Michael Hancock Retracts A Statement About Belief In Creationism

Last night at the Democratic Party Debate, the latest of a series of Denver mayoral runoff debates and forums between Michael Hancock and Chris Romer, Hancock gave a startling answer about Creationism.

The men answered a series of questions from the audience that were more elaborate, but towards the end of the debate during a rapid-fire round of Yes/No questioning the candidates were both asked:

"Do you believe Creationism and Intelligent Design should be taught in schools?"

Romer answered, "No," as The Denver Post reports.

Hancock, on the other hand, answered, "Yes."

In a statement made later on his campaign website, Hancock, who claims to have misunderstood the question, clarified his quick answer response:

While I am a man of great faith, I believe Creationism and Intelligent Design are religious beliefs that have no place in a public school curriculum. The best place for religion to be taught is at home or a place of worship.

This is not the first flub with regards to Hancock's belief in creationism or evolution. In April, during a sustainability forum style debate at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science before the runoff began, Hancock was asked if he "believed in evolution?" He simply responded, "I believe in God."

And as The Denver Post reported, his campaign later issued a statement stating that Hancock was not given time to completely answer the question and that the candidate does believe in evolution.

Comments

[perplexedd]

11:41 PM on 06/20/2011

You should stand by your beliefs even if it causes you to lose an election. It shows a committment to principle. You answers should not fluctuate based on polls or the belief of voters.
However if your views are shown to be erroneous then they should be speedily discarded.This however is not the case here.

[HowdyDoody]

04:41 PM on 05/16/2011

I don't live in Denver proper, so it's moot, but I did for much of my life. I would not vote for the guy with even that suspicion. It's too critical to everyone's future.

[Rmtns]

11:34 AM on 05/15/2011

If for no other reason than to put an end to the pandering to the religious wrong, No-one of good conscience should vote for Hancock. This sort of politics has gotten into this sort of mess, where the Republican'ts have actually brought this sort of silliness into the body politic. I don't give a damn what your religious beliefs are, simply keep them to yourself, and teach your kids in your home or in your place of worship or in one of your fascist private academies.

[HowdyDoody]

04:42 PM on 05/16/2011

Man do I agree with you! It's not a matter even of religion, it's a matter of turning the scientific community on its head in order to enrich oil companies and other corporations.

[Deefor Arrow]

01:17 AM on 05/15/2011

Romer has ads claiming he wants "qualified teachers" but if you read his own campaign material he is in favor of the opposite -- Teach for America and quickie certifications for teachers. These programs do students a disservice. There is no shortage of qualified certified teachers in Denver looking for jobs. This is just anti union, anti-teacher rhetoric.

From a study on TFA
1. Their students perform significantly less well in reading and math than those of credentialed beginning teachers.
2. Taxpayers fund a third of Teach for America’s operating costs. On average, a TFA amateur costs $70,000 more than a professional.
3. Fifty percent leave after two years and more than 80 percent leave after three years.

[Deefor Arrow]

01:01 AM on 05/15/2011

This is one scary election.

[hindesky]

10:41 PM on 05/14/2011

Creationism should be taught as comedy

[FreedToChoose]

10:27 AM on 05/14/2011

Yes, creationism--creation stories--should be taught in schools as part and parcel of the evolution of human thinking.

As for the creationist interpretation of Genesis it is important to ask why there are creationists of two stripes: young earth (the universe and earth began simultaneously six to ten thousand years ago) and old earth (accepting the timeline of the big bang theory).

Irrespective of religious belief, questions surrounding the big bang and whether there was causation are issues of importance within the scientific community.

In particular, the questions surrounding inflation seem well presented in the April Scientific American at

www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-inflation-summer

[zombywulf]

03:12 AM on 05/15/2011

Exactly teach ALL of the fairy tales in school

[FreedToChoose]

08:58 AM on 05/15/2011

Not fairy tales. That is already done. Mythology, within which fairy tales are not includes. Fairy tales are about magical beings and land. Mythologies are stories which try to make sense of the transcendent (impenetrable) usually in story form.

Fairy tales are known fantasies which never change. Mythologies can and do change in keeping with the times. It is those which do not, the literal interpretation of Genesis, for example, which cause the general public view of a myth to be a lie, which it is, only when moderating and illuminating new facts are ignored.

It is fairly well agreed--at least amongst the scholars whith whom I am familiar--that Lao-Tzu is a fictional character. This, however, does not alter the personal insights delivered to millions by the poetry of Tao de Ching, which is mythological.

[SteveDenver]

06:10 AM on 05/14/2011

I'm even more convinced that Linkhart is the best candidate, too bad he didn't make the runoff.

Romer is just climbing and Denver is just a step, not his passion.
Hancock is not a quick thinker.

[GirlOutWest]

02:15 PM on 05/15/2011

I pick a climber over a slow thinker.

[Decorina]

09:57 PM on 05/15/2011

Great post Steve. Pretty much sums it up. Linkhart was the best candidate; voting for him just split the ticket, though. Romer is so much like Michael Bennet (whom I call Thurston Howell Bennet III) in his climbing. And he will sell out to the corporate handlers every single time I think.

[Cat-Lover]

06:30 PM on 05/13/2011

I'm beginning to think Hancock can't think on his feet and I'd hate to think any well-thought-out decision comes when he's seated on his....

[Mary Schumacher]

06:05 PM on 05/13/2011

Glad it's the usual overblown headline. I just made up my mind to vote for Hancock and Creationism would be a deal breaker, which he seems to understand.

[GirlOutWest]

03:28 PM on 05/13/2011

Romer.

[Olderandwiser55]

11:21 PM on 05/13/2011

Romer worked for JP Morgan designing complicated bonds...I wonder.

[Decorina]

09:57 PM on 05/15/2011

He probably shared thoughts with Michael Bennett.

[Shredder628]

11:16 AM on 05/13/2011

Republicans get elected as Democrats and then sit on their butts when the right wing does drastic things. The silence of the Dems....

In other words they take a dive.

[anthroguy]

10:38 AM on 05/13/2011

I just saw Romer's first campaign ad. Right out of the gate he goes negative (and borderline deceitful, by implying that Gov. Hickenlooper is generally critical of Hancock, when in fact he has endorsed him). So, Romer has turned me off with his sleazy ad, Hancock has turned me off with his ignorant waffling on evolution and creationism.

I miss Hick.

[Olderandwiser55]

07:30 PM on 05/13/2011

That's exactly what I thought-I also saw the highly negative ad. I don't think romer is like his dad, just another fast talker. I also heard Tancredo donated to his campaign. Very bothersome.

I miss Hick

[Ametista]

10:53 PM on 05/13/2011

Tancredo donated to Romer???? THAT makes my skin crawl.

[Countess]

08:40 AM on 05/13/2011

Our ignorant overly religious culture has so contaminated both political parties that the president is going out of his way to pander to this stupid culture and religious republican governors with a visceral hatred and contempt of women are stripping them of their rights in state after state. Unless we have a sudden awakening of intelligence and a belief in secular democracy we are heading straight towards a theocracy that will turn America into the christian version of Iran.

[Decorina]

07:22 PM on 05/13/2011

I'm with you. And Hancock's answer to a reporter when he tried to dance about creationism was awful. He couldn't even remember "intelligent design" and kept calling it "intellectual design" - he sounded ridiculous.

[Olderandwiser55]

11:23 PM on 05/13/2011

I don't know. Romer sure came out dirty in his ad. I liked Romer but the JP Morgan connections bother me.

[Ametista]

10:55 PM on 05/13/2011

Is Hancock really anti-choice, too? I would really like to know. Not that I can even vote because I live in Jeffco, but I still want to know.

[North Side Colossus]

08:17 PM on 05/14/2011

I heard Hancock got a100% rating from planned parenthood and I know he's said he's 100% pro-choice cause I heard him say it.