Oh for fuck’s sake. You know, part of what seemed great about moving to BC was an escape from Ontario politics. However, after reading this (and, let’s face it: dealing with it in every aspect of political life) I feel the need to set something straight for the wing-nuts out there who want to defend their religious assertions against the godless secular humanists and their theory of evolution.
First off, it’s important to realise that the scientific community uses the word “theory” in a way that Joe Blow might not be familiar with. Scientific theory according to Wikipedia is, “…a logically self-consistent model or framework for describing the behavior of a related set of natural or social phenomena.” To further explain the uses of the terms “fact” and “theory” in science, in particular in the context of this argument, it is important to know that a scientific fact is an observation made—a measurement or evidence found as the result of an experiment. A theory is an explanation for the observations. In the context of this issue, evolution—the change in inherrited traits from generation to generation—is a fact. The Darwinian framework is a theory for explaining the fact of evolution. A heavily tested theory at that.
So yes, Darwinian Evolution is a theory—a heavily tested theory that has held up for over a century against the constant and ridiculous onslaught of religious fundamentalists. A theory—just like the germ theory of disease, gravitational theory, atomic theory, general relativity and dozens of other scientific theories that we all accept as valid and upon which a staggering percentage of the scientific community has reached a consensus.
But the misunderstanding of a few undereducated dipshits out there isn’t want concerns me. What really has me shit-pants frightened is the way Canadian politics seem to be tipping way over to the right, appealing to a few disgruntled weirdoes who believe that their religion is under attack.
This is how Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980 and what’s been going horribly wrong in American politics ever since. With the help of fuckers like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, the GOP managed to drag the church right out into the middle of American politics—where it never fucking belonged in the first place!
And now, apparently, Canadian politicians are trying to do the very same thing!
Now look, ask my religious friends. I don’t care what religion you practice so long as you respect my right to forgo religion entirely. But the minute you start talking about ending the separation between church and state I start worrying about where my tax dollars are going.
And when you start threatening to teach creationism on par with evolution, I start making Molotovs, okay? It’s ridiculous. And before you get your panties into a God wad, I’ll point out that I’d be just as offended if I thought my tax dollars were going to teach kids that the earth was flat, that the moon were made of blue cheese or that Santa Claus was the first Governor General of Canada.
We hurt kids by telling them lies and saying that those lies are on par with scientifically tested theories.
Period.
First off, it’s important to realise that the scientific community uses the word “theory” in a way that Joe Blow might not be familiar with. Scientific theory according to Wikipedia is, “…a logically self-consistent model or framework for describing the behavior of a related set of natural or social phenomena.” To further explain the uses of the terms “fact” and “theory” in science, in particular in the context of this argument, it is important to know that a scientific fact is an observation made—a measurement or evidence found as the result of an experiment. A theory is an explanation for the observations. In the context of this issue, evolution—the change in inherrited traits from generation to generation—is a fact. The Darwinian framework is a theory for explaining the fact of evolution. A heavily tested theory at that.
So yes, Darwinian Evolution is a theory—a heavily tested theory that has held up for over a century against the constant and ridiculous onslaught of religious fundamentalists. A theory—just like the germ theory of disease, gravitational theory, atomic theory, general relativity and dozens of other scientific theories that we all accept as valid and upon which a staggering percentage of the scientific community has reached a consensus.
But the misunderstanding of a few undereducated dipshits out there isn’t want concerns me. What really has me shit-pants frightened is the way Canadian politics seem to be tipping way over to the right, appealing to a few disgruntled weirdoes who believe that their religion is under attack.
This is how Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980 and what’s been going horribly wrong in American politics ever since. With the help of fuckers like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, the GOP managed to drag the church right out into the middle of American politics—where it never fucking belonged in the first place!
And now, apparently, Canadian politicians are trying to do the very same thing!
Now look, ask my religious friends. I don’t care what religion you practice so long as you respect my right to forgo religion entirely. But the minute you start talking about ending the separation between church and state I start worrying about where my tax dollars are going.
And when you start threatening to teach creationism on par with evolution, I start making Molotovs, okay? It’s ridiculous. And before you get your panties into a God wad, I’ll point out that I’d be just as offended if I thought my tax dollars were going to teach kids that the earth was flat, that the moon were made of blue cheese or that Santa Claus was the first Governor General of Canada.
We hurt kids by telling them lies and saying that those lies are on par with scientifically tested theories.
Period.
I apologise for any spelling or grammer errors as well as any percieved harshness. As the title indicates, though, it is a screed and a hastily-penned one at that.
The seventh rule in the thinking person’s guide to suicide: know nothing and the world will kill you. It’ll save a lot of hassle.
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