The talk by James Williams on Creationism and the Teaching of Evolution attracted a good attendance of twenty in all including at least six newcomers, although I was disappointed at the absence of several regulars who have previously shown a strong interest in science. The speaker arrived fifteen minutes late, due to traffic, but the meeting carried on later than usual, until 9 pm, and Mr Williams coped very well with some pointed questions, from quite opposite directions.
The main thesis of the talk was the insidious way that creationists try to promote their beliefs, by for instance publishing attractively illustrated books on dinosaurs for children, but omitting any geological dating, and including accounts of the myth of Noah's Ark and the Great Flood. He also questioned the morality of scientifically qualified writers who are prepared to see the facts misrepresented, in a way that surely contravenes the commandment about not bearing false witness. He also spoke interestingly about the way young children can get misapprehensions from such teaching that then becomes difficult to rectify.
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