Mike Pence Descends Into Gibberish After Evolution Questions From Chris Matthews (VIDEO)

The conversation started off with a rather simple question. "Do you believe in evolution, sir?" Chris Matthews asked Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), a leading House conservative.

"Um... I, do I believe in evolution? Ah, I, I, ah... I embrace the, uh -- the, uh -- the view, ah, that God created the heavens and the earth, the seas and all that's in them..."

Matthews interrupted. "Right, but do you believe in evolution as a means to get there?"

The sparring continued for the next several minutes, as Matthews demanded the Republican congressman own up to his party's continued skepticism over theories and facts that have broad support from the scientific community, such as evolution and climate change.

At one point, Matthews had Pence confirm for the record that he "accepts the scientific method." Pence said he did, but argued that the mainstream media was ignoring alleged growing skepticism among scientists over global warming.

Asked about teaching evolution, Pence suggested schools should cover "all these controversial areas" and let the children decide. Matthews concluded, "I think you believe in evolution, but you're afraid to say so because your conservative constituency might find that offensive."

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Comments

[MarsAmbassador]

04:57 PM on 05/15/2009

I would demand they also include the creation stories from the Norse, Slavic, Saxon, Celtic, Australian Aborigine, Egyptian, Sumerian, Assyrian, Persian, Greek, etc. Choose 50 of them and do one a class. Most people only believe what they've been told because they haven't been exposed to anything else and thus do not see the essence of their own beliefs reflected in the universal need for humanity to ask these Big Questions about the nature of the Universe and how we got here, which has manifested itself in different cultures over time, as their own particular creation myths. But the underlying need for humanity to ask is universal. Any time I encounter anyone steadfast in their belief, I ask them, "What would you believe if you grew up in Egypt 5000 years ago? Or in China 3000 years ago? Or in India 1000 years ago? Or on the Moon 10,000 years from now?" People's BELIEF is subject to their time and place, but the underlying question and desire driving it does not. Trouble is most people just stop thinking about it.

[TigersEye]

09:24 PM on 05/16/2009

Great posts!

[MarsAmbassador]

04:57 PM on 05/15/2009

"What I find amusing about all this teach creationism stuff is there really isn't much to teach, in terms of subject matter."

What you're assuming that teaching Creationism means just teaching Creationism As Told By The Bible. And you're right, that wouldn't take very long to cover. I think if they have a Religious Studies or Creationism optional class, then religious studies should cover humanity's pursuit of a religious understanding of the universe, not just teaching what the major religions teach on the matter. The underlying universality of creation myths in all cultures, ancient to modern, should be made available to developing minds. Our own half of the world is fertile grounds for this, as every Native North American tribe has their own creation stories, as do the many tribes of Inuit, the Aztecs, Mayans, Incans, Toltecs, peoples of the rainforest, voodoo practioners in Haiti, Jamaican Santeria, etc., and that's just largely covering North & South America over the past 500-1000 years.

[ebroadcast]

02:39 PM on 05/08/2009

Intelligent Design is just an 'effort' for christians to sound more scientific and less magical in there explanation for how we have come to exist. Smoke & mirrors, smoke & mirrors

[ebroadcast]

02:34 PM on 05/08/2009

He coudn't answer a single question

[Salero21]

04:51 PM on 05/08/2009

In the Video clip Mr. Matthews in one of his hystericals, predjudicial near tirades. Vociferously proclaim to the whole wide world (not another www). That the days of Creation were 7. Now take notice of the fact that I'm NOT Republican or preservative... oops I meant to say Conservative. I am participating in this blog because that flub caught my attention.

So, my one single question to you is. Where do you think Mr. Matthews got his "7 days of Creation", did he got from some book, or from someone here in this blog? Just a single question.

[ebroadcast]

02:29 PM on 05/08/2009

What a spineless POS

[CaptianTom]

10:40 PM on 05/06/2009

Again another full of it Republican that cannot answer a simple question. Religion is a belief, a choose you make, or as people call it faith. Evolution, bacteria, disease, how blood circulates, and all the other scientific advances that have been made over the centuries. Were all fought by organized religion, pick one, they all wanted to explain, everything by a good day or bad day with god. If we left science to organized religion, we would all be trying to get are humors in order and blood letting to keep our body purified. Religion has a good place for people in your home and in your church. I do not want to hear about your beliefs, nor how you think I should or should not live my life. The most hypocrisy I have seen and heard has come from the religious right aka Republicans, telling me do as I tell you, not as I do!

[AtheistUS]

10:51 PM on 05/06/2009

Santa has a good place in our home at X-mas. And pumpkin at Halloween.

And "Harry Potter" books are great account of magic. We all enjoy such things.

[ramal]

10:30 PM on 05/06/2009

Typical Repug, constantly denying the obvious.

[Nova16]

10:26 PM on 05/06/2009

The most recent statement on the evolution/creation debate was the decision handed down in the Dover case in PA that creationism or intelligent design "cannot masquerade at science' in the public schools protects the integrity of the science curriculum from inroads by fundamentalists demanding their myths and fairy tales be included in curriculum. Scientific progress has been the greatest achievement in the history of mankind. Religious views, faith, prayer are a matter of personal choice to meet the emotional needs of the individual and should never impact upon the secular without causing conflict and attacking freedom.

[AtheistUS]

06:39 PM on 05/07/2009

It is even difficult to view this as a 'debate'. When one side has specific questions and answers, and another side is talking gibberish all the time, that is just waist of time.

Creationists just waist our time.

[Salero21]

10:18 PM on 05/06/2009

Now, just a bit of info. to promote a better discussion or dialogue among those who can. The Scriptures mention that God rested on the 7th day. That however does not mean that God was tire and need it a rest. What it means is, that all the work of Creation was done in 6 days. HE finished ALL of his work in 6 days NOT 7. In the 7th day HE did not created anything else. NOTHING was created in the 7th day. He, [GOD] was RESTING not tired but was just NOT Creating anything else. After that, the Creation that HE set in motion continued PRODUCING and REPRODUCING each kind after it's own kind. That is the Godly and Christian Perspective. Now, I know that carnivorous Piranhas will come after me for having said all this.

[paulita]

10:33 PM on 05/06/2009

The point is that 6 days could be 1 million years as it all depends on interpertation, translation, and context. The errant interpertation is what the zealots cling to and insist upon.

I think the whole arguement of intelligent design as posited by the right winged zealots, is not the same as theology. Theology- Kant for example, religious existentialist, is a legitimate study and it is not the same as the creationist arguments or intelligent design. The right wing has done a good job of kidnapping theology and making it their religion, and thus making religion look silly.

[Salero21]

12:35 PM on 05/07/2009

I have no problem if u want to believe that. Believing is also an act of the will. Therefore I will not believe that. That however is also an interpretation. What I would like to know if u reach that conclusion on your own or u just following on somebody else's speculation. If they were days of a thousand or a million years of our present day calendars. Notice then that God was before time began and will be after the end of time (because a time will come, when time will be no more). Then u r saying u believe God been around for millions of years. Well if that is what u believe, it falls very short because God is Eternal he has always been. Though HE is the begining of all things. Now if u want to speculate, then we can say that maybe HE spent all that time before starting the actual work, at the drawing board. Maybe in God's feminine side it took HIM a thousand years to decide which tone of blue to choose for the sky. ;) Maybe that will explain why it took my wife and daughter, one hour to decide the color of the curtains. God created my wife and daughter with that trait or attibute. ;)

[AtheistUS]

06:30 PM on 05/07/2009

And how theology helped us to understand something about the world? Anything useful? Zero.

[Ceciboom]

02:23 AM on 05/07/2009

FAIL

[Salero21]

09:40 PM on 05/06/2009

Maybe is in the evolutionists bible that it says 7 days of creation. That is where Mr. Matthews got his information about "the 7 days of creation". So that may mean then that the day of rest will be the eigth day.
Gosh that's really not worth believing for a second. The Fact is that is God who Created, and HE did it in 6 days. He could have done as well in 6 hours. But certainly it was not his providencial will to do it in "the 7 days". Now let me just say in my defense that I'm not a Republican or a so called "conservative". I don't need any of them labels. But I do believe God Created everything there is. Wheter things visible or invisible. Is just that people like Chris Matthews et al are soo lunatical in their in their Social and religious bigotry. That when they speak like that is soo incredible their ignorant ranting that I have to give my opinion.

[Ceciboom]

02:31 AM on 05/07/2009

You do not know that God created the universe in six days. Saying that you do know is a LIE. And you're not just lying to other people you're lying to YOURSELF. The bible says a lot about lying. If there's one thing that christianity emphasizes over and over again it's to be honest with yourself in the eyes of God. YOU DO NOT NEED THE MATERIAL ACCURACY OF THE BIBLE TO BE 100 PERCENT TRUE IN ORDER TO RESPECT THE SPIRITUAL AND MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE BIBLE. God wants you to understand evolution.

[Salero21]

12:38 PM on 05/07/2009

U must be some sort of celestial creature around the throne of God, to be able to know what God wants me to understand.

FAIL, FAIL.

[AtheistUS]

05:18 PM on 05/07/2009

"God wants you to understand evolution" - is that so? Because you learned the word "evolution" from science? What would god or gods want us to understand 200 years ago? And what he/she/them/it will want us to understand 200 years from now?

Tell me how you get these messages from god or gods, I want to hear myself.

[Bruupo]

02:29 PM on 05/07/2009

Do you even know what language the Old Testament was written in?

[Salero21]

04:10 PM on 05/07/2009

Oh here we go again. Every time someone don't understand Scriptures translated in their own Vernacular. A bluff or a red herring is the only alternative left. The usual appeal to the "ancient languages" and the problems of translation and interpretation. Don't think that was the problem with the statement made in the Video about "the 7 days of creation". The problem is not really about understanding or knowledge of languages. Is about Unbelief and Faithlessness. That unbelief and Faithlessness produced and ignorant statement like "the 7 days of creation". In the very particular case of Scriptures or the Bible, is about Faith before understanding.

[Mikeeee]

09:29 PM on 05/06/2009

They are incapable of an honest answer. Sadly there's many who actually believe the drivel that comes from people who spout about their fake family values.

[MarkieBee]

09:16 PM on 05/06/2009

GOD CREATED EVOLUTION! Can we all just move along now?

[AtheistUS]

09:35 PM on 05/06/2009

- well, after god or gods found out this notion from scientists, that's all they could do. God or gods are fired from their old jobs, they need to learn new one - launch big bang, invent evolution, fit fundamental parameters...

Myth must adjust for reality. You will never guess what will be god(s) job a century from now!

[ElaineHe]

08:35 PM on 05/06/2009

Wow. What a tap dance. Tap tap tap tap tap tap, slip...fall...splat.

[fredisfred]

08:13 PM on 05/06/2009

lol the guy couldn't answer a single question.

[jrmarsh]

07:59 PM on 05/06/2009

When God created the Republican he left out the brain, when he created the Democrat he left out the spine.

[AtheistUS]

08:14 PM on 05/06/2009

It is a fair description of God deeds, sir.

May I add that base of democrats can give them a spine, if we all are persistent enough. But - rest assured - republican base will never give a brain to republicans.

[JudgeCCrater]

08:33 PM on 05/06/2009

Pence showed a spine during this interview? Hard to tell with all that desperate ass-covering. Are you looking at the same Republicans (Bow Down to Rush Limbaugh!) as I am???