Did God create man or did man evolve from the ape? The answer is the subject of heated argument during Darwin Year 2009.
This year marks the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, father of evolutionary theory. During this commemorative Darwin year the argument between the religious and the non-religious, between creationists (“On the sixth day God created man in his own image and likeness”) and evolutionists (“Man is descended from the ape”) has flared up visibly. The existence of God is being called into question on British buses and 6 million Dutch households will soon receive a brochure in the mail that raises questions about evolutionary theory.
“It is funny to see how alive faith evidently is,” says sociologist Abram de Swaan. “One of the most dangerous mental disorders is after all to interpret a text like the Bible literally. But that also occurs among the non-religious, in Marxism or National Socialism for instance.”
Atheist buses
In the United Kingdom the confirmed atheist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, kicked off the debate. 500 British buses are now driving around with the slogan There is probably no God/ Now stop worrying and enjoy your life. When asked for a reaction a passer-by shrugged and told the BBC: “I have seen worse things on buses.” In Spain there are buses with slogans supporting God, as well as ones with slogans denying the existance of God.
In the Netherlands three humanist organisations have raised 5,000 euros for a similar campaign. There is little chance however that there will soon be buses driving around the Netherlands with the text Er is waarschijnlijk geen God. Durf zelf te denken. En geniet van dit leven! [There probably is no God. Dare to think for your self. And enjoy this life!]. The company that operates about 75 percent of the advertising on buses and about half of the bus shelters is not giving its permission.
According to the marketing director this is a case of a “fierce religious statement” that could be “offensive” to the public. “Our guideline is: no religious texts on our buses and bus shelters.” The initiator of the bus campaign, philosopher Floris van den Berg, is now looking for other avenues for his campaign. “If necessary we will work with advertising planes.” >>> By Laura Starink | Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>
