Bible edges out Darwin as ‘most valuable to humanity’ book in survey

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In a survey of influential books, the Bible garnered 37% of public vote, while On the Origin of Species received 35%, followed by works by Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein and George Orwell.

Together, the Bible and On the Origin of Species are the two most valuable books for humanity, according to a survey of the British public, with the religious text narrowly edging out one of the most important works in the history of science.

The Folio Society’s survey asked members of the public to name the books of most significance for the modern world.

Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time (17%) crept ahead of Einstein’s seminal Relativity (15%) to take third place, with just two novels making the top 10 of the “books voted most valuable to humanity”: Nineteen Eighty-Four (14%) and To Kill a Mockingbird (10%). Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, in which Isaac Newton derives the laws of classical mechanics, took 12% of the vote, with the Qur’an (9%), Adam Smith’s foundation of modern economics The Wealth of Nations (7%) and James Watson’s account of the discovery of DNA, The Double Helix (6%), rounding out the top 10.

23 thoughts on “Bible edges out Darwin as ‘most valuable to humanity’ book in survey”

  1. As Isaac Newton, the father of physics and calculus said, “If I have seen further than others it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.” These “giants” that Newton spoke of are recognized to be the pioneers of the scientific revolution, which is known to have began with Copernicus and continued through brilliant minds such as Galileo, Kepler and Descartes.

    The idea attributed to Copernicus for introducing mathematical models and empiricism was in fact already being developed centuries before him in the Islamic world by the 9th century Muslim scientist Ibn Al-Haytham. He, not Copernicus, originated the revolution of doubt, or shukook in Arabic, of Greek science and philosophy and pioneered the fusion of mathematics, empiricism and experimentation into science. Copernicus is also credited for his fearless challenge of the previously unshakable idea of the geocentric orbit, originated by the Greek Claudius Ptolemaist in the 2nd century. However, evidence from Al-Haytham’s work shows that he was historically the first person to be so heavily critical of Ptolemaist. In one of his books, Al-Haytham challenges the geocentric orbit by saying “Ptolemaist assumes an arrangement that cannot exist.”

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    • It may be true, DOM, that Muslim-ruled countries once developed some scientific and mathematical concepts.
      How do you explain then how today the richest, the most advanced and peaceful societies in the world have become so because of science and secularism and creative endeavour, while Islamic countries today have the most poverty, the most conflict and civil destruction and the least education outside their holy books of any in the world?

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    • As a student I and everyone else in the class were instructed to go to the library and select a book .:- The Hidden Persuaders” was the book I selected .
      Several weeks later the the buffon then instructed the class to write a essay on the book each had selected .
      The story the plot the characters etc :- The bastard assumed everyone had selected a “FICTION” .MMMMMMMMMM !

      The book was great
      Weeks later the loosely described “TEACHER” then announced

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  3. Off topic—-yeah, truly off! 😯

    The school where kids can’t be called “boys” or “girls”

    A school in Nebraska has asked its teachers to stop calling students ‘girls’ or ‘boys’ in a bid to breakdown gender stereotypes. Instead, it’s suggested they say ‘hey campers!’ or – wait for it – ‘purple penguins’.

    The recommendations are part of the plan called “12 Steps on the Way to Gender Inclusiveness” which was pulled together by the organisation Gender Spectrum. The school, according to independent news website Nebraska Watchdog, gave the document to its teachers to encourage them to stop using gendered expressions like “you guys” and “ladies and gentlemen”.

    Gender gone mad

    According to The Adelaide Advertiser, the handout also asked teachers to stop asking children to line up in rows of girls and boys, and instead line up depending on their preferences for gender-neutral items. For example: summer or winter, dogs or cats, skateboards or bikes.

    Teachers have also been instructed to step in when they hear students referencing gender and ask them “what makes you say that?” to start a discussion about gender stereotypes. The Lincoln school district’s Superintendent Steve Joel said the training manuals were introduced because it “wants all children to be successful and not feel like outcasts or be afraid to go to school.” The school is also in the process of rethinking how they use gendered locker rooms and bathrooms.

    Unsurprisingly, there has been a mixed response from parents.

    Are they kidding?

    http://www.kidspot.com.au/the-school-where-kids-cant-be-called-boys-or-girls/

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    • Sorry to go off topic here, but I asked a simpler form of this question just a few days back. I asked a question about the ultimate legitimacy of marriage and I still want to know. The Christian rule is defined as : “What God has joined together let no man put asunder”. In order to understand this law, the parameters of its scope needs to be defined.

      Please tell me someone just on what basis is a marriage to be defined as one wherein God has joined the two together? Is it only if it happens to have been a Christian wedding ceremony? Or so long as it has been any sort of ‘religious’ ceremony? Or is it if they have had ANY sort of wedding ceremony?

      Has God joined them together only if the two have exchanged vows? Does the joining by God actually occur when the pair have been married illegally, as for example one or other party is underage, or in an improper degree of consanguinity making the union incestuous? Or again if there has been coercion on either party in order to force the marriage, or if one or other party is drugged (with all else being equal and legit)?

      Now the legal age for marriage has varied many times over the years. So even though it was legitimate for a young couple in the time of Jesus to be wed when groom was 16 or 17 while the bride might be as young as 13 or 14, are the two still joined together if they are illegally matched because of age? So is God only joining the two together only if the current Church or the Law of the land permits it?

      A few centuries back, the Catholic Church declared that even to be ‘related’ just by the fact of the parties being Godparent and Godchild would render the pair guilty of committing Incest. This very anomaly had the French King Robert the Pious excommunicated early in the 11th century, for an improper marriage.

      Finally, are the pair joined together by God if the marriage is not consummated, or does the first sexual coming together of any couple even with no official wedding, represent the time that God joins them together?

      Any takers on these questions?
      Rian.

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      • Hey Rian,

        Received this email today. Remember this guy?

        The scripture that crossed my mind after watching it is that “we are fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) The Bible shows that man is the special creation of God, created in God’s image. We have a material body and an immaterial soul and spirit. We are distinct and unique from all other creatures, including angels and the animal kingdom alike.

        Paul Smith is a rare, one-of-a-kind, valuable and precious person. So are you Rian. So am I. So too is Dom, Bryan, Kathleen, Strewth, davinci, Paddy, AT, Stu, and the rest of mankind. We are truly “fearfully and wonderfully made”!

        https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6TLnN6C-Lz_Z1hndGVxb3RlekU/edit?pli=1

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      • It has been interesting to me to note that not a single person on this blog has made any attempt to answer my query there on ‘God joining people together in marriage’. I duly rang my friendly neighbourhood Presbyterian Minister, and asked him, as one who had duly studied Calvin’s Institutes, and what is more, had undoubtedly married any number of people. He told me that he could not really give me a good answer on the matter.

        I guess that the experts at the Vatican could rustle up some sort of legalistic answer.
        Rian.

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      • Monica,
        Hi, unfortunately when I tried to call up the site you quoted, my computer wouldnt do it for me, due to some complicated issue. But I rather take it that the guy you point out is probably the one who made those incredibly beautiful picture images just using the ordinary typewriter keys. just amazing, I must say.

        Oh I must add though, that I am terribly disillusioned after reading your post. I always had the idea that I was the ONLY person who was ‘wonderfully’ made????
        Doubtless all the others may share in being ‘fearfully’ made. I’ve just got to rethink things now.
        love Rian.

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    • Monica, this is what I was talking about when I was saying that it seems to be there you can’t differentiate between mothers and fathers. People are going out of their way to ‘pretend’ there are no differences between the sexes.

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      • Yes Kathleen,

        I knew perfectly well what you were saying and I too share your concerns. The more I learn about the Homosexual Agenda, the more it terrifies me.

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      • Have a read of this new law in California and also one lesbian mother’s thoughts about it.

        “MORE THAN TWO LEGAL PARENTS? A NEW CALIFORNIA LAW MAKES IT POSSIBLE

        October 15, 2013

        Three parentsThe legalization of same-sex marriage seems to be a trend taking hold in an increasing number of states. The change represents a significant shift for family law, with many attorneys and judges in the field scrambling to figure out how these changes will impact specific areas of the law.

        One such area is child custody, which is a somewhat more problematic question in a same-sex custody dispute since (under current technological limitations, at least) it is not possible for two members of the same-sex to procreate.

        Since biological parents have inherent parental rights under the law, these cases often entail questions about not two, but three or more parents.

        However, the law is structured to only recognize two legal parents at any given time. Thus, a biological parent must terminate his rights for the non-biological parent (the same-sex spouse of the other biological parent) to be legally recognized as a parent.

        Clearly, this can create problems if, for whatever reason, the non-same-sex-spouse biological parent (I apologize for all of the hyphenated adjectives) still wishes to be involved in the child’s life.

        Earlier this month, California passed a new law that squarely addresses that issue.” http://blog.legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.com/top-legal-news/two-legal-parents-new-california-law-makes-possible/

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      • Have a read of this mess.

        “I am a lesbian mother of twin 8 year old boys and I have some major concerns about this new law that allows more than 2 lregal parents that is shortly possibly going to affect mine and my childrens lives greatly. My case has been a big mess ever since the sperm donor/father of my sons took us to court which was at age 3. My partner now in a dissolution with me and closer friends with their father has acquired visitationthrough no request of hers in the court system to date. My sons are confused and being carted around to 3 different homes. The father is difficult to say the least with me and will not agree with me on anything nor even shared legal information with me that is court ordered (dentist, orthodontist, extra curricular activity sign ups). However he does include my ex. They live in the same area and I have since moved 65 miles away with my sons. This causes a whole other dynamic as well. Due to the new law being passed and the fact that their father refuses to co-parent with me the judge seems to think that this new law would resolve everything. Major problem is that he manipulates her every step of the way. My ex and I also have a daughter which I did in fact adopt however she has not allowed me any time with her in over 4 months. The judge does not allow this information into our case as my daughter is not included in it but she is their legal sister. If he rules that al three of us have legal rights am I to believe that I lose 30% of my time with my sons, all of my child support, and any decision making capabilities as it would be majority rules?? I am their primary custodian and bio mom????? Neither of these people have a room for my sons either??? California law requires it right?? Can of worms…..absolutely!!” Tami Forster

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    • I think many schools address or refer to their students as ‘people’ now. I wouldn’t think this was mandatory, or even policy, just sensible.

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      • In the ‘Daily Mail’ newspaper last night: “Male pregnancy’ figures reveal how 54 MEN gave birth in Australia in the past 12 months”

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