Oklahoma, Vatican Take Opposite Tacks On Evolution 1161
nizcolas writes "Notable evolutionary biologist, author, and speaker Richard Dawkins was recently invited to speak on the campus of the University of Oklahoma as part of the school's celebration of Charles Darwin. However, Oklahoma lawmakers are working to silence Dawkins with the passage of House Bill 1015 (RTF), which reads in part: '... the University of Oklahoma ... has invited as a public speaker on campus, Richard Dawkins of Oxford University, whose published opinions, as represented in his 2006 book "The God Delusion," and public statements on the theory of evolution demonstrate an intolerance for cultural diversity and diversity of thinking and are views that are not shared and are not representative of the thinking of a majority of the citizens of Oklahoma ...'" Pending legal action, Dawkins is set to speak tonight at 7 pm. (Luckily, we no longer live in the era of Bertrand Russell's court-ordered dismissal on moral grounds from the College of the City of New York.) And reader thms sends word of the Vatican's Darwin conference (program): "The conference, marking the 150th anniversary of the publication of "The Origin of Species," has been criticized by advocates of Creationism or Intelligent Design for not inviting them. The Muslim creationist Harun Yahya, most famous for his Atlas of Creation, also complained about not being invited."
Oklahoma? (Score:5, Funny)
Celebrating cultural diversity? You've got to be fucking kidding me.
Evolution isn't the issue with Dawkins (Score:5, Funny)
Evolution or no evolution, I think Dawkins is unlikely to speak at the Vatican any time soon. His being an atheist and an advocate for atheism is the main reason. They'd sooner invite Lucifer; at least he believes in God.
Re:Evolution isn't the issue with Dawkins (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The University versus the legislature (Score:5, Funny)
Really, what do you expect from the Oklahoma legislature anyway -- they're all descended from a bunch of apes anyway.
Re:They Have A Point (Score:5, Funny)
Indeed. Such intolerance for "diversity in thinking" could quickly lead us down the slippery slope to fact-based reasoning. This would be devastating to many a philosophy, religion, stereotype, and political stance. Must. Stop. Use. of. Scientific. Method. Yesterday.
Mars (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Can of worms... (Score:5, Funny)
Can of worms? With the Vatican, we get a Diet of Worms!
Obligatory FSM (Score:3, Funny)
Dean Wormer (Score:3, Funny)
So is Senator Bluto sending this to Dean Wormer?
Hey, we umm... don't like those things he ummm... says... yeah... and ummm now you know ummm... that we don't... you know ummm like it... umm what he says...
Re:Oklahoma? (Score:5, Funny)
This is hilarious. The far-right nutjobs are trying to appropriate the rhetoric of the far-left nutjobs and failing miserably. Lame. But funny. It should go right into the Onion.
Re:Oklahoma? (Score:5, Funny)
If you've interacted with a statistically relevant slice of American society, you should easily accept that at least 1 in 2 Americans are drooling morons. For Christ's sake, we have *cooking directions* on POPTARTS. We have chain saws with explicit warning labels to keep you from touching the flying blades with your fingers. My tractor's digging bit has a giant warning label depicting someone getting wrapped around the screw, and people STILL get killed by the damn things. At hospitals, motorcycle riders are referred to only as organ donors. How many people have fallen into a wood chipper, or tried to clean an obstruction while the thing was on and gotten eaten? I can't remember the last time I've gone a month without hearing of somebody dying due to their own stupidity. Americans steal high-voltage power lines for the copper, cut through tree limbs above themselves, and screw anything that moves, without protection.
53% is incredibly generous.
Re:OU Student Here (Score:3, Funny)
knapper_tech writes:
"This is after we had to put up with giant anti-abortion posters on campus during the presidential election week that just happened to have horrid pictures of late-term abortions that are already illegal everywhere as far as I know anyway. WTF."
A fetus is a child, not a choice, or so the anti-abortion folks tell me.
If so, the people who put up the fliers were plastering your university with pre-term necrophilia pornography.
Nice.
Re:Creationism was created as a childish response (Score:4, Funny)
<blink>Yes, as a matter of fact, it is!!!!!!!</blink>
Re:Oklahoma? (Score:2, Funny)
Some 87% of quoted statics have an anally related origin.
Re:I just emailed their speaker of the house. (Score:2, Funny)
"I do not know if you support or do not support this bill but asspeaker you might want consider stopping this nonsense before more of the American people give up on the government's ability for rational thought."
Dude, asspeaker? LOL.
"but asspeaker"
Please tell me you actually sent it in that way.
Re:Oklahoma? (Score:4, Funny)
Not only that. Fox News recently reported that 51% of the american population are now in majority.
No Problem (Score:5, Funny)
Re:My only problem with Dawkins is.. (Score:1, Funny)
I love that the atheist proposes that lack of evidence of God is proof of his non-existence.
Perhaps if there was some way to provide evidence against God's existence that might turn some heads, but simply saying that there isn't evidence proves nothing. 200 years ago there was no evidence for relativity, does that mean that it didn't exist back then?
If science required that one not entertain a thought until it was proven, then science couldn't ever expand (hypothesis would be against science). It thus stands that a scientific mind should be able to entertain a thought without belief or evidence.
please make stupidity illegal (Score:5, Funny)
his 2006 book "The God Delusion," and public statements on the theory of evolution demonstrate an intolerance for cultural diversity and diversity of thinking
No, you fucktards, your attitude is the intolerant one. Mr. Dawkins makes claims, cites the supporting evidence, and draws conclusions, and then arrives at an opinion that he can solidly argue. And - from what I've seen of him - he does not mind listening to those who have a different opinion, and doesn't deny them forum.
Oh yes, he also doesn't belong to a group of people with a thousand year history of silencing and killing its opponent. Like you.
If the penalty for stupidity were death, Oklahoma would have to hold new elections.
Re:OU Student Here (Score:3, Funny)
Oh, for mod points...
Is the cannibalism of your opponent an ad-hominem attack?