I haven’t checked out her comments, but if your description is accurate, that’s what I was afraid of. I meant what I said: Creationism is ignorance. It has nothing to do with either science or religion. Evolution doesn’t bother Catholics; why should it bother Evangelicals?

Even atheistic biologists (I know many; I’m a professor at the University of Michigan) will admit that studying evolution gives them a religious thrill occasionally. Any God worthy of human worship is capable of creating the laws of evolution just as easily as the laws of physics (which are, for some reason, not controversial among Evangelicals, though I would expect the Big Bang to be considered non-Biblical).

Any scientist — I mean *any* scientist who makes their living doing and publishing research — will agree that Creationism is simply rural ignorance. And it’s certainly not necessary for any variety of Christianity. It’s embarassing; it just makes Christians look dumb unnecessarily.

It has about the same value and validity as Magick. Would you like Aleister Crowley or Harry Potter to be required reading and discussion fodder in science classes?

I wouldn’t. I like to keep a strong distinction between what is demonstrable and what is not. There’s room for both, but don’t confuse them.

That said, I’d like to thank you[pl] for all the kind words I’ve seen here (and no doubt prayers and blessings). I was inspired in the first instance by the good sense and welcoming tone of the original poster, whose name (as I’m sure he would have preferred) I find that I can’t find easily here.

… and, as for the ACLU, I didn’t notice *that* until I happened to glance at the top of the page, which I usually don’t, since I’m trained like all Americans to avoid making eye contact with advertising. Let’s not go there, hmmmm?

Quite possibly the funniest thing I have read all day. Thanks Rob Greene.

;O)

Jamie Lynn Spears is the 16 year old sister to Britanny Spears (singer)who announced she was pregnant by her boyfriend. The religious right attacked her and her mother Lynn Bridges. Ironically, the news broke just as mother Lynn Bridges was to release a parenting book (no, I don’t make these things up).

It was also noted and unclear as to where the act of conception took place. If it happened in California, where Jamie Lynn was shooting her tv series, it would have constituted statory rape.

The religious right attacked the family in the media as bring down family values, morals and ethics. They said this family set a poor example for America’s youth.

So, my point was the double standards now since Sarah Palin’s daughter is pregnant, the religious conservatives take a softer tone on their own.

I hope this helps give you insight to why I wrote my comments.

Who is Jamie Lynn Spears? I think I’ve heard of her. Is her mother a governor or future vice-president or something?

And thank you for some of the other comments. I really appreciate all that.

To RobinL, I sincerely ask how it would be putting her daughter first to shut down her engagement with the world and cease being a public figure. I’m pretty old school about traditional roles and such, at least I thought I was, but comments like that confound me a bit. Is a Christian woman not to serve her country? I was never taught that. Is a Christian woman who is succeeding in influencing the culture for good to cease doing so because a family member stumbled? I was never taught that either.

To Michael, I’d ask what the alternative is. If abstinence teaching/philosophy sometimes fails, that doesn’t mean, by itself, that it is a lie. Just because a car breaks down now and then doesn’t mean that cars don’t by and large get you where you are going. What’s the alternative? Actively teach that everyone get pregnant as soon as possible in life?

Anyway, I like these comments. Everyone, mostly, seems sincere (particularly Mr. Lawler, I’d add) and thoughtful about the whole thing. That’s a good sign.