Hankyoreh on Nature's article "South Korea surrenders to creationist demands"
Korean newspaper "the hankyoreh" commented on the Nature article "South Korea surrenders to creationist demands". and described the situation of science textbooks and creationism in South Korea.
Unfortunately, the article was in Korean (not in English), so I've translated it. It may be worth reading.
Worldwide scientific journal <Nature> has reported that Koren anti-evolution got victory in main stream scientific community. In the article "South Korea surrenders to creationist demands, "World News" of US social network forum Reddit reported that Korea has begun to eliminae the evidence of evolution from high school science textbooks. Comment, which has got most points, writes "Dear South Korea, Thank you for making us look less stupid." The fact that evidence of evolution will be removed from the textbooks based on the creationist's petition, has become a worldwide topic.
From the perspective of Christian doctrine, which is designed around the Creator, the theory of evolution, which denies the existence of God as the creator and the designer of the universe, is devil's claims. There is no different between the evolution in present time and heliocentric theory of the Middle Ages for them. Protestant fundamentalists, who must admit all verses in the Bible are true, are much more. That's why American fundamentalists and Korean Protestant Fundamentalists, who are more fundamental, are persistently attackng the evolution in science textbooks. For this purpose, Christian community in South Korea united the Committee for creation science textbook and the Korean Research Society for Truth of Evolution to form the Committee to Revise Evolution In Textbooks in 2009. While new-right scholars are persistently attacking history textbooks, the Committee to Revise Evolution In Textbooks are threatening the evolution in science textbooks.
The consequences of such movement are that leading science education entity's of South Koria, KAIST, held creation science museum for sometime and that Archaeopteryx and the evolution of horses will be removed/modified in this year. Responding to the petition of the Committee to Revise Evolution in Textbooks, 6 of 7 science textbook publishers will remove Archaeopteryx as a transient species between reptiles and birds or will change it's meanings. 3 of 5 have decided to remove figures of the evolution of horses. Creationists deserve to celebrate a victory.
However, Archaeopteryx and horses as evidence for evolution have been already controversial since 1970s in the scientific community. From the standpoint of the school principle called "teach only the confirmed facts", those should be removed from textbooks. Even if we blame the negligence of biological society, it cannot be a victory of creationism. However, the Committee to Revise Evolution In Textbooks is planning to attack the evidence for evolution such as the evolution of mankind, changes in the beak of the finch due to feeding, nd the industrial melanism of the peppered moth. This will completely change the science curriculum which defines the evolution as an established theory
To discuss the pros and cons of scientific evidence is not a problem. However we should neitheir claim myth as science and nor present faith as evidence. It cannot be accepted that religion dominates science by using the power combined with politics. This makes our science falls yet more deeply into the morass, where it has already fallen due to the stem cell operation.
最終更新：2012年06月11日 22:07
