At the recent Republican debate, three Senators running for President, Brownback, Huckabee, and Tancredo, raised their hands to signify they don't believe in evolution.
At the recent Republican debate, three Senators running for President, Brownback, Huckabee, and Tancredo, raised their hands to signify they don't believe in evolution.
Next, they raise their hands to show they don't believe in gravity. Can they still keep their hands up?
Hmmmmm... why not?
They say evolution is "only a theory." However, in science, a theory is more than a "hunch." A theory is a substantiated hypothesis.
Wikipedia sums it up:
A theory is a logically self-consistent model or framework for describing the behavior of a related set of natural or social phenomena. It originates from and/or is supported by experimental evidence (see scientific method). In this sense, a theory is a systematic and formalized expression of all previous observations that is predictive, logical and testable. In principle, scientific theories are always tentative, and subject to corrections or inclusion in a yet wider theory. Commonly, a large number of more specific hypotheses may be logically bound together by just one or two theories. As a general rule for use of the term, theories tend to deal with much broader sets of universals than do hypotheses, which ordinarily deal with much more specific sets of phenomena or specific applications of a theory.
How do these men demand - and get - respect for espousing a belief that is completely unsupported by evidence? Even more, how do they get it for a belief that requires ignoring and denying evidence?
A hysterical commentary on the race to ignorance is here.
"Evolution is a hoax," began Brownback. "It is hubris of the highest degree for scientists to think they know more than God.""You're right," continued Huckabee, "But let me add that I believe gravity and electricity are also demonic ideas intended to blind humans to the glory of the Almighty."
Tancredo added his voice. "So true, gentlemen. We have lost our way, and I for one, yearn for that bygone era when religion was respected and permeated every aspect of society. I'm not talking about the 1950s. I'm talking about the 1050s. The Middle Ages, when the natural order of society was in balance."
Kevin Madden, Mitt Romney's spokesman has responded to The Brody File question on whether Mitt Romney believes in Evolution. I wanted to know his thoughts about it because at the debate the other night only three candidates raised their hand expressing doubt about Evolution. Romney was not one of those candidates. Here's the Romney campaign response:"Governor Romney believes both science and faith can help inform us about the origins of life in this world."
With all due respect, what does that mean exactly? It leaves me with more questions. I have asked for further clarification which I assume will be forthcoming here at the Brody File. I have now asked the Romney campaign specifically if he believes in Darwin's theory of Evolution or does he take the Creationist view? The answer above suggests that he may believe in both. I'm not saying he does. I'm just saying I'm a tad bit confused by the answer.
Oh, Mitt. I think Brody is waiting for your answer with baited hook.
It turns out that such a marital arrangement is a plot point in Orson Scott Card's novel, "The Memory of Earth." Card's novel is a "fictionalized" version of the "Book of Mormon" set in outer space.
Poor Mitt seems to be a strong proponent of his party's penchant for confusing fiction with reality. Or maybe Mitt's clever strategy is to solicit contributions from both Scientologists and Mormons. Perhaps he has thereby tapped into a unique funding niche, one that is inaccessible to any other candidate from either party.
Here is a link to Kagro X's posting on the topic at Daily Kos:
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who's the dumbest of them all?
Both my wife and Ana Marie Cox (and apparently many others) think Battlefield Earth is one of the worst sci fi books of all time.
Of course my favorite book is "I was A Teenage Dominatrix." (Yes, it's a real book.) LOL
A CBS sport writer said: http://cbs.sportslin...
That would mean a 76-year-old man broke the all-time Florida State University leg press record by 665 pounds over Dan Kendra. 665 pounds. Further, when he set the record, they had to modify the leg press machine to fit 1,335 pounds of weight. Plus, Kendra's capillaries in his eyes burst. Burst. Where in the world did Robertson even find a machine that could hold 2,000 pounds at one time? And how does he still have vision?
L. Ron and Pat Robertson have more in common than one might think:
In the 1970s and 1980s Robertson was a faith healer, and James Randi devoted a chapter, "A World of Knowledge from Pat Robertson" on Robertson in Randi's book The Faith Healers. Randi commented that "in 1986, soon after the full importance of the AIDS epidemic began to become evident, Robertson was attempting to cure it" by proclaiming people cured after prayer.. Randi commented, "Gerry Straub, a former associate of Pat Robertson and his television producer, pointed out in his book Salvation for Sale the astonishing fact that God seemed to time miracles to conform with standard television format," and "God would stop speaking to Pat and stop healing exactly in time with the theme music.".http://en.wikipedia....
Besides it helps them divert attention from the national debt, the Iraq war, and other things which they could do something about.
Once you get people denying gravity the sky is the limit. They will be going to the top of buildings and jumping off to see if they can fly, literally imitating lemmings.
Your excellent post and spoof link reminded me of a good riff at "The Onion" from two years ago on how "evangelical scientists" refute the "close-minded gravitists." Here it is:
One has to wonder whether Brownback, Tancredo, and Huckabee really are sufficiently simple-minded to believe that the universe was created as we see it 6,000 years ago, or whether they are merely opportunistic Elmer Gantries manipulating their credulous base, the Rovian Hard Core.
After all, fully 37 percent of voters believe that the teaching of evolution should be replaced in schools by the teaching of creationism/intelligent design. In one poll cited by the WaPo this weekend, an astonishing 61 percent of respondents accepted as literal truth the creation story in Genesis.
For Republicans, pandering to medieval ignorance can be a viable winning strategy, at least in the primary season. Unfortunately, even if such atavistic Republicans are held up to withering and persistent mockery, such pandering may also prove effective in general elections, at least in the Deep South, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Kansas (though the Enlightenment seems to be making some headway again, at least in Kansas).
But...given the beliefs of certain folks..its always possible ! I was reminded that beliefs need not be grounded in measurable truth.
Belief: An attitude of acceptance or assent toward a proposition without the full intellectual knowledge required guaranteeing its truth.
It fascinates me what people believe in. Compare and contrast these numbers:
Fully 86 percent in the poll believed in Santa as a child.
Note: "In the poll, 8 was the average age for a child's Santa reality check. Fifteen percent hung on to their belief over age 10."
An overwhelming majority, across nearly all backgrounds and religious beliefs, say they believe in angels - 86 percent.
As to belief in the religious version of Christmas:
Sixty-seven percent say they believe that the entire story of Christmas-the Virgin Birth, the angelic proclamation to the shepherds, the Star of Bethlehem and the Wise Men from the East-is historically accurate. Twenty-four percent of Americans believe the story of Christmas is a theological invention written to affirm faith in Jesus Christ, the poll shows.
Do you believe in ghosts? Surprising to me, as one gets older, belief in ghosts diminishes: http://www.religious... 65% of those aged 25-29 believe in ghosts, but just 27% over the age of 64; comparable beliefs in astrology are 43% for the 25-29 group and 17% for the over-64 group. Belief in reincarnation goes down from 40% to 14%.
I don't care what people believe in as long as it does no harm.
With that, note this breaking news on embryonic stem cell research: http://www.reuters.c...
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science EditorWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Stem cells made from human embryos can home in on damaged eyes, hearts and arteries of mice and rats, and appear to start repairs, a U.S. company said on Monday.
Massachusetts-based Advanced Cell Technology said it had devised a straightforward way to make blood vessel precursor cells out of the stem cells and plans to test them in humans.
This company is private so it can use any stem cell lines it wants to. Too bad we have a superstitious dick head in the oval office. [editorial note: spell check says it's "dick head" but I think dickhead is right]
From the good folks at TPM Cafe:
"I believe that God designed the universe and created the universe," Mr. Romney said in an interview this week. "And I believe evolution is most likely the process he used to create the human body."He was asked: Is that intelligent design?
"I'm not exactly sure what is meant by intelligent design," he said. "But I believe God is intelligent and I believe he designed the creation. And I believe he used the process of evolution to create the human body."
While governor of Massachusetts, Mr. Romney opposed the teaching of intelligent design in science classes.
"In my opinion, the science class is where to teach evolution, or if there are other scientific thoughts that need to be discussed," he said. "If we're going to talk about more philosophical matters, like why it was created, and was there an intelligent designer behind it, that's for the religion class or philosophy class or social studies class."
[sing along]
100 angels dance on the head of a pin, 100 angels dance, if one should accidentally fall, 99 angels are still on the pin;
99 angels . . .