CBC Digital Archives

The case for creationism in Canada

The year 1809 was remarkable for producing figures of great historical importance, including Lincoln, Chopin, Poe, Braille, Tennyson and many others. But no other figure produced as dramatic an effect on society as the English naturalist Charles Darwin. His groundbreaking theory of evolution had a major impact on religion, education, history and our conception of humankind. Now, 200 years after his birth and 150 years since the publication of The Origin of Species, the CBC Digital Archives looks at the history of Darwin, his controversial theory and the ways in which his thoughts still affect the world.

In 1980, the once-dominant theory of creationism has taken a backseat to Darwinian evolution in the minds of most Canadians. Polls indicate that a majority of Canadians believe in evolution over creation, but the creationists aren't going away quietly. In this report from CBC Radio's Sunday Morning, Rick Alexander speaks to Canadian creationists about why creationism deserves a place in schools and why creationism is more scientific than the theory of evolution.
• According to a 2008 Angus Reid poll, 58 per cent of Canadians believe that humans evolved from earlier life forms while 22 per cent believe that humans were created by God. Another 20 per cent said they were unsure. • That same poll revealed that 42 per cent of Canadians believe humans and dinosaurs co-existed on Earth.

• In 2002, the British Broadcasting Corporation conducted a televised poll program called 100 Greatest Britons. Darwin placed fourth, behind Winston Churchill, Isambard Kingdom Brunel (en engineer who built the Great Western Railway, among other things) and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Medium: Radio
Program: Sunday Morning
Broadcast Date: April 5, 1980
Guest(s): Norm Adelson, Jim Ashton, Al Cleveland, Peter Shileen
Reporter: Rick Alexander
Duration: 10:15
Song I'm a New Creation by David Ingles.
Photo: rauchdickson, used under Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Last updated: February 8, 2012

Page consulted on March 26, 2013

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