Finally, folks like P'jack aren't a threat. Nor are their ideas; they believe what they believe, and well, so it goes.
However, when they drag in the local witch-burners and the government to force their ideas down everybody sensible's throats, they become a problem. Then, their utter lack of knowledge (let me guess: haven't read Gould, don't know who Louis and Mary Leakey are, haven't gone to a real museum in years, won't look at the evidence, certainly ain't gonna read one of the great achieveements of humankind, "The Origin of Species and the Descent of Man," third-hand Creationist texts only, right?) and their refusal to look at reality becomes a problem.
Once they call in the cops--and that's what they want--the mere fact that they don't know the books, they won't look at the evidence, and they cannot alloww themselves to reason, becomes an issue for everybody. Hell, one would think that they'd be mildly twiddled by the fact that the Catholic Church doesn't see a prob reconciling Darwin and Genesis, or by the extent to which other practicing Christians can quote and interpret the Bible at least as well as they can--but nope, not an issue. Perfectly hermetically-sealed self-confirming belief system--but then, so are all paranoiac constructions of knowledge.
The real questions all revolve around why they believe this guff, and why they demand that everybody else must too. Of course, they'll always claim that they "just want to represent all viewpoints," that they, "only want equal time." A lie, and apparently a lie that many of their evangelical groups are encouraging them to tell as a tactic.
What they want is their fantasy of the 13th century: creationism taught as science, sex ed banned, contraception banned, homosexuality made illegal, women shoved back (oh, so sorry--encouraged to fulfill their special, holy mission as bearers of children, cooks, toilet scrubbers, mommies and sex toys), public executions, paddling in schools, the whole sick ball of wax.
And, of course, their small, frightened version of Protestant Christianity enshrined as our State religion. Right after that, maybe we can ban Papism, erase Unitarianism and them damn non-violent Quakers and Amish, run the Muslims out of God's Country, and just generally get on with the Crusade that leads to Armageddon. Of course, they'll be liberal about it--Jews will be...encouraged, shall we say?...to convert.
Anyone who thinks this an exaggeration would do well to look up the Promise Keepers, check out a couple episodes of "The 700 Club," listen to Trinity Broadcasting, track down the various pamphlets and publications that groups like the ACLJ (Jay Sekula, smart man) put out.
Oh yes--apparently Bush is going to put Ralph Reed up for Rep. Party Chairman. Scope out THAT guy's career.
Happy to debate the issues any time; quite unafraid of debate, since these guys will ALWAYS lose any debate. We have better arguments and actual evidence. Hell, many of us have more knowledge of the Bible, sounder theology, and real understanding of ourselves to employ.
That's why they don't want to debate. They want to demand, with the aid of the cops.
), if a 'creationist' is speaking from a Hindi mysticism and commenting on his "Strictly Darwinian" definition of evolution to a "evolutionist" that follows a different/more current variation on evolutionary theory BUT is assuming that this 'creationist' is talking from 'fundamental christian values' what kind of frustration/miscommunication is going to happen? How emotionally irritated are people going to get over assumptions? VERY.
