Politics, Religion and Intelligent design

It seems that when it comes to political candidates and possible presidential ones like Frist a well known fundamentalist the shape of education and the future of our school systems and our children are in the hands of the worst political candidates in this nation.

The theory of intelligent design states that the universe is so complex it could not have been created by chance and therefore there must be a 'creator.' Critics say it is a thinly veiled attempt to introduce the biblical theory of creation into public schools.

Earlier he sided with the stem cell research and for that he got criticism from religious groups, now he is going to appeased them with his comments on ID in schools.

Frist is considered a possible candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

Earlier this month, Frist drew criticism from religious conservatives for advocating additional stem cell research in opposition to President Bush. Frist said he supported the embryonic stem cell research because it was a 'matter of science.'

I guess when it comes to a “Matter of Sciences” is nothing more than a lie, is all about how our politicians specially in the GOP, are helping religious right in their quest to push creationism in schools to help with their political agendas.

Are you ready for a theocratic government?

Is ID and Creationism worth to be transfer from Sunday schools Bible teachings and put in the schools as a valid science?

Just because our polticians say so.



www.elitestv.com...

marg6043,
How would this lead to a theocratic goverment? As your article points out, Frisk has taken fire from the scientific community for the ID comments, but he has also fallen under the gun with his stance on stem cell research which christians are definately against.
I do not see the point that you are making.

What you fail to understand is how littler by littler politics are getting involve in Religion and how is been push with their help into the classroom.

It is nothing more than the agenda that fundamentalist has set for our nation since the 80's.

Now they have the right poeple and "politicians" to back them up.

Teaching Creationism in schools to take over science is the perfect way to start a thoecracy.

After all that is the only way that fundamentalist will see their "cause" as a victory, to control the government and the schools.

In the name of the Lord occurs.

Theory of gravity to be replaced with intellignet falling theory.

Ok its a joke but so is ID


www.theonion.com...

This may sound like a joke but it would not be far behind from what the pushers of creationism and ID wants our children to be exposed too.

"Things fall not because they are acted upon by some gravitational force, but because a higher intelligence, 'God' if you will, is pushing them down," said Gabriel Burdett, who holds degrees in education, applied Scripture, and physics from Oral Roberts University.

Now where is the intelligent reasoning on this one and how this is going to help our children to think freely.

It amazed me how our politicians will back up inerrancy in their pursue of political power and political agendas.

This ridiculous.




[edit on 22-8-2005 by marg6043]

I think Marge has a good point with this one...

Just as an aside:

I read in the Economist (*ugh*) that only 10 states of the US teach evolution theory sufficiently enough to be deemed part of the science syllabus, while many teach it so badly (Kansas being the example they used) that it actually took the school inspection scoring for Science down to 'Fail'.

It would be all very well to say that there are scientists ready to criticise zealous politicians, but when things lie as they are with education in the US, I think I would find it harder to be complacent if I were American...

This how I see it,

Depending on the political balances of in our nation that is what will dictate which way the teaching of evolution or creationism will go.

Anybody can teach Creationism or ID if you have a bible.

But when it comes to science Biology teachers they will go either way if their jobs depend on it, scholastic science can go into a once a week class while the rest of the week ID, Creationism and any other mumble jumble make up theory will take curriculum time.

Taking the state of education many adult Americans have not clue of what evolution is all about beside the “Monkey link” so you can imagine what our children will be relegated at.

Mr. Bush and his fundamentalist friends and supporters have already gone far with the issue in Pennsylvania and Kansas. Perhaps with all the money the Bush family spend in Grooming their son to be president they should have spend more time in the science classes so he could understand better what science is all about.

I guess is not enough with teachers that will bend to the wishes of the few but now it has to be made mandatory.

By all means, teach creation in humanities classes — not just Genesis, but Norse myths, African myths, Indian myths — so, to paraphrase the president, all sides are "properly taught." (Then watch the fireworks as the parents and the clerics storm in to demand more pages in the textbook or a teacher more sympathetic to their version.)

If these religious rights get away with this supported by our politicians we not only will have creationism and ID in the schools but theocracy will become the norm in the classrooms. After all the Historical roots of our nations have been sold to the American public as been part of our Christian heritage.
I agree with this quote and it applies to ID very well

There are virtually no scientific studies that even mention intelligent design. It rests largely on the argument that DNA is too complex to have evolved through random selection. To shove it into the classroom as science is an attack on science itself.

At the end . . . can we trust our politicians to tell us what is good for the education of our children? Unless they are on a religious or political agenda they will pull all of us including our children into illiteracy and oblivion after all American doesn’t need to be educated they just need Jesus and the bible to guide their lives.

www.insidebayarea.com...








[edit on 22-8-2005 by marg6043]

marg6043 is correct and is heading in the right direction even though this thread is probably headed for PTS's Government and Religion area.

Anyway, I echo the point to which she is alluding - this kind of cultural change does not happen all at once. That's why each and every encroachment of anybody's religious beliefs into something codified and sanctioned by any part of our government has to be fought. Every time an issue like this comes up, you get the same arguments:
1) if you don't believe in it, just ignore it
2) we are the majority, after all
3) our country was founded on these ideas
4) keeping religion out of government has lead to the downfall of morality

None of these arguments are valid, of course. I didn't say they weren't true - I said that they were not valid or relevant. ("My motorcycle is black." is a true statement but has no relevance to this issue.)

So, the answer is "yes!" it matters! It matters a lot! Mixing religion and science in our curriculum in our public schools makes about as much sense as teaching basketball in our history classes.

One of the things politicans have done is take a stance for religion or a bill that is pro-religion like anit-abortian and then have it fail, because they they can point to the other side and say they are agaisnt religion and gain religious supporters.

This is the same thing they are doing noew with ID by supporting what my religious people think is a godd comprimise between Evolution and Creationisum, and can paint anyone who disagrees as unwilling to comprimise.

It jsut is a matter of what are they trying to do by promoting the idea. To many people are worried about the idea itself to look at how it affects the voters

I guess even when the teaching of Creationism or ID is suppoused to be led to the School boards to decide along with the parents is not happening.

Why?

Because politics gets involve not matter what, right now since Mr. Bush went public with his view on the issue relgious groups are declaring a victory of regilion over science.

Whenever you turn it around everything will always be push by political agendas.

Since Mr. Bush took the issue we are having an array of political and relgious figures giving the Ok to challenge Evolution in the school currriculum.

With the president endorsing it, at the very least it makes Americans who have that position more respectable, for lack of a better phrase, said Gary L. Bauer, a Christian conservative leader who ran for president against Bush in the 2000 Republican primaries.

www.ouramericanvalues.org...

John G. West, an executive with the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based think tank supporting intelligent design, issued a written statement welcoming Bush's remarks. "President Bush is to be commended for defending free speech on evolution, and supporting the right of students to hear about different scientific views about evolution,"

www.discovery.org...

So is this what the majority wants or just what the "Moral Majority" wants.



[edit on 22-8-2005 by marg6043]