datapad
Monday, May 09, 2005
Creationism and vacating the Age of Reason (Ron Reagan) The state of Kansas is poised to vacate the Age of Reason. If all goes according to brain-addled plan, the Kansas school board will soon vote to water down the state’s public school science curriculum, minimizing Darwinian evolution and giving credence to a half-baked, non-scientific notion variously called “creationism” or “intelligent design.” Evolution debate May 4: MSNBC-TV's Monica Crowley and Ron Reagan discuss the controversy in Kansas over evolution and the role it should play in state schools' curriculums. MSNBC We dealt with the issue recently on our show and I got a little steamed, as I’m prone to do when faced with shameless lies told at the expense of innocent children. Evolution, of course, has mountains of evidence on its side—the fossil record; genetics; observations of rapidly mutating species in nature in the lab, as well as some compelling new computer models. I challenged our creationist guest to provide similar evidence for his point of view. He couldn’t... because there isn’t any. But it got me thinking: education that ignores the facts could be a lot more fun. For instance, generations of school kids have been taught that George Washington and his troops defeated the British after crossing the Delaware River in wooden rowboats. Plenty of scholarship backs that up. But we don’t have any of the actual boats, do we? Who’s to say that Washington didn’t ditch the watercraft and instead cross the river on the backs of specially trained dinosaurs? No evidence for that - but in Kansas, we don’t need no stinkin’ evidence. How about math? The diameter of a circle equals twice the radius? Nah, in my new new math, the diameter of a circle equals time to order out for pizza. Doesn’t sound like mathematical science to you? Yeah... and what’s your point? All that’s necessary for ignorance to triumph is that people who know better step aside and get out of its way. We might want to consider that as we sit back twiddling our thumbs and playing politics while Kansas spirals into the Dark Ages, dragging its unwitting children with it. and ripped this offa lefire's blog. might not be totally, true, but good for laughs nonetheless. Taoism: Shit happens Hare krishna: Shit happens Rama Rama Ding Ding Hinduism: This shit has happened before Islam: That shit happens is the will of Allah Zen: What is the sound of shit happening? Existentialism: Shit doesn't happen; shit is Buddhism: When shit happens, is it really shit? Confucianism: Confucius say, "Shit happens" 7th day Adventist: Shit happens on Saturdays Protestantism: Shit won't happen if I work harder Protestantism: If shit happens, it happens to someone else Catholicism: If shit happens, you deserved it Jehovah's Witnesses: Knock, knock, "Shit happens" Jehovah's Witnesses: No shit happens until Armaggedon Unitarian: What is this shit? Mormon: Shit happens again & again & again Judaism: Oy vey! Why does this shit always happen to us? Pentacostalism: Praise the shit! New Age: Shit happens and it happens to smell good Rastafarianism: Let's smoke this shit Jainism: Please don't step on the poor shit! Agnosticism: You can't really tell if it's shit. Sai Babaism: Doesn't matter if you call it shit or sai as long as you believe. FACTS: opening the country to shit will send the message to our children that's it perfectly ok to shit. Aum Shinrikyo: we don't believe in shit, only gas. Cao Daism: Behold the Great Universal Shit! Christian Science: Pray and the shit will heal you. Creationism: Don't tell me this shit evolved from some other stuff! New Ageism: Hidden in that shit is a pure crystal of love! Atheism: There is no shit! oh and i recently watched kingdom of heaven. it's not that bad for a movie with a theistic nature, and christians could well learn a thing or two from it. i thought salahadin and the main character were really really cool though. * Buddhism: If shit happens, you did something bad in your past life. |