Petition: Withdraw support for creationist zoo in schools
Over at RD.net today, someone has posted a petition:
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm (NAZF) is a zoo just outside Bristol that markets itself to schools and is heavily focused on child education.
However, instead of teaching well-established science, it promotes creationism.
The literature displayed at the zoo is hostile to Darwin and his theories and attempts to debunk techniques such as radio carbon dating and interpretation of the fossil record.
Much of this literature – which is presented as fact – contradicts science on the national curriculum, thereby actively damaging a child’s education. This can be evidenced on their website; however, this is much diluted compared the ardent creationist material on display at the zoo.
NAZF also uses the VisitBritian logo to market the zoo.
The stated aim of VisitBritain (Britain’s national tourism agency) is to market Britain worldwide and to develop England’s visitor economy.
By promoting the NAZF, with its creationist agenda and harmful educational materials, VisitBritian is damaging the reputation of the United Kingdom.
I’m a little of two minds over this. On one hand, I feel people should be able to believe any bat-shit insane proposition they like. On the other, the fact that the wingnuts behind this zoo are making inroads into schools (what the fuck does RE [religious "education" - a [s]tatutory subject with non-statutory programme of study
] have to do with biology?) is not on for precisely the reasons that creationism isn’t already taught in science lessons: it’s not science.
As these two concerns are not necessarily mutually exclusive, the only reason that I’m signing this petition is for the second reason, and not the first.
I just wanted to make that clear.
I also think that the fourth paragraph (the one starting The literature displayed at the zoo…
) is both superfluous and frames the petition badly. I do understand and appreciate why it’s there, although I wish it weren’t and think the petition would be better off for it.
Note: The petition is scheduled to close on the 26th June 2009 (six days [ha!] from the date of this post) so please sign it, and repost as far and wide as you can.
Petition: Up yours, islamic censorship
Number 10 responds to ‘no sharia’ petition
The People vs Scientology
Stephen Green: petition his petition
Homophobic NI (christian) MP outs herself
BBC: Jerry Spring blasphemy case dismissed, again
Revoke UK blasphemy laws (petition)
Who wants to pay for churches? Not me!
-
Twitter
-
Chat
Join nullifidian on IRC in #atheism at blitzed.org or use the chat right here
Or head on over to Secular Chat.
-
Feeds
-
Current readers
-
Recently played
-
Recent Comments
-
Recent Posts
-
Tags
- activism
- advertising
- anti-atheism
- anti-science
- Arkell v. Pressdram
- atheism
- atheist bus
- bad arguments/logical fallacies
- BBC
- BBC News
- bible
- bigotry
- blasphemy
- blog
- books
- British Humanist Association
- cartoon
- catholicism
- Charles Darwin
- chart
- christianity
- Christian Voice
- creationism/intelligent design
- culture
- demotivation
- dogma
- Edinburgh
- education
- employment
- entertainment
- evidence
- evolution
- evolution denial
- FAIL!
- faith/belief
- free speech
- fundamentalism
- government and politics
- government and politics
- homophobia
- homosexuality
- humanism
- humour
- hypocrisy
- I demand respect!
- image
- islam
- Jerry Springer:The Opera
- legal
- letters
- literalism
- LOL
- lying for Jesus
- media
- medicine and healthcare
- medicine and healthcare
- Mohammed
- news
- nullifidian.net
- opinion
- persecution complex
- personal
- petition
- photo
- Photoshop
- prayer
- quote
- Ray "Tampon Case/Banana Man" Comfort
- reality
- religion
- response
- Richard Dawkins
- Sam Harris
- scepticism
- science
- Scotland
- scripture
- secularism
- special treatment/religious privilege
- special treatment/religious privilege
- Stephen "Birdshit" Green
- superstition
- taking the piss
- technology
- television
- the arts
- The Guardian
- The Independent
- theocracy/anti-secularism
- theocracy/anti-secularism
- The Stupid It Burns
- The Telegraph
- The Times
- thought
- UK
- USA
- video
- web
- WhiskyTangoFoxtrot
- woo woo
-
Archives
- April 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- June 2006
