The Privileged Planet invades New Zealand Schools

Not even New Zealand is safe from the tendrils of the creeping creationism. I see that on the Stuff Website it has been reported that Focus on the Family, a worldwide evangelical Christian group with an office and bookstore in Auckland, has distributed 400 copies of the Privileged Planet CD and booklet to schools around the country.

This movie was produced by the Discovery Institute in the US and the central tenet of the movie is to push intelligent design. A review of the film can be found here at e-Skeptic.

Thankfully it would appear that the Ministry of Education have said that while the film will not be banned from the schools, the theory of evolution continues to underpin biology study.

In my view the distribution is likely to have a limited effect, the creationists have made very little headway in New Zealand schools and I don’t think the posting out of a DVD to each high school is going to change this.

Welcome to Evidence Based Thought

Welcome to the Evidence Based Thought blog. A skeptical blog authored by a group of like minded individuals in New Zealand that will look to discuss some contemporary issues from a position of scientific skepticism that relate to their home country and abroad.

The principal contributors to this venture are Ian Luxmoore, Grae O’Sullivan, Damon Coursey, Tony Andrews, and Christiaan Barnard. For a brief summary of their background and qualifications (or lack thereof!) please have a look at the About the Authors section.

While no subject will be off topic, it is anticipated that subjects that will be tackled will be principally be about the paranormal and alternative medicine. In an effort to balance things out some of the positive scientific developments will also be discussed.