evolution and has claimed that [[dinosaur]]s and humans co-existed.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=December 18, 2006 |title=And finally... |url=http://www.wbj.pl/?command=article&id=35336&type=wbj |newspaper=[[Warsaw Business Journal]] |location=Warsaw, Poland |publisher=Valkea Media |access-date=2014-03-27 |archive-date=2020-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112170259/https://wbj.pl/?command=article&id=35336&type=wbj |url-status=dead }}</ref> A June 2015 - July 2016 Pew poll of Eastern European countries found that 56% of people from [[Armenia]] say that humans and other living things have "Existed in present state since the beginning of time". Armenia is followed by 52% from [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]], 42% from [[Moldova]], 37% from [[Lithuania]], 34% from [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] and [[Ukraine]], 33% from [[Croatia]] and [[Romania]], 31% from [[Bulgaria]], 29% from [[Greece]] and [[Serbia]], 26% from [[Russia]], 25% from [[Latvia]], 23% from [[Belarus]] and [[Poland]], 21% from [[Estonia]] and [[Hungary]], and 16% from the [[Czech Republic]].<ref>{{cite news |title=6. Science and religion |newspaper=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project |date=10 May 2017 |url=https://www.pewforum.org/2017/05/10/science-and-religion/ |access-date=27 February 2020}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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