Today marks the 200 anniversary of the birth of Darwin. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species.
Darwin is "the symbol for a global celebration of science and humanity," the Darwin Day website, created by the American Humanist Association. But humanists aren't the only ones celebrating. Even the Vatican is hosting a conference on science and faith next Month in honor of the anniversary of The Origin of Species–not going to celebrate Darwin per se, but his work. Read about church leaders' current reactions to Darwin Day in this Reuters article.
Here's a group that won't be celebrating, though: The Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. The museum presents its literal take on Genesis, with Adam and Eve rubbing shoulders with dinosaurs in the Garden of Eden.
For a skeptical peak inside the world of 40 percent of the country (that's the percent that believes in creationism), read Salon.com's article "Inside the Creation Museum" from the museum's opening in 2007.
In order to celebrate Darwin's birthday, I suggest you read about what the Catholic Church thinks about evolution (they wholeheartedly accept it as fact!) on uscatholic.org:
