The War On Logic

 The evidence for evolution is so overwhelming that many religious apologists now concede that the Earth was not made in 6 days. Unfortunately, the fine folks of Tennessee have missed the message, joining Louisiana in advancing bills that many call antievolution policies.

House Bill 368, which was passed a couple of weeks ago, states that the state authorities are to provide information to teachers about controversial topics. The only named topics are biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning. Naturally, the majority of the actual debate is focused on denying factual scientific information that even suggests that the Biblical tales of creation might be wrong.

 For a bizarre period between 1925 and 1967, the Butler Act prohibited teachers from even teaching evolution, stating that it was "unlawful to teach any theory that denies the story of the divine creation of Man as taught in the bible and to teach instead that Man has descended from a lower order of animals." as soon as the Act was repealed, attempts were made to reinstate state-sanctioned theological dominion over the natural sciences.

  Now, the passage of the legislation actually violates Supreme Court rulings regarding religious education in public schools. Edwards v. Aguillard stated explicitly that the classrooms of public schools are not to be used to promote religious agendas, and make no mistake- that is exactly what these ridiculous bills are designed to do.

  Right now is a crucial point in America's history- one where the fight for common sense is very real. While you and I might know that the concept that Jesus planted all of the dinosaur fossils to confuse future geniuses is absurd, your children won't be taught anything but "An invisible man created the heavens and the Earth in a week". The right warns of Islamic Sharia law but has absolutely zero problem with injecting their bizarre belief system into schools, the government, and the laws which everyone must abide by.

  America is a secular nation by design, one in which everyone is supposed to have the freedom to believe as they wish and have their children taught as they wish. Americans also have the right to pursue excellence, and teaching children confusing fairy tales in science classes is tantamount to teaching children that 1 plus 1 equals 3. The United States will become the scientific laughing stock of the planet in 10 years because theocrats are designing a system in which students are set up for intellectual failure. There  are a multitude of reasons why 93% of the members of the National Academy of Sciences are atheists, but the one that sticks out the most is that religious orthodoxy is inconsistent with logic.

  I briefly went to a religious school and found the sheer disconnect from reality so alarming that I consulted with the Assistant Principal. He told me that he absolutely agreed with me, but that the Church forced them to teach that condoms didn't prevent AIDS and that Noah really did build a boat that defies all engineering possibility and fit millions of creatures on it. He knew what he had to teach students was entirely erroneous, but had several kids and couldn't afford to lose his job.

People can choose to send their kids to religious schools or not to, and they should absolutely have the right to raise their kids to believe as they do, within reason of course. However, what we're talking about here is public education and the logical separation of church and state should dictate that taxpayers aren't footing the bill for polluting fertile young minds with religious dogma.

Science and Theology are different subjects, but in today's America politicians and Fox News want you to confuse the two. They want you to focus on theocracies in other nations just long enough to institute one in your homeland. It's up to you to vote for people who represent your interests, and if you want Christian Sharia, so be it. The thing is, I know that you, the intelligent readers of this blog, most certainly do not want your children's minds and the Constitution ripped apart by delusional charlatans and their messengers.

So get out and vote whenever you are required with no excuse. Use your power of protest to let the hateful minority know you're still around, trying to preserve freedom of intelligent thought. Use your power to object, because if you don't, the New Christian States of America will take that right away from you.

Watch as John DeBarry tries to dress down Dr. Miller of Vanderbilt University and another house member uses the religious toilet logic argument.