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Who Said It: Marco Rubio or Barack Obama? Willful ignorance of science is a bipartisan value.
Slate Magazine ^ | Nov. 20, 2012 | Daniel Engber

Posted on 11/21/2012 12:48:35 PM PST by unlearner

By now you've heard the outrageous quote from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on his doubts about the origins of planet Earth. When asked to give its age, he replied: "I'm not a scientist, man. … Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries."

...

I've no doubt that these critiques of Rubio are sound. But I'm hesitant to let the crown prince of the Tea Party be singled out for blame. His shameless dodge and pander on the matter of the Earth's creation don't mark him as a radical, nor even as a soldier in the war on science. They mark him only as a mainstream politician.

Beware, for thou that judgest doest the same things: Members of both parties have had to squiggle through elections by appealing to a hazy sense of geo-history. In fact, the Antichrist himself—Barack Obama—has had a tendency to get a little soft with science. Let's compare Rubio's offending quote to one that came out of Obama's mouth four years ago, when he first campaigned for president.

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: evolution; religion; science
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To: unlearner
A theory explains facts and predicts facts.

The fact is that DNA is mutable and is absolutely incapable of staying the same generation to generation - thus evolution is a fact.

The theory of evolution through natural selection explains the fact of evolution, in that there is variation within populations (because of the fact that DNA cannot stay the same), and that some variations lead to greater reproductive success than other variations based upon the environment the population is currently experiencing.

Lamark had a theory that attempted to explain the facts of evolution as well, it wasn't a successful explanation.

Darwin's theory of evolution; i.e. natural selection IS very successful at explaining the facts of biological evolution.

21 posted on 11/21/2012 1:16:25 PM PST by allmendream (Tea Party did not send GOP to D.C. to negotiate the terms of our surrender to socialism)
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To: ansel12

“I know that Rubio couldn’t kiss up to Mitt anymore than he did in Florida, that set off my rino antennae.”

Ohhhhhh noooooo...really? We’re gonna start NOW?


22 posted on 11/21/2012 1:16:49 PM PST by jessduntno ("Socialism only works...in Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they have it." - RR)
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To: ansel12; JCBreckenridge

Plus, Rubio jumping on the bandwagon to demonize Romney’s very accurate observations about “gifts” further reveals his RINO tendencies, IMHO.


23 posted on 11/21/2012 1:18:21 PM PST by Arm_Bears (The MSM lies about conservatives; and it lies about liberals.)
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To: Sherman Logan
"Then what would you call a god who creates intelligent beings but allows them free will to perform evil on each other? Seems that’s an even greater abdication of responsibility."

You have identified the very reason this is not the God of the Bible.

24 posted on 11/21/2012 1:20:19 PM PST by Dutchboy88
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To: illiac

How come Obama got away with his crap-weasel response to the question about when life begins. He said, “That’s above my pay grade.” The end. No further questions. Rubio is raked over the coals.

Good ol’ double standard.


25 posted on 11/21/2012 1:25:44 PM PST by MayflowerMadam
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To: Elsiejay

The earth is about 4 and a half billion years old give or take. Evolution does not try to explain hi life came from non life. Scientifically and logically I’ll side with the Catholics. God created life and he worked through evolution. God and evolution are not exclusive.


26 posted on 11/21/2012 1:27:11 PM PST by Blackirish
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To: jessduntno

Start what?

Analyzing politicians and their actions and positions?

Or do you want to end doing that?


27 posted on 11/21/2012 1:32:07 PM PST by ansel12 (The only Senate seat GOP pick up was the Palin endorsed Deb FischerÂ’s successful run in Nebraska)
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To: ansel12

Well the So Cons better start now cuz everyone else is so if you a day late and a dollar short please don’t start blaming a conspiracy by the shadowy “gop e” You know the one with the secret handshake.

Also a good idea would be to prep your candidates to say rape is bad and the earth is really old.


28 posted on 11/21/2012 1:39:24 PM PST by Blackirish
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To: Wiser now

I didn’t say it was. I like free will. I think it indicates God wants friends, not slaves.

My response was to the Knight, who seems to believe that if God allowed his created life forms to evolve using the laws of nature he created, as presumably opposed to creating each organism individually in its final form, this would for some reason make Him evil.

Possibly I just look at it from an odd angle, but it seems to me there is somewhat of a parallel between the notion of evolution and free will. In neither case is the outcome completely predictable.

Maybe God likes that.


29 posted on 11/21/2012 1:42:44 PM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: MayflowerMadam

You’re right it’s a double standard, but why can’t republicans think through the reasoning of the question before leaving themselves vulnerable to the media and press?
The question wasn’t relevant to anything, so it isn’t so difficult. No upside and only potential for downside.


30 posted on 11/21/2012 1:55:29 PM PST by sanjuanbob
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To: unlearner

Ok, I get it. Dirt is old, maybe even older than dirt.

Frankly, I am not so much concerned with exactly when Earth/life began, as I am with it’s ‘use by’ date. If someone didn’t put a “use by” date on sour cream packaging, mine might actually turn sour.

Oh, I have a question....

**WHO in the hell gave the damn order to NOT rescue our men in Benghazi?**


31 posted on 11/21/2012 1:59:35 PM PST by Gator113 (**WHO in the hell gave the damn order to NOT rescue our men in Benghazi?**)
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To: ansel12

“Start what? Analyzing politicians and their actions and positions? Or do you want to end doing that?”

The post was directed at timing, not actions. We have plenty of time to destroy our potential candidates, at ever getting Dems out of the White House. Enjoy a month or two without the destruction derby...it’s not too much to ask.

Unless it’s what you LIKE to do?


32 posted on 11/21/2012 2:07:39 PM PST by jessduntno ("Socialism only works...in Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they have it." - RR)
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To: Blackirish

Or the earth was created in 6 days and is approximately 6000 years old. More proof against evolution than for it.


33 posted on 11/21/2012 2:24:44 PM PST by jagusafr (the American Trinity (Liberty, In G0D We Trust, E Pluribus Unum))
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To: Hegewisch Dupa

Occult can also be used to describe things hidden from normal view. An occult fracture in medicine merely means a fracture that cannot be seen in an X-Ray. A occult emission is one not measured in normal monitoring. It’s like a sneaky fart. ;-)


34 posted on 11/21/2012 3:11:03 PM PST by JimSEA
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To: knightforhire

In a sensical world perhaps. In today’s hostile political / leftist-media environment, it is better not to play their gotcha game. Just say it is “not relevant to why I am running for office, because I am running to ...” then fill in the blank with the message that needs to get out. That would be something like “get America working again” or “protect the civil liberties of Americans who are being deprived of them.”


35 posted on 11/21/2012 3:13:36 PM PST by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: unlearner

I have had it with politicians who will not answer a simple direct question. Religion is a part of politics in this country. The question is valid and goes to his philosophy. I can’t stand it when I can see the wheels turning in their minds saying “now how can I take a middle of the road approach that won’t offend anyone”. Just say what you believe and be prepared to give your reasons for what you believe.


36 posted on 11/21/2012 3:15:54 PM PST by albionin
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To: JimSEA

True that. But the horrible downside is going after there emissions, calling them significant - it gives the Agency an even more blank slate to hit whomever they want, regardless of verifiability.


37 posted on 11/21/2012 3:22:13 PM PST by Hegewisch Dupa
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To: jagusafr

What????!!! Who told you that? 6000 years ago man was spread across the planet and had even invented the plough and was harvesting crops
They have discovered cave paintings that are 30,000 years old. Jeez I don’t even know when the Jurassic period ended but it was 10ns of thousands of years before the cave paintings. 6000 years....the whole earth? C’mon.


38 posted on 11/21/2012 3:24:46 PM PST by Blackirish
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To: ansel12

Nah. I have no particular fascination with Rubio. I was in fact surprised at how eager some around here were to put him up on a pedestal without really knowing much about him.

But I am sure he would be better than Obama. So would a moderate like Romney. What I want is a conservative who has at least a remote chance of winning presidency. Until then I will pragmatically vote for the lesser of two evils. That was my only point.


39 posted on 11/21/2012 3:27:14 PM PST by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: illiac

Al Gore: Earth’s Interior ‘Extremely Hot, Several Million Degrees’

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/11/18/al-gore-earths-interior-extremely-hot-several-million-degrees#ixzz2Cu74YShG

Algore could make it obvious for you.


40 posted on 11/21/2012 3:51:36 PM PST by TurboZamboni (Looting the future to bribe the present)
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