Creationism: only in America

[trencacloscas]

Why this creationist fuzz isn't happening anywhere else?

I live in Europe, and all this thing looks so ridiculous from here. Not even churches or religious fanatics go into such speculations. When the Berlusconi administration (Italy, right wing) pretended to ban the mention of Evolution from the first grades of schools, the scorn was so unanimous that they had to back off in shame, and this was probably the only incident remotely related to the issue.

So, why the U.S.A. is involved in this strange controversy?

[Jose]

What is interesting is that the "highly educated" do not choose to challenge Intelligent Design in the education system. Instead, epithets and denigration do battle where diversity, reason and rationality is preached the loudest. My how the intolerant shoes are on the feet of others.

I guess you haven't read much of the literature on this. Even The New Yorker has had articles explaining--very lucidly--why ID fails when examined on its own merit. The science just isn't there. A brief description of some of the issues can be found here.

[phoenixfire]

Why this creationist fuzz isn't happening anywhere else?

I live in Europe, and all this thing looks so ridiculous from here. Not even churches or religious fanatics go into such speculations. When the Berlusconi administration (Italy, right wing) pretended to ban the mention of Evolution from the first grades of schools, the scorn was so unanimous that they had to back off in shame, and this was probably the only incident remotely related to the issue.

So, why the U.S.A. is involved in this strange controversy?

There are MUCH fewer Bible Believing Christians in Europe. I've had friends whose parents are missionaries in Paris and they've worked for 20 years and can never build a church of more than 50 people.

I think there may be more of a controversy in Australia/New Zealand.

[trencacloscas]

There are MUCH fewer Bible Believing Christians in Europe. I've had friends whose parents are missionaries in Paris and they've worked for 20 years and can never build a church of more than 50 people.

Er... I have to say that speaks very well about Europe. The perspective of half the States pushing to become a theocracy to catch up with the same parameters of Islam represents a show so desperately sad that even the funny and ironic elements sour big way.

[QED]

Er... I have to say that speaks very well about Europe. The perspective of half the States pushing to become a theocracy to catch up with the same parameters of Islam represents a show so desperately sad that even the funny and ironic elements sour big way.

If that is an objective in the US, then choosing a fundamentalist view would be natural. However, with so many skeletons in the closets (fossils in the rocks?) it would seem to be a very bad choice indeed. I know very little about the Islamic faith but I wouldn't mind betting that it was less likely to be unravelled by a minor amount of scientific enterprise.

[trencacloscas]

Soon enough, they already begun trying to supress science for reading the Bible. Exactly the same happened in Afghanistan. Science and maths were replaced in school classes by the forced reciting of verses from the Coran. Children there were obliged to recite in Arab, a language they don't even know (as Christian churches once did with Latin).

All resemblance is... casual?

[Scrotum]

Soon enough, they already begun trying to supress science for reading the Bible. Exactly the same happened in Afghanistan. Science and maths were replaced in school classes by the forced reciting of verses from the Coran. Children there were obliged to recite in Arab, a language they don't even know (as Christian churches once did with Latin).

I thought american children where forced to recite the Pledge... Perhaps im just misstakenn eh?

[micatala]

I thought american children where forced to recite the Pledge... Perhaps im just misstakenn eh?

Yes, you are mistaken. Children who do not wish to recited the pledge are not obligated to. I honestly don't know what percentage of schools recite the pledge daily, or on a regular basis.

[Scrotum]

Yes, you are mistaken. Children who do not wish to recited the pledge are not obligated to. I honestly don't know what percentage of schools recite the pledge daily, or on a regular basis.

Would not the fear of getting beaten by their parents force them to do so? (I know child abuse is legal in the States, but in Europe its highly forbidden to abuse a child).

[Cathar1950]

Would not the fear of getting beaten by their parents force them to do so? (I know child abuse is legal in the States, but in Europe its highly forbidden to abuse a child).

It is not suppose to be legal in the USA but I am sure there are places where it is acceptable. Here you see arguments on parents rights and abuse laws. You will get parents who bitch because they can't spank their kids while on the other had laws that make the parents responsible for the childrens behavior. I am not into corporal punishment personally and I know of children who turned out really messed up from parents that beat the crap out of their kids because their parents did and they think they turned out all right. Of course most are mistaken. In some states they want to kill kids and the mentally challenged.

[trencacloscas]

In some states they want to kill kids and the mentally challenged.

I don't think so. Bush should be in serious danger.