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RE: what really concerns me

Comment comment by ldsudduth on 25 October 2007

It sells papers to rant about the evil geneticist and how he hates minorities. Not so much when the real story is that an old man doesn't choose his words very carefully.

You know..you hit upon the very thing that troubles me about the media--sensationalism. I actually read his comment with a critical eye, and didn't come away thinking he was a racist, but rather (like so many others) he simply doesn't choose the right words to convey his meaning.

BTW Scott--did you know that the St. Bernard proves evolution? I'm certainly a convert now...(typed with HUGE sarcasm).

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RE: what really concerns me by scottb :: NR7

BTW Scott--did you know that the St. Bernard proves evolution? I'm certainly a convert now...(typed with HUGE sarcasm).

That's an excellent example of sensationalist reporting.

First, it's hardly as if creationism even needed another challenge. It's a total non-starter as a scientific theory.

Second, the particulars of the St Bernard study doesn't show anything relevant to the argument. Even the most slack-jawed among creationists know you can breed traits into animals.

Portraying that study as having anything to say about creationism vs evolution was the result of a reporter thinking, "This is boring, how can I punch it up with a little controversy?"

The evidence in favor of evolution is overwhelming and those who think otherwise are just ignorant. I mean that in the literal sense - they don't know what evolution is or what the arguments favoring it are.

In a related item, I came across this depressing study done by the Barna Group. Now, I know to take it with a grain of salt, because the Barna Group is a propaganda mechanism for the evangelical movement, and it's virtually certain they skewed the study to show the kinds of numbers they wanted. What I got from it is that slack-jawed credibility is at least curable - 73% of Americans who didn't go to college say they believe Genesis literally. Only 38% of those who went to college do. They're both absurdly high numbers, given the actual evidence, but it is fixable, and the pattern persists on all the education cross-tabs.

Posted 25 October 2007, Hide, Parent, Reply