Teaching Creationism and Intelligent Design in the public schools constitutes child abuse. These lies frame the myth of a jealous and vengeful god, a heaven for believers and a horror story of hell for non-believers. Fundamentalists who pervert their childrens’ understanding by bringing their bizarre beliefs into the public eye have been tolerated long enough. Let their myths, their infantile belief systems, and their power structures be held up to public scrutiny. Let the half crazed minority of believers in these matters withdraw unto themselves and leave the rest of us alone to enjoy peaceful progress and a humane understanding of the universe as an environment not without challenges, but a rational place lit by our own love and not threatened by awful prophecies of Armageddon, not inclusive of eternal damnation and a fiery hell for people who believe dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years before humans appeared.
The State of Texas science curriculum is in the process of being perverted by these child abusers, these people who would strike such fear into the hearts of children that they are unable to behave rationally and with love. Here is an NPR interview with the recently fired Director of Science at the Texas Education Agency. More information here at the New York Times, here at the Houston Chronicle, and here at the Austin Statesman.
The Scopes “Monkey Trial” was held over 80 years ago. The fundamentalist christians lost. Evolution is simply a fact. It was a fact before the trial, and a jury confirmed it was common sense and that christian fundamentalism had no place in the science classroom. How can we convince these child abusers to leave us alone? How can we exclude people who believe the end times are upon us from public policy positions? How can we get their fingers off the triggers?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Doug Alder 12.08.07 at 1:03
First get the GOP out of power at every level of government.
tamarika 12.08.07 at 4:41
Yes! We must never tire from that. Keep focused on shining our own lights, giving our monies, going door to door to campaign if we have to - just get *them* out of there!
Definitely child abuse. GOP = abuse - period.
Winston 12.08.07 at 5:25
It is mind boggling that people in the civilized part of the world still reject simple proven facts and history here in the 21st century. I am surrounded by such simpletons here in Nashville, “the buckle of the bible belt”. I actually have some relatives in Texas, one with school age children, and I hurt for them because they are so fucking dense. They look down their noses at me because I don’t participate in their born again christianity and bow daily to the current savior on earth, god’s chosen ambassador, GWB. Yes, there are fools that still actually believe that, and I know of no way to reach them. Apparently Texas is a ship of fools, though I also know a few good folks there.
Put political/religious nuts in charge of designing a school curriculum and this is what you get. And we wonder why our kids and our educational systems are not faring as well as other countries…
Winston 12.08.07 at 5:46
My morning rounds took me to Rain’s place where she has an interesting discussion of religion in politics as it relates to candidates and upcoming election:
http://rainydaythought.blogspot.com/2007/12/its-about-faith-but-in-what.html
Ronni Bennett 12.08.07 at 8:30
People of who put dogma above facts cannot be convinced otherwise and there is no point in trying because there is no argument against faith, however freakish or misguided.
Two things come to mind: first, it’s about who we elect - in this case, far more important locally than nationally.
Secondly, we must restore the separation of church and state. Mitt Romney, in his speech last Thursday, asserted that 1. “Freedom requires religion” and 2. “Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God.”
1. No, it doesn’t; and
2. *I* don’t acknowledge that. Men created the Constitution that gives us our liberties (such as they are these days), not god. But in Mitt Romney’s world and that of many religionists, as a non-believer I am not a true or patriotic American.
I’m a bit more tolerant of them: I don’t care what god people worship as long as they keep it in their homes and places of worship, and out of government and out of the schools.