We are supposed to be this incredible nation, full of the smartest, most innovative people on the planet. And yet we allow religion to build a wall blocking scientific information, which might challenge their faith, from reaching their precious, tithing sheep.
And hasn't that been the message of the Abrahamic religions all along?
"Don't you eat from that tree of knowledge, just have faith."
And it is that blind faith which makes us the laughingstock of the world.
Seriously embarrassing!
ReplyDeleteFear. Terror. Idiocy. Republicanism.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Religious-Right-Wrong-by-Ronald-Nilson-120117-80.html
The laughing stock of the world? You haven't traveled much if you think this. I happen to be agnostic and agree with you about religion but there are many many countries, maybe most, that have religious populations equally as influenced by faith. Do you know what some other religions believe in? Make a list of countries and study their religions and practices and you may be shocked what you find.
ReplyDeleteAlso most people in the world are struggling, many beyond what we can imagine. I highly doubt that they are laughing at us or even thinking of us.
Plus we still do " allow" freedom of religion. In many countries you are NOT free to practice your religion or you are ostracized and/or discriminated against.
This group of extremists here are what 15% maybe? I don't know. So please don't generalize by making such sweeping self-indulgent statements.
Oh good grief!
ReplyDeleteWhat a bunch of superstitious morons.
Truly embarrassing . . . .
You know—at anytime Americans will start fleeing this country looking for intellectual freedom from the crazy theocrats.
Back in the 70's I lived in Scandinavia for a few years. I went with some friends to see the film, The Exorcist.
ReplyDeleteI had seen it in the US and remembered the audience shrieking in terror at various scenes. In Copenhagen, the entire audience was rolling in the aisles laughing throughout the film. They saw it as slapstick comedy. My friends were amazed when I described the emotional tenor of the American audiences watching the film. They couldn't believe that Americans could be so gullible.
Americans have only gotten more gullible (OK, stupid) in the intervening 40+ years. How sad!
Well, technically, we have no idea how the world was created. There are good theories using indepth research and expertise, but in the end, we have NO way of knowing what is truth.
ReplyDeleteJust remember, also too: this is a country who elects unqualified leaders. Two in a row.
I don't think it's a ignorance thing. I think it's just a belief system. It really doesn't matter what the truth is. We're here. Nothing can actually be proven with the knowledge that currently exists. One day? Maybe.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find more entertaining is WE, Americans, are part of an economic system that works best of all of them. Europe=major issues that are still being fixed. Eastern countries=why do you think THEY come here?
We are blessed. Too bad more people cannot see that.
They forgot to include a section for aliens coming to earth to mine our gold. *grin* I find that version of our history fascinating. Loving the history channel.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunate stats,there. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteAs a Canadian, I am ashamed of our results.
ReplyDelete@1:52 PM -- as am I! Must be our proximity to the U.S.
ReplyDelete@Stace -- Open your eyes and take a look at the economic system we enjoy as Canadians. Do some reading about how our bank regulatory system allowed us to survive the global recession and actually do much better than other countries. Please don't be so insular and blinkered; it's quite annoying and, unfortunately, all too common!
Anon 1:42
ReplyDeleteSTFU.
Thanks.
This is from one of my most liberal friends:
ReplyDeleteThe saddest consequence of the Democrats' (especially Obama) failure to lead on some of the most pressing issues of the day (empire, habeus corpus, war, SOPA etc) is that otherwise intelligent people are seduced by libertarian rhetoric, especially the Ron Paul phenomenon.
Though I disagree. I think within a healthy economy where unqualified people don't receive bad loans and politicians of all stripes weren't excessively selfish and greedy, libertarianism would thrive the most. You'd be hard pressed to find a good, successful, moral business man who disagrees. At least I haven't.
WHOA!!!
ReplyDeleteI guess that explains why the US is overwhelmingly denying global climate changes, and why we have these a$$holes running for President now...:/
I think you have beaten this horse nearly to death. Can we move on?
ReplyDeleteI have friends with faith and belief in god. I can't find it in myself to call them stupid because their faith is what gets them through this life. The people with faith that I call my friends are those that do not try to share their beliefs with me, nor do I share my lack of belief with them. We all know where we stand and we are still friends regardless of what our beliefs are.
ReplyDeleteI used to judge anyone who believed in god as non-thinking stupid people but I now realize that plenty of intelligent people believe in god and it helps them to be the people that they are. Whether god is real or not, sometimes people need it, just to get through their day or their life.
Well you have to remember we were settled by white fundies, many of whom were originally run out of their respective countries by the powers to be. Australia got the convicts, we got convicts and religious nut jobs. Some things never change
ReplyDeleteAlthough the results don't surprise me, looking at the total number of votes from each of the foreign countries surveyed, it seems the sample size would indicate an inadequate sample size was used in basing the results of this study. Some of the countries have as little as a few hundred votes, and we also don't know how the pool was conducted. In short, don't take the seriously!
ReplyDeleteOh, my, but am I surprised - not entirely. Missouri is considering changing its Science curricula standards to make Creationism mandatory in public schools. I don't know how much resistance there is against this foolish idea.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as a resident in Kansas, we have to go through this nasty fight every few years, depending upon who rural Western Kansas votes in. It is a never-ending battle to fight for science and rationality.
Thanks 3:48 you're absolutely correct. Was this a scientific sample, or voluntary poll? The sample size is very low; I'm not going to panic (yet).
ReplyDeleteThis is random but how does amazon rankings work exactly? Bristols book is higher on the list than Joes and Levis. I know hers did better than Levis and I guess it makes sense that it would be more successful over time than Joes, as his died pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteStill, Ive never understood their ranking system.
1:42 PM - take umbrage at the insinuation that President Obama is unqualified.
ReplyDeleteGeorge W. Bush - oh, yes, more than unqualified - absolutely a buffoon. You most certainly must mean him, and then must include Obama in that "two in a row."
That you would believe that certainly disqualifies you contention because you are not recognizing the accomplishments President Obama has been able to achieve despite almost total opposition since 2010.
Honestly, we ought be very grateful that we have someone of Obama's intellect and calm, rational demeanor. Even Bill Clinton didn't rise to his standard.
"...this incredible nation, full of the smartest, most innovative people on the planet...."
ReplyDeleteNot lately.
Wow- I had no idea. Thanks for this post. Now I know where we stand. Frightening.
ReplyDeleteMany Christians have no problem with Evolution - they accept Genesis as myth, know a 7 day creation is BS, and accept that a Creator God probably used evolution to do the creation magic. Founding fathers were mostly Deists - God created Earth, got things going, and left us to our own devices. Great discussion on this topic in "Creating God" by Robert J. Sawyer if you like very "creative" Science Fiction.
ReplyDelete@ 1:42 PM
ReplyDelete"Just remember, also too: this is a country who elects unqualified leaders. Two in a row."
You MUST be referring to Raygun and Papa Bush ... only "two in a row" I can think of!
I believe the founding fathers found it embarrassing as well!
ReplyDeleteSeparation of Church and State that has been eroding away in the last 50 yrs!
Something is very very wrong here.
Looks like an interesting site, does anyone have the URL? Gotta right some wrongs around there. ^^
ReplyDeleteHere's one more inspiring story of our fine Christian culture and its influence on young minds. Why Is An Atheist High School Student Getting Death Threats?
ReplyDeleteThe back story on her successful lawsuit to have a prayer banner removed from her public high school is covered here.
You'd be hard pressed to find a good, successful, moral business man who disagrees. At least I haven't.
ReplyDelete2:40 PM
I am more inclined to put the period after business man in that statement. In my experience. At least in the current climate. There are some but the tide is against them. Then there is the issue of whether "moral" goes with "business man" these days. At least I have these questions when looking at "business men" like Romney. Rip off artists more like it.
It's terrible but the fact is that THIS is who we are. Time to stop with the ignoring and imagining that it's some other version of an American, somewhere, that has nothing to do with you and me.
ReplyDeleteThis IS who we are. Unfortunately. The greatest nation on earth, in the worst condition of appalling willful ignorance.
We were NOT like this 30 and 50 years ago. That Conservative Right - Christian leaders, politicians - has been foolishly (even perhaps unknowingly?) spending down the principal of collective wealth and resource of intelligence and training and learning, and put nothing back for a rainy day. Even worse, they've borrowed against it with unsound and unwise investments with no hope of return.
- Christian organizations that have become billion-dollar power brokers and tangled up with national political agenda.
- Doctrine replacing good science at every level, in every forum.
- Advancement in research, particularly medical, derailed while people "decide" ethics.
- Books, education materiel, literature, mathematics, all hijacked for "standards" and content.
- Intellectually-stingy "Homeschool" has become a quintessential piece of our national identity. The rejection of literacy. We throw away our fundamental right to education, that most basic building block of culture and advancement; that people all over the world are denied and struggle and sacrifice to get.
- Garbage like KKK and Westboro Baptist Church flourishes, lending nothing of value and further reducing our collective mentality.
Enough is enough.
It's gotta be UNDERSTOOD, for once and for all, that they are neither the same thing, nor mutually exclusive.
One is spiritual doctrine. The other is science. One simply doesn't replace the other. Period.
There IS no conflict - it's a non-issue. It's been drummed up to garner support of those who are criminally ignorant and uneducated, to further personal/political agenda. The end.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-christian-mans-evolution
What's REALLY embarrassing is that 200 years ago, they were more advanced in scientific thinking and critical comprehension than Americans are in 2012. Now THAT is SAD.
It's a comment on our present existence, that no one is appropriately shocked at a candidate for the country's highest office with an open commitment to outlaw birth control. What?!
Religious doctrine has already become policy. That makes us a theocracy, not a republic. We cannot go any further down that rabbit hole.
It's time to CARE.
"Plus we still do " allow" freedom of religion. In many countries you are NOT free to practice your religion or you are ostracized and/or discriminated against."
ReplyDeleteYeah, here we only do that to Muslins. :P
Was this an on-line poll or a random sampling? I'd like to know the methodology.
ReplyDeleteThank God. MOST of my fellow Americans know God created this world.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the map makes me proud of my country even more. Most of us know God exists.
ReplyDeleteWow, you said it so completely Anon @ 8:23! WE have been going down the rabbit hole of deep seated ignorance, intolerance, and know nothingness for a while now.
ReplyDeleteThe sad fact is, like Palin, Gingrich, Santorum, Perry, Limbaugh, et al, they bible thump, promote hate and violence, and rigorously expound what solid "Christian Family Values" and "God" and "morals" they live by and are already shoving down our throats - while in reality they themselves lead amoral, hedonistic, and greedy lives completely devoid of humanity and decency to other human beings.
They do NOT walk with Christ OR God - they are as evil as Satan.
They also are not good patriotic Americans, nor do they understand the Constitution. The most disgusting thing is they are destroying this country not because of their purported religious values, the Constitution, or Big Government - but for pure greed, for personal gain, and most of all POWER - over you and me. We should be ashamed that the RWNJs and Faux Xtian Extremists have been able to get this far, and dumb down America to this extent.
Anon @ 1:17 PM "Plus we still do " allow" freedom of religion. In many countries you are NOT free to practice your religion or you are ostracized and/or discriminated against.
ReplyDeleteThis group of extremists here are what 15% maybe? I don't know. So please don't generalize by making such sweeping self-indulgent statements."
How about this - Please, YOU need to back up and face facts - re: we do still "allow" freedom of religion - I guess if you are a white Xtian in the US this would be true, but with the increase in religious intolerance, hate, and violence and attempts to legislate away the religious freedom of other non-christian religions - that is FALSE!
The truth of the matter is, no need to pride yourself that we do still "allow" freedom of religion - religious freedom for all, democracy, equality for all - those are basic, foundational American principles guaranteed by our Constitution.
Once our religious freedoms are taken away from us by the Xtian extremists we are no longer "Americans". That we are even having to repel this full on attack on our religious freedoms and our Constitutional rights - is obscene and disgusting. Our rights (in all areas) are being eroded away as we speak!
These attacks are being led not by true Christians - but by the likes of the anti-christs, traitors, avaristics such as Palin, Gingrich, et al, who are nothing but amoral, fake Christian charlatans selling snake-oil to the easy-to-dupe, the illiterate, and ignorant.
Nobody here at IM is guilty of making sweeping, self-indulgent statements about the shame of this country's decline on the world stage. Another thing - it really doesn't matter how bad other country's religious/political/social systems are, they weren't founded upon the principles of religious freedom and a Constitution guaranteeing equality for all, were they?
Those other countries' foundational principles are NOT in decline or under attack - we are talking about the US here, WE are the ones losing our core values, strengths, and freedoms in ALL areas to the point we are not only no longer the leader in anything, but far BEHIND (despite our wealth) many, MANY other countries now.
As other countries advance ahead of us at astounding rates - America is lagging, regressing, and losing our democratic ideals and freedoms. We ARE the laughing stock of the world thanks to the GOP/Teabaggers.
The American Taliban and American Al Qaeda led by Palin, Newt, Santorum, Perry, etc, has transformed this great country into a third world mentality, decline in standard of living, and moral bankruptcy.
@Lynne
ReplyDelete"
"...this incredible nation, full of the smartest, most innovative people on the planet...."
Not lately."
You're being harsh on foreign-born scientists, who come to work in America / become Americans because America pays them more, and who make up a big part of American science.
They really are the smartest, most innovative people on the planet.
Of course if India or China starts paying more, they might stop coming to America / becoming Americans ; but are you sure we're there yet ?