The will of the people, so to speak

[Glanbrok[_2_]]

I'm sure everybody is aware of the farcical goings-on in Texas's
school textbook procurement process. Year in and year out, a certain
group of Lone Star citizens try to influence the state's standard-
setters in favor of this group's nonscientific beliefs. Sometimes they
succeed and sometimes they fail. These activists could be the direct
descendants of the Italians who persecuted Galileo.

The degree to which blind faith can overcome human beings' innate
ability to reason is astonishing. What could motivate these activists
to spurn teaching kids how to search for knowledge? At what point in
their lives do they lose their ability to distinguish between
knowledge and faith? Why does the advance of science frighten them?

These activists' brethren in the Middle East have no problem using
modern technology. Neither do Texans, even if most of them don't
actually want to blow up government buildings. But how do they
reconcile their reliance on cars, television, computers, and
everything else technological with their insistence on shutting down
the search for knowledge?

Last week, there was another surreal episode that involved history
textbooks. Does anybody else hear the chorus of yapping dogs?

<http://comics.com/nick_anderson/2010-03-12/>

[Boon[_2_]]

On Mar 19, 10:05*am, Glanbrok > wrote:
> I'm sure everybody is aware of the farcical goings-on in Texas's
> school textbook procurement process. Year in and year out, a certain
> group of Lone Star citizens try to influence the state's standard-
> setters in favor of this group's nonscientific beliefs. Sometimes they
> succeed and sometimes they fail. These activists could be the direct
> descendants of the Italians who persecuted Galileo.
>
> The degree to which blind faith can overcome human beings' innate
> ability to reason is astonishing. What could motivate these activists
> to spurn teaching kids how to search for knowledge? At what point in
> their lives do they lose their ability to distinguish between
> knowledge and faith? Why does the advance of science frighten them?
>
> These activists' brethren in the Middle East have no problem using
> modern technology. Neither do Texans, even if most of them don't
> actually want to blow up government buildings. But how do they
> reconcile their reliance on cars, television, computers, and
> everything else technological with their insistence on shutting down
> the search for knowledge?
>
> Last week, there was another surreal episode that involved history
> textbooks. Does anybody else hear the chorus of yapping dogs?
>
> <http://comics.com/nick_anderson/2010-03-12/>

Christians are in a panic as their numbers dwindle. The amount of
American college kids who consider themselves religious has been cut
in half over the last 20 years. In Western Europe, where many
countries are enjoying a higher standard of living than in the US,
atheism and agnosticism are even more prevalent. Look where
Christianity (and especially Catholicism) has a stronghold: third-
world countries. It's easy to sell religion to the poor and the
superstitious because of all the false promises that are made.

Texas is known as the center of the Bible Belt. Fortunately I live
near Austin, which is an oasis of intelligence.

[Glanbrok[_2_]]

On Mar 19, 12:23*pm, Boon > wrote:

> > The degree to which blind faith can overcome human beings' innate
> > ability to reason is astonishing. What could motivate these activists
> > to spurn teaching kids how to search for knowledge? At what point in
> > their lives do they lose their ability to distinguish between
> > knowledge and faith? Why does the advance of science frighten them?

> Christians are in a panic as their numbers dwindle. The amount of
> American college kids who consider themselves religious has been cut
> in half over the last 20 years. In Western Europe, where many
> countries are enjoying a higher standard of living than in the US,
> atheism and agnosticism are even more prevalent. Look where
> Christianity (and especially Catholicism) has a stronghold: third-
> world countries. It's easy to sell religion to the poor and the
> superstitious because of all the false promises that are made.

I'm sure that's true, but I was only using the recent business in
Texas as an example. I also mentioned Galileo, who wasn't American. He
defied Big Religion at the height of their power, at a time when
heresy was a hanging "crime".

Besides, the Texas foolishness has been going on for at least 80
years. Other states have served as the epicenter of dumb christian
excess several times. A few years ago it was Kansas, and in the '20s
it was Tennessee, when they railroaded
John Scopes. Not to mention the original national panic attack when
Darwin's Origin of Species was published.

Underlying my point was the fact that in Darwin's time, and more so in
Galileo's, science and technology were only nascent compared to today.
In the 21st century, it should be easy for anybody (even Scottie) to
see the benefits of unfettered scientific research.

[Boon[_2_]]

On Mar 19, 2:11*pm, Glanbrok > wrote:
> On Mar 19, 12:23*pm, Boon > wrote:
>
> > > The degree to which blind faith can overcome human beings' innate
> > > ability to reason is astonishing. What could motivate these activists
> > > to spurn teaching kids how to search for knowledge? At what point in
> > > their lives do they lose their ability to distinguish between
> > > knowledge and faith? Why does the advance of science frighten them?
> > Christians are in a panic as their numbers dwindle. The amount of
> > American college kids who consider themselves religious has been cut
> > in half over the last 20 years. In Western Europe, where many
> > countries are enjoying a higher standard of living than in the US,
> > atheism and agnosticism are even more prevalent. Look where
> > Christianity (and especially Catholicism) has a stronghold: third-
> > world countries. It's easy to sell religion to the poor and the
> > superstitious because of all the false promises that are made.
>
> I'm sure that's true, but I was only using the recent business in
> Texas as an example. I also mentioned Galileo, who wasn't American. He
> defied Big Religion at the height of their power, at a time when
> heresy was a hanging "crime".
>
> Besides, the Texas foolishness has been going on for at least 80
> years. Other states have served as the epicenter of dumb christian
> excess several times. A few years ago it was Kansas, and in the '20s
> it was Tennessee, when they railroaded
> John Scopes. Not to mention the original national panic attack when
> Darwin's Origin of Species was published.
>
> Underlying my point was the fact that in Darwin's time, and more so in
> Galileo's, science and technology were only nascent compared to today.
> In the 21st century, it should be easy for anybody (even Scottie) to
> see the benefits of unfettered scientific research.

And yet I keep meeting people who claim to be men of science (or
scieencece) and still go to church on a regular basis. That reminds me
of the fact that physicists are still trying to reconclie the fact
that the universe and the molecular world operate under contrary
theories, and that's why the String Theory is so popular these days.
Maybe scientists will apply similar efforts to reconcile religion and
science.

Then again, I think that religion will be the opiate of the primitives
in a few generations. The statistics bear that out.

[WindsorFox[_4_]]

Glanbrok wrote:

> Underlying my point was the fact that in Darwin's time, and more so in
> Galileo's, science and technology were only nascent compared to today.
> In the 21st century, it should be easy for anybody (even Scottie) to
> see the benefits of unfettered scientific research.
>

The Virginia Legislature is busy making a proclamation for Pat
Robertson's birthday and The nutbags of "godhatesfags.com" are in Kansas.

--
..



"A smorgasbord of tomfoolery" - L0afy

[MiNe 109]

In article
>,
Glanbrok > wrote:

> Underlying my point was the fact that in Darwin's time, and more so in
> Galileo's, science and technology were only nascent compared to today.
> In the 21st century, it should be easy for anybody (even Scottie) to
> see the benefits of unfettered scientific research.

Also the importance of Enlightenment thinking to the Founding Fathers,
no matter how much people pretend otherwise.

Stephen

[GeoSynch]

Pudge the Gimp minced:

> What could motivate these activists to spurn teaching kids how to search for
> knowledge?

Guvmint indoctrination concentration camps as euphemistically described by The
MidYut.

Ha-ha ... good one, 'lil Georgie!

[GeoSynch]

Buffoon blubbered:

> Texas is known as the center of the Bible Belt.

So, how come you don't excoriate the Pudgester for posting this off-topic drivel
spam?

Oh, that's right, I almost forgot: it's because you're a reeking hypocrite.

[Shhhh! I'm Listening to Reason!]

On Mar 19, 11:35*pm, "GeoSynch" > wrote:
> Pudge the Gimp minced:
>
> > What could motivate these activists to spurn teaching kids how to search for
> > knowledge?
>
> Guvmint indoctrination concentration camps as euphemistically described by The
> MidYut.
>
> Ha-ha ... good one, 'lil Georgie!

OK, I'll bite: where's the "the tea party's" outrage over this?

duh.