State Government at it again - Evolution

[LocalGirl]

I see the RR in our legislature have no more compunction about teaching lies to our young people than they do about lying to women with high-risk pregnancies about the health of their unborn. (That is the RELIGIOUS Right, isn't it? hmmm...)

[heironymouspasparagus]

I see the RR in our legislature have no more compunction about teaching lies to our young people than they do about lying to women with high-risk pregnancies about the health of their unborn. (That is the RELIGIOUS Right, isn't it? hmmm...)

Or the doublespeak version...

Not really religious.  And definitely not right - as in correct.

[dbacks fan]

Hey! I'm a liberal arts major!  And I push electrons around for a living.

Was just generalizng. Just tell me you didn't major in dead languages of some lost trib on a pacific island that only lasted 100 years, and has been proven that they have not had any affect on the planet in 30,000 years.

[Ed W]

Was just generalizng. Just tell me you didn't major in dead languages of some lost trib on a pacific island that only lasted 100 years, and has been proven that they have not had any affect on the planet in 30,000 years.

Nope.  Despite the continuing nightmares of being forced to re-take my Spanish class, I graduated with a BA in psychology.  I worked in a child psychiatric hospital for about four years, until I realized it was not how I wanted to spend the rest of my life.  Electrons are much easier to deal with, especially when you remember there's an 'off' switch.

[jacobi]

In reference to the humanities: the OSU philosophy department (specifically doran decker, our awesome department head) offers a great creation/evolution class.  While the class is even handed, takes and critically examines creationist claims (including reading Michael Behe's Darwin's Black Box, the flagship ID book), anyone who is willing to honestly evaluate the two sets of arguments come down on the evolution side.  When I took the course as an undergrad, it was like a bootcamp for taking down creationist arguments.  Now that I'm poised to finish grad school and hopefully will be teaching at TCC and OSU Tulsa.  This is a course that I would love to teach. 

[AquaMan]

In reference to the humanities: the OSU philosophy department (specifically doran decker, our awesome department head) offers a great creation/evolution class.  While the class is even handed, takes and critically examines creationist claims (including reading Michael Behe's Darwin's Black Box, the flagship ID book), anyone who is willing to honestly evaluate the two sets of arguments come down on the evolution side.  When I took the course as an undergrad, it was like a bootcamp for taking down creationist arguments.  Now that I'm poised to finish grad school and hopefully will be teaching at TCC and OSU Tulsa.  This is a course that I would love to teach.  

And that is why Santorum doesn't want young impressionable minds to go to college (without the commitment to creationism that would turn the tables on this obviously liberal anti-religion indoctrination).

Too bad Jacobi. Your indoctrination into logical thinking has been a success.

[dbacks fan]

In reference to the humanities: the OSU philosophy department (specifically doran decker, our awesome department head) offers a great creation/evolution class.  While the class is even handed, takes and critically examines creationist claims (including reading Michael Behe's Darwin's Black Box, the flagship ID book), anyone who is willing to honestly evaluate the two sets of arguments come down on the evolution side.  When I took the course as an undergrad, it was like a bootcamp for taking down creationist arguments.  Now that I'm poised to finish grad school and hopefully will be teaching at TCC and OSU Tulsa.  This is a course that I would love to teach. 

So I guess that class qualifies you to polish the buckle on the bible belt over Oklahoma.

[jacobi]

I've got a strong commitment to improve my hometown.  Just because is for all intents and purposes futile doesn't mean it isn't right or worth doing.  I'm hoping that the department clears me to teach the course.

[dbacks fan]

I've got a strong commitment to improve my hometown.  Just because is for all intents and purposes futile doesn't mean it isn't right or worth doing.  I'm hoping that the department clears me to teach the course.

So if God created the heavens and the earth in six days, and rested on the seventh, how long are God's days?

[TheArtist]

So if God created the heavens and the earth in six days, and rested on the seventh, how long are God's days?

From what I hear tell.  Before those particular stories of the Bible were ever written, they were originally spoken poetry.  Perhaps even sung and with the sound of drumbeats and rhythmic meter, around a campfire under the stars.  Poetry at its best contains deep truths, truths that are gained not on a simple, literal level, but are only gained when you understand the figurative meaning contained within and between the rich, multifaceted interplay of the words.   And, like "the day of harvest" is not really one day but a period of time, so likely "and on the first day" was also meant to be a period of time.  

[dbacks fan]

From what I hear tell.  Before those particular stories were ever written, they were originally spoken poetry.  Perhaps even sung and with the sound of drumbeats and rhythmic meter, around a campfire under the stars.  Poetry as we all know can often contain deep truths, truths that can not be gained through a simple literal reading but through the rich multifaceted layers of figurative meaning.   And, like "the day of harvest" is not really one day but a period of time, so likely "and on the first day" was also meant to be a period of time.  

Thank you William, that is the first time in I don't know how many times I have asked that question I have gotten an answer other than "Well that's what the bible says and that's what counts" or just an utter look of disgust that I would even ask the question.

[jacobi]

William you are correct.  The creation story found in genisis was originally poetry.  The Greeks had their own :  theogeny.  I'm also a big believer in the idea of insight and meaning coming from art, in this case poetry.

[Teatownclown]

Our State government is a reflection of our state citizenry. Just today, I was in a check out stand at a popular grocery store when the lady in front of me picked up a risque magazine and turned it around to hide the cover even though she said it was to display the back cover recipe. As she finished paying for her 12 items, we were in the ten items or less check out lane, I picked up the magazine and faced it forward into it's intended positioning. The lady told the check out person she wanted to wait for her child at which point I stated she does not have to shop here if she doesn't appreciate an open society and she doesn't have to look at the magazine cover. She proceeded to turn the magazine over to hide this beautiful practically naked model from my view. I then noticed she left without a child. Not only did she lie but she was devious in her attempt to gain control and "win" while being obstinate about her values. Sound familiar?

It dawns on me that this election will give us a chance to judge just how many crazy people there are in any given state, based on the numbers and percentage who vote for Santorum. Just yesterday, he said the main reason Obama wants more people to go to college is so they can be indoctrinated. Does this guy ever say anything that doesnt sound like it came from the mouth of an Ayatollah?

Anyway, Nate Silver's latest pol shows Santorum with a 97% chance of carrying Oklahoma. He's got 47% compared to 23% for Newt. In fact I think you can combine those two, for a crazy index of 70%.

[jacobi]

Yeah but I saw an estimate that sauid that a solid 34% of the state will vote obama.  I'll believe it when I see it, but we'll see in November.  My bigger concern is local.  There are some serious turkeys down in okc.

[Teatownclown]

Yeah but I saw an estimate that sauid that a solid 34% of the state will vote obama.  I'll believe it when I see it, but we'll see in November.  My bigger concern is local.  There are some serious turkeys down in okc.

Yes, but they are a product of our fellow Okies..... funny how many can identify the problem in OKC but fail to change the situation when confronted by the ballot. It's like a bunch of zombie church going voters getting their crazy ways.