Quote# 98407
On his show yesterday, Thom Hartmann debated Eric Hovind, the president of Creation Today, about public funding for religious education in 11 states.
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“Why would anybody want to do this to their children?” Hartmann asked Hovind. “Because it seems like — it borders on child abuse, to be teaching children science in the context of religion … or for that matter [teaching] religion as a statement of fact, when there are other religions that believe very different things? Or to be teaching kids that Jesus was a political conservative in the modern mold and that liberals are somehow evil people.”
“Obviously,” Hovind replied, “you and I come from opposing views then. Why should we let Christians teach their kids what they believe about Creation and do that in science? We find creation scientists all over the United States. It hasn’t kneecapped or handicapped them whatsoever.”
“Well, I’m sure they can find a few billionaire, right-wing Christians who can fund them,” Hartmann replied. “Particularly those who own big oil companies, who want them to promote a ‘science’ that suggests that global warming isn’t going to screw up the world … but my primary objection is that in 11 states, our tax dollars are paying for this stuff.”
“I’ll tell you what’s even worse,” Hovind shot back. “In all fifty states, tax dollars are going to tell the kids that they’re cousins of bananas, and that they all evolved from rocks. That’s being forced, down the kids’ throats, in all 50 states.”
“So you think that the minerals in your body did not start out as rocks?” Hartmann interjected.
“I’m saying that we did not evolve from a random process over billions of years, coming from the Earth, which was originally made out of rock, according to the evolution worldview,” Hovind replied.
“How do you know that?” Hartmann asked.
“Because we actually have revelation from God that tells us how it really did happen.”
“I have no problem with you believing that,” Hartmann retorted. “Or with you promoting that in a church, or in a religion class, but if that’s the way you’re going to teach science, and you’re going to do it with my tax dollars, I have a big problem with that.”
“Well,” Hovind said, “I have a big problem with your tax dollars, and my tax dollars, going to tell kids we all evolved from a rock, that the Big Bang created everything from nothing — that’s what they’re teaching.”
“No,” Hartmann said, “it was a singularity, it wasn’t nothing.”
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“Why are you refusing to see the other side?” Hovind asked. “Why don’t you say, ‘I see, I’m forcing you, Eric, to have my view to be taught?’”
“Because it’s science.”
“That’s not ‘science,’” Hovind replied. “That’s just a ‘historical idea,’ not ‘science.’”
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“The thing is,” Hartmann countered, “the things you’re throwing out here are neither accurate nor scientific.”
“It’s very scientific,” Hovind replied. “How is it that there are 20, or 26, doctorate degree, professor-level teachers just at Liberty University alone?”
“Because Liberty University lets you in without even having a G.E.D.,” Hartmann responded.
Eric Hovind,
The Raw Story 27 Comments [12/23/2013 3:55:16 AM]
Fundie Index: 28
Submitted By: Rabbit of Caerbannog