Natural History

Posted in creationism | 9 Comments

9 Responses

1. on June 11, 2012 at 8:49 am Jen Robinson

   Onward Christian soldiers! The rest of the world must feel secure knowing that the self-appointed global policeman is armed to the teeth and populated by fanatics.
   How did this happen?

   
   
2. on June 11, 2012 at 9:26 am Peggy Richter

   I think they put it well — it’s the education system. You have people who graduate high school without being able to read or add. For many people, the issue of evolution is irrelevant to their lives (for example, does a plumber need to know that birds are decended from theropod dinosaurs?). Add to that the “bad” science that has “coffee and tea are bad”, “coffee and tea are good”…. and the use of science for political purposes, and there is not much reason for the average person to trust what scientists say.
   I think this is compounded by the fact that the US was founded by those who were fanatics or at least dissenters being persecuted for their faith. This set up a cultural view of distrust of any attempt to change a religious viewpoint by any kind of authority. It’s why you see the dicotomy with many feeling gays should be accorded “equal access” at the same time they baulk at the word “marrage” (IMO, Govt ought not to recognize ANY marrage, just civil unions as a legal contract regarding partners and possible dependents. Marrage ought to be a religious thing and irrelevant to the Government. Of course, I also wouldn’t have that much of an issue with polygamy, etc — why should I care if some people want to have a group life? They do it despite it being illegal anyway).
   “God created”…in it’s simplistic form provides comfort and assurance (someone bigger than “you” cares). The reality of random dumb luck resulting in humans is very scary.
   If there’s no reason for people to care if horses are evolved vs arriving whole cloth from Poseidon’s hand, why “should” they accept evolution? That is is true and documented? Well, most don’t understand how electricity works either, and they use that more in their lives.
   Our education system is broke. Telling people they are stupid for believing something won’t change that.

   
   
   • on June 11, 2012 at 11:00 am massugu

     “Govt ought not to recognize ANY marrage, just civil unions as a legal contract regarding partners and possible dependents.”

     I am in absolute agreement w/ that position. For Uncle Sugar (or any US municipality) to recognize or regulate the religious institution (and strictures) of marriage is to violate the constitution. Civil Unions should be the standard for all, and no religiously-based constraints should even be considered. For those who see it as a “holy union”, their respective religious institutions can “marry” them in the manner acceptable to all involved–independent of but recognized by the civil authorities.

     
     
3. on June 11, 2012 at 10:09 am massugu

   To be frank, I’m surprised that the percentage is that low.

   I’m of the opinion that its partly genetic–yep, some folks may have gotten a religious gene (inherited from those ancestors who came over here to practice a religion different from that back in Europe). Add this to an overwhelmingly religious environment/upbringing and you have fertile ground for the evolution of creationists, lifers, birthers, and other strange species.

   
   
   • on June 14, 2012 at 12:49 pm atheist

     IIRC Dawkins discusses the evolutionary basis for religion in “The God Delusion”

     
     
   • on June 14, 2012 at 1:16 pm Kathy

     I wonder if the center fell out. Time was when everybody went to church. Then went to school and learned biology with evolution via nat selection. Most people managed to ignore the contradictions. Evolution was not the baddie. Communism was the baddie.
     Now, it’s ok not to be religious. Maybe all that’s left in the churches are the fanatics (ie. the truly religious).

     
     
4. on June 11, 2012 at 7:15 pm Peggy Richter

   saw this on the news today :(http://www.foxprovidence.com/dpps/living_green/target-12-f-students-passed-in-central-falls_4203968) –“CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (WPRI) – Grades of ‘F’ in the four R’s at Central Falls’ Calcutt Middle School are not enough to hold students back, according to teachers who claim they were ordered to pass the failing students onto high school.”….”The district attracted national attention in 2010 when 88 teachers were fired, in part over a graduation rate of 48 percent”
   — When this is the level of education in the US, it’s no wonder that people believe in various religions. Generally speaking, those who are in charge of religious education are motivated and use fairly effective techniques to get people to “believe”. If someone can’t even write or read, the ability of educating someone in evolution, geography or even basic civics, is pretty limited.

   
   
5. on June 13, 2012 at 10:28 am Bridget

   Almost 50 % ? That’s what it seems to here ..

   
   
6. on June 13, 2012 at 11:18 pm Kathy

   I think they (the believers in creationism) were always there. What changed is that we have to listen to them and pretend we respect their ideas. Years ago they were just ignored. They didn’t design curricula; they didn’t even go to college.
   I call what happened the “Oprah-zation” of America. Where all ideas are created equal. The hard-headed and the soft-headed. Where good things will trickle down because it’s morning in America. Where the labor struggles of a bygone era are carefully forgotten in a society that believes itself to be classless, leaving us baffled as to why the professional children of the working class are at the mercy of their corporate masters. Where science works for Big Pharma. Where the only industry we have left is Health, about which we are “concerned”, hysterically so. Where conservatives are trying to kill social security (as they always did! Some things never change!) Where liberals tell us to eat less salt. (Did anyone see the recent NY Times article on dietary salt?) And to breed fewer dogs.
   What we need to do, IMO, is to shout back. Loud and clear. Unyielding, uncompromising, and damned nasty. I’m thinking of role models I’ve met or heard of the likes of the National Organization for Women and the communist party. They are tough cookies.
   Ridiculous that an argument about science should turn into a shouting match, but I’m inclined to believe that’s how it must be because at bottom it is tribal warfare. IMO. I hope I’m wrong.

   
   

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