Entries by tag: creationism
I know it was a little while ago, but I couldn’t help but bring up one of “Peter” Hitchens’* more fatuous recent outpourings. Hidden away at the bottom of an ignorant screed about drugs and other sundry matters, was this little gem of beautifully constructed prose. As follows:
“Peter” apparently only comes out from under his rock to scribble barely coherent nonsense about snow and “gays”, otherwise he would have been aware that this “incessant” Darwin Festival is happening for quite a good reason. It just so happens this year is the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of “On the Origin of Species”. Not only that, but “Peter’s” article was published a mere three days after Darwin Day, a celebration of his work marked by his birthday on February 12. In the context of all of this, some might consider it reasonable that the BBC might wish to mention him now and again (not to mention the likelihood that “Peter” is merely using this as an excuse to please his editors by taking another jab at the BBC, no matter how feeble).
But no, none of this is good enough for “Peter”. No, he can’t be having something as unpatriotic as a “flunked parson and failed doctor” on his beloved £10 note! Of course this is a fairly standard rhetorical tactic for attempting to discredit someone; focus on trivial aspects of their past (the more insignificant the better) whilst ignoring their achievements. In this case, however, the achievement is a little too great to ignore – the theory of evolution by natural selection, one of the most important scientific theories ever. A little too big to sweep under the carpet, perhaps.
And here of course, “Peter” reveals his creationist sympathies. First he brings up the “evolution leads to genocide” canard, a tired and pathetic argument that needs to be put to rest. But oh no! “Peter” is generously offering to “consider the possibility that his theory … may be true”, and yet these horrible Darwinists are ordering, ORDERING him to believe in it!
Except, well… no.
Being taught something at school and being “ordered” to believe it are two different things, and “Peter’s” desperate attempt to frame evolutionary science as some kind of awful oppressor just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. It must be difficult to live in “Peter’s” world, where the Militant Atheist Drug-Taking Multi-Cultural “Gay” Stasi are constantly ordering him to believe in things that he doesn’t understand.
And then we have: “I also get cross when I’m told by Darwinist bigots that if I dare to doubt Darwin, then I must believe in the literal truth of the Bible,” which is just ridiculous. A straw man “Darwinist bigot” insisting on an obviously false dichotomy. There are plenty of things he could believe in other than “Darwin” or “the Bible”, but he seems to have forgotten about that.
And finally, “Peter” insists that just like everyone else he is utterly baffled by the world around him. I am sorry to break it to you, “Peter”, but unfortunately, that is largely just you. As far as the complexity of life on this planet goes, we have a pretty good idea of what’s going on. It’s called evolution, and you obviously don’t understand it in the slightest.
Not good enough. D-. See me after class.
* And that’s another thing! I can’t even refer to him as “Petrus” anymore! Petrus, a perfectly good, solid and above all neutral word, but unfortunately not considered enthusiastic enough by the Pro-“Peter” Militant Nazi Agenda. Now we have to say “Peter”. Which is exactly why I don't, apart from in inverted commas.
"Can I be the only person sick to the teeth of the BBC’s incessant Darwin Festival? It’s bad enough having this flunked parson and failed doctor (though he was a reasonable taxidermist) on the £10 note. I’m quite prepared to consider the possibility that his theory (welcomed by all kinds of nasty people because it licensed their genocidal projects or freed them from guilt) may conceivably be true. But I do get tired of bossy people ordering me to believe in it. I also get cross when I’m told by Darwinist bigots that if I dare to doubt Darwin, then I must believe in the literal truth of the Bible. I don’t. Like everyone else, I have no idea how the realm of Nature took its present form."
“Peter” apparently only comes out from under his rock to scribble barely coherent nonsense about snow and “gays”, otherwise he would have been aware that this “incessant” Darwin Festival is happening for quite a good reason. It just so happens this year is the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of “On the Origin of Species”. Not only that, but “Peter’s” article was published a mere three days after Darwin Day, a celebration of his work marked by his birthday on February 12. In the context of all of this, some might consider it reasonable that the BBC might wish to mention him now and again (not to mention the likelihood that “Peter” is merely using this as an excuse to please his editors by taking another jab at the BBC, no matter how feeble).
But no, none of this is good enough for “Peter”. No, he can’t be having something as unpatriotic as a “flunked parson and failed doctor” on his beloved £10 note! Of course this is a fairly standard rhetorical tactic for attempting to discredit someone; focus on trivial aspects of their past (the more insignificant the better) whilst ignoring their achievements. In this case, however, the achievement is a little too great to ignore – the theory of evolution by natural selection, one of the most important scientific theories ever. A little too big to sweep under the carpet, perhaps.
And here of course, “Peter” reveals his creationist sympathies. First he brings up the “evolution leads to genocide” canard, a tired and pathetic argument that needs to be put to rest. But oh no! “Peter” is generously offering to “consider the possibility that his theory … may be true”, and yet these horrible Darwinists are ordering, ORDERING him to believe in it!
Except, well… no.
Being taught something at school and being “ordered” to believe it are two different things, and “Peter’s” desperate attempt to frame evolutionary science as some kind of awful oppressor just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. It must be difficult to live in “Peter’s” world, where the Militant Atheist Drug-Taking Multi-Cultural “Gay” Stasi are constantly ordering him to believe in things that he doesn’t understand.
And then we have: “I also get cross when I’m told by Darwinist bigots that if I dare to doubt Darwin, then I must believe in the literal truth of the Bible,” which is just ridiculous. A straw man “Darwinist bigot” insisting on an obviously false dichotomy. There are plenty of things he could believe in other than “Darwin” or “the Bible”, but he seems to have forgotten about that.
And finally, “Peter” insists that just like everyone else he is utterly baffled by the world around him. I am sorry to break it to you, “Peter”, but unfortunately, that is largely just you. As far as the complexity of life on this planet goes, we have a pretty good idea of what’s going on. It’s called evolution, and you obviously don’t understand it in the slightest.
Not good enough. D-. See me after class.
* And that’s another thing! I can’t even refer to him as “Petrus” anymore! Petrus, a perfectly good, solid and above all neutral word, but unfortunately not considered enthusiastic enough by the Pro-“Peter” Militant Nazi Agenda. Now we have to say “Peter”. Which is exactly why I don't, apart from in inverted commas.
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You may not that I am not arguing against any numbers. I am not arguing that rapists should go free (rather the…
like this:
Anyone who challenges our assumptions = enemy.
what how.