Darwin’s Celebrity Status

Published on December 8, 2005 By stevendedalus In Politics

With eighty to ninety percent of Americans admitting to believing in God, why on earth is the religious right so uptight that they continue to attack Evolution? Even if evolution were a major unit in biology classes — it isn’t — students couldn’t care less and far from brainwashed and certainly don’t juxtapose it as a challenge to their religion.

So why do the fundamentalists keep playing into the ghostly hands of Darwin by giving him undue publicity? Haven’t they learned by now that bad press in entertainment and books only lead to tsunami of interest? And by the way, what’s so terribly incompatible with the idea that the seeds of Adam and Eve were planted in primal cells that eventuated into a unique ape and then culminated as proud homo sapiens?

http://stevendedalus.joeuser.com

Comments (Page 1)

bakerstreet

on Dec 08, 2005

How many blogs/articles, etc., have been written in the last year talking ABOUT creationists, as opposed to how many were written BY creationists. It's one thing for the fringe of a group to do silly stuff, but if you were sitting in the middle watching this, you'd see that the real uproar is by secularists who just want any excuse they can find to bitch about creationists.

I challenge you to go, now, and backtrack and see what the balance of these perspectives are. If, as you say, the majority of people are people of faith, then oddly not many of them seem to be pursuing this supposed crusade. This is akin to the Republican party spending a substantial amount of time ranting about the American Socialist Party, or the Whigs, for that matter...

You have to look to find a creationist blog around here, but you can spin around 5 times, blindfolded, toss a rock and hit an anti-ID blog with ease. I wonder if you are actually set off by "fundamentalists playing into the ghostly hands of Darwin", or if this is just some spontaneous gripe. The chicken little ID blogs keep rolling out, and yet I haven't seen anything to provoke them in a long time...

Dr Guy

on Dec 08, 2005

It is not all the religious right, per se. But religious fundamentalist. I am religious, and I am right, but I dont think you would say I am part of the religious right (they dont want me anyway, I am catholic).

The FEW that are so obsessed are because it does go against their beliefs. I would invite you to check out the religion forum as I have several articles there were I have been debating some very intelligent and accepting members who may believe as the religious right does, but do not persecute those who do not.

We hear a lot about the fundamentalist (lets call them what they are), but they do not control the right, nor do a majority agree with them.

historyishere

on Dec 08, 2005

We hear a lot about the fundamentalist (lets call them what they are), but they do not control the right, nor do a majority agree with them.

You would agree that they are perhaps a little more... vocal... than the relative population they represent, so they seem to represent more people than they actually do.

bakerstreet

on Dec 08, 2005

"You would agree that they are perhaps a little more... vocal... than the relative population they represent, so they seem to represent more people than they actually do."

The odd part is, even then, we don't hear FROM them a fraction as often as we hear ABOUT them. I can't remember the last pro-creationism thread I saw around here, but there is a steady stream of derisive, "the Xtians are gonna get ya" blogs. When I see stuff about ID on Google News, the up-to-date, headline page, I click links and find that they are referring to something that was said six months ago.

stevendedalus

on Dec 08, 2005

but if you were sitting in the middle watching this, you'd see that the real uproar is by secularists who just want any excuse they can find to bitch about creationists.

You have a very selective eye, friend. Regardless of bloggers, Creationism is in the news--Dover,PA seems pretty recent. Stickers on science text books are meddlesome to say the least. Besides, it's just not creationism per say but the incursion of ID does a fairly good job at making the blogosphere and the general media. To me, all the hullabaloo ain't worth it.

stevendedalus

on Dec 08, 2005

You would agree that they are perhaps a little more... vocal... than the relative population

You got that right.

but they do not control the right, nor do a majority agree with them.

Still, their din gives the appearance they are voicing the "silent majority." As a Catholic you should know that the Vatican long ago put evolution to rest.

bakerstreet

on Dec 08, 2005

"Creationism is in the news--Dover,PA seems pretty recent. "

lol, no doubt, but not because there is some new fact. There's just day-to-day rehashing of months-old issues by people who feel the need to bitch about it incessantly.

To me, it looks a LOT more like some folks are granting CREATIONISTS celebrity status. They say one word, their detractors publish spend weeks railing to the heavens about it. You could turn a few words around in your post and ask why the hell people are trying so hard to make something out of a bunch of marginalized fundamentalists.

bakerstreet

on Dec 08, 2005

So why do the secularists keep playing into the ghostly hands of Creationism by giving it undue publicity? Haven’t they learned by now that bad press in entertainment and books only lead to tsunami of interest?

historyishere

on Dec 08, 2005

Still, their din gives the appearance they are voicing the "silent majority." As a Catholic you should know that the Vatican long ago put evolution to rest.

We hear a lot about the fundamentalist (lets call them what they are), but they do not control the right, nor do a majority agree with them.

I mean, Falwell and his ilk had the balls to call themselves the "Moral Majority". If that isn't claiming to speak for more than 50% of people, I don't know what is.

stevendedalus

on Dec 08, 2005

So why do the secularists keep playing into the ghostly hands of Creationism by giving it undue publicity? Haven’t they learned by now that bad press in entertainment and books only lead to tsunami of interest?

There is such a thing as defensive polity, you know.

I mean, Falwell and his ilk had the balls to call themselves the "Moral Majority". If that isn't claiming to speak for more than 50% of people, I don't know what is.

Yes, Falwell and Roberson are constantly in our faces.

You could turn a few words around in your post and ask why the hell people are trying so hard to make something out of a bunch of marginalized fundamentalists.

I don't have to turn it around--you do very well.

Dr Guy

on Dec 09, 2005

I mean, Falwell and his ilk had the balls to call themselves the "Moral Majority". If that isn't claiming to speak for more than 50% of people, I don't know what is.

I can claim to sapeak for all Catholics, but I am sure Kerry would disagree with me. I can claim anything, that does not make it a fact. Even at his Heydey, Falwell only spoke for a few million people. Hardly a Majority. Dean claims to speak for a majority of Americans, yet the democrats have not won a majority since 1976!

bakerstreet

on Dec 09, 2005

Defense is one thing. MEdia response to ID has been like the US focusing their military defenses on Lichtenstein. The reason I feel it is important is that secular protectionism can turn into religious bigotry fairly quickly when a group is villified constantly and made into more of a threat than they actually are.

People around here are definitely seeing creationists in every shadow, much like the nations was filled to the brim with commie spies in the 50's...

stevendedalus

on Dec 10, 2005

secular protectionism can turn into religious bigotry

I doubt it; there's much common ground--both rely on plumbing and pizza, and both go to church in SUVs. Cretionists behave more like McCarthy than do "secularists"--whatever that means.

bakerstreet

on Dec 10, 2005

For those who are stuck in the mid-1900's possibly. Otherwise you'd see how many interpret religious expression as religious imposition.

That's not to say they don't have their mirrors on the other end. I bet, though, you'd have a harder time convincing irrational people who see a Creationist lurking under every rock to admit they are out there on the fringe of anything...

singrdave

on Dec 10, 2005

what’s so terribly incompatible with the idea that the seeds of Adam and Eve were planted in primal cells that eventuated into a unique ape and then culminated as proud homo sapiens?

I have gotta admit, guys, as a Christian I don't see how intelligent design fits in with the Biblical account of the Creation in the first place. From what I know of the ID camp, I'm just not seeing it at all. I believe in six days, dust of the earth, and all that it entails. Don't misunderstand me, I'm certainly not a zealot who believes in the God-breathed scriptures or anything. I am not a fundamentalist, but I have seen them on TV. I just believe in the Creation. If I don't understand it all, that's just because I'm not God. I figure any problems I have with the nature of the universe are my problems, not God's. I define that as faith.

Sorry, maybe I'm going off-topic.

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