Sunday, December 02, 2007
“Good heavens! You’re the culture minister..”
On Radio Ulster’s Sunday Sequence this morning, Will Crawley hosted a discussion [Realplayer file] between Al Hays, an American professor of politics currently working at Queen’s University, Ruth Yeo, the recently appointed Humanist Chaplain at Queen’s University, Times columnist Matthew Parris and the Northern Ireland Culture Minister, the DUP’s Edwin Poots, on the religious views of politicians. Will has blogged a section of the transcript of that discussion where Edwin Poots is, admirably, honest about his religious views - he believes in ArchBishop Ussher’s 17th Century chronology.. as do Lisburn Council.. and Matthew Parris resists, just, the temptation to call NI’s Culture Minister a “nutter”.. Which may help explain the Environment Minister’s official written answer on the age of the Giants’ Causeway.. although it also highlights the concern about what scientific literature will be provided in any Causeway interpretative centre.
That transcript
Edwin Poots: He [Dawkins] wants to indoctrinate everyone with evolution. And whenever people suggest that you can teach something other than evolution, and that there might be others theories about how this earth actually came to be, such as intelligent design, Richard doesn’t want children to have the option of actually hearing those things and making their own minds up. So it’s very interesting that evolutionists are very dictatorial in what they suggest.
William Crawley: Matthew Parris ... you’ve just heard the culture minister in Northern Ireland speak, Matthew. Would a politician in Britain ever use words like that? A minister ingovernment?
Matthew Parris: Absolutely not. No. And I would use the word “nutter”—not of Edwin, obviously. But I do use the word ‘nutter’ of people who think that what informs them religiously entitles them to say that evolution is a form of indoctrination. I mean, there’s absolutely no question where science points, and it can only be some feeling that you’ve got a direct line with revelation with the Almighty that could lead you to stop wanting children to be taught that evolution is the best available explanation of where we are now.
Edwin Poots: Matthew, you’re telling me that cosmic balls of dust gathered and there was an explosion. We’ve had lots of explosions in Northern Ireland and I’ve never seen anything come out of that that was good. And you look at this earth and you tell me that there was a big bang and all of a sudden all tat is good about this earth came out of it?
Matthew Parris: Good heavens! You’re the culture minister and you don’t believe in evolution?
Edwin Poots: Yes, absolutely. And you’re telling me that all of this evolution took place over billions of years, and yet it’s only in the last few thousand years that Man could actually learn to write?
William Crawley: How old is the earth?
Edwin Poots: My view on the earth is that it’s a young earth. My view is 4000 BC.
Somehow I doubt that the Culture Minister is familiar with Francis Bacon’s ‘New Instrument for Rational Thinking’..
One more time then..
“The use of the word ‘theory’ can mislead those not familiar with science..”
Btw.. Where are those Department of Education guidelines?
Pete Baker @ 05:11 PM
This is hilarious. Although I don’t think teaching intelligent design necessarily conflicts with science. We were taught at school that God was responsible for the big bang, nicely combining the two. And I admire Edwin’s remarks about explosions. Very funny.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 06:29 PMAbsolutely hilarious! I’ve listened to it twice now and it gets better the second time round. Lots of thing to say here, in addition to the ridiculous nonsense coming from a culture minister. Parris is woderful: he gets more and more exasperated. The humanist “chaplain” is out of her depth; at one point she seems to agree with Poots!! She avoids the word “nutter” even though she’s in conversation with a nutter in government (missed your chance there!). Then Parris tries NOT to call Poots nutter, but his definition of a nutter applies entirely. Wonderful radio.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 06:32 PMComedy gold. Poots really is an idiot. He doesnt understand science and he doesnt understand theology. Great discussion because it revealed how far we need to go in NI to move politics on. It’s a maturity crisis in our political leadership. Poots sounded like a 19year old Christian Union(ist) member trying to sound like a politician.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 06:50 PMI hope to god Poots never finds out about the Lascaux cave paintings, which according to him would appear to predate the formation of the universe by some 10,000 years…
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 07:05 PMJust shows the backwardness of political unionism at the moment. I mean being led by the DUP. I can see the parallels with the american south- Hillbilly redknecks.
Is Poots not a farmer… youd think he’d have some basic knowledge that selective breeding of cattle for example( a fine example of evolution in action) has given us cattle breeds such as the aberdeen angus for beef and the frisian for milk.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 07:20 PMAnother attack on traditional believers from William Crawley. Mr Poots was right to take him on in his own studio and he put up an excellent show. Crawley and the BBC are trying to force the people of Northern Ireland to accept modernism, liberalism and evolution. They make programmes which put only one side of the story and this programme was another example of that.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 07:26 PMThats a bit rich, a bible thumper trying to accuse anyone of forcing their opinion on anyone. When was the last time you saw an Athiest going door to door with science text books any bothering people in their own home? Poots was made to look like a fool, just like he does everytime the DUP let him lose in public.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 07:29 PMPoots is entitled to his views as long as they do not influence his decisions on serious matters. Any attempt to suggest that religious propaganda should be tied to the Giant’s Causeway site needs to be resisted. If they are to be permitted to have a plaque with a young-earth theory on it, then let’s have a plaque with some pirates and the Flying Spaghetti Monster on it - just to make sure it’s balanced.
Garibaldy:
Although I don’t think teaching intelligent design necessarily conflicts with science.
Yes, it does, since it is religion trying to style itself as a science. It needs to be resisted all the way. There is a real danger here that we will end up with more people like Poots, and dear old deluded Sam Hanna on here, who do not understand what science actually is, and worse, creating generations of school leavers who have been robbed of their ability to apply critical thought.
I don’t mind religious teachers saying “there are other views outside of what the science teachers tell you” and I don’t mind the science teachers saying “there are other views outside of what you’ll hear in religion class” but what is unacceptable is any effort to put them both on the same footing. I would not expect religious teachers to be required to teach Scientology, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster, in religion class just because of some vague requirement to cover all of the alleged alternatives to Christianity or Islam.
biblechristian:
Mr Poots was right to take him on in his own studio and he put up an excellent show.
He made himself look like a complete idiot.
Crawley and the BBC are trying to force the people of Northern Ireland to accept modernism, liberalism and evolution.
What “force” is being applied here ? You mean the BBC is sending private militias out into the country to demand that people sign up to those things ?
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 07:35 PMOn Poots’ comments:
Matthew, you’re telling me that cosmic balls of dust gathered and there was an explosion.
No Edwin, that’s the best explanation that anyone has been able to come up with based on observations of the cosmos.
What’s Mr Poots’ explanation for background radiation ?
We’ve had lots of explosions in Northern Ireland and I’ve never seen anything come out of that that was good.
Ah yes. Explosions are bad, therefore the big bang could not have happened. Like motorways are bad, because Hitler pioneered them. Or planes are bad, because bombs can be dropped out of them. Knives are bad, since they can be used to kill people. It’s disappointing that the interviewers did not press Poots to explain himself better.
And you look at this earth and you tell me that there was a big bang and all of a sudden all tat is good about this earth came out of it?
All that’s bad about the earth came out of it as well - famine, wars, plague, disease, all the stuff that God created. Nobody said it had to make sense. It’s what we see.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 07:38 PMWilliam Crawley: How old is the earth?
Edwin Poots: My view on the earth is that it’s a young earth. My view is 4000 BC.
Yes Edwin and in all probability you believe the earths flat too.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 07:41 PMBiblechristian says “They make programmes which put only one side of the story and this programme was another example of that.”
Well what was Poots doing on giving the biblical version then?
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 07:45 PMPoots is entitled to his views as long as they do not influence his decisions on serious matters. -
Poots is an elected government minister, people who elected him knew what they were getting, he has a mandate to carry out his office as his conscious sees fit
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 08:30 PMyou’ve a point there observer and Im a monkeys uncle or should that be the other way around a monkeys my great great great great uncle and probably Edwins cousin also
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 09:07 PMPoots was not elected to be DCAL minister, he was elected as an MLA, his party made him DCAL minister, a department it should be noted that managed to somehow misplace £10 million apparently, so it seems science and math aren’t Poots’s strength. Judging from the delivery of some of his speeches english isn’t a strength either. On the upside atleast he isn’t Education Minister.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 09:12 PMcould someone send the “Minister” (hehe) a copy of Totally Bill Hicks. that should clear the matter right up.
next.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 09:20 PMObserver writes: Poots is an elected government minister, people who elected him knew what they were getting, he has a mandate to carry out his office as his conscious sees fit
Call me old fashioned but I imagined that a Minister ought to know something about his brief. I don’t suggest that a Culture Minister should be able to quote Dante in the original, but evidence that he’s read something other than Bible tracts would be re-assuring. Poots has already shown his ability to seperate his political/religious views from his duties by turning down every invitation offered him by Irish language groups and by attending a great many Ulster-Scots events. The possibility for really damaging controversy in the future seems unlimited. If asked, would he be willing to present an award to a successful gay writer? How would he feel about a proposal for funding for an exhibition on the links between science and literature, for example?
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 09:26 PMIm proud to be a bible beliveing christian and if that makes me a nutter in the eyes of the intelligensia then i stand with the bible. The Bible says the powrrs of the world will ridicule the lords followers. Edwin poots is a good man and you cant ridicule him like William Crawley did for standing on the scriptures. The BBC is full of liberals and atheists and you cant tell the diffference.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 09:33 PMKeep talking bible guys, you’re selling more books for Richars Dawkins everytime you open your mouth!
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 09:35 PMI didn’t believe in a God until last week. When you see a parade of message-bib clad, evangelical, nutters create a traffic jam that causes a bus of whistle blowing, blow-up dolly waving, pink boa clad teenagers to join their party suddenly you can see the intelligence behind the universe.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 09:55 PMSo strange - Edwin being so polite and civil when faced with am irreligious sodomite....
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 09:56 PMAh, but a British irreligious sodomite.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 10:03 PMInteresting the proposal that politicians register their religious belief.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 10:06 PMListen to the next item about a ex PLO bomber converted to Christianity........
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 10:07 PM<a >Navaho Creation Myth>/a>
My favourite creation - myth - but of a read but the Navaho Hero Twins did a lot of good work.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 10:12 PMhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/nav/itb/index.htm
Sorry - still can’t do those named links.
Posted by on Dec 02, 2007 @ 10:13 PM
