Is
Creationism a Threat to Human Rights? Part 2
by guest Al
Mohler
President:
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary - Louisville, KY
In part 1
of this series, Al Mohler’s article began to explain that the Council of Europe, the continent's central human rights
body, has declared creationism to be a threat to human rights. Part 2 now
continues with the Council’s affirmation of Darwinian evolution as the reason
for their concern about creationism:
"Creationists question the scientific
character of certain items of knowledge and argue that the theory of evolution
is only one interpretation among others," they
argue. "They accuse scientists of not providing enough evidence
to establish the theory of evolution as scientifically valid. On the contrary,
they defend their own statements as scientific. None of this stands up to
objective analysis."
So the initial cause of the offense is that
creationists argue that evolution is only one theory among others.
Creationists also "question the scientific character of certain items of
knowledge," they assert. This rather awkward wording amounts to the
charge that creationists deny the larger structure of naturalistic
thought. Any doubt about the meaning of that charge is removed when the
text goes on to state:
We are witnessing a growth of modes of thought
which, the better to impose religious dogma, are attacking the very core of the
knowledge that we have patiently built up on nature, evolution, our origins and
our place in the universe.
And:
The Assembly has constantly insisted that
science is of fundamental importance. Science has made possible considerable
improvements in living and working conditions and is a not insignificant factor
in economic, technological and social development. The theory of evolution has
nothing to do with divine revelation but is built on facts.
That last sentence is truly amazing.
Evolution is simply based upon "facts," they claim -- a claim that
would make most evolutionary scientists blush.
But the group's commitment to naturalistic
evolution is unconditional. The Council even suggests that the meaning
and importance of evolution touches the totality of life and drives the
development of societies: "Evolution is not simply a matter of the
evolution of humans and of populations. Denying it could have serious
consequences for the development of our societies."
To be continued next week...
