Evolutionary War (Conservatives and Evolution)

The New Republic ^ | 7/7/05 | Ben Adler

[Right Wing Professor]

An interesting survey, from a liberal magazine, which shows how diverse is the opinion of conservatives on the subject of evolution. Should be an excellent rebuttal to anyone who says "You believe in evolution/creation, you can't be a real conservative"

[Right Wing Professor]

Ping!

[JamesP81]

The only thing that leaves my blood boiling about this is the way teachers glibly assume that evolution is a proven fact. It isn't. In fact, the evidence supporting the theory is looking thinner and thinner all the time as new discoveries are made. When a teacher says, "This is where we came from, because science believes it" all they're doing is preaching a different religion.

I don't believe in evolution. In fact, I think it's total crap. But a lot of scientists do believe it, so I think it's useful for students to understand what it is and what the tenets of it are. But since it's just one theory, I have no problem with them teaching ID as a theory either.

[Right Wing Professor]

I pray that the Lord will shine the Light upon you and dispel the Devil's lies from your soul, and from the people cited in the article, and from all other unsaved souls out there.

I pray you get a life.

[ICE-FLYER]

Fredrickson

I am so glad she can learn from you and be brought along like I am sure you intended. /Sarcasm off

[ICE-FLYER]

I pray you get a life

I am so glad she can learn from you and be brought along like I am sure you intended. /Sarcasm off

[ICE-FLYER]

Fredrickson I am so glad she can learn from you and be brought along like I am sure you intended. /Sarcasm off

LOL!!! That will teach me to check my cut and paste function!!

[Right Wing Professor]

I'm sure you meant this to be incisive commentary.

[PatrickHenry]

EvolutionPing

A pro-evolution science list with over 280 names. See the list's description at my freeper homepage. Then FReepmail to be added or dropped.

[wingnutx]

Thanks for the neat article.

My great great great grandfather Bonzo likes it, too :)

[contemplator]

"...you can't be a real conservative"

Not only on this issue, prevailing logic seems to be "Why address the argument when you can just attack the person posing it instead"

[furball4paws]

I thank you for this post. It makes me feel very cold.

[furball4paws]

You are too nice

"....Remember when the hick legislators in certain states, in obedience to William Jennings Bryan, who learned his biology from his pious old grandma, set up shop as scientific experts and made the whole world laugh itself sick forbidding the teaching of evolution?...." From Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here (near the end of Chapter 2).

Here we go again.

[steve-b]

I don't believe that anything that offends nine-tenths of the American public should be taught in public schools.

What a craven kowtow to the mob and betrayal of intellectual integrity.

[PatrickHenry]

Actually, this isn't as bad as I feared when I started to read the article. Lots of conservatives seem to have the right idea -- that ID isn't science and shouldn't be taught in science classes. Those that appear to be in the ID camp, or are otherwise totally confused, are Grover Norquist (who correctly thinks we shouldn't have government schools at all), Stephen Moore (I'm not too familiar with him), and Pat Buchanan (hopelessly muddled). The rest are either solidly in favor of evolution, or are more or less so, and mildly confused about details. Not all that bad, really.

The sad thing is that these are among the most enlightened conservatives, and so many of them have such a poor grasp of the issues. Of course, the state of scientific literacy among the dems must be at least this bad, but at this point they'd probably back evolution as a talking point with which to bash conservatives.

[Dimensio]

I have no problem with them teaching ID as a theory either.

What does ID predict? How can these predictions be tested? What hypothetical observations would falsify the "theory" of ID?

[Dimensio]

Whether intelligent design or a similar critique should be taught in public schools: "I think people should be taught ... that there are various theories about how man was created."

I wonder what these alleged "theories" are, and whether or not they're really scientific theories.

[ConservativeDude]

"Grover Norquist (who correctly thinks we shouldn't have government schools at all)"

Damn someone finally gets it right!!!!

If we could get rid of government schools and the IRS, then we will have substantially redeemed the tradition of religious freedom this country once had. I would think that my conservative and evolution - believing friends would agree with me on that.

Personally I know what I believe and don't particularly want to be forced to pay for the other side. A truly free society would not do that. That seems to me to be what is always lost in these threads. Government should not be arbitrating this debate precisely because it touches too deeply on religious issues. But the only way to get government out of arbitrating the issue is to get government out of the "education" business altogether.

Then get the IRS out of churches.

Surely about that we can all agree? (Didn't a famous and intelligent man once say, "cant we all just get along?").

[RightWingAtheist]

Great find. George Will's excellent Newsweek piece from a few issues back also went a long way to dispelling myths held by both certain conservatives and many liberals.