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| Science - the New Religion | |
Once again the issue of teaching evolution versus creationism
has reared its ugly head in the glorious US of A. Redneck creationists have been fighting a devolving rear-guard action
across much of America's 'bible belt' for decades on this score. First they
wanted to ban the teaching of evolution. When that failed they tried to force schools to give equal time
teaching 'Creation Science' (an odd title since there is virtually no science involved). And now
they are demanding that the textbooks come with warnings like 'Evolution is
Only a Theory' on them. Of course it's fun watching the slow extinction of an archaic and idiotic
ideology designed to exert control over others. Few religions have much to
offer in the 21st century and new generations, armed with a more intelligent
and rational view of the world around them, have good reason to reject most of
the beliefs of their parents. But what is the 2000 year old ideology being
replaced with? Simply new form of political
correctness. But apart from the obvious giggle-factor, why do intelligent people care
about this so much? Why fight the creationists at all? Why not just privatize the schools,
let them set their own curriculum, and let parents make a choice about which
one to send their children to? Some of them will create sensible young adults
with the knowledge to succeed in the world. Others will create people who try
to run their life according to the confused and contradictory writings in a
2000 year-old book (like believing some weird story about two naked people in a
garden eating apples, or some old coot herding animals into wooden boat), and
grovel to the tooth-fairy every Sunday. That's OK, we need people to work in factories and clean floors, and who
better than ignorant bible bashers muttering to themselves "I might be a
nobody, but at least I didn't descend from monkeys". And they could keep the
Arts students company when they serve fries at MacDonalds. On the other hand, if their interpretation of that book is that they have
to fly large airplanes into your office to secure 70 virgins in the afterlife,
then this it becomes a problem, but it's a problem which can be contained. One thing that the evolution of economies has taught us is
that generally those who make the best decisions have better lives. Islamic countries, still tied to
the notion that 'education' is synonymous with studying 'Koranic Verse', are
living in corruption,
filth and squalor, while those in the West are richer than at
any time in history. Rather than try to convert others to their way of life,
the West has largely done their own thing, and they are reaping the rewards. As the difference in standard of living grows ever greater, and the
inadequacies of religious
ideologies become undeniable, some will try to destroy the wealth of the West through terrorism, but that threat
can be contained with a little care and planning. Two people trying to force each other to accept their
truths are both repressors. If you try to force someone to accept scientific truth, you have
just turned science into a religion. People who truly believe in survival of the fittest also believe it applies
to ideas, and are happy to let those ideas evolve, and survive according.
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