The book Monkey Girl and the state of science in America

[FVZA_Colonel]

I recently purchased the book Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul by Edward Humes (an excellent work which I absolutely recommend), and as I read through it, I felt the urge to read some of the reviews on it at Amazon.com. One, in particular, caught my eye, that of "The Professor." Now, given that the writer's obvious sympathies, that it would be filled with factual errors is without question. And ordinarily, I would have simply dismissed it and moved on. However, I checked out some of his other reviews (http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/AK8LVV3QIG6SL/ref=cm_cr_auth/104-1313260-1456738), and with each one I felt myself become a little bit more concerned. What has happened in the United States that people can accept such blatantly false "scientific concepts" as Intelligent Design (or, as I like to refer to it, Neo-Creationism), and dismiss Evolution, one of the most important theories in the entire history of human scientific endeavor and the foundation of modern Biology as a "doctrinaire religion put forth by a liberal, secular and atheist priest-hood?"

Perhaps I am just getting too concerned over this. After all, given the defeat ID suffered in Dover, things are not all ‘peaches and cream’ for that movement at this time. But after looking at the reviews of so many pro-ID works online, and after seeing the politicization of Science over the past six years (to the point that people really do seem to be accepting the idea that in the name of “fairness, objectivity, democracy and popular will” you must balance out something that is objectively true with a lie), I just don’t know where we’re headed.

[zbdent]

1. What will be the next euphanism for teaching the bible?

I mean, as soon as "Creationism" was ruled unconstitutional, Intelligent Design was put out there.

So, when ID gets shot down by the courts, what will be the new euphamism that they will use? They have all these new terms laid out, ready to apply for centuries to come ...

[bunkerbuster1]

2. Churches are wealthy, powerful, and unregulated.

Research science, generally, is not.

Do the math.

I have no doubt that your ID troll on Amazon is being compensated for his efforts. There are probably hundreds if not thousands like him, clogging up message boards and lending the appearance of legitimacy to such insane views.

[rasputin1952]

3. I deal w/Creationists all the time, kind of comes w/the territory when

you live in Nebraska...:)

The has been SO much corruption of Science by the Radical Evangelicals that regardless of how much evidence you put tout there, they counter w/some dinosaur-Flinstone thing.

People who preach literal interpretation of the Bible, or any religious base tome, know they are having theri faith challenged, and for this the only answer, (in their minds), is to cry "heretic" and push even harder to prove something that depends on faith rather than science.

When the Catholic Church was at its zenith, it still taught that the sun revolved around the earth, in fact it demanded that be the only acceptable answer. People were killed for going against that edict.
So, if this is a power play, it is playing out...there is just so much evidence for evolution, I'm kind of surprised we still refer to it as a 'theory'.

In any case, this is all about power...the old is being replaced, and the old doesn't like it.

[LibertyLover]

4. I'm reading that book right now

and finding it both very interesting and disheartening. I grew up reading National Geographic and seeing programs on Louis Leakey. In 1974 my mom and I visited Olduvai Gorge and actually met Mrs. Leakey (I got to pet one of her dogs which was great because I was missing mine and needed a dog fix). The first time I ran into a Creationist, I simply couldn't believe it. My first thought was how could they be so dense. Now you find them everywhere. My daughter will be starting kindergarten in the fall and already I'm worrying about how to teach her about all the extra things that she'll need to know, but won't get in school anymore because they are "controversial".