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News & ArtsTuesday, September 1, 2009
??!! / Religion Today in Idiots
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Oh, look: Idiots! A few parents in Sedalia, Missouri, complained about the depiction of evolution on a high school band's t-shirt. Here is the contested image:
The assistant superintendent then forced the students to return the t-shirts because "the district is required by law to remain neutral where religion is concerned."
Band parent Sherry Melby, who is a teacher in the district, stands behind Pollitt’s decision. Melby said she associated the image on the T-shirt with Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.“I was disappointed with the image on the shirt.” Melby said. “I don’t think evolution should be associated with our school.”
Mission accomplished, Ms. Melby. I do not think of evolution when I think of you or your school.
1
Sherry Melby is clearly an idiot, but that assistant superintendent who apparently thinks that evolution is a religious issue gives her a run for her money.
2
If someone's religion rejects scientific facts, then why should the rest of us have to respect it?
3
@1 - i think that superintendent wins the idiot contest. you would think (hope, at least), that an educator would know the difference between the practice of science and the philosophy of religion. as a bio teacher, i die a little inside every time i see a school (or teacher or admin or district) kowtow to these ignorant fanatics.
4
If evolution isn't associated with their school, I'd sure like to know what the fuck they are teaching the kids.
5
Reading Rainbow was canceled on PBS in part because no one can be sure anymore whether or not children have the reading skills advanced enough to follow along with the program - and they're worried about fucking t-shirts?
This country is well on its way to becoming a Third World shit hole.
This country is well on its way to becoming a Third World shit hole.
7
@5 I went to school in the third world and had better and broader education than most US high schoolers. I think you used a flawed comparison there :)
8
The western counties of Washington and Oregon should break away from the US and form a utopia. We have nothing in common with the majority of americans east of the Cascades.
9
Both sides seem to be at fault here, the parents for reading too much in a silly shirt and whoever is in charge of the band for not seeing this one coming and trying to fuse science with music, epic fail. A total distraction for what should be an enjoyable activity for those kids involved.
10
@8 is right! Western counties of Washington and Oregon have more in common with Orange County (both of them) than 'americans east of the Cascades."
16
"Pollitt said the district would now have to absorb the cost of the T-shirts — $700 — that would have been paid for by the band parents. Pollitt said an anonymous donor had originally planned to pay half the cost, but declined after the evolution image was placed on the shirts. However, the donor does plan to fund half the price of the new T-shirts."
seriously let's raise $700 so we can buy the first pressing of this new ironic viral t-shirt.
seriously let's raise $700 so we can buy the first pressing of this new ironic viral t-shirt.
17
Some horrible horrible company in that county printed them shirts, probably a company run by them thur homos . There must be an underground sleeper cell of progressives down in them thur regions, we gotta hunt um down and 'cterminate um.
And what sort a perunts wooold gone and raise up a kid to play an insrument out side a church any how? Ain't right.
And what sort a perunts wooold gone and raise up a kid to play an insrument out side a church any how? Ain't right.
18
Bauhaus I @ 5,
not becoming a 3rd World Shithole. Places like these never were on board with evolution. Don't assume that there's such a thing as progress, or that these folks were ever on board with ... well, lots of things. When it comes to science and some other issues, there are huge swaths of "huh?" in the hinterlands.
Now in recent years, these folks are getting kookier on the subject. There are well-funded right wing fundie groups with an agenda, intent on whipping these folks up into a frenzy, because evolution = all part of a plot to destroy all faith and morality. Seriously. Check out T. Frank's book, "What's the Matter with Kansas?", he lays out the details behind this campaign.
Oh, how I love how they conflate "my particular American Protestant sect" with "religion." Not the first time. Oh, the horrible anti-Christian bigory! Boo hoo hoo.
Oy vey.
not becoming a 3rd World Shithole. Places like these never were on board with evolution. Don't assume that there's such a thing as progress, or that these folks were ever on board with ... well, lots of things. When it comes to science and some other issues, there are huge swaths of "huh?" in the hinterlands.
Now in recent years, these folks are getting kookier on the subject. There are well-funded right wing fundie groups with an agenda, intent on whipping these folks up into a frenzy, because evolution = all part of a plot to destroy all faith and morality. Seriously. Check out T. Frank's book, "What's the Matter with Kansas?", he lays out the details behind this campaign.
Oh, how I love how they conflate "my particular American Protestant sect" with "religion." Not the first time. Oh, the horrible anti-Christian bigory! Boo hoo hoo.
Oy vey.
19
you enlightened hip descendants of chimps can certainly break away if you wish but we are banking on you sliding off into the Pacific before too long.
21
although it is hard to imagine how we will struggle on without the brilliant leadership your Senators provide on the national stage....
22
But please wait until after the football season- we can't imagine the college season will mean anything at all without the mighty Washington Huskies in the mix...
23
No, no. It's all a ploy. Now they'll sell the T-shirts on eBay and make a mint for the band. These guys aren't idiots, they're brilliant!!
24
@8: Check out the novel Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach. It was published in 1975 so it's likely no longer in print, but you may be able to find it used. Perhaps some of the New England states would be willing to join us, although they are a little too far away. Becoming Canadian provinces, us in the west and Vermont and Massachusetts in the east, would be more practical.
26
Not only are these people fucking nuts, they are morons with no sense of humor at all. The shirt isn't even claiming evolution is real! They're just trying to find a way to represent the term "Brass Evolutions" in graphics instead of words. That is a common image that represents the word evolution. Jeez.
28
Evolution is so stupid. I could never understand why someone would believe that they came from a monkey-thingy. LOL I guess some people hate God so much they will believe anything. DOH!!
http://www.raptureforums.com
http://www.raptureforums.com
29
I appreciate @JenV's comment--it's a play on words, folks....
And anyway, this representation of directional evolution doesn't actually show the kind of evolution scientists talk about anyway. And so the whole controversy is even more annoying to me, evolutionary biologist that I am.
And anyway, this representation of directional evolution doesn't actually show the kind of evolution scientists talk about anyway. And so the whole controversy is even more annoying to me, evolutionary biologist that I am.
30
http://www.landoverbaptist.org/thelittle…
Don't forget to take the Creation Science Quiz!
http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0101/…
Don't forget to take the Creation Science Quiz!
http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0101/…
31
Everyone knows that God made man, Adam, a male sexual being, with man junk and all. Oh, but the man was lonely. Adam needed a suitable companion.
So what was God's reaction? That's right. He made animals. So God busily creates all the billions of species in the world. (I wonder if, since God made Adam a male, if all the animals God created were also all male.) Then God passed the beasts by Adam, so that Adam could name them all, and find a helper.
For some reason, Adam didn't find a mate among the animal kingdom. You'd think God would have known that, but hey, he's busy. He can't think of everything.
Later, God induces sleep on Adam, and takes one of his ribs. (Mmmmm, ribs, aahhhhg.) From the rib, God makes Eve, a female, with all the female junk and stuff. And thus, Adam was finally able to stop jerking off all the time.
For the life of me, I can't understand how anyone would ever doubt for a second that this was the infallible, unerring, literal truth of how we came to be on this planet.
So what was God's reaction? That's right. He made animals. So God busily creates all the billions of species in the world. (I wonder if, since God made Adam a male, if all the animals God created were also all male.) Then God passed the beasts by Adam, so that Adam could name them all, and find a helper.
For some reason, Adam didn't find a mate among the animal kingdom. You'd think God would have known that, but hey, he's busy. He can't think of everything.
Later, God induces sleep on Adam, and takes one of his ribs. (Mmmmm, ribs, aahhhhg.) From the rib, God makes Eve, a female, with all the female junk and stuff. And thus, Adam was finally able to stop jerking off all the time.
For the life of me, I can't understand how anyone would ever doubt for a second that this was the infallible, unerring, literal truth of how we came to be on this planet.
33
@8, @10: east of the cascades might not work, i seem to remember federal way having some issues with an inconvenient truth, and consider the discovery institute and our very own susan hutchensen. no, it's not just east of the cascades.
@the shirt. i don't get the shirt. of course, i'm not a brass player. are those different instruments they are holding? are the "inferior" ones at the right? that might be kind of funny i guess.
i'm sure the district could sell those shirts online themselves to raise money. only problem, they might not use those funds for the best educational programs.
@the shirt. i don't get the shirt. of course, i'm not a brass player. are those different instruments they are holding? are the "inferior" ones at the right? that might be kind of funny i guess.
i'm sure the district could sell those shirts online themselves to raise money. only problem, they might not use those funds for the best educational programs.
34
http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?…
Great blog post about the same thing!! More details and input, etc.
Great blog post about the same thing!! More details and input, etc.
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