Rep Jack Kingston (R., Ga): I Didn’t Come From A Monkey
More Republican scientific illiteracy:
During an appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Mahr” on Friday night, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) stated clearly that he does not believe in the process of evolution.
I believe I came from God, not from a monkey so the answer is no,” he said, laughing, when asked if he subscribes to the theory. Later in the segment he added, “I don’t believe that a creature crawled out of the sea and became a human being one day.”
Video:
Of course, if Representative Kingston had any knowledge on this subject at all he would know that evolution does not stand for the idea that humans evolved from monkeys, but that man is a primate and shares common ancestors with other living primates. For example, humans and chimpanzees have DNA that is 98% similar.
Of course Kingston’s views shouldn’t be too surprising, last month a Gallup poll found that a majority of Republicans are, apparently, Young Earth Creationists, which is perhaps the most scientifically illiterate of all theories on the origin of man.
I was thinking that perhaps Science could be taught better because this creationism B.S. has been making the rounds.
Maybe save the frogs from dissection and instead teach about the known periods of life on Earth and related estimates. Then talk about how mankind life expectancy has been increasing and how this has been influencing our attitudes and thinking and needs. And take the opportunity to talk about generations and how 2000 years ago wasn’t such a long time after all if we count it by today’s life expectancy years. Like, some people living 100 years nowadays. Then talk about the life expectancy of other beings.
A Creationist from Georgia? STOP THE PRESSES!
A Republican who’s an idiot? STOP THE PRESSES!
“…I believe I came from God, not from a monkey…”
Lucky old monkey, what?
There is no escaping the fact that Republicans are dumber on average than Democrats.
The question is, why are the relatively few intelligent Republicans like James, still associated with a party whose main features seem to be incoherent rage and stupidity?
I think the answer is fairly simple: angry stupid people love to give tax breaks to well-off people. So the well-off people roll their eyes at the stupid rage-o-holics, pocket their tax cuts, and launch into attacking Democrats for the crime of not being stupid rage-o-holics.
Let’s see the empirical data on that. Until you prove it, it’s only an unfounded assertion based on opinion. In my view, people who take unfounded opinions as fact are fools.
What boggles MY mind is how people are so willing to fight over two different Earth-based answers to the question, “where did we come from?” Frankly, given the relative rapidity that the climate changed about sixty-five million years ago, the disappearance of large saurians and the appearance of mammals I tend to give credence to the idea that an extraterrestrial group PUT us here, in somewhat of a cosmic playpen.
Makes more sense than anything y’all argue about.
Anyone who doesn’t “believe” in evolution should be denied yearly flu shots, since those are developed based upon knowledge derived from evolutionary theory.
I wonder how long their “belief” would last then…
If I don’t “believe” in gravity, will I be able to fly like Arther Dent in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy because he “forgets” to fall?
Just because you don’t “believe” in something doesn’t make it any less of a fact, and just because scientists call it a “theory” doesn’t mean it’s not proven beyond any and all reasonable doubt.
Or, do they not believe in the “theory of gravity” either?
Jack:
And of course any infections can be treated with the same aniti-biotics and in the same dose as they’d have received in, say, the 1950’s. After all, it’s not as if bacteria evolve.
You have no idea how hard it is to be a liberal from GA. Hes not even the worst congressman we have. westmoreland, price, broun, gingrey they are all terrible. I dont know why GA even has elections becuase we elect that same mold of congressmen everytime and get nothing better in results. The democrats here are just as conservative if not more than the republicans. So embarrassed
If Sarah Palin can’t shoot something with a gun, does it really exist?
Right wing philosophers continue to grapple with this earth-shaking question.
Gravity, for example. Can’t see it, and Newton was some kind of socialist anyway…
It’s pretty plain that they apes have gotten out ahead of him, they still have open minds, and still use them.
It is worth noting that ALL ape species in the world are endangered at this point. But… the environment is fine, global warming is a hoax, Algore is a power hungry lunatic, and Monsanto and Exxon only have everyones best interests at heart. That is all.
>I tend to give credence to the idea that an extraterrestrial group PUT us here, in somewhat of a cosmic playpen.
I prefer the explanation given on Dilbert: All the species that have ever existed are still around.
THEY’RE JUST HIDING.
Jack:
There is no higher state of proof for something beyond “theory”. Science is always open to new data, but a theory is a well established set of findings. A scientific law is reserved for a fundamental principle reported from observation. Evolution is not a principle but a process, so it can only ever be a theory. It’s as close to a fact as science will ever get.
Stop using words you don’t understand.
The sad part of this is that apparently believing in evolution now makes you a “liberal”. When we start to politicize science because it gives us an answer we don’t like, we are starting to go the way of the Soviet Union.
I’m tired of all this “belief”.
Facts are things that, even if you stop believing in them, fail to go away.
For example, humans and chimpanzees have DNA that is 98% similar.
Spoken like a true faux-science supporter. When it comes to the complexities of DNA, that 2% difference represents an enormous diversity in the two species. This is a case where saying that 98% is “close” is like saying that the Andromeda galaxy is “close” to the Milky Way. It is only “close” when compared to examples which are radically different.
> represents an enormous diversity in the two species
Ah, Mr.Science? I think you mean “enormous divergence between”
Anyway, can you support your statement with any actual science? Or did you just read this on “The American Thinker”?
What you don’t see in this clip (I watched the show live) is that D.L. Hughley was on this same panel and he didn’t believe in evolution either since he is a Christian and this isn’t consistent with his beliefs.
Because he is a “liberal” he kinda got a free pass on the derisive commentary directed toward the congressman.
Look, it seems to me that its pretty hard to potentially debate someone and exchange ideas if you are busy calling them an “idiot” “moron” “dumb’.
I think that both Hughley and Kingston are good people, we just differ on evolution.
It seems that the Dems are so busy calling basically good people idiots or dolts or morons that their natural inclination is to not listen.
And thats precisely the problem. Those Americans have just turned off their ears to anything which they believe to be condescending. And Liberals can be excruciatingly unctuous and condescending.
The liberals have failed completely to sell their vision. I am a hard core New Deal FDR Democrat and its amazing to me that most of my wealthy friends are Democrats and most of my poorer friends are Republicans.
I scratch my head and marvel at how the Democratic Party has let that happen and then I think about NAFTA and Clinton signing the Gramm Bliley Act of 2000. Not only signing the bill but singing its praises. I always thought the Democrats were the party of the poor and middle.
But no more. And we know it. And Obama is really of the same mold. The derivatives loopholes are still there. Wall Street bonuses have returned.
And we sit here in our shrill chorus calling out the religious beliefs of our brethern
The problem is the Dems are really not interested anymore in defendig the New Deal faith of lifting the common man up by using the fine scalpel of government intervention to achieve a public good.
After all, “the era of big government is over.”