Because a person who believes in God is just the type of person you DON'T want in the white house, right? - Jason Shultz via twhirl

Yes, you figured it out Jason. Way to go. - Jason Carreira

How about "a person who DOESN'T believe in SCIENCE is the kind of person I don't want in the white house" - Jason Carreira

Why can't you believe in both? - Jason Shultz via twhirl

We already trail countries like China and Japan in terms of math and science, so by all means, let's teach creationism and fall even further behind. I don't put my politics in your religion, so please keep your religion out of my politics. There have always been private schools for including religious instruction, and I oughta know, since I did 12 years of it. - Cyndy

I also believe in the Constitution, which says "separation of church and state"... i.e. don't teach your religion in public schools... which she wants to do. - Jason Carreira

Well, uh, exactly? - Rick Powell

How much will you pay me for not becoming a Creationist, Tad? - l0ckergn0me

Chris, I'll write ya a check for $0.02! - Tad, Anti-Immanentizer

@l0ckergn0me it only counts if you're nominated for national office ;) - Jason Carreira

I have no problem at all with Christians in the White House. None. I just don't want anti-science luddites in office any more. We just finished with 8 years of one and I'd rather not have another 8. If we keep it up we will completely destroy our education system in this country and become the (fictional) Kazakhstan of the Americas... - Tad, Anti-Immanentizer

this makes me more proud that i made my first *ever* political contribution to the Obama campaign. yes, we can believe in *both* but i rather pick the ticket that shares my worldview. and in my worldview, science and philosophy trump policies which are not based on evidence and critical thinking. - ~C4Chaos

Me too, donate keep the momentum going, we need a chance and with McCain there is no chance for us. - tom sparks

look I am a Christian so I don't knock her on that, but I will be making my donation today as well and larger than usual because time is running out and we can't risk four more years. - Ruth Ferguson

Our educational system is already failing because schools are not free to teach. they spend more time preparing to pass various standardized tests then actually teaching. Politics plays a big influence on schools and our kids are paying the price. Between hot button issues like teaching in the native language of the student, ELL, ESL, SEI, etc. among other things. Schools are for learning, heck I think they should be year round instead of only a portion of the year. If the kids are going to compete with the rest of the world, they need to be committed to learning. - Jason Shultz via twhirl

Christian does not equal creationist. I don't find willful ignorance in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence a desirable characteristic in a world leader, personally. - stretta via twhirl

I agree with that too Jason. Throwing out science education would make things much, much worse. - Tad, Anti-Immanentizer

@Matthew I just don't understand why a person can't believe in both. I'm not saying it should be taught in schools. I don't think schools should be teaching morality or religion anyway, that should be a parent's responsibility. Unfortunately, many parents would rather hang by their entrails then teach their kids anything. But, back to the point, saying your a christian but don't believe that God played any part in the creation of the world equates to saying that he was sitting around one day (or 7 lol) while the world was being created and then while thinking cosmic thoughts he looked over and saw the Earth and said, "oh, cool, more people to worship me." For the record, I don't believe the world was created in seven days or even like Genesis put it. I just believe that there is a God and that he played some part in it. Lack of Evidence does not equal evidence against the existence of something. - Jason Shultz via twhirl

Jason, there's a huge difference between that view and what most people think of as creationists. Creationists generally take a LITERAL view of the bible and wish to teach that in science classes to children in lieu of evolution. Some creationists don't believe in a literal view of the bible, but generally they don't believe in evolution. Plenty of Christians believe that God created the universe and helped guide life. That belief doesn't rule out the acceptance of evolution. - Tad, Anti-Immanentizer

interesting observations Jason. I will say I do not know enough about what creationism in the classrooms reflects. I don't have kids. Personally with my limited knowledge I don't mind it being taught as a possible theory along side science. yet I hear and understand religious leaders who would prefer it not be taught b/c too watered down. - Ruth Ferguson

@Ruth creationism and any other religious-based belief is not a theory (in the scientific sense) because it cannot be proven false. - Jason Carreira

@Tad I guess I take the latter view. My wife OTOH does not. I can believe in evolution and have no problem with it. My wife believes we were placed here. It makes for some heated arguments at times. :) - Jason Shultz via twhirl

Just saw this on Wonkette: "Has anyone else noticed, BTW, that Palin is Governor of a state that’s younger than McCain?" - Jason Carreira

Ruth... let me give you my perspective. I believe in a higher power. I'm married to an atheist. I give our kids my belief, while Jason gives them his. When they have questions about either, we send them to the appropriate parent to answer. When they are adults, they can choose what they believe for themselves. However, that's only in terms of religion. We both believe in science. :) Now, to teach creationism in school, you are obviously negating one other theory without offering that opposing viewpoint - Cyndy

Now, in addition, depending on the view of creationism, it ranges anywhere from 7 days as we know them and man riding around on dinosaurs to a much less science-negating version that a higher power set things in motion that resulted in the Big Bang and evolution as we know it. Most people who identify themselves as creationists, however, tend toward the dino rodeo side of the equation. If your impressionable child decides to believe in THAT, then where do they end up as adults in the global marketplace? - Cyndy

Jason thanks for the info. & I must check out wonkette - Ruth Ferguson

Wow, there is a creationist out there that actually believes in creationism because it is the most plausible explanation? That shatters my illusion that creationists are simply people who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, and attack evolution because they're afraid if science soundly invalidates something written in the Bible, their entire belief system collapses like a house of cards. Christianity isn't that fragile. If it can survive heliocentrism, it can survive evolution. - stretta via twhirl

So much for freedom of religion. Will you at least let them be carpenters like the Cagots or will you burn them at the stake? -- A Concerned Non-Creationist - Ernie Oporto

How's that Ernie? I don't mind anyone practicing their religion as long as they don't try to enact laws to force it on other people. Creationists activists - those who wish to teach creationism in public schools as science, of which Palin apparently is, are such people. So, no I don't believe in the type of religious freedom that would grant creationists the right to indoctrinate my child in religious non-scientific puffery. - Tad, Anti-Immanentizer

Heh yeah Matthew. Christianity survived the death of its leader. I'm sure a little thing like evolution can't hurt it. - Alex Scoble

Religious freedom is the ability to practice whatever religion you choose in the private place of your choosing. It is not the freedom to teach your religion in the classroom. When you try to enforce your beliefs on the rest of us in society, you are taking away our religious freedom. And that's the thing. We don't teach evolution because we BELIEVE it to be true. We teach it because we have found it, through over a century of examination of the facts, to be the BEST explanation for how we got here. - Alex Scoble

Is god going to speak to them about their policies as well? - orionstarr

The debate between creationism and evolution is one for a class on religion and/or philosophy and not one for a science class. There is no scientific basis on which to support creationism, therefore there's no way to present it in a scientific forum. - Alex Scoble

+1 Alex - Sally Church

I just donated $50 to the Paris Hilton campaign to keep a *real* celebrity out of the Whitehouse. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins

Schools should teach *Moral* and parents should attend that class!!! - Alex Sauceda

@ruth ferguson are you nuts? you don't mind a made up 'theory' taught alongside science? so what about my theory of faries? or dragons? or green aliens? - Ivan Pope via twhirl

I always love it when folks bring up that silly argument. You do realize that the most populous religion in our country isn't the holy dragon church, right? I mean you at least have those two brain cells firing, right? - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins

Science has nothing to do with the popularity of an idea...all ideas popular or not have to go through rigorous peer review process to be called a theory. - Alex Scoble

@Mark The point Ivan is making is there is as much science in creationism as there is in fairies, dragons and green aliens.The fact that Christianity is a popular religion in America is irrelevant in the context of what should be taught in a public school science class. - stretta via twhirl

@Jason Schultz: Wherever religion makes claims about reality, it infringes on the domain of science. One can hold certain religious beliefs without them conflicting with known facts/evidence, but creationism is a world-view in conflict with science. It is demonstrably false, and should not be taught as true anywhere, let alone in a public school. - Tanath

No, the point Ivan demonstrates by saying what he says is that he doesn't have the capacity to illustrate his point without sounding incredibly insensitive to those who call themselves Christian. It's ignorance and hypocrisy, particularly when it's in advocacy of "the party of sensitivity and compassion." - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins

Well, a person who believes in God is generally the kind of person I don't want anywhere near the White House. But I know I'll never see that in my lifetime. So best case, I want a person who can at least separate religion from politics and has a grip on reality. I'm genuinely shocked that McCain managed to pick someone even less tolerable than Romney in this regard. - Eric P