the anti-science nutjobs out there fascinate me. we are not supposed to take seriously the work

[niyad]

of science, repeatedly demonstrated proofs, etc., but we ARE supposed to take seriously a book that was supposedly written several thousand years ago for a mostly pre-literate society, and believe each and every thing in it. the mind boggles.

[Fumesucker]

1. It's worse than you think

My neighbor two doors up is a degreed engineer, he is adamantly convinced that the Earth is six thousand years old.

Go figure.

[niyad]

2. that is scary!

[RKP5637]

6. I was reading an article recently about someone completing their orals for a Ph.D. in Paleontology

while concurrently believing earth was only 6,000 years old. Many people have twisted minds IMO and education often does not indicate a well integrated mind.

[niyad]

9. how in the HELL is that even possible???

[RKP5637]

14. The total juxtaposition was apparently, so to say, compartmentalized

in two areas of his brain logic. Apparently he as quite competent in paleontology. Weird, isn't it ... I'll see if I can find the article and will get back to you.

I found it ... here's a discussion on it ...

http://sandwalk.blogspot.com/2007/02/lying-for-jesus.html

[niyad]

17. thank you for finding that--I think I will need more coffee-or possibly a drink, before I read it!

[RKP5637]

18. It's a mind twister for sure!!! n/t

[NickB79]

19. A former coworker of mine had a bachelor's degree in microbiology

From a decent state college, and didn't believe in either evolution or climate change. His dad was a conservative pastor in the Upper Midwest, so I can see the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

It boggles the mind.

[Cleita]

22. Isn't this because colleges stopped demanding liberal arts to graduate along

with your main field of study, or major, instead of it? When I was in college we had to take classes in what was called liberal arts, which also included some basic math and science classes as well as the arts and social studies so that we would be well rounded intellectually and educated. We also had to have a language coming from high school and in college.

I was appalled in later years when bartending and talking to younger professional people with degrees who were amazingly ignorant of basic stuff like history and science because colleges were no longer requiring those classes so people could graduate faster.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. You forgot the last part

Was written by god.

And yes, dinosaurs and humans share the land to this day...thanks to evolution. I have had a few religious nuts explode in anger when I point this out.

[niyad]

4. you are correct, I did (note to self: MORE coffee before posting!)

[coalition_unwilling]

16. If you want to really blow their minds, lay the Joni Mitchell line from the

song "Woodstock" on them:

"We are stardust"

One of the most poetically beautiful lines in all of rock and roll history, imho.

[RKP5637]

5. STUPID will eventually consume earth and the technologically advanced will leave

the earth dwellers to this own instigated misfortune. What we used to say all the time where I worked. "Geeks shall inherit the universe."

[niyad]

8. I like that one!

[Raffi Ella]

7. right?

I have a really hard time believing that they believe that stuff either.

Can you imagine the Duggar kids? Those poor kids don't even know about The Beatles, much less evolution. I mean they have NO outside influence, all they know is the Bible.

I guess they're happy enough and parents have a right to raise their kids as they wish but to see those kids, especially the girls, who have no idea! about anything.

wow. I wasn't even aware of this 'debate' growing up, evolution just was. I can imagine how it would blow their minds if they first heard about it as adults but really? One is magic, the other proven science. You have to be willfully ignorant once you know about evolution etc not to take it seriously.

Anyway. It is fascinating. I feel very lucky to not have grown up in a religious family.

[niyad]

12. I was visiting a friend a few years ago, and she only had basic cable, so the three majors plus

fixed noise. It became easy to see how some people believe in nonsense, if those are their only sources of information. I could not watch any of them for concern about upsetting the neighbors.

[Lizzie Poppet]

10. That book is an incredibly recent phenomenon. Pic related:

[niyad]

11. what a fantastic image. would you consider posting that as its own thread?

[Lizzie Poppet]

13. Go for it!

It's not mine...just something I snagged off of Facebook. Feel free to spread it around!

[RKP5637]

15. See #14. I found the article on the Ph.D candidate ...

[Johonny]

20. Have a brain fart and post it on the internet and people laugh at you

fart that brain in writing 2,000 years ago and people think it is sacred knowledge or ancient wisdom.

You have people today writing about pollution, climate change, deforestation, management of resources and they are completely ignored. Meanwhile people dead so long we don't even know who they were, are revered as revealing sacred information from GOD that tells important things like the number Pi is pretty much 3.

Why?

For the record anti-science nut jobs are generally not so anti-science as you think. Americans are generally taught to love science and technology but they are not generally told what it is. For most Americans if it sounds like science then it must be science and this mistake is made by liberals and conservatives. At the same time these anti-science wonks can't wait for a flatter TV, higher powered smart phone etc...

The US society is an interesting place. You have people talking about moonbases, space alien visits and alternative medicine making fun of other people that think the Earth is 6000 years old, evolution is a myth and climate change is a conspiracy to get grant money by universities over an Internet whose technology they created that is now so convenient you can access it nearly anywhere in palm of your hand...

[EvolveOrConvolve]

21. What's scary is that the anti-science nutjobs have a strong presence in our government

It's even scarier to think that we could have someone (like Palin) with their finger in the nuclear trigger, considering it "god's will" that an apocalypse occur.