ID controversy arrives in Britain: Complete with all sorts of innuendo

A recent overview article in The Indendent tries hard to create an atmosphere of panic (May 18, 2006), but doesn't quite succeed. Regarding a school that discusses both creationism and ID,the journalist must concede,

But three successive Ofsted reports have judged the college, its staff and the pupils' behaviour "outstanding", and its results speak for themselves.

Barry Sheerman, chairman of the Education Select Committee, has visited Emmanuel. He says: "They do not teach creationism in science lessons, they discuss it in RE lessons. That's perfectly acceptable on any curriculum. I get impatient with my colleagues saying that schools are being sponsored by strange evangelical sects. It's a nonsense, especially in a country that has had religious groups in charge of successful schools for hundreds of years."

No controversy followed the United Learning Trust, a subsidiary of the United Church Schools Trust, as it established academies in some of the most deprived areas of the UK, including Lambeth, south London in 2004 and Manchester's Moss Side in 2003.

But no matter. We are supposed to feel sympathy with biologist Steve Jones who gives lectures with titles like "Why intelligent design is stupid" ... and is dismayed when others voice disagreement.

My own sense is that Darwinism is falling by its own weight, and no wonder.