There is an interesting account out of Waco, Texas where Bill Nye “The Science Guy” was booed for saying that the Moon does not generate it own light — in contradiction to the Bible. This will likely end any designs of Nye to open a new Bill Nye “The Religion Guy” line of products. The speech reportedly occurred in 2006 but the controversy was rekindled after critics cried foul at the removal of the story from the local newspaper’s online archive.
Nye ran afoul of the faithful by remarking that it is not true that the moon generates its own light as opposed to reflecting light. This contradicted Genesis 1:16, which says quite clearly (if only Nye bothered to read it) that “God made two great lights — the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.” Fortunately, there were educated people in the audience who proceeded to boo Nye and walk out. One woman with three children reportedly screamed “We believe in God!” while storming out.
Now what is particularly interesting is the Waco Tribune broke the story and ran an article with quotations from the audience. However, it has been removed from the online site, as noted at an atheist site. However, it has now been returned, here. Why would the newspaper remove a clearly important story with international interest? If the story was false, there should have been a retraction and an investigation. If it is simply embarrassing, the newspaper is engaging in self-censorship. Either way, the newspaper owes people and explanation.
In the meantime, Nye needs to answer for his rejection of biblical science. Recently, Texas legislators moved to help create a master’s in creationist science. Perhaps Nye should be required to great a real science degree in creationism as opposed to that ridiculous Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Cornell.
Next he is going question the fact that the sun evolves around the earth and find himself in a papal trial.
For the original article, click here
“God made two great lights — the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.” Do they mean to say god couldn’t have made the sun to shine on the moon who’s relected light in turn, shines in the night sky? Are these people questioning god’s majesty and power? They should be ashamed. If god wants relective light, then let there be reflective light. Sinners! If god can make headlights for cars he can use reflection on the moon. End of story!!!
Somehow, this story has gained currency, even though the reporting is from April of 2006 (not 2009).
This link (http://www.examiner.com/x-4112-Skepticism-Examiner~y2009m4d22-Just-shoot-me) includes the text of the 2006 article.
I can’t figure out if “creationist science” is an oxymoron or not??
Wait, I am confused. He was booed for saying the moon DOES NOT generate its own light? There are people who truly believe that the moon generates its own light and SO much hang on to this belief that it would be cause to carry an article in a local paper which headlined ignorant quotes from the “angry” mob? I guess I just didn’t realize that people existed who would take such a literal translation of the passage from Genesis.
As a resident of Texas (Austin) I wince every time some local yokel opens their mouth and confirms the worst stereotypes about Texans. This and that “moran” Texan congressman who thought he stumped the Nobel laureate yesterday asking about Alaskan oil…
Good ‘ol Wacko, Texas…
Jill said:
“If god can make headlights for cars he can use reflection on the moon. End of story!!!
______________________
Well Jill, all I know is that I praise the hand of god for equipping Eve with heavenly headlights…
Bush is in Crawford near Waco. Hummm, Baylor University and that Former dictator has made sure that G-d is Alive and well.
I guess in January 09 when a streaming light was seen coming from Austin to Dallas it was G-ds work of course. I see it as the alien lifeforms investigating there own.
FFLEO,
And don’t forget about the bone that was taken from Adam and given to Eve. LOL
But what happens when they realize that all of the stars in the sky are actually other suns in the sky? Once they realize this, there heads just might explode.
I do like that Bill Nye.
Oh Oh Buddha has arises from his dormancy. Never to return to normalcy is truly a fallacy.
Good Morning, Buddha but that Bill Nye reminds be of a freak. Probably was a Catholic at one time.
All I have to say to the Jesus Freaks is that if God didn’t invent both reflection and refraction of light, we’d all be blind. Physics! ‘Nuff said.
Lets all sign or sing in unison. “Amazing Grace”
All celestial bodies are made of green cheese
The moon is a celestial body
Therefore the moon is made of green cheese
QED
lol
Anything created by Texas republicans (including la luna) generates its own light.
Xenu is amused. End communication.
Despite the optimism which I use to brighten my days and hopefully prolong my life, sometimes the facade is too tough to maintain. Can this story really be true? Are there really people so stupid? Is the denial that great? All questions for inquiring minds, but sadly I fear the answer is yes and being optimistic about human survival becomes difficult, when fools such as this abide in the world. Even the RCC gave up and admitted Galileo was on to something hundreds of years ago.
These born again types raise stupidity to unheard of modern levels and are too dumb to even understand why people oppose and ridicule them.
Between Glenn Greenwald and Jonathan Turley, one can get an online degree in advanced sarcasm!
Mike,
As someone who had a large chunk of his misspent youth learning about Biblical literacy and Creation science, the answer is simply Yes and No.
When most of the adults in your life are telling you one thing, and that anything that contradicts that is a “test of faith,” you learn to rationalize quite a bit. When you factor in that most of the “leaders” of the movement are either con men out to exploit the faithful, or so convinced of their rightness that they will lie to prove that they’re telling the truth it gets hard to get good information. So, while the story is true, the people aren’t stupid just very misled.
>Bush is in Crawford near Waco.
No longer. He abandoned that former pig farm as soon as it served no political purpose. Now he lives in a soon-to-be-gated (f not already gated) white Dallas suburb.
I’m comfortable with this move. I hope that the gate is sufficiently maintained to keep W from getting out.
http://www.homoveritas.net
OFF TOPIC: Cryptonomicon
Mike S.,
I’ve just finished the book during some unexpected free time at the airport. KCI is a wonderful place to read. Thanks again for the referral. I intend to read the Baroque Cycle as time permits.
First – Long. Not for the faint of heart, but worth the effort. My editor’s eye says it could have been about 100 pages shorter and had the same effect, but my writer’s eye says so what? It was entertaining ride from cover to cover. My only complaint was I felt Andrew Loeb to be a little underdeveloped for being so pivotal. It made him smell a bit of deus ex machina. Not fatally so, but the scent lingers.
Second – That’s the best explanation of Van Eck phreaking for the layman I’ve ever read. I’ve seen Van Eck in action in a lab and it’s quite a neat trick. Stephenson has quite a grip on the basics of computing as well as cryptography. I bet he’d be a real interesting conversation IRL.
Third – The discussion between Root and Waterhouse about the nature of Athena vs. Ares was pure brilliance. Worth reading the several hundred pages it took to get there.
Fourth – Amy Shaftoe is a woman after my own heart. ‘Nuff said.
Ignoti et quasi occulti, here’s to hoping the followers of Athena win!
Gyges:
“As someone who had a large chunk of his misspent youth learning about Biblical literacy and Creation science, the answer is simply Yes and No.”
what is wrong with believing a prime mover set it all into play and set up the systems, i.e. physics to keep it all working? Why do christians need to think that God is in control of every moment of every day? If god exists then he would be smart enough to take eternity off and relax in Tahiti with a good book and cold glass of iced tea by some lagoon.
Bron,
Is it not basic psychology than when one fears a responsibility (or anything), one may abdicate one’s decision making (or other elements of self-control) in order to avoid the possibly painful consequence of owning one’s actions? Is that not Pavlov in action? Such is the case of free will when viewed in light of the concept of God as Prime Mover. I put it to you that is the case with fundamentalist/creationists. The idea that they are to a large degree “on their own” is just too frightening to contemplate. Hence they become prey for the unscrupulous who would use them to Earthy and sometimes nefarious end.
Texas republicans also thought up the “my lawyer said I could” defense to torture:
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-lawyer-said-i-could.html
Bron,
I’ve got nothing against religion. It seems to be a natural consequence of having an animal that a)uses symbols b)seeks patterns and c)is social. I think the first two explain themselves, the third simply has to do with the hierarchic element that seems to be a common thread in all religions that I know of.
My problem is with fundamentalism (religious or otherwise). I think this is a very clear example of that. My response to Mike can basically be boiled down to “fundamentalists are made not born.” That’s an over simplification, I think it’s probably about 35/65 Nature/Nurture.
As for the rest, Buddha’s answer is as good as any I could give.
Doesn’t the bible also say that slavery is OK? It must be tought to take everything literally.
Thanks for the collective reply, I am not particulary religious and was really just curious because I know from past posts that you and Buddha were raised in shall we say, different circumstances and was wondering about the motivation behind fundamentalism.
I keep wanting to understand it as a special club, that feeds the ego. Most people seem to have a need to get a leg up on the next guy and so I attribute it to that. The hey look at me I am going to spend eternity with God. The I am special and better than you thinking.
But I like Buddha’s take on it to, an abdication of responsibility. If you screw the pooch (keeping with Buddha’s Pavlovian theme) you had help or you have a friend to make it better.
Who could ever forget this little ditty?
——————————————
Dear Dr. Laura:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I
have learned a great deal from your show and try to share that knowledge
with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual
lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22
clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other
specific laws and how to follow them.
1. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a
pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They
claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her
period of menstrual uncleanliness – Lev.15:19-24. The problem is, how
do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
4. Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?
5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination – Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this?
7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?
9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? – Lev.24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev.20:14)
I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is
eternal and unchanging.
Your devoted disciple and adoring fan.
Jerry
Bron,
It’s a mix of those things. No one reason is the only answer. With me, a large part of it was an attempt to prove myself intellectually. How much better for me, if not only do I KNOW the Revealed TRUTH, but understand it as well (believe me, the most obnoxious fundi is a smart fundi). I went to church with people who loved God for the same reason they loved their cousins: that’s how they were raised. I also knew a guy that just liked the hymns and the offertory (we had a fantastic piano player in the congregation).
Think of this though: You take a smart child, and surround him with friendly nice adults who week after week are telling him the same thing. Some of his teacher’s disagree, but by the time he gets old enough to take THOSE (science) classes, he’s been exposed to the same message for all of his formative years. Plus, his parents wouldn’t lie would they, or his pastor, or that guy that came in with the pictures of the eye and that smug analogy of putting watch parts in a bag and shaking it… You get the point.
Buddha,
I’m so glad you liked the book. Stephenson doesn’t do short. you’re right Loeb was curiously underdeveloped for Stephenson, who takes pains to develop even minor characters. The man knows his code and explains it to old farts like me. Amy’s ancestor from 300 years in the past is the true hero of the Baroque Cycle, “Half-Cocked” Jack Shaftoe, who doesn’t show up until about page 340 in the first book Quicksilver. Jack is one of the greatest picaresque heroes I’ve ever enjoyed. Waterhouse’s ancestor Daniel is also a main character, he is a Natural Philosopher and a close friend of Isaac Newton’s. Root is also in the book, but not as anyone’s ancestor, a twist I’ll say no more about. Enjoy, when you get the time.
Why I don’t like or trust Barack Obama anymore:
Admiral Blair & Porter Goss admitting the CIA received high value, lifesaving information from terrorists, while President Obama is condemning the same interrogations as immoral and counterproductive purely for political gain.
President Obama is throwing and has thrown grand White House parties with Kobe beef, a hundred bucks a pound, while telling the nation to cut back in order to survive the greatest economic downturn supposedly since the Great Depression.
Bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia, listening patiently and respectfully while a two-bit dictator lectures Obama with false charges for 50 minutes about the criminal country he leads, and Obama doesn’t say one word to object, one word in disagreement, does not stand up for his country at one point during the Summit of the Americas.
Now we’ve got Fidel Castro setting Obama straight about how Cuba handles political prisoners and its economy. Fidel Castro, one of Obama’s idols, calling him superficial.
We had the nomination of tax cheats to his cabinet, including the man who oversees the IRS, five tax cheats in the Obama administration.
We have Obama’s joke of a press spokesman, who makes a complete idiot of himself on a daily basis.
He sends back a symbol of freedom, that bust of Sir Winston Churchill to Great Britain just after moving into the White House. He wants nothing to do with it. He did of his own volition. They said you can keep it. He said no, we don’t want it here. They said put it in a different room in the White House. We don’t want it here, and sent it back to the British embassy. It was given to us, President Bush, after 9/11, by the Brits. He insulted the prime minister of England, the queen of England, with embarrassing, thoughtless gifts.
We have the French president Sarkozy ridiculing Obama’s messianic complex, inviting him to walk on water at Normandy beach.
We have Iran taking a hostage, an American journalist, as Obama promises better relations.
We have North Korea humiliating Obama with their missile launch.
We have Obama putting the country in debt for generations to come while promising fiscal responsibility, offering up laughable budget cuts, banning lobbyists from his administration, while appointing them left and right.
Openly lying that Caterpillar would hire up with the passage of his stimulus bill, then watching while that company lays off thousands after the stimulus bill passes.
He pledges to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay but then he keeps it open with no plan for its future.
Proclaiming total transparency, while keeping secret who got the TARP funds, when, where, why.
He is incapable of communicating without a teleprompter.
He attacks a private citizen broadcaster from the White House as part of an orchestrated plan to distract the country from legislation and policies we don’t want, which thus touched off a political firestorm, all of this while claiming to be a unifier.
He makes a ham-handed attempt to nationalize the banks preventing financial institutions from paying back TARP money they don’t need or want.
General Motors is a debacle; it is an absolute debacle and mess, and soon Wall Street is going to be the same thing. He has made bad situations worse with car manufacturers, and the worst is yet to come.
He has sparked hundreds of protests involving hundreds of thousands of Americans at tea parties regarding irresponsible government spending while his Homeland Security chief labels peacefully demonstrating Americans and veterans as security risks.
Spending 800 billion dollars in stimulus. Money that even my grandchildren, if I have any, will not ever be able to pay back.
Spending 3.6 trillion in this budget and ensuring trillion dollar deficits each year for the next decade.
“My problem is with fundamentalism (religious or otherwise).
Amen Brother Gyges, that’s my problem too. However, what pisses me off no end and what I call blasphemy in any religious context is the idea of pre-ordination. It make God into a puppeteer, watching people as an amusement in a story that is not allowed to vary. firm believers in the book of Revelation typify this and don’t realize what a put down of God this is. This is why as you say the preachers are mostly con-men, though stage magicians would fit aptly, they need to send peoples attention elsewhere so as not to see the reality behind the trick. At least Thomas More, Beckett, Luther, et. al. had some intellectual chops. This modern day crew lacks the ability to at least superficially resolve the disconnects.
Former Dem,
When were you last a Dem, 1980? You’re just another troll parroting your FOX-fed propaganda. Do you really think your pretext as a disenchanted Democrat is even a little plausible given the content of your drivel?
Former Dem,
Is your favorite James Brown tune, “Talking Loud and Saying Nothing”?
Yeah. I’m a thinkin’ . . .
Former Dem,
Are you doin’ much preachin’ lately? If so, please answer the questions Bob, Esq. posted … (Jerry asking Laura).
You will need those answers if you plan to attend tea bag parties dude.
Buddha,
Shush yo mouth. You will awaken the might troll with nothing to say.
This is to the guy that posted about the Bible, in it the fun da mental ists. They don’t know nothing about the B-I-B-L-E or they would all claim to be Jewish and that would really screw up the system for everyone.
Really, no where in the book does Jesus ever say. “I Jesus Renounce Judaism and all it stands for.” and another secret I learned while trying to clear my head, in seminary, and you want to know where all the Politics started, only once in the BIBLE does it get close to Jesus saying he was g-d and that is in I believe Luke, I am in the Father and the Father is in me and therefor yada yada. Thats the only place.
But Please don’t tell them. They will tell the leader of PTL which stands for Pay The Leader. And they will come a trollin doing the master bidden.
One part of the Old Testament states that there shall be a city for people would commit Murder. Actually a couple of em. But I am too lazy to go to the exact cite. I admit it I AM LAZY at times. But some of these people are lazy all the time. You wonder how they figured out how to turn the puter on and work other inventions of marvel.
So there you have it the Bible as AY sees it today.
Can you say Amen. Opps another one of the foreign words we use that people don’t know about and do not tell then that most people are only introduced to two numbering systems Roman and that other one I am afraid if I say it, they will pray for my soul to decompose and not to be recomposed.
AY,
If they have a problem with Arabic numerals, then Roman numerals are too good for them.
I say let them use binary modulus 25.
I can smell the Wal-Mart’s burning to the ground from customer frustration now!
wac(k)o lunatics
Pardon Me?
You are correct in your observation of me. The first step in any recovery is to admit your defects. The next step sir is to do something about the defect.
Sir, with all due respect, what is it that you can admit to.
Wow. Former Dem copied and pasted that srtaight from Limbaughs radio broadcast. It is virtually word for word. And look at that, he/she doesn’t even attribute it. Gotta love those thieving ditto heads.
JoshOnPC:
Thanks for exposing another trolling fraud, and plagiarist.
I,for one am happy that Former Dem is no longer a Dem, if he ever was one. Of course, I thought the Democrats used a troll filter before registering anyone, so it is doubtful that he was a Democrat ever. Unless he is so old that he is a Dixiecrat.
Jonathan,
Your header is wrong, wrong, wrong. He has a soul and you know where it’ll be going after he dies. There is only the light of fires there–and those fires were commanded by a just god.
seamus:
“Xenu is amused. End communication.”
*************
I am still laughing at this one.
AY,
“…with all due respect, what is it that you can admit to.”
——-
er umm…i have not seen the dark side of the moon?
Pardon Me?
I won’t tell you but, you must have kept your eyes closed for at least 7.233 days per month. You have heard of the Full Moon. Well it is the Opposite.
So you are excused from participation the rest of the day. Please have a good day.
pardon me is very, very confused. The dark side of the Moon faces the Earth 13 times a year at the phase of the New Moon.
pardon should look up more.
pardon may have meant the “far side” of the Moon, permanently faced away from the Earth, but we have all had access to photos of that since the Moon flights.
pardon me may believe that the Moon flights and landings were faked.
Gnome,
You are going to confuse Pardon me? with tell him we have 13 moons a year and only 12 months. S/He probably cannot handle the fact that it happens.
He is probably not aware that just because you cannot see the moon during the day does not mean that it is not present.
For the simple and addled minded I must correct my previous posting and now it should be reflective to state:
“”"”"I won’t tell you but, you must have kept your eyes closed for at least 7.233 NIGHTS per month. You have heard of the Full Moon. Well it is the Opposite.”"”"”
Make that the dark side of the moon of Uranus, Puck, please.
Pardon Me?
Pardon my French!
That was funny. “Make that the Dark ….”
Very clever. Not original but it will do. LOL.
Please take the teasing in stride.
If you are a Troll. Well you know the Roll. You will be beaten and then eaten by mere wods. By the Wolves of Words.
You did learn how to get along with your family? Well I did not.
Sent from my damn phone. Because I could not leave it alone.
So when is Texas going to leave the union?
Al;
In answer to your question, “So when is Texas going to leave the union?” As soon as the government of the United States refuses to send Texas any more money/hurricane relief/flu vaccine.
But the universe did generate itself….this we know. Anyone who insults this common knowledge should be deemed an unbelieving imbecile and slandered for all eternity on the comment sections of blog posts. That will teach those intolerant religious types.
I do love you guys…am I allowed to say “love” here?
The religion/science debate will eternally rage on, but I believe both make better bed-mates than people think. Each experiences appreciable change through analysis. Take the Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany written by Galileo for example. Here’s a man with great scientific clout who discovers that the Earth is not the center of the Universe. He writes his “oh crap” letter to the duchess to avoid getting thrown in prison for his blasphemy. I think that we would all agree that the earth is not the center of the universe today, right? Obviously there was a change in the doctrine to allow the two to lay harmoniously together. Well, I’d say that one is hogging the sheets on that one. On the same coin, science is constantly changing to become the truth too. That’s ultimately what the goal is…we would all agree on that one.
Religion is a philosophy and science is a definition of matter and its interactions. Having two approaches to the same questions will derive different answers at times. Take light for example; when we test its properties with the assumption that it is a wave, light appears to be a wave. When the assumption is made that light is a particle, a light is a particle. The world is as we perceive it.
Knowing that these two things are working towards a common goal, I don’t see it necessary to huff and puff and storm out of a lecture. I know it’s sensitive sometimes because it hits the core to some people’s beliefs but the truth will stand on it’s own. It doesn’t need to be stuffed with emotions to be legitimized.
What I’m getting at here is that we should listen to Bill Nye. We know that the moon does not have the same nuclear reaction occurring at its core to produce electromagnetic radiation. The light travels as a wave/particle from the sun, where there is nuclear fusion occurring, and this is reflected off the moon to light up our dark nights. That’s just how it is.
Emotions disturb logic like a stone to a stagnant pond. Before we know it, our justification for a divine being at work loses clarity of what is being discussed.
Bill Nye must Die!
this is from one of my favorite sites and it’s not a joke–from OneNewsNow, the CHRISTIAN website, see a boxing match between Calvin and Darwin! Who will win? Family tickets are available, so get yours now.
http://www.visionforumministries.org/calvinvsdarwin/
Waco Tribune used to be known for publishing about 80% bible quotes in the letters to the editor. But, since Baylor University is down the street, what do you expect.
A lot of the Bible beaters – and I’m from Texas, born in Waco (though luckily educated overseas) – are just well, nuts. Clueless. Definitely candidates for a mental disease classification.
You can’t educate them, they just go to Church at least once a week come out and babble nonsense. Baptists are the worst, but other sects are a close second.
Republicans love them, they’re like lemmings, they just run right off the cliff.
Contrary to this blog posting, the article is up on the Waco Tribune site.
Here it is.
Texas ex: “…Republicans love them, they’re like lemmings, they just run right off the cliff.”
That’s an insult to the intelligence of lemmings. That running off cliffs stuff is just Disney propaganda and not true.
The write-up here makes it sound like Nye was booed simply for saying that the moon reflects light.
He seems to have actually been booed because he specifically pointed out the contradiction with Genesis.
The nuts are pretty nutty, but stuff like that goes rocketing over their heads unless you carefully point it out.
When I was about to move to Texas, I remember dismissing the stereotypes. Big mistake. Texans, by and large, are morons. Complete idiots, in a way that is difficult for people who have not spent significant time in the South to understand. Believe all of the stereotypes and then imagine it being a bit worse, and you’ll be about right.
witchybitch,
So we are all a little slow on the uptake, some more than others.
Perhaps it’s not that Texans are idiots per se, but that they truly believe that John Wayne really was a hero, rather than an actor. This in tandem with a “fairy tale” history of Texas’ creation, leaves them at a loss to separate truth from fiction. They really believe “macho” means tough and manly. Don’t forget to throw in the fact that from the beginning Texas was controlled by a small, wealthy group, that pretty much called the shots as to education, news and politics.