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Rick Perry: Evolution is "a theory that's out there"

Rick Perry, evangelicals and evolution as ‘a theory’s that’s out th...

Rick Perry is anti-evolution.

... questions for Perry like “do you believe in evolution?”

“It’s a theory that’s out there,” Perry told the child. “It’s got some gaps in it. In Texas we teach both creationism and evolution.”

Perry went on:

[To the boy]: “I figure you’re smart enough to figure out which one is right.”

During Perry’s time as governor the Texas Board of Education has faced intense national scrutiny for its re-framing of controversial subjects including evolution. In 2009, with Perry’s support, a bloc of social conservative school board members was able to change the state’s educational guidelines on evolution “to encourag(e) schools to scrutinize ‘all sides’ of scientific theory, a move some creationists hailed as a victory,”...

Tags: anti-evolution politicians

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on September 1, 2012 at 5:40am

“I figure you’re smart enough to figure out which one is right.” Perry.

Perry isn't smart enough to decide which side is right. The 'Intelligent Design" is only for the unintelligent people. Others can't appreciate it.

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on September 15, 2012 at 6:59pm

"Canyons?" More like interstellar interstices!

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on September 16, 2012 at 6:21am

What's worse, we learn NOTHING from asserting faith in an unseen deity. We learn TONS from the research which goes into the sciences. That knowledge can be built on to learn and apply yet more, and slowly but surely, the gaps close.

When someone says, "goddidit," there is nowhere to go from there, no learning to apply, no benefit to be gained. That statement stops both learning and progress in one swell foop!

Permalink Reply by Adrian K. on September 15, 2012 at 6:42pm

I love it when religious people say evolution is only a theory with gaps in it as if their religion is any more credible. Evolution has solid, irrefutable evidence behind it with the evidence only building with time filling up those gaps. Religion has only blind faith, telling its followers not to question all the parts of their religion that doesn't make sense because it insults their god. Now which of the two is more rational?

Evolution > Religion

Permalink Reply by Lillie on September 15, 2012 at 8:50pm

I am surprised Perry was able to mention evolution and creationism in the same breath. If the child is truly smart enough, he/she will have no trouble figuring out which is the right one. This is why we are getting so many teens on A/N. They are smart enough and getting smarter everyday. The Internet is opening whole new worlds for people including those in very oppressive countries.