Only in America??

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Lotus Eater

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Re: Only in America??
« Reply #15 on: September 15, 2009, 03:47:47 PM »
I haven't seen Religulous but it sounds like a knock off of John Safran Versus God, which I thought was hilarious.

I agree - I think this is a beat-up, and will be resolved sooner rather than later.  The movie guys will want to make their money.

However, the elements of the beat-up make it really interesting.  Claims that the religious right are controlling that most American of industries, 'the movie industry', has to cause a furore.  No-one wants to admit they are being controlled by any group.

The reviews stating that it is even-handed and wise will appeal to the intelligentsia who see themselves as a minority, and the fact that it has rave reviews elsewhere implies that it is a GOOD movie.

I would also think that distribution rights costs are based on returns, and therefore movies unlikely to appeal to a mass market in any country will be priced lower than those with popular appeal, and proportionally across countries the price should be similar.

And if it is a good movie, then I can understand the religious right's problem, and the response.

An overtly religious knocking polarises people, gets people who were sitting on the fence to move back into the corner, is easily dismissed, has the pollies etc come out to defend religion and therefore makes it even more 'mainstream'.  A thoughtful, well produced, interesting movie about a highly respected scientist, intelligently looking at his work and life, actually causes people to think not react and is therefore much more dangerous.

Given the power of the religious right in the US to influence government then influencing this is not so far from probable.

I think the process is quite disingenuous and it will be interesting to watch the outcome.  ahahahahah
« Last Edit: September 15, 2009, 04:20:09 PM by Lotus Eater »

Re: Only in America??
« Reply #16 on: September 16, 2009, 05:42:34 AM »
That article is completely and totally ridiculous.
The amount of people here in the US that actually believe that are so small you could almost count them on one hand.

I could Google up religious nuts from every country on Earth.
blblblblbl
When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges. - Jack Handey

Re: Only in America??
« Reply #17 on: September 16, 2009, 02:08:51 PM »
That article is completely and totally ridiculous.
The amount of people here in the US that actually believe that are so small you could almost count them on one hand.

Sorry?

I will need some documentation on that. EVERY professional poll shows at least 50% of the American population express doubt and disbelief regarding evolution. The US placed just above Turkey on a UN University poll done not too long ago. The US education system is a shamble, partially as a consquence of having to pay actual attention to the unwashed mob that 'think' there are serious general questions regarding the basic assumptions of biological and geological science. And, given the politics of the country, 'leaders' there actually must sit and listen to the rubes as they drone on in serious public meetings about the earth being 6,000 years old. The last President said 'the jury is out' on evolution. America is a laughing stock on this subject, worldwide.

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Schnerby

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Re: Only in America??
« Reply #18 on: September 16, 2009, 02:58:49 PM »
There must be a large proportion of the population who just don't care. They haven't done the research/reading to make an informed decision and therefore are indecisive.

I don't know much about the science of the topic, same for cloning, gene mapping and how volcanoes work. I assume I'm not alone here.

Just because it's the prevalent view doesn't mean everyone cares enough to have an opinion on it.

Re: Only in America??
« Reply #19 on: September 16, 2009, 04:46:50 PM »
If you really believe that BubbaBait I have a bridge to sell you.

Man you're gullible.
* ccvortex shakes head

I have lived in the US for 40 years and yet to meet someone that believes that.
blblblblbl
When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges. - Jack Handey

Re: Only in America??
« Reply #20 on: September 16, 2009, 04:50:59 PM »
CCvortex.  I am not sure what part of the USA you are from, but a lot of the rest of the USA is very much Christian bible believers.  As I said earlier, many of the teachers I work with believe in the 6000 yr old planet.

BubbaBait is not being gullible at all.
Be kind to dragons for thou are crunchy when roasted and taste good with brie.

Re: Only in America??
« Reply #21 on: September 16, 2009, 05:11:20 PM »
That poll that was posted showed 39% who believe in evolution and 36% who don't have an opinion either way. Not having an opinion is nowhere near the same as actively disbelieving in it. Christian fundementalists are the ones who believe in a 6000 year old planet, and they certainly would not be "undecided" in a poll about evolution. Even if 25% of Americans don't believe in evolution, the vast majority of those 25% simply have their beliefs and don't go trying to ram them down other people's throats. The people out there boycotting movies and homeschooling their kids to keep them away from evil non-Christian ideas are a very vocal minority, but they're a minority. I'm not at all religious myself, but I also will say, just being a Bible believer doesn't make someone ignorant nor does it mean they don't believe in evolution. Plenty of Americans seem to think that the Bible and evolution can coexist peacefully.

Most of the Americans on this thread have spoken up and said that the article is full of it. I don't really know what else to say. DS, I know you've met these teachers at your school, but you have to consider that of the Americans that you might meet at a university in China could have alterior motives for being there, that is, they have a "mission." I don't really think FTs are a good example of any country's mainstream culture, religious or not.

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BrandeX

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Re: Only in America??
« Reply #22 on: September 16, 2009, 05:16:16 PM »
If you are a bible belter, you are more likely to be uneducated in regards to some scientific principles such as this.

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Lotus Eater

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Re: Only in America??
« Reply #23 on: September 16, 2009, 07:08:46 PM »
That one is easy to check.  How many schools  are required to teach Creationism or Intelligent Design - not in religion classes, but in SCIENCE classes?  How many universities are required to accept and pass student essays advocating either of these - again not in religion or theology courses, but in SCIENCE based courses?

What does this say about the influence of the religious fundamentalists?  And it's widening impact on the US?

Re: Only in America??
« Reply #24 on: September 16, 2009, 08:31:52 PM »
No schools, public schools anyhow, are "required" to teach creationism. The debate is not even about whether they're required to teach creationism, but whether they're allowed to even mention it as an alternative at all.

From wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_and_evolution_in_public_education:
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In Western countries, the inclusion of evolution in science courses has been mostly uncontroversial, with the exception of parts of the United States. There, the Supreme Court has ruled the teaching of creationism as science in public schools to be unconstitutional. Intelligent design has been presented as an alternative explanation to evolution in recent decades, but it has also been ruled unconstitutional by a lower court.]In Western countries, the inclusion of evolution in science courses has been mostly uncontroversial, with the exception of parts of the United States. There, the Supreme Court has ruled the teaching of creationism as science in public schools to be unconstitutional. Intelligent design has been presented as an alternative explanation to evolution in recent decades, but it has also been ruled unconstitutional by a lower court.

It goes on to give details, but creationists have overall not been very successful in getting their agenda into public schools, or in getting evolution out of public schools. They do try, of course, and have been trying for a long time.

I went to high school in both Texas and South Carolina, and I can tell you that creationism was never mentioned in our classrooms and we learned about evolution.

I've never heard of any universities ever requiring professors to pass papers that claim creationism as a science, unless we're talking about religious universities? Who would require this anyhow? The law? The university? There are no laws regarding what universities can and cannot teach, and I couldn't find any sources saying that professors are ever "required" to pass students for anything. All I could find, in fact, were sources from creationists saying that university professors "discriminated" against them by not accepting creationism as a science. Hardly the same thing.

Edited because I turned my whole quote into a link somehow.
« Last Edit: September 16, 2009, 11:17:58 PM by The Local Dialect »

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Schnerby

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Re: Only in America??
« Reply #25 on: September 16, 2009, 11:05:01 PM »
I seem to think TLD is on the mark. It's always a big beat up about how religion is killing science and making the kids learn (whatever undesirable thing), but I just don't see it. Where are the facts supporting all these statements about the 'Bible Belt'? It's easy to hand out labels - but is it the reality?

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George

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Re: Only in America??
« Reply #26 on: September 16, 2009, 11:14:35 PM »
The Creation Museum.
WELCOME AND PREPARE TO BELIEVE.

The state-of-the-art 70,000 square foot museum brings the pages of the Bible to life, casting its characters and animals in dynamic form and placing them in familiar settings. Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden. Children play and dinosaurs roam near Eden’s Rivers. The serpent coils cunningly in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Majestic murals, great masterpieces brimming with pulsating colors and details, provide a backdrop for many of the settings.


http://creationmuseum.org/
The higher they fly, the fewer!    http://neilson.aminus3.com/

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George

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Re: Only in America??
« Reply #27 on: September 16, 2009, 11:19:17 PM »
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Tony sez, "Recently, a group of paleontologists were in town for the North American Paleontological Convention at the University of Cincinnati, and decided to take a field trip to the Creation Museum just across the river, in Kentucky. My aunt went to cover it for AFP, and I had the doubly good fortune of living just a stone's throw away, so I tagged along to see what these guys were up to. It was an eyeful, to say the least. Gorgeous facilities with amazingly engaging displays and animatronics, and at least a few hundred cubic cubits of bad science and misinformation. One young lady stood, furious, and grumbled, 'It's bullshit. Bullshit pretending to be science.' Anyone who finds themselves in the Cincinnati area with a few bucks, hours, and brain cells to burn should check it out, and see what the scientific community is up against in terms of informing the public."

http://boingboing.net/2009/07/02/scientists-tour-the.html
The higher they fly, the fewer!    http://neilson.aminus3.com/

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George

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Re: Only in America??
« Reply #28 on: September 16, 2009, 11:26:31 PM »
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Boing Boing reader and Pastafarian acolyte John Duffell says,

    Mike Fair, a state senator from South Carolina, has just introduced a bill that would require public schools to teach Intelligent Design alongside evolution under the banner of science.

    Says Fair, "Many of us -- most of us, I hope -- come from homes where children are taught by their parents that there's a reason behind it all." While the rest of us heathens wallow in the meaninglessness of existence, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint and Congressman Bob Inglis have expressed their support for Fair's bill.

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/26/fsm-roundup-sc-schoo.html#previouspost


Dum-de-dum.......da-di-da....walks away, whistling.
The higher they fly, the fewer!    http://neilson.aminus3.com/

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George

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Re: Only in America??
« Reply #29 on: September 16, 2009, 11:35:41 PM »
One more....just for fun!

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Yesterday, I posted an item to Boing Boing about the growing popularity of Pastafarianism, a new religion that worships Flying Spaghetti Monster, initially created to protest the Kansas State School Board's decision to teach "Intelligent Design" in schools. A suprising number of I.D. supporters wrote in with comments like this from reader Anne Kenny:

    Okay Xeni

    I read your Blog about Intellegent Design and the spaghetti monster. Ridiculous. I'd like to know what you think should be taught in the schools.

    Certainally not evolution considering there is not one single fact that proves it. No missing links, not even common sense. Lies are still being printed that were proven wrong in the late 1800's but they're still taught as fact.

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/19/boing_boings_250000_.html
The higher they fly, the fewer!    http://neilson.aminus3.com/