And now to the Republican debate on MSNBC – except, I just have to say, did you see that three Republicans raised their hands to signify that they did not believe in evolution?
From what I could see, it wasn’t Giuliani or McCain and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Romney at the other end. But three others Republican candidates did raise their hands. (They have been identified as Sen. Sam Brownback, Gov. Mike Huckabee, and Rep. Tom Tancredo.) The mind boggles – I thought for a second I was watching The Tudors, except then it would have been more entertaining…
I admit it. I didn’t watch either of the so-called debates. If there was any promise of issues considered beyond sound bites – or political conviction overruling speech writers – I might have given it a try.
As I’ve linked above, there can be the rare surprising moment of clarity – scarey though it may be in illustrating just how backwards these demagogues have become. Of course, even scarier is the number of Americans equally out of touch with science and reality.
Well, at least they’ll get the bible-belt vote
I would bet at least 2 of them are lying because they think there are votes to be had. Of course that could be even scarier because they are willing to help set back progress for a few votes, most of which they’d probably get anyway.
I think they are so stupid that they misunderstood the question. These are politicians after all.
they misunderstood the question.
They thought they were being asked if they had an erection?
J/P=?
The best part is how terrified McCain looks as he answers that he does believe in evolution.
You can virtually see the wheels turning in his head.
here’s a link to the video of it
http://tinyurl.com/2bk2wp
I was so inspired by the debate that I ran out and voted a couple of times the same day!
That’s ok, I have never believed in them.
That’s about right. About 30% believe that we were created when their deity just conjured us up for entertainment.
# 4 nailed it!
I like the last guy to raise his hand – whats he thinking? “There is no way I’m gonna raise my hand – oh look those dudes did – I forgot we had a pact”
To be clear, there are two things that are confused when you ask people about evolution.
#1 is “does evolution exist.” Since evolution is a simply variability, mutation and natural selection and seems to be observed, then it’s not unrealistic to think it’s going on.
#2 is “did the plant and animal world come about to its present state simply because of evolution,” you are not simply talking about the scientific process but about the age of the universe, the immutability of physical laws, determinism, and the non-existence of what cannot be scientifically measured. Science has done a marvelous job of squashing non-materialistic belief systems in many practical ways, but it cannot, of course, make any real assertions about what is true or false, only what is observed.
Not that I’m one to stick up for the Republican
doofusescandidates.Just like God, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Also just like Jesus, I have a strong idea that both exist.
Sad that the seven others are so poorly educated. Anyone who has really researched the subject knows that the 10 million years between the last Great Bombardment and the first appearance of evidence of life (Stromatolite fossils, Isotope ratios, etc.) is far too short a time for the minimum complexity organism consisting of 500 or so protiens plus a cell wall to have self-assembled from any organic materials present in the oceans of that time.
I also doubt that more than one of the three that did raise their hands actually are aware of the scientific facts showing the statistical impossibility of a naturalistic origin of life, much less of that life developing into the complex and diverse organisms present on Earth today.
I’d bet if the polling numbers showed that a majority of their desired constituency believed in creation over evolution, however, that every last one of the Democrat candidates would raise not one, but both hands, and probably yell “Hallelujia” in the bargain.
Why anyone in this day and age believes in some almighty mythical being creating a universe is beyond me. I could understand, say, a thousand years ago before scientific evidence was so overwhelming, but in this modern day, for people to still believe in fairy tales as the start of the universe?
Amazing.
The “wisdom of this world” is often nothing more than spiritual darkness!
Would it be possible to post a link to a higher resolution version of the cartoon used at the top of the story? I would like to share it with some friends but the one that is there is very tiny.
Anyone? John D?
TIA,
Paul_in_NC
I stick by my beliefs that God created the heavens and the earth. On both sides there is still a lot of evidence that goes back and forth on the issue. However, I know what I believe, and I respect those that disagree.
Try this for a larger image.
http://tinyurl.com/2d78xu
Thanks for the larger pic!
Did they ask FORMER Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee about his son being arrested the other day for carrying a Glock through Little Rock Airport security?
And these are the Republican choices? The best that the Republican party has to offer? The best that America has to offer?
Every one of them came off as an extremist, except for Guilianni, which isn’t considered “Republican enough” for the Republican base. He just came of as a pandering waffler.
It was like watching bad contestants on “American Idol”, except that this show could be called “American Taliban”. We sure needed an “Simon Cowell” character there to tell them all they were full of it.
#21 “And these are the Republican choices?”
yes.
“The best that the Republican party has to offer?”
sadly, yes. unless they can figure out how to reanimate Barry Goldwater.
“The best that America has to offer?”
not by a long shot.
Nope. There’s still Fred. Sad, isn’t it?
#17 – Mainfr4me
“On both sides there is still a lot of evidence that goes back and forth on the issue.”
Actually, no. There is not. Only those who completely misunderstand how science operates believe for an instant that any “controversy” exists.
Let me ask you, Mainfr4me, do you believe that the Earth is round? (actually, an oblate spheroid) I’ll take the risk of assuming that you do.
Now please go here, and read the “scientific” reasons why you (and most scientists) are wrong. Hilarious, innit?
A beautiful example of the overintellectualized and utterly wrong thinking behind deniers of scientific facts, such as evolution, anthropogenic global warming and intelligence heritability, just to cite some current science that frustratingly fails to support some peoples’ treasured ideologies…
The choice is yours, to stick with what childhood indoctrination, peer-pressure, insecurity and ignorance prescribe or to go where the facts lead, no matter how badly you wish they didn’t.
Most of humanity doesn’t have the courage to handle the truth.
The thing is, either belief comes down to having faith.
The pseudo-scientific crowd love to bait the bible thumping crowd about how illiterate they are. But most of the PS crowd haven’t read even anything beyond 10th grade biology to set their beliefs. They assume because it’s “based on science” it must be right. IF that’s not faith I don’t know what is.
You can’t prove evolution. If you don’t agree, I suggest you take a read at Stephen J. Gould, Harvard evolutionist. If you read his ideas and competing ideas from other evolutionists, you will see it really does come down to having faith in evolution as a hypothesis in one or another of it’s variations. At least if your honest with yourself. Because virus’s mutate, this proves natural selection? Because of a few skulls, you make broad assumptions assumptions regarding the nature of humans over millenia? Seems simplistic. Even if it is popular. Seems to me the popular ideas turn out to be wrong more often than not.
The bible thumping crowd, is no better. They generally haven’t read the bible. They only know what their priest/minister tells them to believe, so they are really no different from from their 10th grade biology class evolutionists. They don’t understand their precious King James wasn’t the bible carried around by Jesus, and that when it was translated, King James had a bias. Even though William Tyndale was murdered as a heretic, his translation was the starting point for the Bishops and subsequently the King James bible. The biggest difference was the King choose to have a few choice words translated with a Catholic bias.
So for all those who aren’t qualified to think on their own, charge on – what difference does it make. Make fun of whoever / whatever you want – just know that you are no better than the next guy.
A better question might be, what caused the big bang. And don’t give me curved time space discontinuities based on quantum physics. I’m not buying it.
#24 – Lauren the Ghoti,
Most of humanity doesn’t have the courage to handle the truth.
Too true to be good.
#25
> You can’t prove evolution. If you don’t agree, I suggest
> you take a read at Stephen J. Gould, Harvard evolutionist.
*Sigh*. Here we go again. Clearly, you haven’t the foggiest idea of what you speak. I suggest going to TalkOrigins.org and educate yourself. Specifically, it is clear that you do not understand how science works, what “prove evolution” really means, what proving a scientific theory implies nor are aware of the mountain of evidence to support the scientific theories which explain the observable fact that evolution happens. The scientific theories of evolution are meant to explain the unquestioned, observable fact that species evolve.
And some people think that the Muslims want to take us back to the Middle Ages?
Right, and evolution is not a religion and can be proven and duplicated in a lab.
Get real, there is more evidence for man made global warming than there is for evolution.
Take this gem: How do we know how old rock layers are? By the animals fossilized in them. How do we know how old the animals are? By the rock layers they are in.
I believe the Bible wholly. Prove it wrong and I’ll believe you. Show me a scientist with his “theory” and I’ll show you another scientist with his “theory” on the same facts.
Leave the personal attacks for the unintelligent. You’re better than that.
#40,
I don’t understand why any rational person finds it difficult to believe in theories that are based entirely on observable facts, while at the same time willing to believe unquestioningly in multiply-transcribed and translated texts of dubious origin. However, I can offer some insight.
I once spent two hours on a bus with a deeply religious person, and came away with the realization that my form of logic was just not the same as his. I could not understand his “reasoning”, and he could not understand my “faith”. My form of logic was inherently incompatible with his, and his with mine. Interestingly, we both thought we were being completely logical….