Did God Create Adam and Eve or McCain and Obama?

Fact Is, Nobody Really Knows Who Created What!

Evolution has become a subjective thing in our world and not an established fact- thanks to creationists and the people who blindly believe them. This "Evolution is ONLY a theory" posit is a crock: to believe in creationism is insulting to an all-powerful God. The anthropomorphism of having God create something and seeing "it was good" is a shameful denegration of God. If God "wanted" humans to believe in "Him" and "told" them about his "wishes" by inspiring men to write down his "words" then He's not much of an all-powerful, all EVERYTHING God, is "He"? He was right to allow setting down ethical guidelines for survival in a book filled with poetry and imagery for the being who had not reached knowledge of who He was. Perhaps, however, God intended for mankind to evolve past a book of stories and metaphors. If there was any direction we were supposed to go, it was forward to new thoughts for the betterment of all so that all could survive. Christians believe in God. At least they say so. But many of them don't believe in humanity. They believe that man is weak and, while he has a certain capacity for good, he succumbs to evil. That's not really believing in humanity, is it? And there are those who believe that every person is born in sin. And that that sin is transmitted by...sex. Man is to look upon his lot in life to overcome something he was born with. Man is born with guilt. And many Christians LOVE guilt. Their principles are built on guilt.

Going back to creation vs. evolution: it really comes down to two distinct schools of thought that have never been reconciled: God created everything directly OR everything evolved (with or without God). These schools of thought have been antagonizing each other for years, but never before have they been a concern for citizens of the United States when choosing a president. Religion has made itself prominent enough in the political sphere to warrant looking into presidential hopefuls' creation vs. evolution beliefs. So what do our two prominent presidential candidates think about creationism and evolution?

(Think Progress, Feb. 12, 2007)

Yet, on February 23, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will be the keynote speaker for the most prominent creationism advocacy group in the country. The Discovery Institute, a religious right think-tank, is well-known for its strong opposition to evolutionary biology and its advocacy for “intelligent design.” The institute’s main financial backer, savings and loan heir Howard Ahmanson, spent 20 years on the board of the Chalcedon Foundation, “a theocratic outfit that advocates the replacement of American civil law with biblical law.” (Emphasis my own)

McCain has an ambiguous record on whether he supports intelligent design in the science curriculum. In 2005, he said it should be taught:

Daily Star: Should intelligent design be taught in schools?

McCain: I think that there has to be all points of view presented. But they’ve got to be thoroughly presented. So to say that you can only teach one line of thinking I don’t think is - or one belief on how people and the world was created - I think there’s nothing wrong with teaching different schools of thought.

Daily Star: Does it belong in science?

McCain: There’s enough scientists that believe it does. I’m not a scientist. This is something that I think all points of view should be presented.

But last year, he said the intelligent design theory should not be taught in the science classroom:

“I think Americans should be exposed to every point of view,” he said. “I happen to believe in evolution…I respect those who think the world was created in seven days. Should it be taught as a science class? Probably not.“

Barack Obama:
(From About.com)

In one form or another, conflicts over the teaching of evolution in public schools have been an important aspect of the Christian Right's culture wars against modernity and the Enlightenment. Almost every Republican candidate for president has rejected evolutionary science; support for creationism has almost been a litmus test for Republican politicians. Barack Obama does accept evolutionary science and, moreover, he opposes teaching any form of creationism - including Intelligent Design creationism - alongside evolution in public schools.

So, we have one candidate who believes in evolution while making speeches to established Reconstructionists. Not the sign of a very positively principled person. Reconstructionists are fierce in their extreme theocratic views. Speaking at the The Discovery Institute is about as far right as you can get. And the other candidate may become more centrist (as he has in other ways) advocating that intelligent design be taught, but not in the science classroom.
The next few months will be interesting when it comes to these issues. The Christian Right will certainly MAKE them issues and MAKE both campaigns answer the question: Which Do You Believe In: Evolution or Creationism?

Obama: evolution of Cool

The Beginning of the End of Logic, Accountability, and Reason

The beginning of the end for logic, accountability, and reason
Originally uploaded by Plaid Ninja

Every Since the Creation Museum in Kentucky opened, young-earth creationism has been called "yabba dabba "science". You can see why so many people scoff at it. Kevin Padian, curator-University of California Museum of Paleontology in Berkeley and president of the National Center for Science Education, (an Oakland group that supports teaching evolution): "Propaganda houses like Creation Museum in the greater Cincinnati area do nothing but distort the truth and promote a lie. They feel they are needed because "our increasingly anti-Christian country must return to a belief in the authority of the Bible and be presented with the life-changing gospel message."
I don't care about what individuals believe, but when people twist their religion into something that not only abuses itself but also presents itself as scientific fact, I find that dangerous. Creationism should never pose as fact. Intelligent design, by definition, cannot pose as fact. The "just a theory" religionists do not tell you that in the scientific world, theories can be facts. Theories can be scientifically proved. Even Starbucks knows this:
Pushing "Intelligent Design" into science classrooms degrades and defeats the purpose of science. And modern day science is based on cause-and-effect reasoning. Take away reason, and there is no science. Yes, there are some "scientists" who promote intelligent design, but if you look closely at their credentials, they are not in the fields that would disprove evolution. Of course, critics of evolution, like Ben Stein, would have you think that ID people are being persecuted. The problem lies in the fact that these people were trying to teach ID as a science instead of religious propaganda.
"In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made School Boards." - Mark Twain (Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar)
That unfortunate description should be placed in every school board meeting room in the country. Many people don't know who is on their local school board - and what agenda is being pushed. Boards aren't necessarily made up of former teachers representing the different disciplines. Your local butcher might feel he has a flair for poetry so he helps decide on some of the literature textbooks. All school boards should have high criteria for a seat on the board - but they don't. Sometimes their only qualifications are that they have children in school. BFD.

School boards should be made up of people capable of making scholarly and reasonable decisions concerning the matter of the subject taught in school. In some areas of the country, certain titles are not only frowned upon, but banned because of the school boards' religious beliefs. The state of Texas is particularly noted for banning books.

Did we say Texas?

Genesis- VerseVisions Art

Genesis 9: 12-13 - VerseVisions Art
Originally uploaded by Marketseq

To the right is truly a wonderful piece of artwork by Mark Lawrence. He bases his creativity on Bible verses, so it's called VerseVisions Art. And while it is very sumptuous, it is not all that unique. All fine art is inspired by nature and shaped by imagination. Like the Maxfield Parrish below.

Get Ready For The Idiocy of Dinosaurs Cavorting With Adam and Eve!!!

This is the Mural That Started The Dover, Penn. Controversey.

In August, a mural depicting human evolution, painted by a 1998 graduating senior and donated to the science department, disappeared from a science classroom. The four-by-sixteen-foot painting had been propped on a chalkboard tray because custodians refused to mount it on the wall. Spahr learned that the building and grounds supervisor had ordered it burned. In June 2004, board member William Buckingham, Bonsell’s co-instigator of the ID policy, told Spahr that he “gleefully watched it burn” because he disliked its portrayal of evolution. (from Creation and Intelligent Design Watch)

Tomorrow is the 83rd Anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey Trial" and I will try my best tonight to give a small series on the idiocies of Creationism, the Creation Museum, and young-earth Christians. I'll have a lot of pictures and some videos. It will be at least 3 posts, if not more.

And...I'll try to see what the presidential candidates think about "Creationism" taught in schools. Hang on, because this Thursday is going to be bumpy! I may have to stay up quite late to do it, so if the reasoning get a bit blurry, you'll know why.

Stay Tuned!

On The Verge of War with TWO Countries: The Result of Absolutely NO Diplomacy.

Support for American Missile Defense System on Prague's Castle Hill

How Will Obama and McCain React?

These Two items have just hit the newswires within the last several hours:

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran test fired nine long- and medium-range missiles on Wednesday, state media said, including one which it has said could reach Israel and U.S. bases in the region.

The tests occurred at a time of increased tension between Iran and Israel over Tehran's nuclear program, which the West fears is aimed at making bombs. Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, says its program is only for electricity.

A New York Times report in June said Israel had practiced an attack on Iranian nuclear sites, and the tension has rattled financial markets. U.S. and London Brent crude oil futures rose by more than a dollar on news of Iran firing the missiles.

***

By Arshad Mohammed and Jan Lopatka 2 hours, 14 minutes ago

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The United States signed a pact on Tuesday to build part of a U.S. missile defense shield in the Czech Republic, prompting neighboring Russia to warn it will react with military means if the shield is deployed.

The U.S. and Czech foreign ministers toasted with champagne after signing the accord to place a tracking radar southwest of Prague as part of a system to protect against the perceived threat of missile attack from countries such as Iran.

But Russia, in a statement reminiscent of Cold War rhetoric, warned the United States against deploying the shield close to its borders.

"If the real deployment of an American strategic missile defense shield begins close to our borders, then we will be forced to react not with diplomatic methods, but with military-technical methods," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its www.mid.ru website.

Bush will have his legacy:

leading us into two cold wars or...
leading into two more actual wars.

Both McCain and Obama must hate Bush. He's continuing to do damage in the realm of foreign relations. McCain, of course, will not be as effusive in his opposition as Obama, but I'll bet McCain is cursing Bush right now! He's got what? 190 to go? With this guy on a roll, not even Antartica is safe.

"War? Didn't the idiot see Happy Feet?"

Yes, the poster below is before the last election, but it's even more appropriate now,
don't you think?

.

Christofascism At Its Finest

The Faces of Christofascism Are Out There!

Take a look at these small spots and you will see the faces of people who love it when they can incite hatred. The clips are of Rod Parsley, John Hagee, Benny Hinn. Creflo Dollar and Ken Copeland.

They are all powerful men. And power corrupts.

And they all have a particular aura about them: more than anyone else, they love themselves. "Word of Faith" preachers are being investigated for a reason: they live better than any one of their "flock/sheep". Among them, only Joyce Meyer gives the impression that she's in the business for the money - she's honest about it.

The hate business is a funny thing: it can make you look incredibly stupid. Not fanatic. Not crazy.

Stupid.

If hatred is man's most stupid emotion, then these people peddle stupidity. Some people call them "pulpit pimps." They make Elmer Gantry look positively angelic.







"I'm a Hustler, Baby!" is courtesy of Pulpit Pimps Exposed.

Who Are The Ones With The Baseball Bats? Gays or "Religions" Like Tony Perkins and the FRC?

The Audacity of Hatred

The Family Research Council really hit the HATE button today with Tony Perkins' FRC online newsletter: (emphasis my own)

Religious Liberty at Risk?

This Thursday at 10:00 a.m. FRC will host one of the most important panels in its history, a gathering of legal and religious scholars who will discuss the impact on the church of California's sweeping Supreme Court ruling on homosexual marriage. Each time a court rules for homosexual unions, whether full-fledged marriage or something akin to it, the question is raised whether the church and parachurch ministries can continue to reserve their rites and access to their facilities and programs to heterosexual couples. The question is particularly poignant now for a variety of reasons. Increasingly, legislative bodies and human rights commissions overseas are moving against pastors who speak out against homosexual conduct. U.S. courts are citing foreign cases and practices from liberal nations with increasing frequency. In addition, the California ruling on May 15, decided by a 4-3 margin, established homosexuals as a "suspect class" for the purpose of analyzing laws affecting them. That means, for all intents and purposes, that "discrimination" against gay sexuality is the equivalent of racial prejudice under California law.


O.K., let's look at this piece rationally (something that FRC never actually attempts to do since "faith" and reason never mix).

First, the title: Freedom of Religion at Risk? To many people, Freedom of Religion means freedom to worship (or not) in which ever way according to his conscience. Notice that FRC did NOT invite Hindus, Buddhists, and certainly not Muslims. Despite the attendance of one Jewish Orthodox speaker, this judgment fest will be strictly CHRISTIAN ONLY. What Perkins means, of course, is the freedom to spout hatred from the pulpit. He's right to be afraid of this occurrence: for many religious leaders, hatred is about the only thing they can preach. Don't give us this "love the sinner but hate the sin" crap either. Preachers know that this is beyond human nature. They count on it. "Love the sinner" is only a PR spin.

Church and Parachurch Ministries...reserve their rites... Of course they can! The law cannot force them to marry homosexual couples.

...moving out against pastors who speak out against homosexual conduct. The law recognizes that pastors have a certain amount of influence over their flocks (of sheep). And some pastors' rhetoric gets very close to inciting violence. Anyone who is as demonized as gays have been are looked upon as Satan incarnate. The time of the witch burnings in Europe (we only hung ours) 100,000 innocent women (perhaps more) were targeted simply because they were old and had knowledge of herbal medicines. The moment a group of "sinners" is tauted as unrepentent, they are therefore evil and must at least be shunned or at most - be destroyed. As any Muslim-American how this works.

...established homosexuals as a "suspect class" notice that Perkins doesn't fully explain what this means. He allows the pejorative to sink in.

...equivalent of racial prejudice. In a way, it is - especially with the military and the churches themselves. Instead of racially profiling in the usual way, military and religious leaders pass out in-depth pamphlets on how to "spot" a homosexual. Knowing too many show tunes can get you into trouble!

Now let's look at the rest of Perkins' little homophobic event:

Please join us as Seamus Hasson of the Becket Fund, Prof. Chai Feldblum of Georgetown University, Ben Bull of the Alliance Defense Fund, Teresa Stanton Collett of the St. Thomas School of Law, Nathan J. Diament of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations and I discuss this vital issue.

Seamus Hasson: for all practical purposes, Hassen is (although Catholic) a Fundamentalist lawyer who may fight for religious freedom, but also presses for prayer in schools.

Actually, the list contains lawyers. Period. The Alliance Defense Fund is the child of Pat Robertson and his very own Regent University.

Really, would you trust this group to be unbiased? It looks more like the judges indicted at the Nuremberg Trials.

Unfortunately, there are some people who might believe anything these people say, turn it to their own homophobic advantage and manage to get someone killed.

And that's the way of the world.