It was stunning, of course, to see that Texas State Board of Education chairman Don McLeroy, R-Bryan, endorsed a truly kooky and insulting book that attacks the faith of people who accept the science of evolution and calls parents “monsters” and pastors “morons” if they want to teach kids about that key scientific concept. But here’s something we missed about the book’s author, Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr. Two excerpts from a Christian Newswire press release dated September 22 of last year:
In a series of essays published at www.solvinglight.com/blog/, author Robert Bowie Johnson Jr. presents evidence that Barack Obama is directly linked to Satanic teachings through his close association with Oprah Winfrey, who parrots and relentlessly promotes, worldwide, the anti-Christian doctrine of her guru, Eckhart Tolle.
“The voting public has a right to know to what degree Barack Obama, who has called himself a ‘committed Christian,’ considers himself and his wife to be integral parts of Oprah’s and Tolle’s New Age global tribe, a tribe that has adopted the “wisdom” of the ancient serpent as its own,” Mr. Johnson said.
You can read the full release here. We wonder: does Chairman McLeroy also think President Obama is under the influence of Satanic teachings? Inquiring minds want to know.
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Bud Kennedy mentions Johnson’s Satan-Obama accusation in a column today.)
Sorry to be off post, but I wanted to bring your attention to this:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509719,00.html
It is a story about Representative Berman (R-Tyler) who wants to allow for religious schools to offer Masters of SCIENCE degrees in creation science! The audacity!
TFN says,
–It was stunning, of course, to see that Texas State Board of Education chairman Don McLeroy, R-Bryan, endorsed a truly kooky and insulting book that attacks the faith of people who accept the science of evolution and calls parents “monsters” and pastors “morons” if they want to teach kids about that key scientific concept.–
You Darwinists attack the honesty of people who say that their skepticism of Darwinism is not based on religion. And Darwinists PZ Myers, Judge Jones, Richard Dawkins, Wesley Elsberry, et al. have called Darwin-doubters names. So we’re even.
LRA Says (March 20, 2009 at 12:28 pm) —
–Sorry to be off post, but I wanted to bring your attention to this: —
That’s old news — it has already been discussed on this blog —
http://tfnblog.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/law-undermining-science/#more-1686
I love Johnson’s feeble guilt by association play. Because Richard Nixon and Billy Graham were associates, I suppose that would also mean that Billy Graham is a crook. However, we all know that that is not true. In fact, Billy is nothing like Nixon, and Billy is most likely the greatest evangelist of the gospel since the Apostle Paul. I love Billy.
However, it is interesting to note that many Christian fundamentalists believe that Billy Graham is an apostate, and they do not like him. Some fundamentalist web sites that I have seen over the past 10 years devoted considerable space explaining how Billy Graham does not adhere to “Right Doctrine,” thus making him some sort of leper in their eyes. Of course, Billy has returned the favor in a much milder way than the outright attacks on his faith that the fundamentalists have made. When asked in an interview by Larry King, “Do you consider yourself to be a Chriistian fundamentalist”? Billy simply replied, “No, No. Not at all. I do not consider myself to be a Christian fundamentalist.” I was there. I saw the interview.
So, there you go people of Texas. A great many of the people who would side with McLeroy, Leo, and company on the “evolution weaknesses” language do not like or trust Billy Graham. How does that grab you?
If you doubt me with regard to Christian fundamentalist hatred for Billy Graham, take a look at the list in this website below (see URL). Do you think any of these guys are evolutionists? If you do, I have a nice bridge in New York City that I would like to sell you. Look at this:
http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/Misc/graham4.htm
I got a email to put my views over the proposed anti-science language into the TEKS. This is what I emailed them back……
Chapter 112. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science
Subchapter C. High School
There are two problems in the following language of the TEKS
Problem#1
“(7) Science concepts. The student knows evolutionary theory is a scientific explanation for the unity
and diversity of life. The student is expected to:
B) analyze and evaluate the sufficiency or insufficiency of common ancestry to explain the
sudden appearance, stasis, and sequential nature of groups in the fossil record; ”
There is a problem with the above statement. There are no “insufficiencies” of common ancestry. There are no evolutionary biologists who support this statement.
TEKS 7B will not be taught.
Problem #2
“(8) Earth in space and time. The student knows that fossils provide evidence for geological and
biological evolution. Students are expected to:
(A) evaluate a variety of fossil types, proposed transitional fossils, fossil lineages, and
significant fossil deposits and assess the arguments for and against universal common
descent in light of this fossil evidence;”
As per TEKS 7B, 8A also presents erroneous information about how earth/space evolution work. Once again there are no arguments “against universal common descent”. Only a person who does not understand how science works can make such an uneducated statement.
Either way, TEKS 8A will not be taught. It is erroneous. Period.
My recommendation is to remove these two parts of the TEKS (7B, 8A).
Thank You,
Anybody got McLeroy’s email? I got some words for him as well.
Larry Fafarman Says:
March 20, 2009 at 3:46 pm
TFN says,
–It was stunning, of course, to see that Texas State Board of Education chairman Don McLeroy, R-Bryan, endorsed a truly kooky and insulting book that attacks the faith of people who accept the science of evolution and calls parents “monsters” and pastors “morons” if they want to teach kids about that key scientific concept.–
You Darwinists attack the honesty of people who say that their skepticism of Darwinism is not based on religion.
You keep lying Larry. Why???
Larry, head back into the sand!!!
I dredged up a few more details on Johnson here:
http://barthsnotes.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/don-mcleroys-unique-and-insightful-conspiracy-theorist/
jdg Says:
—You Darwinists attack the honesty of people who say that their skepticism of Darwinism is not based on religion.
You keep lying Larry. Why??? —
See what I mean?
Charles Says (March 22, 2009 at 10:34 pm) —
—“B) analyze and evaluate the sufficiency or insufficiency of common ancestry to explain the
sudden appearance, stasis, and sequential nature of groups in the fossil record; ” —
I agree that that is a really bad amendment of the science standards, but ironically I support this amendment because pushing through really bad amendments shows a lot of clout. For too long, you Darwinists have called us critics of Darwinism “losers.” For example, that stupid, worthless Dover decision is over three years old and you Darwinists are still sticking it in our faces. We could use a really big victory, like pushing through a really bad amendment of the Texas science standards.
Once again larry, you are clueless. You support it just because you want to go against the “Darwinist”. This is not a “Darwinist” issue, it is an issue that our (and my) students learn real science and no pseudoscience.
Larry said, “We could use a really big victory, like pushing through a really bad amendment of the Texas science standards.”
This is quite possibly the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard.
I’ll second that motion.
Note to Larry Farfarman,
Your last name translates to father’s father man from Swedish. That tells me your just an old goat that should not be listened to. Old Goat’s need to be fenced off since they tend to bit little children. With apologies to all the real farfars out there.
Ken