Truth is a monkey on pols' backs (Richard Cohen: "Half Of America Rejects Theory Of Evolution."

New York Daily News ^ | April 12, 2005 | Richard Cohen

[rhombus]

I didn't know monkeys could write.

[bra]

So many Morons - So little time. :-(

[3dognight]

Proponents of creationism demand that you stop thinking and instead accept religious dogma.
Proponents of creationism evolution demand that you stop thinking and instead accept religious their dogma.

[narby]

More evidence that the creationism debate pushed by big money agitators such as the Discovery Institute is damaging the conservative agenda.

I personally think the Discovery Institute is a leftist front to sap money and political capital away from conservative causes. They are apparently succeding beyond their wildest dreams to get us arguing endlessly on a subject that will distract us from what we should be doing.

[3dognight]

quit arguing then

[narby]

quit arguing then

Sorry. I'm not going to abandon the advances that science has brought us over the last 300 years just because you have a warped understanding on exactly what Genesis means.

[okie01]

They do so not just because, as Darwin himself conceded, there are holes in the theory of evolution, but because of an evolving political weakness in which intellectual honesty counts for less and less.

I wonder how Cohen views the "theory" of global warming...

[dread78645]

ping

[LIConFem]

Half of Americans also believe that cold water boils faster than hot.

[elbucko]

..a warped understanding on exactly what Genesis means.

It's hopeless. The creationists will hunt you down and slay you with a stone because science will not become religions keeper.

[stylin19a]

Good Grief...he builds the straw man, knocks it down, then blames Bush.

What he fails to mention is, President Bush's response takes into account that schools teach evolution to the absence of anything else...and they shouldn't.

[3dognight]

Sorry. I'm not going to abandon the advances that science has brought us over the last 300 years just because you have a warped understanding on exactly what Genesis means.
Well if its important to you then keep arguing. And what exactly is my warped understanding of Genesis?

[narby]

I wonder how Cohen views the "theory" of global warming...

Creationists have a lot of the blame for this issue that is sapping so much of the conservative political capital. But the scientific community shares in much of the blame because they've so obviously sold out to the political ambitions of the environmental leftists.

It will be a further confirmation of the deterioration of honest science if and when more of them begin to pander to the creationist crowd in order to get funding.

Creationism (as opposed to Christianity) and Environmentalism are two religions that science should avoid.

[scandalon]

I may have had some ancestors hang by their neck, but none that ever hung by their tails.

[rhombus]

Half of Americans also believe that cold water boils faster than hot.

Cold water boils? I'm shocked, I tells ya, shocked! Is that part of cold fusion?

[Soul Seeker]

Yet, 19 states are considering proposals that would require schools to question evolution, which is nothing less than proposals to inject religion into the curriculum.

Oh no! How dare students be encouraged to be intellectually challenged rather than accept curriculum as truth because its in a text book.

I view the rigid defense of evolutionism to be akin to Faith. I realize others recognize it as science. By whatever name, nothing that is of any value should fear a sceptic's questioning.

[narby]

And what exactly is my warped understanding of Genesis?

Well, since creationists don't agree on exactly what Genesis does mean, I have no idea. You might believe in a 6000 year old world, or old-earth creationism. Or maybe you believe that some form of evolution happened but that it was directed by God and Darwin is an evil mad scientist to propose his theories of natural selection.

Perhaps you should read Genesis yourself and rationalize the difference between the two creation stories in Gen 1:1 and Gen 2:4. Since they have explicit sequence conflicts between them you should enjoy the challenge.

Personally, I think Genesis, like many of Jesus' parables, was never meant to be litterally interpreted. I believe that Genesis says that God is the creator. And I believe that science has done a good job in describing how God did his handiwork, including His most elegant of creations, Evolution.

[okie01]

Creationism (as opposed to Christianity) and Environmentalism are two religions that science should avoid.

Agreed. Neither are matters of science; rather, they are both a matter of faith.