[jambo]

My science teacher in seventh grade derailed our entire class for about three weeks for an "evolution" unit that was nothing but her showing us Kent Hovind videos and providing a "balanced" view of the topic. Being the skeptical little shit that I was, I challenged her on this at every turn, eventually getting my parents involved and sorta twisting her arm to stop the nonsense earlier than she had initially planned. This was at a Catholic school, but none of my other teachers were like her. On the contrary, my eighth grade science teacher at the same school was a huge inspiration to me and part of the reason I'm pursuing my current major.

I went to a Christian high school, but luckily the head of the science department was an astronomer who taught physics to the higher grades as well as science to the kids in years 8-9.

All of the religious stuff was left to be taught in religious studies and the science classes were great. I think that if anyone had tried to sneak in anything like Creationism he would've squashed it the moment he found out.

We even had our headmaster, who was a devout Brother, teach Chemistry when our normal teach was off on leave. He left his religion at the door and it was great.

[zchen]

Haven't met one yet, even though I've been around many Christians.

[RagnarokX]

Dear OP, buy your friend these:





Or make her watch these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ7oqxuZXPU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84FC2NIgdnk

[mac]

Dear OP, buy your friend these: Or make her watch these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ7oqxuZXPU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84FC2NIgdnk

Obviously Ms. Frizzle is going to hell. If Arnold stays dumb he might not burn.

[RagnarokX]

Obviously Ms. Frizzle is going to hell.

The Magic School Bus Into the Inferno

[Log4Girlz]

Most of the people I encounter here in miami don't have a clue about science. They don't understand the concepts of an old earth, evolution, chemistry (processes in the body may as well be magical) etc.

[Mael]

Ok I can say this got me :lol

As an aside how can people homeschool their children and work at the same time?
That's like getting 2 jobs at the same time and getting paid for one.

[Rentahamster]

I guess I'm pretty lucky that I've never met anyone who tried to push this nonsense on me.

[LuCkymoON]

Does it really matter how much a person knows if they are unwilling to apply that knowledge?

[abusori]

I'm from Alabama, and I didn't find out that the young earth business wasn't a normal christian belief until neogaf showed me otherwise. I think that tells you all I needed to say.

[choodi]

Seriously, what the hell is so wrong with the US that it produces people like this?

I've visited as a tourist on a couple of occasions and know a few Americans personally, and generally you all come across as normal human beings... then I read this and I'm just like, WTF?

How the hell do people who live in a seemingly normal place become so fucked up?

[Kenak]

Seriously, what the hell is so wrong with the US religion that it produces people like this? I've visited as a tourist on a couple of occasions and know a few Americans personally, and generally you all come across as normal human beings... then I read this and I'm just like, WTF? How the hell do people who live in a seemingly normal place become so fucked up?

Being indoctrinated beyond rationality into religious dogma is hardly unique to the US, or an uncommon aspect in general. Though I'm sure the US has a higher percentage of these types of individuals compared to other equally developed nations. You have to remember that the US is a huge country composed of 300,000,000 people of all ethnic groups -- you'll find that different parts of the country are completely unlike one another in most aspects.

[Amir0x]

Young Earthers are the most infuriating people to speak to. Because if they really believe what they believe, any discussion goes like this:

"6000 years old? Da fug? How can you say that given EVIDENCE A?"
"lol EVIDENCE A is just scientists getting it wrong again, here is what EVIDENCE A really means."
"Um ok, but what about EVIDENCE B?"
"EVIDENCE B really happened, it's just on a different timescale than most scientists say. Scientists have been getting things wrong for hundreds of years, why do you so adamantly believe them now?"
"Why is it you require science to always be right but ignore the fact that religion is almost always wrong?"
"But it's not. You require FAITH."
"But with EVIDENCE C, it's pretty clear that faith cannot alone answer--"
"EVIDENCE C IS THE WORK OF SATAN."
"I want to kill you now."
"Look, another violent atheist. You need God."
"DHS@&*^@&*@@"

[Raist]

Do all Young Earthers believe that water crap? I've never heard that one before.

I've heard equally entertaining ones.
Like, Noah's flood caused the craters on the moon. Or earth's atmosphere was once surrounded by ice, which compressed the atmosphere, which is why things were growing so big like dinosaurs and giant insects.

[daviyoung]

So, last night I talked to a Young Earther at work

What an embarrassing problem to have.

[Schmattakopf]

What really got me is that she was actually well-educated when it came to religious texts...she hadn't just read the Bible, but had also read the Qu'ran and Book of Mormon, in order that she could choose whichever religion made the most sense to her. That was honestly refreshing, I guess, since many super-religious people unfortunately ignore any other religious text outside of what the media tells them.

I do get what you're saying here, but from the point of view of people like us, is that really something that matters?

[m0ngo]

lmao, that's brilliant. Gonna go watch that vid now...

[PjotrStroganov]

Young Earthers are the most infuriating people to speak to. Because if they really believe what they believe, any discussion goes like this: "6000 years old? Da fug? How can you say that given EVIDENCE A?" "lol EVIDENCE A is just scientists getting it wrong again, here is what EVIDENCE A really means." "Um ok, but what about EVIDENCE B?" "EVIDENCE B really happened, it's just on a different timescale than most scientists say. Scientists have been getting things wrong for hundreds of years, why do you so adamantly believe them now?" "Why is it you require science to always be right but ignore the fact that religion is almost always wrong?" "But it's not. You require FAITH." "But with EVIDENCE C, it's pretty clear that faith cannot alone answer--" "EVIDENCE C IS THE WORK OF SATAN." "I want to kill you now." "Look, another violent atheist. You need God." "DHS@&*^@&*@@"

And in the end they all use phones, computers, cars, planes, electricity, medicine and don't question the workings of it. Even though they are are a result of scientific research.

[Snytbaggen]

Not to interrupt the atheist wank-fest, but i did watch a video one time that used the time distillation theory (farther distance time slows down) to theorize that this was why the earth was young. Even not being interested in science there was already a clear flaw of million of years having to distillate and that being such an amazing distance that it's just not theoretically possible.

I'm a Christian and I think the young earth theory is fucking stupid.

[JGS]

I know! But there's all this, like, evidence that says it happened. Nuts.

What magical book displays proof of that? You shall have all the gold in the world to reveal it!

[onadesertedisland]

I had a creationist biology professor. She was an adjunct, and homeschooled her kids. Was weird having to write papers where I attacked tenets of creationism knowing her beliefs. She graded fairly, I respect her for that.

[red731]

I learn more bullshit everyday. Whoa.
Different perspectives yay.

[ReBurn]

At least you learned something new.

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Bad religion and bad science are bad religion and bad science.

[Timedog]

What magical book displays proof of that? You shall have all the gold in the world to reveal it!

wat

[Mr. Saturn]

I went to a christian private school for middle school and high school, and I remember a teacher talking to our class about how evidence has been found that the earth is older than we thought.

It turns out the amount of time he was talking about was 12,000 years.

[JGS]

wat

What wat?

[jchap]

I was told the same thing as a child. I didn't buy it then or now but I'm not hostile to people who think this way, nor do I try and convince them otherwise. Just go on with your life and don't let stuff like this bother you.

[Fari]

I've encountered two or three, but they were all Americans visiting here for one reason or another.

What struck me is how fully functional and seemingly intelligent these people are in pretty much all other aspects of their lives.

[BGBW]

So where is the basin now?

[JGS]

I've encountered two or three, but they were all Americans visiting here for one reason or another. What struck me is how fully functional and seemingly intelligent these people are in pretty much all other aspects of their lives.

That's because it's not even remotely important. unless that's your field of study.

[ReBurn]

I've encountered two or three, but they were all Americans visiting here for one reason or another. What struck me is how fully functional and seemingly intelligent these people are in pretty much all other aspects of their lives.

People have been skeptical of science for as long as there has been science. My guess is that the origin of the earth and humanity is the oldest debate, and that's why it's one of the hardest to settle. Considering that there were people who didn't believe that people were on the moon when that was happening in real time it isn't hard to fathom that there are people who refuse to believe that the earth is billions of years old.

I know a guy who isn't religious at all, but believes the earth is only as old as written history because observation is the only reliable form of documentation there is. He swears that carbon dating cannot be proven to be accurate and that people are too eager to just accept what they're told. He also told me that what people fail to realize is that science is not about answering questions, it is about questioning answers and that people need to remember the philosophical roots of science. He's an interesting person.

[Schmattakopf]

That's because it's not even remotely important. unless that's your field of study.

It shows at least a little bit of a lack of critical thinking, which is important.

[DoctorWho]

I was trying to wrap my head around what a Young Earther was when I read the thread title. Then I read the OP.

Oh, it's an idiot.

[Dahellisdat]

That's because it's not even remotely important. unless that's your field of study.

So its approprate to be completely ignorant about things as long as it isn't your field of study?

[Tacitus_]

You know those guys who roam around the city and try to convert you? One couple knocked on my door and started their spiel. After speaking with them for a while, the fact that they believed in Young Earth creationism came up. At which point I went


and smh'd since I couldn't believe such fundies actually lived in Finland.

[JGS]

It shows at least a little bit of a lack of critical thinking, which is important.

Not really. It's difficult to use critical thinking on the unknown. How life got is here is an unknown regardless of who is saying it. You thus go for what you believe the most. Religious belief is spotty on life details because it isn't important beyond knowng that [insert deity] created it.

Science does not have an answer for it and the scientists that do are making it up just as much as the religious. From a religious viewpoint, the answers are clear which is why they are fine with explaining it.

Even when science refutes YEC, it doesn't actually add weight to the scientist view of how life got here. From a science viewpoint it will always be a mystery.

What's even more important/sad is that a relatively small group of people would determine what kind a person someone else is based largely on that.

So its approprate to be completely ignorant about things as long as it isn't your field of study?

I know this may be hard for you to believe, but you are ignorant about most things.

[lacinius]

Apparently, though, condensation never existed back then either so the land was super moist and stayed that way.

Yeah, I'm trying to wrap my mind around that one and the best I can come up with is that the "young Earth" was basically like rich, chocolate cake!!

Then again, who wouldn't want to live in a world of chocolate cake... so conflicted. :\

[ruttyboy]

Not really. It's difficult to use critical thinking on the unknown. How life got is here is an unknown regardless of who is saying it. You thus go for what you believe the most. Religious belief is spotty on life details because it isn't important beyond knowng that [insert deity] created it. Science does not have an answer for it and the scientists that do are making it up just as much as the religious. From a religious viewpoint, the answers are clear which is why they are fine with explaining it. Even when science refutes YEC, it doesn't actually add weight to the scientist view of how life got here. From a science viewpoint it will always be a mystery. What's even more important/sad is that a relatively small group of people would determine what kind a person someone else is based largely on that.I know this may be hard for you to believe, but you are ignorant about most things.

Erm, this isn't about where life came from, this is about thinking the Earth is 6,000 years old.

Also, it's true, you really do always pop up as soon as someone mentions (abio)genesis. Do you have like a Batphone for it or something?

[Malik77]

Friend of mine believes this as well. Ironically, he is really smart and has a degree in nuclear physics of some kind. Guy is just like this is what I believe, I understand there is no scientific evidence, but this is what I believe. Kinda kills all arguments right there. Although I assume he does that because everybody he has ever met tried to argue with him about it.

[PantherLotus]

Let's be honest: young earthers are every bit of a disease on American culture as pedophiles

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Wait, so is Young Earthers what you call religious people or this is something else?

[Orayn]

Wait, so is Young Earthers what you call religious people or this is something else?

It refers to "young Earth" creationists who believe the world is less than 10,000 years old in accordance with some fuzzy math that attempts to establish a timeline for the Old Testament.

[Dahellisdat]

I know this may be hard for you to believe, but you are ignorant about most things.

The fuck man? You realize there's a difference between ignorance due to lack of education and willful ignorance in spite of education and evidence?

[Schmattakopf]

Not really. It's difficult to use critical thinking on the unknown. How life got is here is an unknown regardless of who is saying it. You thus go for what you believe the most. Religious belief is spotty on life details because it isn't important beyond knowng that [insert deity] created it. Science does not have an answer for it and the scientists that do are making it up just as much as the religious. From a religious viewpoint, the answers are clear which is why they are fine with explaining it. Even when science refutes YEC, it doesn't actually add weight to the scientist view of how life got here. From a science viewpoint it will always be a mystery. What's even more important/sad is that a relatively small group of people would determine what kind a person someone else is based largely on that.

I agree that religious belief isn't important, but we're not talking about the origin of life. We're not even talking about life at all. We're talking about people who actually believe that the Earth is 6,000 years old. That's like someone believing the Earth is flat; it's not totally inconceivable that someone could reach that conclusion, but doing so requires wilful ignorance.

[The Technomancer]

I know this may be hard for you to believe, but you are ignorant about most things.

Sure, but I don't go around pretending to be an expert on them anyway. I have no idea how my local waterworks functions but I wouldn't claim that I did.

[clemenx]

I don't think I've ever met anyone. I was lucky enough, that even though I went to a catholic high school, the members of the church didn't really had their hands on academic issues which was cool.

I'm afraid of inquiring about any of my coworkers beliefs now, lol.

[DoctorWho]

Wait, so is Young Earthers what you call religious people or this is something else?

Bible continuity whores.

About as bad as their Zelda counterparts.

[marrec]

Let's be honest: young earthers are every bit of a disease on American culture as pedophiles

Wow, pull back that rhetoric a bit, no need to compare YECs to pedophiles.

Bible continuity whores. About as bad as their Zelda counterparts.

Zelda continuity whores as bad as pedophiles confirmed.

[Tacitus_]

Speak of the devil.. had two missionaries from Africa turn up just now. Spent a good 40 minutes talking with them about God, but after the discussion turned to evolution they got frustrated (especially after I made them admit that they thought the catholic church is wrong for admitting evolution is a fact). Nice chat though and nice people. Weren't YECs luckily.