"How many lights do you see?"

[Smith_3]

"There are four lights."

http://www.videosift.com/video/How-many-lights-do-you-see-Captain-Great-Picard-Moment

I sometimes wonder wether all the shit that gets thrown by religious or other "authorities" is related to this.
Why are we asked to believe that evolotion didn't happen when it obviously did? Why does the government
support this? Why did the catholic church force people to denounce their conviction that the world was
round? I don't believe that on the highest level in the hierachy, they weren't aware of this fact. I
doubt that anyone in the Bush administration actually belives that the world is 6000 years old.

What I think it boils down to is trying to force intelligent people into a position where they are afraid
to state obvious truths, as a means of maintaining control over them.

[Faygo Kid]

1. Great episode.

The point applies well to more than just evolution.

[Smith_3]

2. I know. I just use that as an example because it is such obvious bullshit.

What I mean is that the government has no gain whatsoever of the theory of evolution being denounced. What they gain from is having the people in a state were they are willing to do so.

[n2doc]

5. They gain by having an ignorant populace willing to believe anything

Then they can just sit back and say "Obama is a muslim" and "the economy is doing great" and "the chinese are drilling off Florida" and people don't riot.

[loveable liberal]

3. I loved that show, and you are right.

I suppose in order to believe in the fantastic or supernatural one would have to have the ability to set aside science.

[DailyGrind51]

4. Grover Norquist's "Conservative Coalition" did that to get disparate

right-leaning groups to agree to a common agenda. SUVs (more room for kids) = Anti-Abortion. I know, a BIG stretch, but it worked, which is why you had Christian conservative pundits arguing against universal health insurance but for unrestricted gun rights.