Terrapin Tables

An addition to the outrages; PA school board essentially requires teaching of Creationism in schools. In Alabama, an amendment to remove a usage of "colored children" in the state constitution is embroiled in a recount. There are about issues I would like to address in this article, but I will say that the portions of the state constitution that the usage occurs are deemed "unenforced sections of the constitution." That being said, it may seem only a cosmetic move. However, I am still amazed that the measure didn't pass. Actually, I am pretty certain amazed is the wrong word.

That initiative to remove the distinction between colored and white children in the State Constitution was successfully stopped by some wonderful Republicans' efforts. From the article, bold mine:

Alabama Christian Coalition President John Giles was aided by [...] former chief justice Roy Moore, whose fame was sealed in 2003 when he defied a federal court order to remove a two-ton granite Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the Alabama Supreme Court. They were joined by former Moore aide Tom Parker, who handed out miniature Confederate flags this fall during his successful campaign for a seat on the Alabama Supreme Court.

A great bunch: As much as I am no longer shocked by what Christianity has become, I can't see anyone making a qulaity argument that God thinks blacks aren't as good as whites. That guy with the Ten Commandments is runner-up for douche-of-the-year, and handing out Confederate Flags? Southern pride or not, everyone including him knows what those flags represent for millions of Americans, and he chose to do it anyway - lets you know what kind of people run the show in the south. Gooooooooo Red States!

i think it's kinda funny - i don't remember being taught creationism. and i went to catholic school for 12 years. is that weird? i was just pondering...were we supposed to be taught that? i know that i got taught sex ed - and my friend kelly passed out when we watched that video thing about sexual intercourse. by the way, did anyone know that there is a place called intercourse, pennsylvania? i saw it when i was up in lancaster.

after being down in NC for a month i see how the other part of our country thinks and lives...it's disturbing. sure, there are pockets of the south and midwest that are forward thinking but largely these people live simple lives without thinking about progress from the 1950s. there are even these little planned communities (VERY DISTURBING) that mimic towns back in the day with a main street, a baseball field, and a church surrounded by little shops and cute cookie cutter houses. some people find them quaint....frankly i was scared by them. everyone looks the same, everyone thinks the same, and no one is challenged...i think the election has shown me that maybe i should stay in the Northeast...

From what I understand, Catholic schools have been teaching 'theistic evolution' for some time now - which supports Darwin's theories about natural selection, but still proclaims God created man separate from the animals when it comes to the origins of mankind. It's those Baptist and Methodist schools which are hard-up on creationism (as well as small towns in PA apparently).

And yes, there is an Intercourse, PA. I have a mug from there when I spent a week in Amish country (don't ask).

Pam's so fertile I didn't even need to have sex with her. I jerked off in a sock and when she did laundry, wham, baby magic.

Uh-oh. I'm pretty sure I jerked off in a few of your socks too...

Sweet. I'm off the hook!

Michelle- Yes, the South is still backwards. Haven't you been reading my posts for the past two years?

Regarding the sex-ed- I heard about that on NPR this morning on my way in to work. I don't know how to respond. We're deliberately lying to our children to try to scare them out of having sex. And the stuff about homosexuality. What really gets me is the hypocrisy of America's anti-homosexual sentiment right now. Yeah, the Bible says that it's wrong to be homosexual, but that's not even one of the Commandments. Not working on the Sabbath is a commandment. Not using the Lord's name in vain is a commandment. Are these people trying to get laws passed to try to stop those? Not that laws should even be based off of the Bible- I'm just pointing out that people are choosing one part of the Bible to enforce, and ignoring other parts.

And the part about teaching creationism in science class. That just floors me. I was already starting to write up a rant for my own site on this subject (still several days before it's done, if I get to work on it). Doing research for that, I found an interesting statistic on religioustolerance.org. "'By one count there are some 700 scientists with respectable academic credentials (out of a total of 480,000 U.S. earth and life scientists) who give credence to creation-science...' That would make the support for creation science among those branches of science who deal with the earth and its life forms at about 0.14%" Less than a quarter of a percent. If anything deserves the term "fringe science," that's it. Are these people going to want to start making science teachers teach about a flat earth? If you take a strictly literal interpretation of the Bible, that's what it says. And there's probably nearly as much evidence that evolution occurs as there is that the earth is round (after all, have you ever been to space to see for yourself that the earth is round, or are you just taking scientists word for it?). I've come to my own conclusion that people that don't accept that evolution occured/occurs are either idiots, religious zealots, or ignorant. Most are probably (hopefully) ignorant- a girl I work with didn't learn about evolution until college, because they don't even teach it in high schools in Texas. But that's all the more reason to teach it, and not confuse students with religious concepts that have no place being taught in science. If you want to teach creationism, do it in a theology class. Oh, and one more interesting quote from that article reference above:

"A British survey of 103 Roman Catholic priests, Anglican bishops and Protestant ministers/pastors showed that:

-97% do not believe the world was created in six days.
-80% do not believe in the existence of Adam and Eve. "

Why are Americans so stupid?

Oh yeah, there's a Blue Ball in Lancaster County, too.

Speaking of all this, here's a nice satire of the whole mess.

Oh, and Fatboy: Americans are stupid because, in a competely disgusting way, it benefits them. Fighting for what you believe in, demanding accoutnability, realizing your own shortcomings: all that just angries up the blood, like a good sasparilla. Instead, we watch sitcoms and wait until we can receive an ultimate reward, entering the pearly gates of heaven for an eternity of bliss. Poor stupid people want to think that people are looking out for them, and accept when people tell them they are. Those are lies, however, and the result is more poor, stupid people. These people continue to support those that manipulate them, and the circle of life is complete.

The result is that this is what happens to us, and we smile and accept it because it's too easy being lied to:

Fuck, I can't stay away from my hatred of that prick.

fatboy - sorry, some things have to be experienced to be believed...please no smart ass comments on that statment...

see catholics do rule! no, just kidding...but i was taught by some very intelligent and morally sound people that the Bible is created from myths that convey truths that we should all keep in mind to live good lives. for instance, i do not believe that there was an actual adam and eve - i think that myth conveys a truth that God created us all. in fact that seven "days" of creation certainly entertains the notion that we were created over a period of time - it wasn't necessarily in days as we refer to them...that's just my schtick on it...i'm probably disappointing some catholics out there but that's how i was taught and how i believe i can best live.

Oh yeah...the best part of every trip to Philly is when 95 crosses under...wait for it...Blue Ball Rd.

Oh yeah part 2: the title "Treats for the Kiddies" is a Del the Funky Homosapien song, that's why it's for John. Well, me too, but John.