THE BIG SERBIAN DISPUTE!
nick cobb
Sep 9, 11:13 AM (ET)
By MISHA SAVIC
BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) - Charles Darwin's evolution theory
is out of Serb schools. The Bible is in.
The education minister's decision this week to drop the evolution
theory from elementary school classes in favor of creationism has
triggered outrage among scientists, opposition parties and liberal
groups.
Education Minister Ljiljana Colic told primary school teachers in a
memo earlier this week to ignore an existing chapter in eighth-grade
biology textbooks that says life on Earth evolved through natural
selection.
She said Darwin's theory is "dogmatic," adding that it will remain in
schoolbooks - "but will not be taught" - pending a general revision of
the curriculum expected later this year.
The vast majority of world scientists believe the evolution theory,
which states that all living life forms evolved from earlier, more
primitive life forms, is the basis for teaching biology. Some
religious beliefs do not accept that view, insisting God created
humans.
Critics say the decision to drop Darwin's theory from classes reflects
a rise of conservative ideology in the Balkan republic, epitomized by
the conservative government that took power in January. It also
indicates an increase in the influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church
in education and everyday life here.
"This is terrible, I simply cannot believe that this has happened,"
said biology professor Nikola Tucic of the University of Belgrade. "We
are turning into a theocratic state in the 21st century.
"Without Darwin, teaching biology makes no sense," Tucic said, echoing
arguments heard in similar, recurring debates in many countries,
including parts of the United States.
The opposition Civic Alliance and Social Democratic Union has demanded
Colic's resignation, as did nearly 40 nongovernment organizations,
ranging from human rights activists, libertarians and legal experts
who questioned legality of the minister's move.
"Mrs. Colic should keep her obviously personal and religious beliefs
to herself," the statement from the Civic Alliance said.
"That was an appalling decision," said the party's leader, Gaso
Knezevic, who had served as the education minister in the previous,
pro-Western government. "She relies on her incompetence and a
completely church view to proclaim Darwin's theory a dogma."
Alarmed by the outrage, the government held an urgent meeting late
Wednesday and issued a statement seeking to soften Colic's stance.
Until the issue is fully resolved at Serbia's National Council for
Education - a supreme panel deciding on major guidelines for schools -
the "evolution lessons remain in the textbooks and are available to
pupils. Teachers are not forbidden to use it," the statement said.
"This is a scandal," said a joint statement from dozens of human
rights groups including Women in Black, the Humanitarian Law Fund and
the Helsinki Committee.
"Serbia must not become similar to Islamic countries in which
religious leaders have a final say," the groups protested, while
noting that such debates occur regularly in "a number of schools in
the United States that are under the influence of extreme Protestant
sects."
Trying to defuse some of the criticism, a dignitary of the influential
Serbian Orthodox Church also warned against purging Darwin from
schools.
"Darwin never posed the question if God might have created men and the
world," said Bishop Ignjatije. "Darwin only spoke about ways that
humans and the rest of the nature are connected. The connection must
not be ignored by anybody, not even by us, theologists."
Newspapers have lambasted Colic for her decision, printing photos of
her next to evolving apes.
Primary school teachers also protested, some confused and demanding
clarification what to do, others openly going against the minister.
Alexander Arnakis
>Serbs in Dispute Over Darwin Vs. Divine
>
><snipped for brevity>
What's the difficulty in reconciling Darwinian evolution with divine
creation? After all, evolution is just a modality, a means whereby the
Creator expresses His will. The hangup appears to be reliance on the
literal words of Genesis -- but the Orthodox, of all people, shouldn't
be too concerned with literalness. Orthodoxy is the very antithesis of
the "sola scriptura" mindset. Generally, the Orthodox, with their Holy
Tradition, are more likely to see Scripture in a metaphorical and
symbolic context than their more literal-minded fundamentalist
Protestant brethren.
What seems to be happening in Serbia, as well as other ex-Communist
countries, is a rejection of modernism in general, with a concomitant
grasping at traditionalist straws. This shouldn't be confused with
real Orthodoxy.
nick cobb
"Super-Orthodox" are a very dangerous bunch of wackos and they are
infiltrating everywhere. They don't really reflect the Orthodox Church,
but THEIR OWN form of FUNDAMENTALIST ORTHODOXY!!!
Alexander Arnakis wrote:
>... What seems to be happening in Serbia, as well as other ex-Communist
Al
The upshot is that there is nothing anti-Orthodox or just anti-Christian
about evolution as long as God as Creator is part of the equation.
Al
"Alexander Arnakis" <inv...@address.none> wrote in message
news:kcu3k0tmfeef0dhf3...@4ax.com...
++
nick cobb wrote:
> Not only elsewhere, but here in the U.S. as well. The convert
> "Super-Orthodox" are a very dangerous bunch of wackos and they are
> infiltrating everywhere. They don't really reflect the Orthodox
> Church, but THEIR OWN form of FUNDAMENTALIST ORTHODOXY!!!
Dear Nick,
Do not generalize converts or any other group, please. One whacko
doesn't make an army of whackos.
vjp...@at.biostrategist.dot.dot.com
change the rules whenever he wants.. the rules are for dummies like us
not someone as incomprehensibly great as Him..
- = -
Vasos-Peter John Panagiotopoulos II, Columbia'81+, Bio$trategist
BachMozart ReaganQuayle EvrytanoKastorian
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vjp2/vasos.htm
---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---
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vjp...@at.biostrategist.dot.dot.com
non-Orthodox friends how they are aligned with their causes.. whether
right, left, up, down or diagonally.. that, of course, is the point,
the danger with all of this talk of "American Orthodoxy" (not as a
general principle and long-term goal, which is fine, but as an
ideology or, rather, an ideolatry, to which all else must be
subjugated).. cut off from the root, the branch either whithers or
morphs into something totally different..
one of the most serious problems is in our seminaries, because faculty
keep an eye out to the probability they may fall out of favor and need
to seek work in a secular institution.. therefore, their research
interest are skewed to the wierdos found in secular institutions and
fall far from canonicity..
Al
"++" <yourf...@erols.com> wrote in message
news:4142a2b3$0$6914$61fe...@news.rcn.com...
>
>
> nick cobb wrote:
>
> > Not only elsewhere, but here in the U.S. as well. The convert
> > "Super-Orthodox" are a very dangerous bunch of wackos and they are
> > infiltrating everywhere. They don't really reflect the Orthodox
> > Church, but THEIR OWN form of FUNDAMENTALIST ORTHODOXY!!!
>
>
> Dear Nick,
>
> Do not generalize converts or any other group, please. One whacko
> doesn't make an army of whackos.
***Yeah! One SVOTS whacko graduate is enough!
Al
born into it...like he was...to a man who was a priest in the Arabic church
and who dishoinors the man by changing the spelling of his last name.
Nick doesn't seem to understand that the OCA does not represent the pure,
fundamental Orthodox faith in its original form.
Sick!
"nick cobb" <ni...@cris.com> wrote in message
news:jUs0d.7359$AP6...@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...