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Friday, August 29, 2008

Sarah Palin, Evolution, and Creationism

Check out this note from biologist Michael Zimmerman, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University and the founder of The Clergy Letter Project, regarding John McCain's vice presidential running mate (thanks to Tom Oord for passing it along):

I thought all of you might want to take a look at this newspaper article (http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/story/8347904p-8243554c.html) discussing Governor Sarah Palin's stance on the evolution/creation issue. The piece is from the Anchorage Daily News and ran during the last gubernatorial race.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

In public she says, "I won't have religion as a litmus test, or anybody's personal opinion on evolution or creationism". However, in private she is a Dominionist who wants people stoned in the public square for violating biblical law. And perhaps she forgot that "litmus test" is usually used to refer to republicans insisting on fanatically anti-abortion, partisan judges. That is exactly what she wants.

And if she wants to "teach both", as though there are only two views about origins, then why doesn't she want to "teach both" when it comes to things like sex education. Abstinence *only* kind of contradicts this false, fair-minded rhetoric that they are not "afraid of information." So, let me get this straight. They want kids to "decide for themselves" issues about where life, the universe, and everything came from, but they don't want them to be able to decide for themselves whether to wear a little latex thingy on their private parts.

Unknown said...

I agree. We should teach both. We should also teach that the world COULD be FLAT, and that it is possible that the entire universe is only 6000 years old, and everything revolves around the Earth. After all, this is what the Bible tells us, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

You can see the world is round with your own eyes, and if any of these creationists would just open their eyes, they'd see that the universe is not dictated by the Bible. It was not written by God. If it was then it wouldn't be full of contradictions.

parto said...

Its really going to help Americas position in the world when people find our Vice President thinks
*The world is 6000 years old
*Dinosaurs and man co-existed
*Adam and Eve were real people

That Palin goes to a church that
preaches against alcohol but her husband got a DUI
Teaches abstinence and..

what a joke

Anonymous said...

Hey, we should extend this into other school subjects as well:

Physical science: Gravity is only a theory, we should teach other interpretations as to why things fall to the ground.

World History: The moon landings are only a theory. We can imagine other ways to explain what everyone saw on TV in '69.

Civics and Economics: It's only a theory that Stalinist states had bad records for civil rights and environmental protection. Totalitarianism is another, equally valid way to govern people.

Calculus: It's only a theory that integrals give the area under a curve. It's just as valid to use the power of our hearts to know with our gut what the area is.

Anonymous said...

How is Sarah Palin going to work with people like:

The Smithsonian (Hey! We just found another dinasour fossil...it's around 150 Million years old...)

NASA (We need to examine more closely a galaxy that is 18 Billion Light Years away...)

Oil Company geologists (This oil field was laid down about 350 Million years ago...)

College Kids (The speed of light can be accurately measured and proves distant objects are more than 20,000 years old...)

I could go on, but you get the drift..Finally, consider this: Georgia attacked (without warning or provocation) South Ossetia. If their (Georgia's) dumb ass leader was ready to do that OUTSIDE of NATO, can you imagine what the idiot would have done if he had been in NATO? We would be at WW3 staus by now...

We do not need Georgia or the Ukraine in NATO. Europe has had enough of two bit charlatans starting local conflicts that can easily spread like wildfire. We have all had enough of NeoCon Chicken Hawk maniacs and their lies (Al Queda in Iraq, Saddam's WMD et al).

All Palin is 'offering' is more of the same, a complete lack of foreign policy understanding, no idea about how different peoples/cultures function, and ignorance.

The USA is the most technologicaly advanced nation on earth, yet it allows itself to be run by semi-literate hicks, liars, crooks and snake oil salesmen. Small wonder you are losing the confidence (what remains) of your 'Allies'.

Anonymous said...

The connection of the Republican Party to Creationists is largely one of convenience, coupled with the general notion that the Party looks backward toward a time when power was held by those who understood that those they governed wre governed out of fear and ignorance.

One day, America will emerge from the Dark Ages. It is anyone; guess when that will occur, as long as people embrace the folly of the past.

Anonymous said...

The republican party has been showing stronger religious ties in recent years. I see a new party emerging before we see the republican party becoming a viable option again...