Wednesday, August 06, 2008
“scientific falsehoods being purveyed in the name of religion.”
I had suggested that the elevation of DUP MLA Mervyn Storey to Chairman of the Assembly’s Education Committee could see “more skirmishes ahead in the battle against The Un-Enlightenment.” And Lo! It came to pass.. The NewsLetter today carries his comments on his “personal” belief that
“Creationism is not for the RE class because I believe that it can stand scientific scrutiny and that is a debate which I am quite happy to encourage and be part of. The issue for the current Education Minister (Caitriona Ruane] is that she tells us she’s all for equality – surely if that is the case, you can’t have one set of interpretations being taught at the expense of others.”
Time for the introduction of those guidelines, in particular - “The use of the word ‘theory’ can mislead those not familiar with science..” Fortunately Richard Dawkins was around yesterday to respond in The NewsLetter article
“I have no objection to all kinds of daft ideas being taught in comparative religion classes but in science what we should teach is what there is evidence for and children should be encouraged to examine evidence,” he said. “If this politician (Mr Storey] wants to import creationism into science classes, I’m wondering which kind of creationism – Hindu creationism, Jewish creationism, Babylonian creationism, Aztec creationism?”
Or indeed His Noodly Appendage’s creationism.. The article also makes mention of the on-going pressure from young-Earthers over educational material at the Giant’s Causeway Centre. Adds Knowledge is, indeed, power.
Pete Baker @ 11:12 AM
Mr Baker: Has Richard Dawkins actually published many or any scientific articles or does he just make his living slamming God? His PhD was on crickets I believe. I must say I found it odd that a child of imperial Britain’s rape of Kenya had, by his own admission, no interest in the wonders of nature. I gues he was just an eloquent loafer, just like Mr Darwin of Beagle fame.
The point, my friend, is Darwin;s tripe is not scence either. I know you diagree but please provide me with journal references to establish Dawkins’ credibility. He is not even a real professor, just a hired hack of a MS billionaire given Oxbridge office space to sound off on his pet theories. No wonder British education is as bad as it is. (British education is to education as Rangers is to football)Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 11:48 AMWow, straight in with playing the man - in fact, not just attacking the man, but implying that his opinions are worthless because of the circumstances of his birth.
Jesus was an eloquent loafer, you know. Didn’t even have a DD.
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 11:55 AMLevels of scientific support for creationist bullshit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Steve
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:01 PMPete
I have one word for you from us Pastaferianists
Ramen
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:02 PMOh, and may his noodly appendage touch you with the spirit
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:03 PMSo if the earth is only 6000yrs old that film wot i saw ‘1000BC’ was all just made up????? And the Flux Capaciter that im banging together in me shed won’t get me and my Fiat punto back to the Dinosaurs?????
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:09 PMThe Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ, Mary Mother of God and other religious exclamations - what a scorcher of a statement from someone in his postion - ordinary decent secular unionists ( just how many are there? ) must be squirming in embarassment that their community has elected these guys. Its no wonder it was Wee Reggie, rather than Robbo, that has struck a deal with the Neo Cons and middle England views the DUP as if (rightly in my opinion ) they were from another country.
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:14 PMNow leave Richard Dawins alone. He’s a very clever professor and knows far more that all of us put together.
That should at least be some constellation for him when he’s burning in hell.
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:18 PMI bet he knows the difference between a constelation and consolation
LOL how very appropriate code word ... design
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:22 PMThat should at least be some constellation for him when he’s burning in hell.
Now would that be Hindu Hell, Jewish Hell, Babylonian Hell, Aztec Hell...?
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:45 PMGreat to watch as the DUP continue to make themselves utterly untouchable in British politics. It seems bizarre that Robbo is apparently now prepared to make the party the utter laughing stock of these islands all in exchange for short-term political capital in Stormont. Interesting to see how the UUP fare at the next elections - one would have thought that leaving clear blue water between themselves and the banjo-twiddling yokels of the DUP is now a complete no-brainer.
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:45 PMIWSMWDI,
You wrote: ‘ordinary decent secular unionists ( just how many are there? ) must be squirming in embarassment that their community has elected these guys’.Combined with Iris’ comments you have to wonder just how fit for government some of our representatives are. But don’t be surprised to see them all back in place after the next election. I wonder how many Catholics find that the views of the Protestant Taliban chime with them also?
We live in a joyless, dark little province.
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:48 PMSo far, no answer to my simple question about Richard Dawkins. No side tours into Jesus or anyone else. Please tell me about Dawkins’ academic credentials. His British imperialist background is quite relevant as it happens.
Dawkins is a waffler in the sense that he goes for the big God bashing picture. But has he also feet of macro waffle clay? If you think he is a profound scientist or wahtever, please furnish me the academic proof and I will be in your debt. To help you along the way: imho, only Steven Weinberg of the prominent God bashers has academic credentials. I am prepared to be proved wrong but I am on a quest similar to Nietzsche or that outlined in The Emperor’s New Clothes if the nutty Nazi inspirer is too much for you.
I say: Dawkins has no academic credibility.
You say: He has.
I say: Please please please give me the academic references so I can check them. Then maybe I too can extrapolate from one species of cricket to all things great and small.Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:57 PM“I have no objection to all kinds of daft ideas” (in my own opinion an explosion creating anything OTHER than destruction is absurd) but however..
thats not a nice way to kick off for starters… he could have said
I realise people have their beliefs in the formation of the world - and so on…
these types always seem very uppety don’t they?
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:59 PMI lived through all the troubles, brought up a family in a border area and always managed to get on with my neighbours regardless of any differences, all the time hoping that better times were ahead - and then this !!!!!
Back to the dark ages, I can feel the heat of fires being stoked and the cold of the steel on the back of my neck from the deliberations of this Christian Fundamentalist Inquisition.
This from a party who are trying to attract high-tech industry from all over the world, Jaysus, are they real or have I crossed into another dimension ?
Surely we deserve better than this.
If you are listening Gerry and Marty pull the bloody rug and get back to direct rule, at least that way we can imagine we have a semblance of modern civilisation.Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:01 PMPlease tell me about Dawkins’ academic credentials.
The clue’s in Professor Richard Dawkins’ full title.
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:06 PMrabelais,
“I wonder how many Catholics find that the views of the Protestant Taliban chime with them also? “
Yes - let us hear from some of these fine Catholic scientific thinkers of the early 21st Centrury that may be out there.
Bemused.
“one would have thought that leaving clear blue water between themselves and the banjo-twiddling yokels of the DUP is now a complete no-brainer”
Yes - but not on the constitutional issue - as both DUP and UU will be pro GFA/STA parties with the possiblity of Big Jimbo and the Tuvvers offering the only real constitutional alternative.
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:06 PMDec: Weake effort. Since 1995, he is holding that “chair”, paid for by space tourist Charles Simonyi. He is not really a professor, given the nature of the appointment.
So: please give me his academic references, not his populist tirades.Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:11 PMMaybe, Oswald, people here are less concerned with the academic credentials of Richard Dawkins than with the light being put out all over this land by the fundametalists in positions of power. In this respect, Richard Dawkins PhD is neither here nor there.
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:12 PMwonder how many Catholics find that the views of the Protestant Taliban chime with them also?
Not that many. Catholics, in my experience, don’t pay that much attention to the Old Testament where all this mumbo-jumbo comes from. They tend to get far more vexed about abortion (and previously, divorce and contraception).
To back up Sammy’s point that, come election time, the constitutional issue overrides all other factors, I seem to recall both the DUP and UUP campaigned in nationalist West Belfast at the last election hoping to pick up the pro-Family vote. Didn’t work out for them.
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:17 PMCongrats to Mervyn, Gregory and Iris for their magnificant contributions. Combined with the forthcoming IMC report telling the world that the Army Council have gone away the stage is set to check off at least three items on the Sinn Fein wish list.
1. Policing and Justice
2. Comprehensive Catholic Education
3. The MazeNot bad for the recess.
The TUV must be delighted
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:20 PMSammy Morse: If you read up on the (confused) RC state of play, you would find the following:
*. Intelligent Design is mostly a Prot fundamentalist tack: hard to defend, methinks but possibly scientifically useful as a way of exploring theories.
*. The official Mick position remains that the first few books of genesis explain what happenend and that it is not incompatible with evolution. An qually sticky wicket methinks.
*. These make easy and often deserving targets. But, as per my earlier psots, I am more interested if Dawkins is similarly flawed. My own guess is that he is.
*. Given the history of the 6 cos and the attempts, this blog included, to escape the chains of the past,contributors should possibly, in debates like this, lean back and give the other side a chance. This is not Rangers versus Celtic though I do think Dawkins and some of his opponents have similar intellectual myopias to those we see at Ibrox and elsewhere.
*. The “beauty” of the 6 cos is both sides could argue the other’s side well as the arguments and issues have been so thrashed out. It is so easy to waffle on about the others, the Micks or Huns, the same way Dawkins never talks about Dawkins or his own wqualifications or lack thereof.
*. So, please someone: supply me with his references on crickets (insects) or anything else that has been peer reviewed.Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:21 PMDec: Weake effort. Since 1995, he is holding that “chair”, paid for by space tourist Charles Simonyi. He is not really a professor, given the nature of the appointment.
So: please give me his academic references, not his populist tirades.Actually he is really a Professor since he’s a Professorial Fellow at New College, Oxford. His honourary degrees or whatever Chair he holds on any given year, is irrelevant in this discussion (though they would tend to underline his academic creditentials.)
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:22 PMDec: In America, Protestants are more actively anti abortion than Catholics. Protestants are obviously more Old Testament focused as they rely more on the Bible for/with their religion than Catholics do. maybe try to find out al ittle about the Catholic and Protestant religions. And about Richard Dawkins too if you can.
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:24 PMJust listening to coverage of this on Talkback. No sign of Mervyn Storey but an appearance from Paul Taylor of answers in genesis, perhaps one of those due to “address Mr Dawkins arguments” in Ballymoney FP church later this year. The increase of Dawkins profile due in part to the Ch4 programme “The Genius of Charles Darwin” seems to be a signal for an outbreak of ad hominem tactics by creationists demonstrated by Taylor and subsequent comments on this thread. The main issue is that the election of a person here is seen as a carte blanche to impose on the rest of us (and our children)fundamentalist religious opinions. Is this acceptable in a person who is Chairman of the Assembly’s Education Committee?
Posted by on Aug 06, 2008 @ 01:28 PM
