December 31, 2006

Americans Are Great Except Too Many Deny Reality

I really like Americans, I always have. I love NFL football, the TV shows, the music (well up to around the mid 80's), their patriotism, and a lot more. But for the life of me, I don't understand how such a well educated country can be so out to lunch when it comes to accepting evolution and an ancient earth.

The USA ranks 33 out of 34 Western countries when it comes to acceptance of evolution.
Turkey (the only majority Muslim country in the survey), ranked 34th. Canada was not included in the survey. Iceland was ranked first followed by Denmark, Sweden, France, Japan and the UK, as far as acceptance of evolution is concerned. I have to think Canada ranks around where the UK ranks.

Now for some good news. Well sort of. This shouldn't have been an issue in the first place:

December 20, 2006
Cobb County, Georgia gets unstuck

Cobb County, the affluent suburb of Atlanta that made news by plastering "warning stickers" on textbooks telling students that evolution is "a theory, not a fact" has abandoned its legal battle to keep the stickers. It's a small victory for common sense and rational thinking.

In a settlement announced Tuesday in federal court, the Cobb County Board of Education agreed never to use any similar "stickers, labels, stamps, inscriptions or other warnings," or to undermine the teaching of evolution in science classes.

MORE here and some MORE here.


It is mind numbing that this sticker was even placed in science texts
:


The Cobb county debate was a highlight of Penn and Teller's Creationism is Nonsense show. At the time it was filmed, the creationists had won the right to put those retarded sticker on the science books. This is fun to watch again. It shows how little creationists know about science and how much they'll evade or chastize science that doesn't agree with the written "word of God"(the biggest scam perpetuated on mankind):

"Prayer has no place in the public schools, just like facts have no place in organized religion." - Superintendent Chalmers

Now for some absolute MIND NUMBING NEWS (H/T Louie from Everything Is Pointless):

How Old is the Grand Canyon? Park Service Won't Say
Orders to Cater to Creationists Makes National Park Agnostic on Geology
By: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Published: Dec 28, 2006 at 08:34

Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees. Despite promising a prompt review of its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's flood rather than by geologic forces, more than three years later no review has ever been done and the book remains on sale at the park, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

"In order to avoid offending religious fundamentalists, our National Park Service is under orders to suspend its belief in geology," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. "It is disconcerting that the official position of a national park as to the geologic age of the Grand Canyon is �no comment.'"


MORE and some MORE about the background here.

This has to be embarrassing for the majority of Americans. At least I hope so.

What is next? Will NASA not be allowed to publicly state how old the universe is? Will they have to state light years in ranges between 6,000 and hundreds of millions(for example), every time they refer to a measurement?

Here is some satire on the Grand Canyon story.

And watch how Dr. Dino (Ken Hovind) deals with the issue in front of the mindless sheep in his audience:



Finally, real science, for those interested in the "debate" about the age of the Grand Canyon.

19 comments:

  1. Its a red state phenomenon. You needn't worry until they manage to close the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. And that will never happen.

    Happy New Year, Atheist Jew!

    ReplyDelete
  2. From what I've been able to gather while living in one of the redder red states, it is all about indoctrination. From birth, Christian extremists immerse their children in a faith-based culture which denies many aspects of reality. Through homeschooling and attendance at private Christian schools, the children are essentially sheltered from reality until they attend Christian college, surround themselves with Christian friends, attend church several times a week, watch Fox "News," etc. Hell, it may be years before the confront reality, and some may never have to do so.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This has to be embarrassing for the majority of Americans.

    It is to me. It's embarrassing to maybe 30%, roughly 40% actually consider these debatable issues, and the remaining 30% belong to the Flat Earth Society.

    Where on earth have you gotten the idea that we are a "well educated country"??? Funniest thing I've heard all week. Ever been to (insert almost any state in the southeast or midwest)?
    It can be an eye opener.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think Religion should be put under the microscope and examined rigorously. Where is the evidence that God exists? Where is the proof that there is an afterlife? We can see photos of the stars and the planets. Where are the photos of God, of Jesus, of the disciples? If Religion is truth, then why are there so many different and incompatible religions? They can't all be true at the same time. I want to see proof. We cannot see atoms but we certainly know they exist because we have the atomic bomb. We cannot see electricity but we have proof that it exists because we use it everyday. Let's stop giving religion a free ride. If there is an afterlife, then I want proof. If there is a heaven and hell then I want proof. If Jesus rose from the dead, then I want proof. If Jesus was the result of a virgin birth,if Mohammed ascended to heaven on a winged horse, then I want proof.

    ReplyDelete
  5. When I was a little kid, I learned from the cartoon movie that the Grand Canyon was recent: the Pecos Bill song, "So he got a stick and dug the Rio Grande". Evangelical activists in gov't are wrecking the Park Service, the EPA, NIH and the Food & Drug Admin. I gotta think Carl Sagon would be livid!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The US National Park Service does take an official position on the canyon's age. Its "South Rim Guide", a PDF (yuck) file which you can download from http://www.nps.gov/grca/ says on page 3:

    "How old?
    The rocks exposed within Grand Canyon range from the fairly young to the fairly old (geologically speaking). Kaibab limestone, the caprock on the rims of the
    canyon, formed 270 million years ago. The oldest rocks within the Inner Gorge at the bottom of Grand Canyon date to 1.84 billion years ago. For comparison
    geologists currently set the age of Earth at 4.5 billion years."

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy New Year everyone,

    UU, I don't think it is a matter of worrying, it is a matter of embarrassment.

    Vjack, what channel did these people watch before Fox News became available?

    NYM, I should have said a "country where superior education is available"

    Lex, the bible is their proof. When you believe in bible myths, everything is possible except for evolution.

    BB, lots of people living today should be livid. This is the kind of news that when enough people know, enough logical voices will be heard, and the policy will change. Maybe. 45% of Americans believe in a Young Earth, and the Grand Canyon may attract a higher percent of creationist tourists, so they are playing to the audience.

    Seattle, the problem is that they can't say it out loud.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy New Year GW.

    To think that 25% of US citizens believe JC is is coming back in 2007, does not bode well for the education system south of the border. Creationism has no place any educational system ( bar a private school/institution)

    here is my contribution :)
    Who Is In Charge
    Need To Know?


    Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics:

    29 have been accused of spousal abuse
    7 have been arrested for fraud
    19 have been accused of writing bad checks
    117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
    3 have done time for assault
    71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
    14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
    8 have been arrested for shoplifting
    21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
    84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

    Can you guess which organization this is?

    It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group that cranks out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.


    crem

    Ps the time is wrong on your blog thing. It's noon time :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. vjack:
    "From birth, Atheist socialists immerse all children in the socialist lies culture which denies many aspects of reality."

    Basically what you're saying is that you want people to be indoctrinated by a socialist schoolsystem to be good little socialists. What you are accusing others of that your schoolsystem does on a daily basis.
    Who gives you the right to indoctrinate others children? Seriously? I mean you don't even hold the higher moral ground.

    You're blind and stupid. I don't like people like you that brainwashed me and all the other kids in the socialist nation we live in with many socialist lies, you're just like those whores and I despise you and your filthy ideas. You're evil scum. Trust me you don't want a socialist nation, but you will get one with your ideas, and it will lead to misery beyond your wildest dreams. And let me remind you again you're BLIND and STUPID.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anon, what socialist lies are you talking about? Your attempt at humor and irony is a failed one.

    Religious fundies want to teach children the earth is young and that science is bs when it conflicts with the bible.

    These are lies.

    If you want a theocratic state so much, move to Saudi Arabia.

    You think that if one doesn't deny reality it makes them a socialist.

    That is just retarded.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics:

    29 have been accused of spousal abuse
    7 have been arrested for fraud
    19 have been accused of writing bad checks
    117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
    3 have done time for assault
    71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
    14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
    8 have been arrested for shoplifting
    21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
    84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

    Can you guess which organization this is?

    It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group that cranks out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.


    Blah, blah, blah. People spout this crap off without verifying whether it is true or not. And even if it is there are still major holes in it.

    21 are currently defendants in lawsuits

    What kind of lawsuits? Without any context it is just silly.

    84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

    Are they first time offenders? How drunk were they? Again without context this sounds bad but we really don't know the whole story do we.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Here is what Snopes has to say about that list.

    The "joke" goes back to 2000, and has now been copied to be used in other countries.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yes, the flood did happen and the Jews believe it. Satan is working hard these days as he knows that we are near the end of this world as we know it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I just wanna say that there really is no such thing as an atheist jew.

    At the top of the page you wrote:

    FAQ How can you be an Atheist Jew?
    An Atheist is someone who denies the existence of God. A Jew is any person whose mother was a Jew or any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism.

    The mother argument is complete nonsense. Jewishness is not passed from mother to child. There is no jewish gene. Religion is not a biologically inheritable characteristic. This is the same thing like saying a democrat is someone whose mother is a democrat. But is that possible? No. Because being a democrat, like being jewish is a choice someone makes. No one is born jewish. A jew is someone who believes in and follows the religion of judaism.

    There is no such thing as an 'atheist jew' or a 'secular jew'.

    http://njatheist.org/atheismandreligiondontmix.html

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anon, there is no evidence for a worldwide flood. If it happened there would be plenty. Reality isn't a democracy. It doesn't matter how many believe something is true....either something is or it isn't.


    As far as being a Jew. That is entirely up to you to state there is no such thing as an Atheit Jew. Tell that to Adolph Hitler....did he murder Jews based on religious belief or ethnicity? Oh, and you may not think there is a such thing as an Atheist Jew, but Israel would let me in without hassle if I decided to move there.

    ReplyDelete
  16. anonymous:
    Is that you, Chad? AKA Spotlight, aka Freethinker?
    Why the fuck do you care who calls themselves what? Do we need to go over the definition of race (again)? Price called himself a 'christian atheist' in the 'God who wasn't there' film, do you send him nasty little emails?
    It's bad enough we get flack from the theists, you gotta play label police? Thought police?
    That's as bad as some theist dictating whether or not I can quote scripture, or telling me I'm intolerant because of criticizing their little cult.
    I think BEAJ calling himself a secular Jew is not only all right, it helps dilute the religious meme.
    Yeesh, stump on something IMPORTANT for a change.

    ReplyDelete
  17. BEAJ, you just KNOW the morons who put those stickers in the books are the same ones who want all kinds of classic books banned as well. MORONS. This stuff, while mildly amusing, is so sad as it really demonstrates the stupidity of so many.

    One of my profs began a class on evolution last term with something like, "This class is taught from this perspective. It's the only perspective. If you don't believe it, you can A) Leave or B) Pretend you do for the rest of this course."

    He and I get along just fine; I'm taking another with him this term.

    ReplyDelete
  18. KA, I can't tell anons apart. They usually range from mildly idiotic to insane imbeciles. The last one could be Bernarda, who as we know fits into the last category.

    Lisa, it is sad that he even has to make that announcement.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Let's all face it, the tubby blog host is nothing more than a communist masquerading as a heeb.

    ReplyDelete