Keith Olbermann mocks Texans who believe in Creationism over Evolution

Examiner.com ^ | March 27, 2010 | Réne Girard

[RGirard]

Keith Olbemann, a TV personality for MSBNC, could hardly contain his disdain when it came to sharing the results of a recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll asking Texans their views on both Evolution and Creationism.

Mr. Olbermann began his report with the following insult: "A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but if you waste 15 million of them apparently you get Texas."

Keith gleefully continued, "If a University of Texas poll is correct, that is how many Texans, 60% of the population, either belive humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time or are not sure. Oh this much gets worse!" ...

[Goldsborough]

That's tragicomic:

That the earth is only 7-10k years old is about the most anti-intellectual position a person could hold. Such thinking is really indistinguishable from a belief in witch doctors and the like.

I've endured my father-in-law going on at length that dinosaur fossils, geology, radio carbon dating, mitochondrial DNA analysis, astrophysics--basically anything at all that points to the earth and the universe being far older than a literal biblical tale could possibly account for--are clever deceptions foisted upon the gullible by Satan.

From an empirical point of view, it's readily apparent that he is deceiving himself in a rather comprehensive manner that borders on frickin' crazy.

Is it coincidental that he hails from Texas originally? I'm thinking not.

[PBinTX]

Ordinarily I would consider Olby the biggest idiot to have ever lived. But, on this one topic, he’s got a point.

Creationism is bunk. I love the example of the Glen Rose limestone that the author uses to prove that humans and dinosaurs lived contemporaneously. The Glen Rose limestone has dinosaur tracks. To create a tourist attraction, hucksters long ago chiseled human footprints next to the dinosaur tracks. The proof of this fraud is shown by looking at the footprints in cross section. The limestone was deposited as a soft mud in many fine layers that are visible under a microscope. When a dinosaur (or anything) walks across it, the mud squishes up and deforms the layers, and you can clearly see the deformation of the thin layers in cross section. However, no such deformation is seen in the alleged human footprints.

I’ve said this before on FR and I was excoriated by the Christians here, but I’ll say it again: An understanding and acceptance of modern science, including evolutionary biology, is not in conflict with the Christian faith. Literal, fundamentalist readings of the Bible require the faithful to reject not just evolution but many of science’s greatest discoveries. For those of you that believe God and science are in conflict, I suggest you read The Prism and the Rainbow (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010), written by Joel Martin, an ordained Presbyterian Church elder who happens to be an evolutionary biologist.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

It’s amazing how steady those numbers have been since 1981, despite the constant evoganda that our schoolchildren are constantly subjected to. Maybe kids aren’t so dumb after all...

[Notary Sojac]

I've chimed in on enough of these threads that I believe I can correct your post:

"I’ve said this before on FR and I was excoriated by a small, hardheaded segment of the Christians here"

[Notary Sojac]

Back in 2006, over 70% of Americans believed in global warming.

That didn't mean the science was right.

[PBinTX]

Thank you for the correction. Much better.

[PBinTX]

Back in 2006, over 70% of Americans believed in global warming. That didn't mean the science was right.

That wasn't science.

[Notary Sojac]

My point being that an opinion poll is valueless in this context.

Whether the earth is six thousand years old (or six billion) is not determined by five percent, or fifty percent, or ninety nine percent of public opinion.

[Persevero]

“Back in 2006, over 70% of Americans believed in global warming.

That didn’t mean the science was right. “

True, public opinion does not dictate science.

I just posted the statistic to show Mr. Olbermann and his supporters that Texas is not the only area not marching to his tune.

[JNRoberts]

The fourth commandment (Remember the Sabbath day) is a memorial to creation. Seventh day Adventists, who have some of the best doctors and healthcare and hospitals in the world honor the Sabbath because of this.

Keith Olbermann probably couldn’t make it through Intro to Chemisty at Loma Linda Med School.

[FW190]

"understanding and acceptance of modern science, including evolutionary biology, is not in conflict with the Christian faith"

I totally accept Science BUT evolution is a fantasy. In science you can have a theory, then you do experiments to prove/disprove your theory.

Show me an evolutionary biology experiment where a worm was changed into a dog or anything else! There has NEVER been any biology experiment that can prove evolution.

You people have your own religion/faith....it's called evolution and it's in total opposition with the Christian faith!

[ozzymandus]

I’d like to know how this compares to residents of other states. Olbie’s figure may apply universally.

[PBinTX]

Show me an evolutionary biology experiment where a worm was changed into a dog or anything else!

That's rich! Hahaha! The changes that would occur in your lifetime are much more subtle.

The evidence for evolution has primarily come from four sources:
1. the fossil record of change in earlier species
2. the chemical and anatomical similarities of related life forms
3. the geographic distribution of related species
4. the recorded genetic changes in living organisms over many generations

A fine biology experiment (that you say doesn't exist) that proves the theory of evolution is the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (you can do this one yourself with some petrie dishes, some bacteria, some pennicillin, and some time. Another good example is the creation of new dog breeds by selective breeding. Same thing with plants.

[Goldsborough]

I totally accept Science BUT evolution is a fantasy. In science you can have a theory, then you do experiments to prove/disprove your theory.

Of course evolution is far from the only science based ground for rejecting creationism as hokum. Someone in the creationism field also needs to address those lying geologists, astrophysicists, palentologists, paleobotanists, archeologists, anthropologists, zoologists, etcetera and get to the bottom of this vast conspiracy that attempts to use empiricism rather than irrationality to form a self-consistent worldview.

[FW190]

"Of course evolution is far from the only science based ground for rejecting creationism as hokum. Someone in the creationism field also needs to address those lying geologists, astrophysicists, paleontologists, paleobotanists, archaeologists, anthropologists, zoologists, etcetera and get to the bottom of this vast conspiracy that attempts to use empiricism rather than irrationality to form a self-consistent worldview.

There, my higher Evolutionary form fixed your lower Evolutionary forms limited spelling ability. (HINT, use Spell when posting!)

[FW190]

"That's rich! Hahaha! The changes that would occur in your lifetime are much more subtle."

That's rich! Hahaha! BAY(Back at ya)

Who says the changes that would occur in your lifetime are much more subtle? Is that a NEW (made up by U) Rule of evolution. I thought evolution is spontaneous as seen in the fossil record (MMMuuuph, trying not to laugh), where there are abrupt changes those lying geologists, astrophysicists, paleontologists, paleobotanists, archaeologists, anthropologists, zoologists, etcetera can't explain?

Hehehe, you guys are to easy.

Nothing of the so called Evolution sciences can be prove in any way shape or form and if YOU can't prove it, it's not fact!

[Goldsborough]

I’ll make you a deal. . .I’ll use “spell” if you quit using totally baseless superstition. Agreed?

[FW190]

You have to have something to deal yourself in with first. Right now I see you have nothing but unproven junk science. Sorta like all the, OH me, Oh my, the sky is falling global warming science.

How did that work for ya? All the data, all the science, all powerful politicians/scientists of the world lined up for global warming. NOW we know they lied and continue to lie.

Evolution is no different, no facts just hypothesis. Sure, there are lots of old animal bones lay around different parts of the world. That is the only fact I'm sure of......no, wait! There is one other fact I'm sure of. Those old animal bones were deposited by a world wide flood, where only eight humans survived...Ha, Ha....bet that put your shorts in a bind!

I'll continue believe the book you seem to call "totally baseless superstition," the BIBLE.

[RichInOC]

Why do so many Texans disbelieve in evolution?

Well, Keith, they take one look at you, look back at the biology teacher and say “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

[big black dog]

evolutionary biology

There is no such thing. It's called genetics. Creationist biologists believe in the exact same demonstrable biologic concepts as evolutionists and view it completely within their beliefs.

In the meantime, maybe you guys can go mutilate the genes of fruit flies and try to turn one into something other than a fruit fly. You've only been trying for how long now?