Jindal: Intelligent Design "The Very Best Science" (VIDEO)

Bobby Jindal, Louisiana Governor, exorcist, and potential McCain running mate, was interviewed on CBS's Face The Nation on Father's Day. Among the topics covered, Jindal was asked about his opinions on the debate over intelligent design's place in the public school curriculum. Jindal supports teaching intelligent design alongside evolution in the classroom, saying:

I personally think that the life, human life and the world we live in wasn't created accidentally. I do think that there's a creator. I'm a Christian. I do think that God played a role in creating not only earth, but mankind. Now, the way that he did it, I'd certainly want my kids to be exposed to the very best science. I don't want them to be-I don't want any facts or theories or explanations to be withheld from them because of political correctness. The way we're going to have smart, intelligent kids is exposing them to the very best science and let them not only decide, but also let them contribute to that body of knowledge.

Most scientists argue that intelligent design doesn't qualify as science.

Watch:

Comments

[bananacannon]

I have no issue with ID being taught in science classes, as long as Dawkins and alike get time in the pulpit every sunday. After all, whats wrong with counterviews eh?

[roald]

I would also like to see the teachings of other religious groups taught, in a comparative religions class, not a science class. Other religions' explanations seem just as valid.

I agree with BlackbirdHighway (below). Any sufficiently complex natural process or event is indistinguishable from the hand of god.

[BlackbirdHighway]

My problem with intelligent design is the premise that if humans don't understand something in nature, then it's evidence of God.

So, the underlying assumption is that somehow humans have absolute knowledge, complete understanding of everything in the universe, and ultimate wisdom. Therefore, if we don't understand it, then it must be god.

I would submit that humans are very, very, far from having absolute knowledge or complete understanding, and often show barely any wisdom at all. If humans don't understand something in nature, it is much more of a reflection of the limitations of human understanding than it is evidence of god.

Consider the humble pocket calculator. We take them for granted, and they are so cheap and plentiful that they are giveaways in many places. Yet, a couple hundred years ago, if one existed, it would have been seen as evidence of god, or more likely, the devil. It would certainly prompt a supernatural explaination.

Just like having a bit more knowledge turns the calculator from supernatural to ordinary, increasing human knowledge will eventually turn the evidence cited by the ID crowd from evidence of god into easily explained natural processes.

To me, intelligent design is simply based on incredibly massive hubris.

[bigbingtheory]

ID=If we can't explain it, it must be magic.

[WalkingOnEggshells]

Oh PLEASE Senator McCain, choose this blithering idiot superstition-soaked fool for your running mate! That way Obama can win in a landslide even against the right-wing-funded Nader candidacy and the Diebold electronic vote tampering and other Repug dirty tricks!

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

Just think if this guy becomes VP and all of a sudden McFlipper dies while he is president than this is what kind of a laugh stock we will get as president. Science is science. The crap this guy is peddling isn't sciene. Anyone can read what they want to in a bible. The bible is a good book but written and passed down by man. Evoluation has been a proven science.

[turkeyfish]

Unfortunately, this does not follow. We recently had a VP who couldn't spell "potatoe".

Republicans prefer them that way. It makes their politicians feel like "one of them". You can see this in our current president, who boasts of "C" grades and disinterest in books, although one he was reading on 911 got his undivided attention (anyone got the YouTube URL).

Ironically, that many of these same people criticize young blacks who also use peer pressure to intimidate others into thinking its not cool to study hard lest they be seen as "acting white". Similar behaviors stampede the public into invading Iraq or doing away with the 4th amendment of the constitution and civil liberties and freedoms so that we can "feel safe" from terrorism, rather than simply putting their faith in the consitution, once the center of our democracy, and arresting Bin Laden for his crimes.

This "politics of castigation", has been used with some success since churches first evolved from bands of witch doctors, is related. This ancient behavior, persists because of heavy selection pressure it creates against those who, like Socrates, would dare to challenge the masses to think. Its much easier to manipulate them to panic into such group behaviors, thereby eliminating "dangerous" ideas.

Its too bad we can legislate a requirement that every one should be intelligent and think. To that we have to turn to science and that's why its so important to preserve the science in the science classroom.

[RJII]

Doesn't it seem like McSame went out and got himself a muslim to one up Barack H.Obama. lol.

Anyway, Jindal seems a lot smarter than McSame.

[girard1991]

Now, which sub-continent does his family originate from?

[DrCahill]

What has that got to do with anything? He is an American, and a U.S. Governor for crying out loud. And The United States of America is a nation of immigrants!
Which sub-continent does your family originate from?

[girard1991]

Because I wanted to know and did not feel like looking up his bio. Depending on family background (yes I know he is Christian), his thinking could be rooted in part of that tradition as opposed to being attributed to taking the standard right-wing position. Groups tend to bring parts of their tradition along with them when they move. Plus sub-continent denotes specific lower geographic areas of the very LARGE Asian continent. It is not a derogatory term DrCahill. I hope that you knew that as a doctor (medical--Doctors Without Boarders do lots of work in these areas) or Ph.D.? And yes, yes, yes to your comments. But no sub-continent origins for my family. So there is no reason to attack me or my family. For crying out loud back at you!

[BluesDogLefty]

Okay, did Odin help, too? Let's not hold any "facts" back from our kids. Maybe we should mention Zeus in the Biology classrooms.

[Trittydi]

How about the Pink Unicorn and the Celestial Teapot as well? Or Thor with his hammer would do.
*

[BluesDogLefty]

The earth is flat.

[McChimp]

And the Moon is made of cheese.

[GingerB]

It's a full wheel of gouda tonight. Beautiful!

[highlyamused]

And stars are holes in the sky that the light of god shines through.

[cimwright]

I am completely floored. I simply cannot believe that a person can be a raional person if they believe in intelligent design. ID has no data. ID has no research. ID has only one answer: god. So teaching ID literally takes a few seconds. The teacher just has to say the following: God intelligently created the universe and everything that is in the universe. Voila! You have a complete course on intelligent design. Then the teacher can go ahead and continue teaching the real stuff, science.

[OlongapoEd]

So-called "Intelligent Design" is simply a deceitful way to force sectarian theology into science classrooms. I concluded years ago that Creationists, etc., in general realize that what they are promoting, but they promote it in order to increase the power of their version of the True Religion. They do not so much believe in it as use it as a tool to achieve their theocratic ends.

[chendri887]

Louisiana has a population of some 4.5 million people. "Bobby" Jindal won the governorship of Louisiana with about 400,000 votes. That is less than ten percent of the population of Louisiana. In many states, I realize that the voter turnout in state and local elections is similarly low. It is frightening to me that a person can rise to the heights of power in American politics when so few people vote for him or her. To think that "Bobby" Jindal is being considered for the vice presidency is just mind-boggling. Is this really the best we can do? Can we not engineer this system to better serve we the people?

[GingerB]

We could make voting mandatory (like Australia).

http://www.slate.com/id/2108832/

[mouve]

Of what use would that be? You'd have votes of frustrated people in the elections who actually don't want to vote and who decide for a candidate only out of obligation and not because they're behind him. If someone doesn't feel like voting he should be allowed not to. Why? Because whatever the election result is, it's all the same to him.

I'm always voting in every election, mind you (OK, once I was not at home and I somehow forgot to make use of an absentee ballot). But some people just won't. Making it mandatory won't be any good.

[GeorgeKaplan]

Not a good idea.

[pie8ter]

yes, We MUST make voting mandatory !

If you didn't vote, you don't get your tax refund.
If you didn't vote, you can't renew your vehicle registration and renew your license.
If you didn't vote, your payroll tax and social security tax and your Medicare tax will go up.
If you didn't vote, you are assessed a penalty tax rate.

The election will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday.
You can use internet to vote (We let people to use internet to file tax returns).

Now that's democracy.

[bigbingtheory]

Or we could concentrate on teaching civics and encourage everyone to vote as much as possible. Forcing people to vote seems a little totalitarian and anti-Democratic to me. Besides Australia is over rated.

[Myshkin57]

I don't want mandatory voting. Too many uninformed people vote as it is.

[dsifso]

Your facts are wrong.
Jindal won by a margin of 400000 votes. His vote total was more than 600,000..that is telling.
Also, comparing votes to total population is meaningless. Louisiana's voting age population is around 3.2 million; its registered voters are around 2.4 million which suggests that the turnout for his off year election (2007) was over 50% with he himself winning over 50% of the votes so denying a runoff to the second place finisher.
Given the rather arbitrary nature of some of the voter laws, the 75% registration rate is not bad (compares with under 70% for the total us)

[Chickiej1]

This has got to be a joke.

A. Science is science, a uiversally agreed upon set of theories and hypotheses on which a number of significant issus are based daily.

B. In order for there to be ANY validity of the idea of teaching "intelligent design", as an alternative, in our classrooms, we would have to teach all religions, and you know the Repub crowd ain't goin' for that...

c. Do the teachers in America really have enough time and money and opportunity to add this enormously erroneous component into their cirriculum? Aren't our schools spread a bit thin already without having to teach everyone how ONE religion has a theory of human creation that is based entirely on one book?

It is far easier and much more effective and appropriate for Science teachers to teach Science and for parents, clergy, and communities to weigh n on matters of faith.

[Leslie123]

Where are all the cries that Jindal is an Indian sleeper agent sent to undo the US from the inside?

[Idiocracy]

Wow... Im speechless.

My screen name says it all...

[sassafra]

oh dear, an embarassment of riches. i confess, i'm not sure who i'd rather mccain choose, rudy "mr. 9/11" giuliani or Bobby "the exorcist" Jindal.
on one hand rudy looks *great* in drag, but on the other hand bobby might be able to spin his noggin and puke green. heck, that's just pure gold.

[GingerB]

And if he goes with Romney, we get magic undies, too!

[evgolightly]

Jindal Rocks!

We need someone like him in the White House -- he can exorcize all those AMERICA HATERS too. Don't think his powers stop at himself -- I'm telling you, this guy has something.

[sassafra]

"I'm telling you, this guy has something."

i agree, let's hope it's not infectious.

[KOisGod]

Here's a compromise

Evolution was GOD'S IDEA

Now, teach the kiddies about the birds and the bees, the rain and the thunder, the streams, rivers, lakes and oceans, the sky, the land and the sea, its all so grand, designed for you and ME !

Yeahhhhh everyone can go home now and hug each other

signed

Me the amiable. reasonable, compromiser

[HumeSkeptic]

Science needs no such compromise, and rejects it unless there is proof that the compromise is valid. Religion might need that compromise to try and stay relevant.

[LivingStardust]

Bingo! We have a winner again in HumeSkeptic.

[Trittydi]

I have no problem with anyone believing whatever they want. But leave me and mine alone.
*