Last Tuesday, well known New Zealand politician Winston Peters compared himself to American politician William Jennings Bryan. Bryan was a fundamentalist Christian. He was opposed to the teaching of Darwinist evolutionary theory, and in 1924 drafted legislation to prevent its teaching in Florida schools as well as in other states. On Wednesday, NewstalkZB reported that Peters had compared Read more
“How can you be studying biology, you’re a priest; you don’t believe in evolution.” So began the conversation with Rob. I was a ‘newly minted’ studying at Victoria University, Wellington, in a clerical suit and a roman collar. I was standing next to him, scalpel in hand. We were about to dissect our first dogfish. I Read more
A former student of Mount Hobson Middle School, a partnership (charter) school, claims that his science teacher Rachel O’Connor favoured creationism as an explanation for how the world began. Rachel O’Connor is the sister of National Party leader Simon Bridges and wife of National MP Simon O’Connor. This news item appeared on Newsroom two days after the opposition Read more
Evolutionary biologist and provocative atheist Richard Dawkins will be appearing during Writers’ Week during the 2016 New Zealand festival. Dawkins, who is now 74, previously appeared at the New Zealand Festival in 2010. In an article in the New Zealand Listener, Diana Wichtel described him as “a scientist, a writer, a performer, a public intellectual, an Read more
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks gave a inspirational address on Monday at the Humanum conference at the Vatican on the complementarity of man and woman. It ranges over the whole history of marriage and concludes with a brilliant image: marriage turns “the prose of biology into the poetry of the human spirit”. I want this morning to Read more
Pope Francis has said that both the Big Bang theory, about the start of the universe, and the theory of evolution do not conflict with Catholic teaching. Speaking to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Monday, Pope Francis said scientific explanations for the world did not exclude the role of God in creation. “The beginning Read more
Israel’s Education Ministry has announced that evolution will be taught in its middle school curriculum. Up to now, only the biblical account of the origins of humanity had been taught at this level, to grade eight and nine students. Darwin’s theory was only taught to high school students studying biology. An education sector spokeswoman said Read more
A Catholic scientist known for his public defence of evolution is to receive a prestigious honour from a top American university. Professor Kenneth Miller, a biologist at Brown University, is to receive the University of Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal. A previous recipient was President John F. Kennedy. “Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic Read more
Over a pint of beer, the great biologist, polymath and pub-lover J B S Haldane was asked if he would give his life to save his drowning brother. He is supposed to have said: ‘No, but I would to save two brothers, or eight cousins.’ He was referring to one of evolution’s puzzles: why animals Read more
First of all, I would like to congratulate Pope Francis I on his election, becoming the first South American to head the Vatican. Although the Church has been having some serious trouble over the last decade with numerous scandals and harsh although often warranted criticism, I feel his election is an appropriate step in the Read more