March 21, 2006

Stop teaching creationism! The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has stepped into the controversy between religious fundamentalists and scientists by saying that he does not believe that creationism - the Bible-based account of the origins of the world - should be taught in schools.
posted by Wolof 18 years ago
  • Good. The prospect of the UK following the US down this 'well, you should teach both sides' bullshit infuriates me. Creationism, and it's red-haired step-child, ID, has no place in scientific education. If it must be taught, stick it in the religious studies class. Along with Xenu.
  • There. A serious comment. And not a dog in a shawl in site.
  • Let's just teach all world myths and legends instead. You could opt out of gym class.
  • Why are people so fucking stupid? It's like two sets of village idiots are arguing on the green about the shape of turnips, and the local witchdoctor steps up dressed as a deer and says 'oh, come on chaps, do let's be reasonable'. The whole fucking thing is madness!
  • I don't think you should start using archbishops as an authority on deciding what belongs being taught in schools. Even if one agrees with you.
  • Is an archbishop equal to a mullah? Which one issues the fatwa?
  • Yeah, but his main point seems to be that creationism isn't even good theology, which seems a legitimate area of comment for an archbish.
  • Every time I read the word "fatwa", I hear it in John Saffran's voice.
  • Um I had clear definiton as a child - two hours of PE ( As in Phys Ed and two hours of CCCCC (As in CHristian KNowledge a week in my state school Learnt both. BUT church oriented high school). 2 sections religious one PE. Hey you know if my answers had been right - Australian female swimmers won every olympic medal since 1984 and guess what - thay all had my name.....But if anybody needs me for a trivioa nite that has lots of biblical references......
  • I went for a few years to a Baptist junior high school. I'm only slightly messed up for life. But if you want your kids to learn Creationism in school, send 'em to a religious school. Otherwise, pipe down about it.
  • That's funny, Chyren. I want to see that on a t-shirt. Seriously. The "dressed like a deer" was the bit that made the whole line. I had an immediate Monty-Pythonesque image in my head.
  • I'd have studied Druidism 101 with a Sacrificing a Goat Lab once a week if it would have gotten me out of PE.
  • TUM: Craque. Me. Up.
  • Actually, in Britain Archbishops might have a say in the school system because there isn't a separation of Church and state. And Rowan Williams is the head of the Church of England. There are quite a few CofE state schools too. It happens that the only school I've heard of so far that teaches creationism is one City Academy that isn't Anglican, so they don't have to listen to him. But he is taking a public stance against it, because it could be proposed in other schools. I like his reasoning too - he says religion is religion and science is science and they shouldn't be mixed up. Besides, as he points out, equating the creation story with evolution makes it just another theory, to be possibly debunked. The creation story is more important than that, if you believe in it.
  • > there isn't a separation of Church and state you mean the antidisestablishmentarianists were successful? thank you, i love using that word
  • *applause*
  • STOP TEACHING CRETINISM!
  • Croutonism, however, is a very tasty subject that should be taught in all school cafeterias.
  • i studied cretanism until i discovered that they're all liars.
  • Oh come on roryk they tell you that in the first lesson.
  • not at my school. we spent the first term on epimenides' family tree.
  • Well we moved straight into the tub with Diogenes and practiced cynicalism.
  • cool. you must've been totally stoic'd!
  • Get out of my light.
  • might not suck to be you.
  • Project Pterosaur Mission Statement The goal of Project Pterosaur is to mount an expedition to locate and bring back to the United States living specimens of pterosaurs or their fertile eggs, which will be displayed in a Pterosaur Rookery that will be the center piece of the planned Fellowship Creation Science Museum and Research Institute (FCSMRI). Furthermore, the rookery facility will establish a breeding colony of pterosaurs in order to produce specimens that could then be put on display by other regional institutions or church groups. By doing all this, we hope to accomplish three goals: 1. Support Creation Theory by showing the incorrectness of the philosophy of Evolutionism. 2. Educate the population about Creation Science. 3. Create excitement about Creation and the Bible in the public.
  • Umm, two things. First, assuming for the sake of argument that this is even possible, how would it disprove Evolution? It would just disprove certain calculations as to when that animal went extinct. It wouldn't do anything at all to prove or disprove how that animal came about in the first place. Second, am I right in thinking that this means that Creationists have now accepted the fossil record, but only dispute as to when that fossil record was created? That the 'mysteries and jokes planted by God' thing is now dead and done? My knowledge of the particulars of Creationism is fairly scant, and I'm content to keep it that way.
  • But a Pterosaur Rookery!!!
  • Here ya go, from the same site (they're not dead, only hiding): What Are Dinosaurs? Dinosaurs are large, reptilian land animals that lived in great abundance over 4000 years ago ("There were giants in the earth in those days" [Gen 6:4]), and were mostly wiped out during the Flood. Contrary to the depictions of them from Hollywood, dinosaurs were herbivorous ("he eateth grass as an ox." [Job 40:15]) and lived concurrently and in peace with man. They did not live 65 million years ago, as evolutionists claim, since nothing but God existed then. They were created on the sixth day along with the other land animals (plesiosaurs, pterasaurs and others of their kinds are not strictly speaking dinosaurs, and they were created on the fifth day with the other animals of the water and sky.) Dinosaur bones are often found in sedimentary rocks formed during the Flood and are harder than the bones of other animals ("his bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron." [Job 40:18].) Man and Dinosaur Man and dinosaur lived together peacefully around 2000 BC. Pre-Noachian man tried to tame the dinosaur, wishing to use its might for evilness and arrogantly thinking himself as mighty as the Lord. This grieved the Lord, and He brought the Flood upon the earth [Gen. 6]. Species of dinosaurs were among the animals taken aboard the ark by Noah ("And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee" [Gen. 6:19],) and thus dinosaurs survived the Flood. Scholars theorize that some of these descendents of Noah's ark were used to aid Noah's progeny in building the Tower of Babel. After that fiasco, the Lord felt that man was clearly not worthy of associating with His most powerful creation anymore, and ever since dinosaurs have been hidden from us. Dinosaurs have been a favorite propaganda tool for evolutionists since the 19th century, and continue to be used to promote the pseudoscientific religion of Evolutionism in the Secular media. Movies such as Jurassic Park and Disney's Dinosaur are designed to indoctrinate the masses into the Evolutionistic world view. The appeal of dinosaurs to kids is of particular interest to Evolutionists since it allows them to gain easy and willing access the minds of our children ("for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" [Gen. 8:21].) And by recasting the Lord's gentle behemoths as blood-thirsty "terrible thunder lizards," they are able to make appeals to -- and further support -- the base desires of our culture for violence ("Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth." [Ps. 58:2]).
  • God I hate you post-Noachian bastards.
  • You raise a good point, roryk. In fact, I have been convinced of the merits of his argument, solely on the basis of the sheer coolness of a Pterosaur Rookery. Does Evolution feature a Pterosaur Rookery? No. Q.E.D.
  • Dinosaurs have been a favorite propaganda tool for evolutionists since the 19th century, and continue to be used to promote the pseudoscientific religion of Evolutionism in the Secular media. I think I just shat puke. Or is it liquid rage? . . Or Olestra?
  • Too bad creationists aren't going the way of the dinosaurs. The Way of the Dinosaurs.... I like that. Excuse me, I must go practice The Way.
  • I just stuffed 10 grapes in my mouth.
  • Meh...wake me when you get 2 kiwis in there.
  • I doubt the Bashi would like that.
  • Just think, if these fellers took all the time, energy, money, and other resources they're spending on this and used it for something like, I dunno, feeding the hungry, curing leprosy, or something Jesus actually cared about. Heck, even building a big, beautiful church or commissioning works of art for the greater glory. I continue to be unable to wrap my head around this kind of thing.
  • Given the choice between pseudoscientific religion and pseudoreligious science, I'll take Potent Potables for $800, Alex.
  • feeding the hungry, curing leprosy, or something Jesus actually cared about. That sounds suspiciously like reason young monster! Gawww-duh! Would smite theee-uh! "For they are been rascally in mine glories, and as ants in the pantry." (Chumpiticus 16:5)
  • Pete, if you're poor and hungry, it's because you've done something EVEL! If you have leprosy, it's because you've had bestal sex with armadildos. You're going to go to hell for imagining a society that takes care of their citizens. Go forth, and SIM no more.
  • Of course man lived in harmony with the dinosaurs. Have you never seen an episode of The Flintstones? what the hell's the matter with you people...
  • roryk's quotes just made my brain die a little. Still, we can only hope they find a couple of the critters...
  • There are dinosaurs flying around all over the place. Some even swim. Doesn't matter, the creationists are still wrong.
  • T-Rex's closest kin? Chicken. Yyyyyup. Mmm-hmm.
  • T-Rex tastes like chicken?
  • Dunno. I never touch the stuff.
  • Silly chicken, Trex is for kids!
  • /collapse
  • More lies.
  • Yeah. 20 out of 23 kids in the class voted for Mohammed as a name, but their asshole retarded parents complained.
  • I vote we rename this site Mohammedfilter. I am changing BOTH my cats' names to Mohammed. Might get a confusing for them, but ultimately worth it. And from now on, please only refer to me as Lieutenant Mohammed Kitfisto. Peace be upon me.
  • You could call one of the Mo and the other one Hammed.
  • Or say that they were named after Ali. Naming just one cat after Ali wouldn't do. And who doesn't like Ali? OK, well not George Foreman, Joe Frazier, or the ghost of Sonny Liston, but whatever.
  • OK, I'll call one 'The Prophet' and the other 'Mohammed', for maximum offence. Fleas be upon them.
  • *throws marrowfats at kitfisto*
  • Nom Nom Nom
  • Wow. Googled "marrowfats". Not half as gross as I was expecting. So you can name a child Mohammed, but not a bear?
  • And what if that child grows up to do something evil? Should he have to change his name? Would his actions be blasphemous, given his name?
  • > Wow. Googled "marrowfats". Not half as gross as I was expecting. They can be very tasty if prepared correctly. Quite yucky if not. It was a pun: *throws marrowfats at kitfisto* => peas be upon him And I realize I've broken it now by explaining it.
  • So you can name a child Mohammed, but not a bear? And what if that child grows up to do something evil? What if he grows up to be a furry?
  • Or a plushy? And what if his bear "friend" is called Mohammed as well??
  • What if young Mohammed grows up to be a furry who has teh gay and likes bacon? My cats are responding well to their new names of Mohammed and Mohammed, although Mohammed seemed a little confused at first. Mohammed, on the other hand, took to it like a Sudanese to a lashing.
  • I know how you can make it less confusing. Nicknames! Call them both "Mo".