Stupidity, it has been said, is contagious, and one has to wonder whether a particularly virulent virus is running through the Conservative tent these days. First there was Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP Rick Nicholls suggesting that evolution shouldn't be taught in schools, as he doesn't believe in it. Now comes word of similar sentiments on the part of one of his federal cousins, B.C. Conservative MP James Lunney.
Coming to the defense of his fellow fundamentalist, Lunney tweeted:
"[Just] stop calling #evolution fact!" tweeted Lunney, who said he had no problem calling it a "theory."A man clearly comfortable in his own skin and not afraid to parade his profound ignorance, Lunney made this statement to the House in 2009:
"Any scientist who declares that the theory of evolution is a fact has already abandoned the foundations of science. For science establishes fact through the study of things observable and reproducible. Since origins can neither be reproduced nor observed, they remain the realm of hypothesis," he said then.Like many of his benighted ilk, Lunney is also deeply suspicious of claims made about climate change:
"The evolutionist may disagree, but neither can produce Darwin as a witness to prove his point. The evolutionist may genuinely see his ancestor in a monkey, but many modern scientists interpret the same evidence in favour of creation and a Creator."
Last year he tweeted "Science settled? Think again!" and posted a link to an article by a University of Guelph economist who is one of the signatories of a declaration disputing climate change.But wait! As they say, there's more!
As reported last year in The Huffington Post, Linney signed An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming:
"We believe Earth and its ecosystems—created by God’s intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence —are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting, admirably suited for human flourishing, and displaying His glory. Earth’s climate system is no exception. Recent global warming is one of many natural cycles of warming and cooling in geologic history."The declaration went on to say,
We deny that carbon dioxide—essential to all plant growth—is a pollutant. Reducing greenhouse gases cannot achieve significant reductions in future global temperatures, and the costs of the policies would far exceed the benefits."Oh, and one more thing. Lunney's disdain for science extends to vaccines with this discredited notion:
In a 2004 speech in the House of Commons, Lunney cited figures he said showed a tenfold increase in the incidence of autism and said Canada should explore a link to vaccines.It is said that people get the government they deserve. Somehow, I can't help but think that the residents of Nanaimo—Alberni deserve much, much better than what this man has to offer.
Damn you, Lorne! That evangelical doormat happens to be my MP. He's announced his pensionable time is topped up so he won't be running in the next election and I somehow hoped I'd heard the end of him. He's done absolutely nothing for this riding, nothing at all.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for all those rightwing peckerheads from the Prairies that come out here to retire (and vote), Lunney would never have had a chance. It's a creepy irony that my polling station is within the bowels of the fundamentalist Baptist church that this chiro-quack infests.
I see that lotus land is not quite the Eden (perhaps a poor choice of metaphor?) I had envisaged, Mound. You have my sympathies and my moral support for your tribulations.
DeleteThey have to deny evolution because they are probably too ashamed to admit that their glorious hero, Closet Steve, has "evolved" from a Liberal to Progressive Cons to Canadian Alliance to Reform to what he is today, CPC or Corrupt/Cheating/Closet (take your pick) Party of Canada. Lol
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, it is as if we are dealing with a bunch of folks who actually revel in being seen as the village idiots, eh?
Stupidity often seems proud of itself for reasons that are entirely lost on me, Anon.
DeleteAn evangelical christian trying to refute evolution as fact. I'm all ears!! I hope the CONs keep up the conversation though. The Canadians , if they were in doubt before, will see that Christian fundamentalists are running our country. Anonymous is right, "they actually revel in being seen as the village idiots"
ReplyDeleteFor the most part, Pamela, Harper seems to have been able to keep a fairly effective lid on these people, precisely because he doesn't want voters to know who they have entrusted the country to.
DeletePlease visit http://howdovaccinescauseautism.com/ and then send Mr. Lunney there. (The http source is also worth a peek)
ReplyDeleteGreat site, Anon! Succinct and to the point. May it provide the final word on these bogus and benighted claims.
DeleteI have no problem calling evolution a 'theory.' As a natural skeptic I am leery of calling many things "fact" per se. Like any science, one goes with the best theory we have until a better one comes along. But let's face it, Nicholls and Lunney don't really care what we call evolution, and they don't even care about wether it is a 'good' theory or not. What they really care about is how ideas which are outside their fundamentalist world view destabilize traditional power structures and how making information available to people in general can break down orthodoxy. And sadly, science as a community is not much different, as Thomas Kuhn and others have demonstrated.
ReplyDeleteThe Church, of course, recognized the threat to its power and agency from people like Galileo and Copernicus, Kirby, and reacted accordingly. It seems that people like Lunney and Nicholls have a decided nostalgia for such times.
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