The Growing Disbelief in Evolution Among Republicans

[brokensymmetry]

To me, all religions are a mixture of pros and cons, so I agree with you in general. However, I do believe some religious approaches are more compatible with science than some others. And yes, some of the attraction to the eastern religions may be attributed to fad, but certainly there are a great many who do believe that the general approach with these religions is generally more open to science and less reliant on hearsay. Also, what many are doing is taking ideas from these religions and using them to help them in their own Abrahamic faith, such as what Thomas Merton did, for example, and this is also the technique I use.

Sure. However I suspect the faiths that are most compatible with science are the ones that make the least number of claims about how the physical world should be. So really, any faith that is easy to allegorize or focus on a mystical or hidden aspect will be more amenable to science than a young earth creationist. By the way, this is fine, unless you are like me, and aware that is the case, because then it ruins your chances you can enjoy religion at all. But, I suspect most people aren't like me and it's no big deal.

 

[metis]

Sure. However I suspect the faiths that are most compatible with science are the ones that make the least number of claims about how the physical world should be. So really, any faith that is easy to allegorize or focus on a mystical or hidden aspect will be more amenable to science than a young earth creationist. By the way, this is fine, unless you are like me, and aware that is the case, because then it ruins your chances you can enjoy religion at all. But, I suspect most people aren't like me and it's no big deal.

I have written it before, so some probably are sick and tired of reading this from me again, but here is my approach: Whatever caused our universe/multiverse I'll call 'God' and pretty much leave it at that". Or another way to look at it is that I'm pretty much non-theistic.

 

[brokensymmetry]

I have written it before, so some probably are sick and tired of reading this from me again, but here is my approach: Whatever caused our universe/multiverse I'll call 'God' and pretty much leave it at that". Or another way to look at it is that I'm pretty much non-theistic.

It doesn't sound like you and I disagree on that ultimate question then. That's about where I am with it myself.

 

[1robin]

Ok last time I derail the thread, promise.

US presidents by ranking/source.

Gallop Poll: Reagan no. 1
Washington College poll: Reagan no. 2
99' C-span poll: Reagan no.5
ABC Poll: Reagan no. 5
Rasmussen: Reagan no.9
Sienna Reid Poll: Reagan no. 2
Even the NYT: Reagan no.10
Ranker: Reagan no. 8


The end.

 

[Skwim]

Ok last time I derail the thread, promise.

US presidents by ranking/source.

With the poll questions provided.

Gallop Poll: "Who was the worst U.S. president?" Reagan no. 1

Washington College poll: "Who should have stayed away from the White House during his administration?" Reagan no. 2

99' C-span poll: "What president couldn't find his rear end with both hands?" Reagan no.5

ABC Poll: "Which president was an embarrassment to his country? Reagan no. 5

Rasmussen: "Which president never knew his right hand from his left?" Reagan no.9

Sienna Reid Poll: "Who made a better entertainer than a president?" Reagan no. 2

Even the NYT: "Who was the worst candidate the Republican Party ever backed?" Reagan no.10

Ranker: "Who was the 'What-me-worry' president?" Reagan no. 8 (George W. Bush came in first.)
​

 

[metis]

It doesn't sound like you and I disagree on that ultimate question then. That's about where I am with it myself.

Then we must be right.

 

[dust1n]

At the risk of derailing the thread, I must point out that it's impermissible
to merely nominate a most peccable prez. We need deeds...qualifications!

We'll probably would be an interesting topic for another thread, but I didn't make claim to the most degenerate president, just the most overrated one.

 

[dust1n]

With the poll questions provided.

I don't even know how to put what I just witnessed into words or proper feelings.

 

[Awkward Fingers]

I don't even know how to put what I just witnessed into words or proper feelings.

I suggest a nice enactment via the beautiful medium of Kabuki Theater!

 

[Gordian Knot]

Really do not want to continue the Kick The President game. This comment by Robin cannot be left standing though. "The day Reagan was inaugurated the hostages Carter could not get back were returned out of fear of Reagan. That says it all."

Robin, I don't know if you are old enough to have been there or are getting this from the modern rewriting of history. In either case your comment is completely incorrect. I am old enough to remember this period in time. The hostages were released not because Reagan came in but because Carter was gone. It was mere political spite against Carter that the hostages were not released until Carter was out of office.

It was a last smack at Carter. Reagan had nothing to do with it. No matter who had been President after Carter, the same result would have happened.

 

[metis]

Really do not want to continue the Kick The President game. This comment by Robin cannot be left standing though. "The day Reagan was inaugurated the hostages Carter could not get back were returned out of fear of Reagan. That says it all."

Robin, I don't know if you are old enough to have been there or are getting this from the modern rewriting of history. In either case your comment is completely incorrect. I am old enough to remember this period in time. The hostages were released not because Reagan came in but because Carter was gone. It was mere political spite against Carter that the hostages were not released until Carter was out of office.

It was a last smack at Carter. Reagan had nothing to do with it. No matter who had been President after Carter, the same result would have happened.

Exactly, and the hostages were actually becoming a liability to the Iranians because, if any died in their captivity, eventually there would be hell to pay.

 

[Gordian Knot]

Getting the train back on track. ImmortalFlame has pointed out something important to the discussion about Republicans growing distrust in science. They will not take the time to educate themselves about the science they rail against. They purposefully remain ignorant of facts so they can blather on about what they prefer to believe.

The percentages do not lie:

0.01% of scientists reject global warming is a manmade phenomena.
58% of Republicans in Congress reject global warming is a manmade phenomena.

Information taken from this article:
Now Just 0.01 Percent of Climate Scientists Reject Global Warming | Motherboard

Now I'm not pretending that Democrats in Congress have made any more effort to educate themselves about science, because I do not know that is true or not.

What is true is that Democrats accept that when it comes to science, the conclusions of scientists should be accepted. Especially when the percentage is, for all intents and purposes, 100%!

 

[YmirGF]

What is true is that Democrats accept that when it comes to science, the conclusions of scientists should be accepted. Especially when the percentage is, for all intents and purposes, 100%!

Well, to be fair, the consensus opinion in physics was 100% about the nature of the universe until a young fellow in a Swiss patent office turned everything on its head.

 

[metis]

Well, to be fair, the consensus opinion in physics was 100% about the nature of the universe until a young fellow in a Swiss patent office turned everything on its head.

Actually it wasn't because Newton's math didn't work out in respect to what was being observed-- he was close though. Newton himself realized that, and attributed the error to be compensated for by God's actions.

 

[1robin]

With the poll questions provided.

Gallop Poll: "Who was the worst U.S. president?" Reagan no. 1

Washington College poll: "Who should have stayed away from the White House during his administration?" Reagan no. 2

99' C-span poll: "What president couldn't find his rear end with both hands?" Reagan no.5

ABC Poll: "Which president was an embarrassment to his 1country? Reagan no. 5

Rasmussen: "Which president never knew his right hand from his left?" Reagan no.9

Sienna Reid Poll: "Who made a better entertainer than a president?" Reagan no. 2

Even the NYT: "Who was the worst candidate the Republican Party ever backed?" Reagan no.10

Ranker: "Who was the 'What-me-worry' president?" Reagan no. 8 (George W. Bush came in first.)
​

I guess that was a joke but since it is hard to tell a joke from a serious statement from lefties let me state the actual questions.

1. A Gallup poll about presidential greatness, taken February 2–5, 2011, asked 1015 adults in the US, "Who do you regard as the greatest United States president?"

2. A Washington College poll about presidential greatness, taken February 11, 2005, asked 800 adults in the US, "Thinking about all the presidents of the United States throughout history to the present, who would you say was America's greatest president?"[32]

3. In addition to conducting a historian survey, C-Span also conducted a presidential leadership survey of 1145 viewers in December 1999.

4. An ABC News poll about presidential greatness, taken February 16–20, 2000, asked 1,012 adults in the U.S., "Who do you think was the greatest American president?"

5. Rasmussen poll Favorable rating.

6. Siena College Research Institute survey, average of favorable categories for presidential qualifications.

7. In January 2013, New York Times journalist and statistician Nate Silver composed a composite list of previous presidential rankings by scholars for the purpose of predicting President Barack Obama's ranking among presidents. I imagine Obama's rating will continue to fall out the bottom of the stack as time reveals more of his tyrannical actions.

8. Ranker's criteria is self explanatory.

So I guess if actual reality does not suit you just keep substituting your own until it consumes both.

 

[Gordian Knot]

And off the track we go again.

 

[Gordian Knot]

Ymir wrote "Well, to be fair, the consensus opinion in physics was 100% about the nature of the universe until a young fellow in a Swiss patent office turned everything on its head."

Don't think the consensus was 100%, though I will agree it was a majority. What you point out, though, is the strength of science over religion. When Einstein came along with theories that improved our understanding of how the universe works, science changed its belief structure because of the validity of the new theories, which were proven by repeatable testing and checking the results.

With creationism as with religion, nothing changes in their viewpoint. It is set in stone. Why? Because belief rules. Facts play no part. A significant portion of when religions have changed their point of view was when they could no longer ignore the reality of the science.

Earth being the center of the Universe. The belief in a flat earth. The age of the earth being only 6,000 years, and so on and so on. None of these beliefs were changed because of theology. None.

 

[Skwim]

And off the track we go again.

After you've been here a bit longer you'll see this pretty frequently. If people wanted to stay on topic they would. What happens is that an OP subject runs out of gas and people start going off on various tangents. IMO there's nothing wrong with it. If you want to stay on-topic fine, maybe you'll get lucky and resurrect it, but don't expect too much.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

After you've been here a bit longer you'll see this pretty frequently. If people wanted to stay on topic they would. What happens is that an OP subject runs out of gas and people start going off on various tangents. IMO there's nothing wrong with it. If you want to stay on-topic fine, maybe you'll get lucky and resurrect it, but don't expect too much.

Oh come on, pie is way better than cake.

 

[YmirGF]

Oh come on, pie is way better than cake.

:eat: :eat: :eat: :eat:

I tremble with excitement at the thought of pie. Cake just doesn't make it for me.