BÔRDUM - $8.99

[nfotxn]

Flat packed, plywood composite joy.
One great thing about the suburbs is that there is nothing to do and a lot of ways to do it. You can drive somewhere, go shopping, have a soul splitting existential crisis and then hop in your car, drive somewhere and repeat the process. It ends when you spend all your money and the winner is the retailer who whores you the most. This is a system we call "free market capitalism" and it works!

Today I ended my shopping ritual with Paul at a Swedish furniture store where I bought a nice shelf to hang next to my bed. I think it looks pretty good.

Listening tonight to the BBC World Service with a piece about the legal battle in Dover, Pennsylvania over the mandate to teach "Intelligent Design" in schools as an alternative to Darwinism. I'm all for a plurality of theories being taught, however there's a problem with veiled creationism: it's not a theory, it's a faith driven postulation. An assumption that cannot be observed and measured empirically. You cannot observe a cell dividing and mutating and further your understanding of that cell by explaining the process as an incomprehensible design by a higher being.

It certainly is some kind of deviousness coming from the religious right these days. But we have to hard-line and call a spade a spade. Is Creationism a scientific theory? Are the Fundamentalists finally giving us Science believing Liberals our just desserts by using our own game against us? Sorta. It all becomes a big stupid game of semantics. Ok, Creationism is a theory of evolution? Certainly. Is is a good theory? Fuck no. Even something so simple as mitosis proves that this so called "Intelligent Design" is actually pretty decipherable.

Although I don't really fear this movement has much future. The whole premise of Creationism, in whatever clothing, is anti-intellectual. Don't ask questions, just have faith in God! Well, unfortunately I think God wants us to use our heads and think about the world around us.

From there I think we meet the logical and emotional crux of the situation: Fundamentalists Christians see the world around us as corrupt and falling away from "values". Some of their values are quite honourable, many ancient and dubious. They hope that by subverting something modern that people have faith in, something that provides us with results like science that they'll gain moral foot-hold. That they'll somehow reclaim the country from the clutches of secularism.

Anyone with a passing knowledge of early American history will find the irony of that notion rather biting.

Yikes, what a departure from a post about cheap home wares.

Comments

[soul-spider.livejournal.com]

So called 'Scientific Creationism' has been around for quite some time now. Do a search for one of their poster-boys, 'Duane Gish' and his Institute for Creation Research, and get ready for some intense craziness.

[emramesha.livejournal.com]

"Intelligent Design" has been around for about a decade, I believe. The fact that it still hasn't caught on in a large number of schools hopefully means that it is as dead in the water as full-on Creationism ought to be.

[jliv.livejournal.com]

They hope that by subverting something modern that people have faith in, something that provides us with results like science that they'll gain moral foot-hold. That they'll somehow reclaim the country from the clutches of secularism.

Unfortunately, you're discounting eons of human precedent. This is not a modern phenomenon. Religion is more a product of the collective fear in different cultures, and I believe it is finding deeper roots in this century because of the fear of the inevitability of progress. It's not something that is going away anytime soon.

I do think there is some credence to the complaints of the "Intelligent Design" advocates in regards to how theories are being presented in schools. Creationism is a theory, and provides a somewhat rational explanation of things if you are willing to accept their idea of "God". So, too, are many theories that are taught as fact in science classes, without regard to the scientific method in explaining how these theorists devised their conclusions. Remember, the theories behind quantum physics have thrown into doubt many older theories that were widely accepted. Students should be encouraged to continually question and challenge the information they are presented with on a daily basis. I feel the education system has done a poor job of teaching students to think for themselves.

That said, the "Intelligent Design" movement hardly proposes open-mindness as a virtue. Can you imagine if schools started encouraging students to challenge the Judeo-Christian idea of God, using the scientific method? The Christian establishment would be up in arms! Let's face it: the Creationists and "Intelligent Design" movement folks have much more covert political aims in their efforts.

[jliv.livejournal.com]

You think you missed the point of what I was saying. I certainly wasn't arguing for creationism or Christianity. I was arguing against bad science, and the poor state of public education. The Creationists have used this as the crux of their arguments, for political gains.

[jliv.livejournal.com]

theory - A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.

Isn't the idea of God widely accepted?

[jliv.livejournal.com]

Are you arguing that creationism/intelligent design is a theory?

Absolutely, and a popular one at that. However, by calling it a theory, one reserves the right to call into question the experiential evidence that supports it. You and I can both certainly agree about the preposterous nature of the claims Christians often make, but my concern is with the students who never see those claims adequately challenged.

[jliv.livejournal.com]

I think that if we don't keep ID and creationism completely out of schools, we're one step closer to losing the battle.

I hate to say it, but that will be a losing battle outside of the school districts that matter most: the poor, Southern areas that form the backbone of the evangelical movement, and the Republican voting bloc. Let's face it: they are winning, at least in Red State America. The arrogance of us educated, intellectual types will not change the fact that the evangelicals have a much more effective, comforting message than us smart people. So, let them propose creation as a theory in classrooms. But, also teach students critical thinking skills and how to debate. Teach them the scientific method, and use creationism as a test theory. Amazing how conservative and fundamentalist ideas crumble under the harsh light of academia.

[backrubbear.livejournal.com]

Let's face it: the Creationists and "Intelligent Design" movement folks have much more covert political aims in their efforts.

A bit more fun would simply be to say you accept the theory of intelligent design. However, the designer would be someone-elses-god or even aliens.

Cast things in the light of ridiculousness that they deserve. :-)

[jliv.livejournal.com]

Amen, my heathen brother!!! LOL

[satarnion.livejournal.com]

oooh, crafty!

[bookbear.livejournal.com]

The danger us science-thinking-liberals face is our own reasoning and intelligence, and believing the delusion that simply knowing what is basically true is enough to keep Creationism from becoming popular. We'r ewrong for that. It is becoming popular. More school districts are requiring schools to present some teachign of it at least side-by-side with evolution, or at least making sur ethat teachers present evolution as merely a theory and one of many choices but certainly not fact.

We need to be more vocal and active to keep it out of the classrooms, if that's what we want. Our mere poo-pooing of it isn't going to make that happen.

[jliv.livejournal.com]

I don't think keeping it out of classrooms is going to further the cause of enlightenment. It will only further galvanize the Christian right. I totally support presenting it as a theory, as long as students are allowed to express themselves when they find the obvious flaws in that theory. Too many people in the world, including people in power, DO accept these ideas as truth.

[fannypackcrew.livejournal.com]

[anomalogue.livejournal.com]

I've never heard anyone discuss the Law of Evolution. It's always been presented as a theory, hasn't it? So, why not emphasize that Darwinism is a theory, and not a law? I think this is a beautiful excuse to teach students a little epistemology, maybe plant some seeds of skepticism.

I agree, though--what cannot be allowed is passing off an untestable assertion as science. What cannot be tested is not necessarily false, but is necessarily outside the domain of science.