Evangelism has no place in a secular university
Education Post prominently detailed the lecture given at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ('Science talk turns out to be more of a sermon', May 19) by a proponent of creationism who also happens to be a materials scientist.
This evangelism frankly has no place in a secular university, unless it be as part of a religious studies programme or advertised as an evangelical meeting. It certainly should not be marketed as a science lecture.
The creeping penetration of 'alternative theory' into education threatens to undermine the understanding of the world and our ability to tackle problems such as climate change; doubtless many, like those schooled in creationism in the US Mid-West who believe global warming is the beginning of Armageddon and hence feel elation that it heralds the imminent Second Coming, are delighted.
In the UK, fundamentalist Christian agendas are being promulgated in schools while science is left to languish through lack of government support.
However, unless we want to see another dark age, scientists, universities and schools must defend passionately the rationality of science. If, through inaction, we return to the times when belief dismissed evidence, then we lose law and return to inquisitions.
