What Next for Conservatives (Creationism and spending are destroying the Republican Party)

townhall.com ^ | 11/17/2005 | George Will

[curiosity]

The storm-tossed and rudderless Republican Party should particularly ponder the vote last week in Dover, Pa., where all eight members of the school board seeking re-election were defeated. This expressed the community's wholesome exasperation with the board's campaign to insinuate religion, in the guise of "intelligent design'' theory, into high school biology classes, beginning with a required proclamation that evolution "is not a fact.''

[rootkidslim]

And President Bush's straddle on that subject -- "both sides'' should be taught

You are saying that this statement doesn't imply ignorance of science? What is it then, "boob bait for the Bubbas?" I guess he took a page out of Clinton's book.

[moog]

Agreed with your last sentence.

[bahblahbah]

The government school system was started by a unitarian as a counter against the protestant schools. I wish parents who actually cared about exactly what their children were taught would take the initiative and group together and start their own schools. If the republican party wants to get rid of the Darwin issue, they need to privatize education. I don't see why it can't be done in the majority red states.

[LWalk18]

Shut up, George. Since the majority of Americans (those of us outside the northest, who weren't educated in the Ivy League universities, and who don't live in DC) don't - believe - in - evolution.

So science should be determined by polls. If a majority of Americans believed in astrology, should it be taught in schools as science?

[Ohioan]

I wish the writer, an intelligent comentator, would not adopt such sloppy terminology as referring to those Conservatives who take intemperate positions on certain philosophical issues as "social conservatives." All Conservatives are both social conservatives and fiscal conservatives. Those who are purely preoccuppied with a few issues, are really not true conservatives, but preoccuppied people with some conservative tendencies.

I think that the great weight of the scientific evidence supports both evolution--which has been witnessed in the historic period--and the obvious fact that the Creator knew what he was doing. This observation does not lead to advocacy for any form of indoctrination. Science and theology are both disciplines that seek to find truth; to understand truth. There is no logical antagonism between the two, but some intemperate folk of various points on the ideological spectrum have clouded what is obvious, because of intemperate agendas.

I have just posted the Feature for December at my web site. It does not deal with this issue, because it is not really a Federal issue--and should not become one. See: Primary 2006!--Tactical Tips For Conservative Candidates.

William Flax

[Clemenza]

Big spending and open borders are the biggest issues I take Republicans to task on. As long as a Presidential candidate or congress refrain from shoving "(Un)intelligent design" down our throats, the creationists will remain moonbats within their own communities, rather than part of a national movement.

[Tester10]

Evolution is science.

Evolution is the truth.

Evolution is fact.

Our children should be learning the truth in school. Nothing else. Ever.

Millions of years ago, we descended from apes. Get over it! Its not a big deal.

A majority of Americans dont believe in evolution? So what!

400 years ago, a majority of people thought the earth was square. 150 years ago people thought mold and fungus spontaneously sprung from inorganic substances. 50 years ago we thought our solar system was the only solar system in the universe.

Imagine what we will learn 50 years from now?

100 years ago, virtually no Americans believed in evolution. Now, about 35% of Americans believe in it. The number keeps growing, because it is impossible to stop the truth from spreading. 100 years from now, evolution will be accepted fact to all Americans. The truth has a funny way of creeping out, and revealing itself.

I will say it one more time...YOU DESCENDED FROM APES! GET OVER IT! Its just not a big deal.

[af_vet_rr]

The conservative coalition, which is coming unglued for many reasons, will rapidly disintegrate if limited-government conservatives become convinced that social conservatives are unwilling to concentrate their character-building and soul-saving energies on the private institutions that mediate between individuals and government, and instead try to conscript government into sectarian crusades.

The article is slanted but I give them credit for breaking the GOP out into different types of Conservatives.

I think the "coalition" has already come unglued, because a lot of Conservatives, myself included, are tired of a small group of people within the GOP trying to make everything a religious issue - at the cost of drowning out serious Conservative political issues.

I get the impression that President Bush could give an hour-long speech and say he's tripling everybody's taxes, and certain rights were going to have be given up for whatever reason, and as long as he spent two minutes at the end talking about being a Christian, most Republicans wouldn't care about what he talked about the previous 58 minutes.

Some people are going to be really ticked at me for saying that, and probably report me, but I'm seeing people trying to get the federal government involved in things it shouldn't be involved in at the local level.

Some people think the federal government is some kind of tool to use against those people they don't care for.

[jmaroneps37]

This man jumped the shark about twenty years ago.
He used to be the one eyed man in the valley of the blind when it was just him and Buckley. Now that we have real intelligent conservatives as opposed to ABC TV conservatives, we don't need to read this jerk's stuff.

[ThinkDifferent]

Since the majority of Americans (those of us outside the northest, who weren't educated in the Ivy League universities, and who don't live in DC) don't - believe - in - evolution.

That's nice, and completely irrelevant. A majority of Americans believe all sorts of things that aren't true.

[moog]

Millions of years ago, we descended from apes. Get over it! Its not a big deal. Actually, I though evos believed not that we descended from apes, but that we had a common ancestor.

[af_vet_rr]

I wish the writer, an intelligent comentator, would not adopt such sloppy terminology as referring to those Conservatives who take intemperate positions on certain philosophical issues as "social conservatives." All Conservatives are both social conservatives and fiscal conservatives. Those who are purely preoccuppied with a few issues, are really not true conservatives, but preoccuppied people with some conservative tendencies.

That's an interesting point - I actually seperate people into groups, but maybe you're right. I stopped saying the GOP was the party of Conservatives long ago, and maybe I should go ahead and stop referring to those with views incompatible with certain Conservative beliefs as "social" or "fiscal" Conservatives, and just call them liberals.

[moog]

Big spending and open borders are the biggest issues I take Republicans to task on. As long as a Presidential candidate or congress refrain from shoving "(Un)intelligent design" down our throats, the creationists will remain moonbats within their own communities, rather than part of a national movement.

To me the War on Terror is the biggest issue and dwarfs all the other issues.

[curiosity]

I get the impression that President Bush could give an hour-long speech and say he's tripling everybody's taxes, and certain rights were going to have be given up for whatever reason, and as long as he spent two minutes at the end talking about being a Christian, most Republicans wouldn't care about what he talked about the previous 58 minutes.

LOL! You've just described many, many Freepers to a tee. Some of them even proudly embrace the "bushbot" label as if it were a badge of honor. Busholotry, I call it.

If we conservatives as a movement don't break out of this funk, we're doomed.

[Anselma]

"Try IMMIGRATION and BORDERS, George"

Ditto. Will is such a charmless writer that even I, a voracious reader, had difficulty finishing his article; I know I agree with his sentiments about the Republicans acting like Dem spenders, but this is Windy George scratching away to try to find something- anything- unique to criticize. Get a grip, George; the party ain't fallin' apart, but you might take a look in the mirror.

[curiosity]

So end the WOT and get rid of the Christians and every thing will be just fine?

No, just get rid of the creationists. FYI, most Christians are not creationists.

[moog]

If a majority of Americans believed in astrology, should it be taught in schools as science?

It might offend the Jetsons, you know. Rey right rot rike rit rery ruch.

Since my sign's characteristics are totally opposite of what I am, I've never considered it as valid.

[furball4paws]

Where's my share of the flaw?

[moog]

No, just get rid of the creationists. FYI, most Christians are not creationists. It may depend on the area. Most every Christian I know around here is. But I also know a lot around here concerned more with where they're going than where they've been.

[M203M4]

Plenty of room for everyone.