Thursday, September 27, 2007

supporting the opponents of logic

Hooker-supporting Republican Senator David Vitter wants to give $100,000 to the Louisiana Family Forum so they can "develop a plan to promote better science education."

As the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported,
The nonprofit Louisiana Family Forum ... has in recent years taken the lead in promoting "origins science," which includes the possibility of divine intervention in the creation of the universe.

The group's stated mission is to "persuasively present biblical principles in the centers of influence on issues affecting the family through research, communication and networking." Until recently, its Web site contained a "battle plan to combat evolution," which called the theory a "dangerous" concept that "has no place in the classroom." The document was removed after a reporter's inquiry.
Let me translate that: "If it's not in the Bible, it isn't true. Oh, and we don't need no stinking stem cells, either. Pray, and you will be cured."

Honestly, it befuddles me how people can believe the Biblical story of creation as a literal account of the origins of earth and the universe. I mean, that belief is simply not rational. And that's the point of creationism of course - it has to be taken on faith, and any evidence (like the geological record, or fossils of dinosaurs and old species of humans, or radio evidence of the Big Bang) to the contrary is just God's little way of deceiving I mean testing us.

This is precisely the reason why separation of church and state should be kept reasonably strict. Why pay a non-profit which explicitly states its purpose as reaching the centers of influence to see things their way? What if the nonprofit Kentucky Satan Support Center (don't panic, I made that name up) wanted to persuade us all about its view of evolution? Should they get money? If these Louisianans do, then why not the Kentuckians?

Meanwhile, the Council of Europe is preparing to vote on a resolution to ban the teaching of creationism and so-called intelligent design in schools because opposition to the theory of evolution come from "religious extremism" and are dangerous assaults on science and human rights.

Hear, hear.

Labels: ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home