Happy Darwin Day

Today, 12 February, has been designated as Darwin Day, so says the Institute for Humanist Studies from Albany, NY. Here is the news release.

These excerpts struck me as particularly relevant

“Darwin Day promotes understanding of evolution and the scientific method,” said Matt Cherry, executive director of the Institute for Humanist Studies. “This celebration expresses gratitude for the enormous benefit that scientific knowledge has contributed to the advancement of humanity.”

[ . . . ]

Recent Gallup polls show that 43 percent of Americans reject the theory of evolution and instead believe that “God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so.” And at least four 2008 presidential candidates have said they do not believe the theory of evolution.

Having been exposed to religion long before I ever heard of Darwin or evolution, I must say that religion did not make a lot of sense and evolution was the world I saw.