Teaching Creationism in Canadian Schools?

 

                                           Elohim Creates Adam -- William Blake

God is creative and self-giving,

generously moving

in all the near and distant corners of the universe.

Nothing exists that does not find its source in God.

Our first response to God’s providence is gratitude. 

We sing thanksgiving.

Finding ourselves in a world of beauty and mystery,

of living things, diverse and interdependent,

of complex patterns of growth and evolution,

of subatomic particles and cosmic swirls,

we sing of God the Creator,

the Maker and Source of all that is.

  from A Song of Faith United Church of Canada 2006

Recently I was surprised to come upon a this CTV headline: Nearly half of Canadians think creationism should be taught in schools: poll. I was dubious, to say the least, knowing that we live in an increasingly secular society which doesn't seem to give much credence to the existence of a deity, let alone one that brought life into being. Delving into the article I realized it was somewhat misleading and that may be because of the ambiguity of the question asked in the poll (highlighted below). 

I do not subcribe to Creationism, a conservative Christian belief usually associated with the notion of a young Earth and a literal six day period of Creation. As with most Christian denominations including the Roman Catholic church and our United Church of Canada I appreciate that the universe and emergence of life on this planet unfolded over billions of years and that the theory of evolution is not antithetical to our faith. My apologies to William Blake. 

At the same time I acknowledge a Creator God as the ulimate source of existence. This is a tenet of faith affirmed in the creeds, ancient and new. So I acknowledge Creation and Creator without denying science, including the geological record. I wonder if those being polled or those reporting understood the distinction, although I think it's a really important one. Here is a portion of the CTV article

A growing number of Canadians think that creationism should be taught in classrooms, and support is increasing the most among young people, according to a new poll.

Research Co. asked Canadians if they think creationism, defined in the poll as “the belief that the universe and life originated from specific acts of divine creation,” should be part of the school curriculum in their province.

Nearly half, 48 per cent, of respondents said creationism “definitely should” or “probably should” be taught. That’s up seven points from a similar survey conducted in April of last year.More than a third of Canadians, 35 per cent, disagreed with creationism being taught to children and 18 per cent were not sure.

“The increase in support for discussing creationism in schools is being driven by Canadians aged 18-to-34 (58 per cent, +10),” Mario Canseco, president of Research Co. said, in a news release accompanying the data. “Fewer than half of their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (48 per cent, +4) and aged 55 and over (38 per cent, +5) favour this course of action.”

Support for teaching creationism was highest amongst Canadians of South Asian and Indigenous origin, 73 per cent and 57 per cent respectively. Less than half of Canadians of East Asian (45 per cent) or European origin (35 per cent) agreed with putting creationism on the curriculum.

I can't imagine that school boards will be in any hurry to change what's taught on the subject. It will be communities of faith which will share their convictions and, we can hope, uphold the breath-taking beauty and intricacy of Creation, the web of life.. I'm convinced that we need to humbly revive our Judeo-Christian awareness of both Creator and Creation and our future depends on it. 

Each part of creation reveals unique aspects of God the Creator,

who is both in creation and beyond it.

All parts of creation, animate and inanimate, are related.

All creation is good.

We sing of the Creator,

who made humans to live and move

and have their being in God.

In and with God,

we can direct our lives toward right relationship

with each other and with God.

We can discover our place as one strand in the web of life.

We can grow in wisdom and compassion.

We can recognize all people as kin.

We can accept our mortality and finitude, not as a curse,

but as a challenge to make our lives and choices matter.

  from A Song of Faith United Church of Canada 2006