Oklahoma's repeat-offender Republican Creationist lawmakers take another run at science education

If only this was the only crap that students are taught who will grow up to vote.

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I’m an equal opportunity mocker of all fundamentalists, be they Islamic, Christian, or Pastafarian :stuck_out_tongue:

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See Genesis.

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A proper way of putting the fun into fundamentalism! :smiley:

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The question that the writers of Genesis did not see fit to answer was, if not Adam and Eve, for whom were the fruit of the tree of knowledge intended?

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Adam and Steve, so they could know each other biblically, without being stoned.

Everybody knows that poppers makes it better.

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As near as I can work out, it was intended for them, b/c Malicious Creator knew they’d use it. And from His twisted perspective, that gives him reason and license to commit more malice against them and their issue. So ultimately, it was for Him, but not in the way prescribed by the label.

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Well, I think you are mistaken. Most of the main stream religions don’t have a problem with evolution, including the often criticized for missteps in science Catholics. Many don’t adhere to a literal Genesis either. Evangelicals and fundamentalists still do and would be the hardest to convince.

But there are a lot of people who don’t believe in Evolution, even though their church doesn’t actually disavow it. There are many, smart, educated people who are still religious and we just need more people like them to help bridge the gap in understanding.

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“O felix culpa, quae talem et tantum meruit habere redemptorem; o certe necessarium Adae peccatum que Christe morte deletum est” (apologies for any errors my Latin is now heavily corroded.)

This is a brilliant example of ex post facto justification, and anyone who takes it very seriously may wish to invest in my transatlantic bridge scheme.

I may well be mistaken; I’m only some random poster on Boingboing and for all anyone knows I never completed high school. But I was citing S J Gould, who was one of the foremost evolutionary biologists of the 20th century and discussed evolution extensively with representatives of various religions. Before contemplating setting up a website you need to read Gould thoroughly and carefully; he wrote excellent essays about evolution and its apparent paradoxes aimed at an educated lay audience. I would only say that you need to be very, very sure of your own understanding before dismissing Gould as being mistaken.

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I’ve read some of his stuff. I am aware of some of his works, but not others. I am not sure who he talked to what his laments were from those talks, but again, the Catholics and most of the large Protestant churches don’t disallow evolution. Soo someone somewhere is making head way.

And furthermore, what sort of attitude is that? Give up shifting paradigms because of a core group of people resistant to the idea? With that sort of attitude we would all be worshiping the Sun God that goes around the earth by sacrificing slaves.

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The AK47 - the answer to the eternal question, What Would Jesus Pack.

You are absolutely correct, but in this context it’s a socially contagious mental illness. He’s a evangelical baptist, and the absolutely irrational rubbish that spews forth from his mouth… The problem is that (as I have been told) the bible is the literal fucking word of god, and is a “living testament”. So, questioning anything in it is tantamount to blasphemy/doubting god. Of course, the sheep defer to the shepherd to tell them what the confusing book really means…

On the other hand I have two very good friends who are VERY Christian, but strongly believe that the bible needs interpretation, and that the best way to serve god (and Jesus) is to be the best person possible. They are both absolute delights to be around, and are more than willing to have a rational discussion about religion. (they also don’t seem to fear the answer “I don’t know, that’s a good question.”). Strangely, they’re both not big fans of organized churches. One put it best when I asked him what church he attended by kind of waving his arms about and saying “this is my church” (kind of a hippie as well…)

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Absolutely. You had those tattoos put on you by choice, which is prohibited by the bible. That’s a big thumb in God’s eye, so you’re doomed to hell with the rest of us.

If you really were a good god fearing person, you would have just foregone the radiotherapy and accepted god’s will…

(Did I mention that I think this guy is a bit of a douchenozzle, but occasionally have to interact with him anyway?)

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That is not precisely correct. They allow a version of it which is teleological, but teleological evolution is not part of science.

When you absolutely, positively have to rapture every last motherfucker in the room, accept no substitute.

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Ha, nice :smile:

There was this radical hippie back around 1st century CE who went around saying “love your neighbour” and “blessed are the meek”. He advocated co-operation with the secular authorities, disapproved of people who made a public show of religion (who he called hypcrites), opposed punishment for offenses against religious prohibitions, and opposed profiteering and the accumulation of excessive wealth.
He didn’t get anywhere, unfortunately.

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I have a business associate like this. She’s Catholic, but one day at a luncheon she referenced the ‘fact’ that the Earth was 6,000 years old. I was so astonished that my jaw dropped visibly and we haven’t had the same working relationship since (because SHE lost respect for ME, believe it or not!). She’s reasonably intelligent and belongs to a major religious faith which openly acknowledges the scientific truth of evolution, and yet somehow years of Fox News have convinced her to go against 1) her religion, 2) her education at decent public schools, and 3) overwhelming evidence in the world around her, including in areas that directly affect her work. How does that happen?

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Now that sounds like Christian Scientist (or Scientologist) talk!

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