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In a 2006 gubernatorial debate, the soon-to-be governor of Alaska said of evolution and creation education, “Teach both. You know, don’t be afraid of education. Healthy debate is so important, and it’s so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both.”
Asked by the Anchorage Daily News whether she believed in evolution, Palin declined to answer, but said that “I don’t think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class.” “I’m not going to pretend I know how all this came to be,” she said.
“It’s unfortunate McCain would pick someone who shares those particular anti-science views, but it’s not a surprise,” said Barbara Forrest, a Southeastern Lousiana University philosophy professor and prominent critic of creationist science. “She’s a choice that pleases the religious right. And the religious right has been the chief force against teaching evolution.”
Palin’s statements track with the official Alaska Republican Party platform, which support creation science and intelligent design by name, and says that “evidence disputing the theory should also be presented.”
When asked about Palin potentially being a step removed from the White House, Forrest responded, “We’d have a creationist as President. But that’s not new — we’ve already got one.”
We wonder if this will be discussed in the coming debates.
#29
I believe… I believe that if God created the world he would have known about probability distributions, and math, and meson, photons and boson, and all the great things we just begun to understand recently.
I may even come to believe that the great pyramids of Egypt weren’t built by slaves, but planted there by god as a puzzle to keep us wondering.
However, if I want to build a new pyramid, it’s far more constructive to assume that he didn’t and try to figure out how man kind constructed it. And maybe we are dead wrong about how they were built, but at least it led us to an (alternative) way to get it done.
In mentioned it above: science doesn’t claim truth, religion does. Pure science describes how thing may have happened -knowing what we know- and tests that whether that model works in new cases: it’s a description of how thing may have happened in terms we can grasp.
I like to try and understand things I see, or at least have a working model. And I’m not arrogant enough to claim to understand god… so I try to keep him out of my models.
If creationism is to be taught in school, then why not teach the creation stories of all the other religions? The US school system would be filled with crap and the US can silently slip down to the bottom of the IQ pool.
26
Big band theory – is that like when Paul McCartney went from the Beatles to the Wings and added a horn section?
#28
I not a smart guy, so even if the “scientists” did see seek to explain this I would be taking their word for it. So I am just to “ believe” the scientist?
Bone-in-the-nose referrers to people that have a verbal tradition – I realize now that I may have offended some of you.
http://do-dells.blogspot.com/
It’s all so obvious really …
not only are those defending creationism in school a bunch of either idiots or panderers, to have a someone who wants to lead us actually profess that shit in any way on a serious basis is pretty fucking scary.
We as a nation are in very real danger of becoming a second-rate nation in science and technology, and we have assholes trying to dumbe our children down further.
Paddy-o,
If you knew the math to confront the claims of physicists, feel free. the true mark of scence is that you can chgellenge anything as long as you can back it up in a repeatable and predictable manner. Go against faith and you could get killed by the ignorant masses.
#32 – xr – science doesn’t claim truth, religion does
Which religion has the correct version of God?
You did notice, did you not, that she didn’t suggest teaching one or the either (evolution or creationism). Her statement was to teach both, and foster debate. If a student has a question try to answer it.
I dislike both McCain and Palin because of their general positions. I do, however, love and completely agree with Palin’s statement, “I’m not going to pretend I know how all this came to be.”
That statement in and of itself show more faith than any loud mouth preacher on the television. After all, what is faith but the opposite of certainty.
She’s a super right-wing conservative. It was a really bad choice by McCain. The only way he could have made a worse choice would have been picking Romney. Either way he has guaranteed he will not get my vote. I will not have a extremist (of either slant) running my country.
one more – since we are teaching creationism in science class, shouldn’t we also teach faith healing in health class?
#37 – Great point! I think they should get all of these religious groups together to fight it out. We could pay off the national debt from pay-per-view and popcorn sales.
This mindless debate misses a big point. It looks like Governor Palin has a limited understanding of science and technology. While the VP may not have a huge influence on policy and spending, it doesn’t bode well for American competitiveness.
She is obviously a lightweight in many ways but is a populist. John McCain selected her on his gut, some book he read about her, and one meeting. McCain is an angry, emotional, lazy populist who will make gut decisions like this.
#37
The answer to your question: I have no clue who has the correct version… but I do know all religions claim to be the only one to have it figured out.
I am not even too sure God exists (but that’s besides the point here). What I do know is that the larger religions do have a fairly large overlap in their fundamental ideas about how to deal with your fellow humans and (their) god. So maybe there is just one god, and mankind messed things up: Everyone believes in the same god, calls him differently and fights over ‘cosmetics’.
Then again… the core teachings of the Greek and Roman myths overlap considerably with the Bible too….
#38 – Michael – You did notice, did you not, that she didn’t suggest teaching one or the either (evolution or creationism). Her statement was to teach both, and foster debate. If a student has a question try to answer it.
Shouldn’t other pseudosciences also be taught (such as astrology, occultism, quackery etc)?
That was fast. Now bring out the she’s extreme anti-abortion talking points.
#40
Isn’t that kinda what’s been going on for at least 2000-3000 years? Except for popcorn and pay-per-view, of course… that has only been going on since the early days of the last century.
#42 – xr – What I do know is that the larger religions do have a fairly large overlap in their fundamental ideas about how to deal with your fellow humans and (their) god.
That’s because the three major religions (at least in the part of the world we live in) are all different versions of the same thing.
Ver. 1 – Judaism
Ver. 2 – Christianity
Ver. 3 – Islam
And they all hate each other, because they cater to the same clientele.
#40 – Mister Ketchup
*LMAO* In the left corner we’ve got Rabbi Levin and in the right corner we got Ayatollah Sistani… FIGHT!
The difference between science and religion. Religion permits anything that the creator allows. If the creator allows it, a sky scraper can be built from the top down. Science states only those things that follow the laws of nature are permitted. So the sky scraper needs to be built starting at the bottom when gravity is relatively strong. The question is which sky scraper will actually get built.
I think an alternative to math ought to be taught. This will bring about the demise of the ability to count our fingers.
Does God want Creationism taught in public schools? Or for that matter does God want Republican agenda?
The following was sent to me by a friend…the logic makes sense.
When discussing the Rep Convention, I think everyone should also mention that GOD has rendered his judgment. That is, Dobson called for people to pray to God for rain to rain out the Democrats acceptance speech in the outdoor stadium. He asked GOD to intervene is a nasty, negative, political way. The evening was perfect for the Democrats, not too hot, not too cold, not cloudy — perfect! And now, God is sending 2 hurricanes for the Republican Convention. C’mon, either they believe what they talk about or they don’t.
#49 “Science states only those things that follow the laws of nature are permitted.”
Not true. Take the big bang theory (not the one Clinton followed), natural laws have to be suspended for it to be true…
So, try again.
BUAHAHAH! Egggsellent…get you all debating about God and Science while others rule the world…DIABOLICAL…and it works!
If this is the first serious attack again her, consider it a failure.
Anyone who views the teaching of creationism (as a negative) in school as a serious issue wouldn’t have voted GOP to begin with… regardless of the names on the ticket.
Personally, I see McCain scrapping No Child Left Behind and turning the DOE into a small group that just sends checks to state school boards.
#53 “Personally, I see McCain scrapping No Child Left Behind and turning the DOE into a small group”
Kinda like before the DoEd existed and schools started going into the crapper?
The story is news to many, and I see it is news to you also.
I’m neither liberal nor conservative, neither a D nor an R. The article was published by Wired and reported here for the edification of the readers of this blog, nothing more, nothing less.
I wonder how many years will it take for the US educational system to become as shitty as the one here in Honduras?
33 – I totally agree with you about the level of intelligence going down if creationism or intelligent design is taught in schools. That’s the quickest way to alienate your graduates from a real education there is. Imagine large companies reading the resumes where the applicants have high credits for courses in intelligent design? “Get back to us when you have a real education”. I’d love to see the time where companies would actively recruit atheists. Now there’s progress.
Just what the US needs for the 21st Century: another scientific illiterate in Washington.
Onyx said: “What the majority people don’t realize is that evolusionism is as much a faith as creationism if not more so.”
Wow, a broadly sweeping and unsubstantiated statement without support! You must be a creationist. 😉
BTW, trying to paint science as a religion by using a non-word like ‘evolusinism’ is kind of lame.
#55 KD Martin:
-i still feel the title should have had some little snide “DUish”remark appended to it, -to note its age, perhaps.
in your defense, i had hyperlink underlining
disabled in my system and did not catch the hyperlink to the Wired article. -had i caught
that, i would not have barked at you as loud as i did. i instead, based my response on the article link provided by one of the posts above mine. -thinking you dug it up and
re posted it..
-for that, i apologize.
(and my pre-coffee posts tend be a bit more harsh as well..oh well)
-s
-s
# 51 Paddy-O said, on August 30th, 2008 at 7:44 am
“Not true. Take the big bang theory (not the one Clinton followed), natural laws have to be suspended for it to be true… ”
That is why it is a theory Paddy-it! It is only one theory about the beginning of the universe. What your “moranic” brain cant seem to grasp that creationism and intelligent design don’ t even fit the definition of “THEORY”. Here is a hint. A theory is not just a guess. It is also not just a biblical story.
@59 There is a bunch of proof to disprove evolution too. People just cover their ears and go la-la-la to ignore the proof. The proof and arguments from the creationist side to disprove evolution is not taught in schools. They only teach one thing, so of course your going to believe what you’ve been taught for twelve years.