One in ten first year medics at the University of Glasgow rejects evolutionary theory in favour of creationism, a new survey has found.
The poll of first year students, conducted by Professor Roger Downie, also found that 7.5% of Biology students disbelieve current scientific thinking on the origin of species. The Department of Biomedical and Life Sciences teaches that Darwin’s theory of evolution is the best explanation for life on Earth, and does not hold biblical or other creationist theories as a credible alternative.
Professor Neil Metcalfe, Head of the Department of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, was worried by the findings.
He said: “There are students out there who are hearing lectures on evolution, but clearly don’t believe them. Of course they’re entitled to do that, but the idea that people reject hard evidence because of their own intrinsic beliefs or because they believe false propaganda is a bit depressing.
“Evolution is fact,” he added, “And creationism is absolutely not something we’d teach as an alternative. We might mention it in passing, saying that some people do believe it, but we certainly wouldn’t give it any air time other than that.”
The survey of students at Glasgow University, begun in February of this year, was undertaken to gauge the change in opinion since a similar survey was conducted during the 1990s. The findings, however, were almost exactly in line with the results of the earlier research.
Professor Downie expressed concern that no increase had been registered in the number of students subscribing to evolutionary theory.
He said: “To me it’s distressing that as big a proportion as 7.5% don’t accept evolution. These are students who are going on to study science, which is an evidence based discipline The religious aspect of creationism may be a hindrance to the ability to evaluate evidence objectively.”
However, Dr Everett Julyan, a Specialist Registrar in Psychology and Glasgow Medical School Secretary for the Christian Medical Fellowship, argued that religious beliefs and scientific understanding were not incompatible.
He said: “Reasonable Christians understand that the Bible is not a scientific textbook. There is no real conflict between scientific study, scientific findings and Christian belief based on the Bible.
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“However, evolution can be a point of tension. Christians accept Darwinian random mutation and natural selection – these are scientific observations – but science does not necessarily support extrapolating these data to macroevolution; ‘believing’ in evolution as the explanation for all biological life is not based firmly on evidence.”
The debate over the origin of species was re-ignited this month with the report that a controversial creationist book, The Atlas of Creation, has been sent unsolicited to universities around Scotland. The book, written by Turkish author Adnan Oktar under the pen name Harun Yahya, links evolutionary theory to international terrorism, the rise of the Nazi Party, and Stalin-era communism.
The book includes a picture of the burning World Trade Centre towers, with a caption reading: “No matter what ideology they may espouse, those who perpetrate terror all over the world are, in reality, Darwinists. Darwinism is the only philosophy that places a value on – and thus encourages – conflict.”
The professors who received the book confirmed that they had no plans to introduce it to the Glasgow University Library.
By Chris Watt
