From Center or Science and Culture at Evolution News & Views:
A recent article in Nature Ecology & Evolution, “Public literacy in evolution,” discusses a newly launched project to push evolution on the European public. Called EvoKE, or “EVOlutionary Knowledge for Everyone,” the project’s main concern is to find ways to increase “European citizens’ acceptance and understanding of evolution.” In multiple places, the article quotes EvoKE leaders who are worried about the level of “acceptance” of evolution.
Translation: Right now, in Europe, it is still safe to follow the maxim: If it sounds unbelieveable, don’t believe it. And when in doubt, doubt. But EvoKE aims to fix that:
To summarize, the resolution claims that intelligent design is a form of creationism that is “dangerous,” “anti-science,” promotes “deception,” is religiously motivated. It says that teaching these ideas amounts to “a serious attack on human rights,” of “utmost virulence on human rights” and “one of the most serious threats to human rights and civic rights.” The resolution goes on for 105 paragraphs this way. Read the whole thing.
And remember, this rabidly intolerant screed isn’t a random blog rant from some intolerant undergraduate atheist student club. It was adopted as a resolution by the Council of Europe, a quasi-governmental body and would-be protector of “human rights.” According to the article in Nature Ecology & Evolution, the EvoKE project wants to lobby the European Union — a true governmental body with real lawmaking powers — to draw inspiration from this resolution and start making policy. More.
As is usual with these new fascist groups, evidence that ID is a threat to “human rights” or “civic rights” is not headlined. The argument will likely depend on casuistry.
And make no mistake, the casuistry is signal, not noise: We are all expected to go along with EvoKE’s assertions and demands without requiring evidence, as a demonstration of loyalty, in fear of punishment otherwise.
Curiously, the new fascism flourishes alongside one of the least attractive faces of science in recent memory: Marches whose best-known figurehead is Bill Nye, the PeeWee Herman of Popular Science.
If you ever wondered why current Darwinian ideas about evolution must be wrong, look no further than EvoKE to be fairly sure that the answer is yes. If threatened, keep your head down and keep looking around for better answers. Quietly undermine the establishment.
Will Europe go along with this? Many think Europe doomed anyway, due to cultural and demographic collapse. In that case, it matters much more what post-Europeans think about design in nature or science in general.
See also: From Nature: “Academic freedom” is “anti-science” Well, in the age of “just shout louder against the marchin’, marchin’ hordes,” maybe academic freedom is just a frill anyway.
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Darwinian claims along the lines that humans are not special would obviously be easier to work with, for the purpose of limiting human rights. See, for example, The war on freedom is rotting our intellectual life In a world governed by naturalism, power is its own justification. That is the single hardest thing for opponents of rampant political correctness, in sciences and elsewhere, to grasp.
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