Sarah Palin Says She Open To Teaching Creationism In Public Schools

Boston Globe :

John McCain's vice-presidential pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is an evangelical Protestant with a strong record of opposition to abortion and an openness to teaching creationism in the public schools.

Palin is the mother of five children, one of whom was born with Down Syndrome. She learned that her son had Down Syndrome when she was four months pregnant, and she told the Associated Press in May that she never considered ending the pregnancy. "We've both been very vocal about being pro-life," she said in the AP interview. "We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential." Palin also said of her son, whose name is Trig Paxon Van Palin, "I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection. Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"

Read the whole story: Boston Globe

Comments

[conniedogs]

I'm a Christian and I have strong views I make no excuses for that. I've made comments in the past based on my own personal and spirtiual beliefs but I want to apologize for some of the things I've said. Yes I'm anit-abortion but I believe the choice belongs to the woman, I have my views about homosexuality but I must admit they've softened. I owe much of that to the religious right who've misused and abused the word of God, they preach hate and intolerance and are the biggest racist on the earth and they do it all in the name of Jesus! I can only pray that God will not allow them to ruin this country. Christians frequently quote John 3:16, but rarely mentions John 3:17, which says, God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. I ask those of you who believe in the power of prayer to PRAY for this election.....because that's what they're doing.

[muffler]

Obama and Biden is to the Beatles what McCain and Palin are to Milli Vanilli

[CBS]

She is perfect for bringing the low information voter into the McCain camp. More reason to vote democratic...the country is at stake....the old man and the beauty queen are not what we need

[Avembe]

Mc CAIN really doesn't care about the fact that that woman is a mother of 5 children...5...i thought that Family was important for the conservatives...When will she have the time to take care of her 4 children...
he should have let her as governor give her some time(there was absolutely NO NEED TO RUSH for her career) and pick an older , more experienced woman...I'm sorry guyz, call me whatever you want...she won't be able to handle that..;come on guyz=4 kids at home...4???Give me a break...Once again Mc CAIN uses a woman for his own purpose...Just because this time he wants to feel 40

[majorteddy]

This is an abomination that McCain would so lowly value the presidency that he would choose such an intellectual flyweight as this bimbo, after one meeting no less. This is an indication of the grvitas with which he considers the presidency. He is unsuited to make difficult decisions involving the fate of our world.

[Fatman40]

Why not include the tooth fairy, Santa Clause, the Grinch and all the other looney things you find in books that are not grounded by facts in school as well? Along with creationism. Right wings freaks.

[cosmic]

seriously. this woman in a nightmare. my worst nightmare.

[foxfan]

Wouldn't that include evoloution, or do you really believe you evolved from a frog or an ape?
Do you believe that something can come from nothing?

[pattio66]

considering human DNA is 98% identical to chimpanzee DNA, I do think it's more likely that we evolved from other primates.

[Durango]

Evolution is SCIENCE.

You ought to study it. It is really fascinating. And you can learn a whole bunch.

[Cay]

Yes, I do "believe" I evolved from a primitive life form and eventual a primate. And dude, we didn't evolve from frogs - that's a inaccurate statement attempting make a mockery of the intricate, beautiful, awe-inspiring, and factually supported reality of of evolution. Also, if you believe in a supernatural, all-powerful being, aka God, you believe that something (God) came from nothing.

[Agent420]

Don't be silly. Something coming from nothing. Have you ever heard of the big bang?

[foxfan]

Even as a Christian I can not say that the concept that there was always a God and he created everything we see makes any sense. Neither can I say that the "scientific" theory that everything we see came out of nothingness and we have all evolved from ooze makes any more sense. I don't think either theory should be taught with any certainty. Teach evolution because it's a science, but give a two minute mention to creationism as an alternative theory believed by many.

[BertrandRussell]

"Believed by many" is meaningless when seeking truth.

If 50 million people believe a foolish thing, it remains a foolish thing.

[foxfan]

So let's not teach anything and keep it fair. Evolution is believed by many. It remains a foolish thing.

[helonias]

Well Iraq's WMD's were believed by many, did they exist?

[SpoxLogic]

That is why scientist call it the "THEORY of Evolution". A theory is always open to being debunked or verified through experiments or in this case thru observation.

There is no grey area for Creationism. You either beieve it or you don't. You cannot try to verify or debunk it, and that is why it shouldn't be taught in Public schools. Leave that to the churches.

[foxfan]

But until a theory is proven outright, it takes the same act of faith o believe it to be fact. Also, I didn't advocate teaching it. I said it could be offered as an alternate "theory". The nature of science is to deal in absolutes. nothing + nothing = nothing It can never equal something, but the clai that one day everything just appears relies on the equation nothing + nothing = something. Religion doesn't offer a "better" explanation, but it doesn't contradict itself in it's explanations.

Now, specific to evolution, that may be true. If God is so smart and powerful, why couldn't he use evolution as a way to continue to create new and interesting creatures? I've never understood the Christian concept of all or nothing.

[Durango]

Creationism in NOT A THEORY!!!

Theories can be tested. You cannot test Creationism.

And Theories can NEVER BE PROVEN. Einstein said ""A thousand experiments can never prove (Relativity) correct. A single experiment can prove it wrong."

Creationism is a faith. It does not belong in public schools.

You want it taught? Start your own school. There you can teach whatever beliefs you choose.

Just don't use tax dollars to support your religious doctrine.

[foxfan]

If you are testing evolution you are testing creation. If I set out to see if man came from a monkey, but my testing proves that man is a creature unto himself, then I have disproved evolution and made creationism more probable.

[Lauren1959]

The problem is evolution IS a a theory, creationism is not. It is religious dogma. Do we also then spend two minutes on Buddha springing from a plant, reincarnation, etc? If we start teaching religious myths in school, will we ever learn to compete in Math, Science, History, English?

[foxfan]

Good point. My argument is not so much that creationism should be taught. My concern is the blind faith that people seem to have in potentially flawed scientific theory, just because it is science. The opinion seems to be that evolution must be true because it is scientific. Does that make sense? Please check some of my other posts here.

[Tobiasism]

Don't we have more pressing issues this election than some inane push to set back our intellects?

[truesoccermom]

How about being a mother to your 4-month old special-needs infant rather than hitting the campaign trail in hopes of getting one of the most grueling jobs in the country?

[LorettaSingbiel]

"in hopes of getting one of the most grueling jobs in the country?"

Because she knows NOTHING about it ... she can handle it?

[cheshirecat831]

The great thing about this pick is that it proves McCain is not fit to hold office..any office. It is time for him to head off to the sunset and his ranch

[Tobiasism]

You could read the "Buyer's Remorse" on McCNN's body language the whole time he stood beside her/

[foxfan]

No you couldn't. That was just jealousy because she makes a better speech than he does.

[PublicAdvocate]

McCain has confirmed in one 'Maverick moment" poor taste, poor judgement, and poor stategy and confirmed what many have known already or suspected for years about his intelligence and judgement. This stunning selection should be a boost to a boost to Nader, Barr, and Obama.

http://www.usvetdsp.com/jan08/mccain_military_record.htm

Imagine for a moment your "new" president (should McCain pass) as the self described 'Common house wife' who is scientifically ignorant and a denialist about evolution and global warming, has no experience in foreign affairs, is in the pocket of Big Oil, and yet cannot even pronounce the word "nuclear" properly. Is America ready for a bimbo? Ms. Palin will be a delight both to America's Evangelicals and America's enemies who have fewer delusions about the modus operendi of the real world . They will make short work of her and our now weakened country courteousy of the Bush/Cheney corp.

[danelle1]

Maybe McCain had no choice but to pick Palin. McCain has a hard enough time getting a roomful of supporters that stays awake during his campaign stumps, I doubt he could get 4000 people to come celebrate his acceptance of the Republican Nomination.

Mit won't due it because there is a bit of tension there, Rudi won't fit in, because he uses 9/11 about as much as McCain uses P.O.W. (wouldn't want to confuse the sleeping supporters at a McCain event), and the others don't want to ruin their future political aspirations with being associated with this ticket.

He had no choice, but to pick an expendable person.

[BrooklynDav]

Let's not characterize Ms. Palin as a "bimbo." Name-calling is unfair. She has a right to her opinions and views. However, the content of her views makes a convincing argument against her. And I expect that the Democrats will take full advantage of Ms. Palin's extremism, inexperience and scientific ignorance to make their case.

[peter mohideen]

all of this attacking palin is going to win mccain the election because now the liberal media is doing what the conservative media was just doing unsuccessfully.

the conservatives were stuck being naysayers against obama, and it didn't work. now conservatives have turned it all around. liberals say that she's inexperienced which plays into the hands of the conservatives., now fox gets to compare the vice presidential candidate's one term as governor to obama's sort-of one term in the senate.

what the liberal media, and in fact all responsible media needs to do is to give her all the room she needs to say what she thinks. don't criticize her at all. because if you criticize her ad-nauseum then any legitimate complaint is going to seem like 'just more of the same'

so lay off her already! the general's just started. give her a moment to speak for herself or you'll hand the election to john mccain.

[whitenoise007]

You have an excellent point, and I think you're right, but other than the bloggers and Keith Olberman, et al, I'm not seeing the liberal media attacks, mainly because the "liberal media" is a chimera.

The corporate media treats lies, distortion and deception with more than equal time as they give to truth. No matter what the Democrats do--whether they lie passive like Kerry did, stupidly believing that truth will prevail; or they're proactive like hopefully Obama is--the corporate media will continue to treat McCain and Palin with kid gloves and continue to frame their coverage in their favor. Describing Palin as a "stunning selection," a "maverick,"--which is being echoed all over the corporate media--is evidence of that favoritism. Most people en masse, and Americans are no exception, need truth spelled out forcefully, like a hammer repeatedly over the head, because lies, as we've seen, become policy, history, world view and then culture.

[OneTop]

Just wonderful .... another Public Servant nutjob that thinks the Flintstones are real !

The Public School system is so horribly broken and yet these freaks who can't even teach the basic 3 R's want to add creationism. That's all America needs .... more stupid , ignorant unemployable recruits for the army.

[alexmel]

I can understand a woman deciding to have five children and not aborting a down syndrome child, but
how does she expect to give that special child%