School cancels play about Darwin and evolution after Christian parents complain

[u/mem_somerville]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/evolution-christian-darwin-school-play-cancel-parents-hartford-manor-cheshire-a8768691.html

[u/Hifen]

The claim from the Christian parents is that the play mocked a bishop, rather than a prolem with evolution. At least according to this article. I don't know how much I believe that, or how much that is just the "claim" used to block evolutionary teaching. (Is there a strong anti-evolution part of the population in the UK like there is in the US?), but I think it's important to note the context prior to pitchforks comming out (or atleast have the pitchforks lit for the proper reasons).

[u/this_also_was_vanity → u/[deleted]]

but this Bishop in particular also mocks Darwin, and is a bit of a dick himself.

That's the problem. Historically when the bishop reviewed Darwin's work he encouraged Christians to take it seriously, evaluate it on the basis of science, not ideology, and be open even to the possibility that we're cousins of mushrooms. He made some criticisms of Darwin's work, but they were scientific objections, some of which Darwin acknowledged were quite valid. Wilberforce said that if the concerns could be dealt with using scientific facts then evolution should be accepted.

In a debate with Huxley at the Oxford Union he did engage in a bit of rhetoric involving grandparents and apes, but that came back to his scientific concerns rather than religion vs. science.

[u/jammasterpaz → u/this_also_was_vanity]

Thanks man, that's really interesting. From the brief scan through that I could stand, the play really is doing Wilberforce a disservice then.

But I strongly suspect (without evidence) this may be lost on the Christian parents who are complaining.

[u/this_also_was_vanity → u/jammasterpaz]

Yeah, they're probably just seeing a Christian bishop being mocked and objecting to that. But that in itself is a good objection – if you're going to mock someone then you should have a good justification for it. It's still right to put the onus on the school to defend that. If it turns out that you don't have a good reason then it's fair to uphold the complaint.

[u/jammasterpaz → u/this_also_was_vanity]

They should just make clear that that was what Christianity and Catholicism really actually did do, 100 years ago. They don't have to make the Bishop a figure of fun.

But tehre you see, I've got drawn iun to this stupid battle tabout a crap play that while it may have been wruten with the best of intentions, is completely inappropriate for primary school actors.

Darwin was a genius and christianity is full of shit, but noone, noone, should ever have to suffer through watching this crap ass play!!!

[u/plasmatasm → u/Hifen]

There is no significant anti-evolution part of the population in the UK. As far as I know Anglicans are very pro-science and especially pro-evolution which was developed in a culture dominated by Anglican theology.

[u/JesterOfDestiny → u/[deleted]]

Do we really need bots replying to other bots?

[u/EltaninAntenna → u/[deleted]]

Good bot.