Penn & Teller: Bull! 1x8

1. OK, SO HERE'S MY POINT.

2. "IT IS INTERESTING TO CONTEMPLATE AN ENTANGLED BANK,

3. "CLOTHED WITH MANY PLANTS OF MANY KINDS,

4. "WITH BIRDS SINGING IN THE BUSHES

5. "AND VARIOUS INSECTS FLITTING ABOUT,

6. "AND WITH WORMS CRAWLING THROUGH THE DAMP EARTH,

7. "AND TO REFLECT THAT THESE ELABORATELY CONSTRUCTED FORMS,

8. "SO DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER,

9. "AND YET SO DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER

10. "IN SO COMPLEX A MANNER,

11. "HAVE ALL BEEN PRODUCED BY LAWS ACTING AROUND US.

12. "THUS, FROM THE WAR OF NATURE,

13. "FROM FAMINE AND DEATH,

14. "THE MOST EXALTED OBJECT WE ARE CAPABLE OF CONCEIVING,

15. "NAMELY THE PRODUCTION OF HIGHER ANIMALS,

16. "DIRECTLY FOLLOWS.

17. THERE'S A GRANDEUR IN THIS VIEW OF LIFE."

18. RICHARD DAWKINS' SHORT DESCRIPTION IS,

19. "LIFE RESULTS FROM THE NON-RANDOM SURVIVAL

20. OF RANDOMLY VARYING REPLICATORS."

21. OK, NOW WHAT'S THE CREATIONISTS' ARGUMENT?

22. WELCOME TO MARIETTA, GEORGIA.

23. IT'S ONLY A FEW MILES OUTSIDE OF ATLANTA.

24. THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE NEED TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD.

25. ONE NATION UNDER GOD!

26. BUT WAY OUTSIDE THE AMERICAN MAINSTREAM.

27. IF WE'RE NOT RIGHT WITH GOD,

28. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE HOW WE—

29. LIBERTIES WE ENJOY ARE OF THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN—

30. GOD IS THE GOD OF CREATION.

31. THIS WHOLE PLACE IS DOOMED FOR HELL.

32. IS TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD.

33. TO ME, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.

34. ON THIS DAY, THE COBB COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD

35. IS ABOUT TO VOTE ON A PROPOSAL

36. THAT WOULD, IN EFFECT, TELL THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

37. TO BALANCE THE TEACHING OF EVOLUTION

38. WITH THE TEACHING OF, WELL, THIS...

39. I BELIEVE THE EARTH AS IT IS NOW,

40. AS WE SEE IT BASICALLY NOW,

41. IS ABOUT 6,000 YEARS OLD, BASED ON THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT.

42. YEP, THOSE PESKY CREATIONISTS ARE AT IT AGAIN.

43. AND THIS COUNTRY—

44. OK, CALM DOWN, LAST TIME.

45. SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY,

46. SAY IT IN A DECENT VOICE.

47. AFTER COMING UP SHORT IN KANSAS, LOUISIANA,

48. COLORADO, AND ARKANSAS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS,

49. THEY'VE SET THEIR SIGHTS ON GEORGIA.

50. Board member: PLEASE BE SEATED, OR I WILL HAVE TO CLEAR THE ROOM.

51. YOU SEE, WHAT WE HAVE TONIGHT IS A BATTLE

52. BETWEEN WORLD VIEWS.

53. THERE'S A MAN-CENTERED WORLD VIEW,

54. AND THERE'S A GOD-CENTERED WORLD VIEW.

55. THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS,

56. BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY,

57. WHO ARE SKEPTICAL OF THE EVOLUTIONARY THEORY.

58. I CALL THE BOARD TO MAKE A DECISION

59. THAT IS THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF OUR DEMOCRACY.

60. RUSSELL BROCK IS ONE OF THE KEY FIGHTERS

61. IN THE SCHOOL BOARD BATTLE OF COBB COUNTY.

62. HIS GOAL?

63. THAT SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT THE FOLLOWING AS SCIENCE...

64. FROM THE GENESIS ACCOUNT OF THE BIBLE,

65. AFTER THE SIXTH DAY, GOD LOOKED AT ALL THAT HE HAD MADE,

66. AND HE SAID IT WAS VERY GOOD.

67. AND HE WAS FINISHED, AND HE RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY.

68. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG

69. WITH RELIGION BEING TAUGHT IN YOUR HOME

70. OR IN YOUR PRIVATE SCHOOL.

71. SURE, IT'S GONNA HARSH YOUR MELLOW,

72. BUT THAT'S YOUR CHOICE.

73. THE PROBLEM WE'RE HAVING IS WE BELONG TO A CLUB

74. CALLED THE U.S.A.

75. AS MEMBERS, WE PAY DUES, CALLED TAXES,

76. TO SUPPORT PUBLIC, GOVERNMENT-RUN SCHOOLS,

77. AND THOSE SCHOOLS GET RUN ACCORDING TO THE CLUB HANDBOOK,

78. THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.

79. NOW, THE CONSTITUTION SAYS OUR CLUB STEERS CLEAR OF RELIGION.

80. THAT'S THE DEAL WE MADE.

81. IF WE PAY FOR IT WITH TAXES,

82. IT CAN'T HAVE RELIGION IN IT.

83. THAT'S IN THE PESKY BYLAWS.

84. SO AS LONG AS WE'RE ALL PAYING,

85. NO RELIGION IN SCHOOL.

86. AND NO MAGIC TRICKS IN CHURCH.

87. OK, THAT'S... IT'S JUST A BAD EXAMPLE.

88. EVOLUTION HAS NOT MET THE TEST

89. AND DESERVES ONLY TO BE TREATED AS THEORY.

90. DARWIN CONSIDERED IT A THEORY,

91. AND IT IS STILL A THEORY.

92. IT HAS NEVER BEEN PROVEN AND NEVER WILL BE.

93. THANK YOU.

94. WE MUST REQUIRE THAT EVOLUTION AGREE WITH ALL THE FACTS

95. IF IT IS TO BE PROMOTED FROM THEORY TO TRUTH.

96. EVOLUTION AS AN EXPLANATION FOR THE ORIGIN OF MAN

97. CANNOT PASS THIS TEST.

98. IT IS A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE

99. AND FOR THE PEOPLE.

100. PUT IT TO A VOTE.

101. LET US, THE CITIZENS OF COBB COUNTY,

102. CAST A VOTE AS TO WHAT WE WANT TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS.

103. LET US VOICE OUR OPINIONS.

104. THANK YOU.

105. WE'RE SAYING UNTIL THEY CAN PROVE EVOLUTION

106. THAT CREATION HAS TO BE TAUGHT ALONGSIDE.

107. THE BIBLE RIGHT NOW, BY THE WAY,

108. IS BEING OFFERED AS CURRICULUM IN 38 STATES.

109. IT'S AN ELECTIVE COURSE.

110. THE BIBLE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY ANYONE

111. WITH ANY SORT OF HISTORICAL TRAINING AND BACKGROUND

112. AS AN ACCURATE HISTORICAL BOOK.

113. OK, SO THAT'S NOT QUITE TRUE.

114. BUT YOU COULD BE THINKING FOLKS LIKE RUSSELL ARE A MINORITY,

115. THAT SENSIBLE-MINDED PARENTS IN MARIETTA

116. ARE UNITED IN OPPOSITION.

117. WELL, NOT EXACTLY.

118. IF EVOLUTION IS TO BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS,

119. WE, AS CHRISTIANS, FEEL THAT CREATION

120. SHOULD ALSO BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS.

121. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE THE VERY ORIGIN OF LIFE,

122. THE VERY ORIGIN OF HOW ALL OF THIS BEGAN.

123. I DON'T BELIEVE PERSONALLY THAT THE EVOLUTION ITSELF

124. IS ANYTHING MORE THAN A THEORY.

125. IT IS TOTALLY ILLOGICAL TO BELIEVE

126. THAT THERE WAS NOT A PLAN INVOLVED HERE.

127. AND IT DEFIES ALL PROBABILITY THAT THERE WAS NOT.

128. THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES AND TWO DIFFERENT BELIEFS

129. OF TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE.

130. AND IF EVOLUTION, SINCE IT'S ALREADY A LITTLE BIT IN THE SCHOOLS,

131. I THINK THAT CREATIONISM SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE TALKED ABOUT.

132. THESE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE ONLY WAY

133. CREATIONISM IS GONNA BE TAUGHT ALONGSIDE EVOLUTION

134. IS IF THEY CONVINCE US THAT IT TOO IS A SCIENCE.

135. WELL, GOD ISN'T A SCIENCE.

136. SO THE CREATIONISTS USE A PHRASE THAT SOUNDS,

137. AT LEAST TO THEIR DESPERATE, DELUDED EAR,

138. LESS RELIGIOUS AND MORE SCIENTIFIC—

139. "INTELLIGENT DESIGN."

140. INTELLIGENT DESIGN IS THE THEORY THAT THERE WAS SOME,

141. THERE IS SOME MASTER PLAN.

142. SOME CREATOR OF SOME TYPE THAT PUT TOGETHER

143. THE WORLD AS IT IS.

144. WHAT WE SEE WITH INTELLIGENT DESIGN

145. IS THAT ALL THESE PARTS ARE PUT TOGETHER INSTANTANEOUSLY

146. IN ORDER FOR THEM TO WORK.

147. DON'T TRY TO BULLSHIT A BULLSHITTER.

148. JUST BECAUSE HE DOESN'T SAY "GOD,"

149. DOESN'T MEAN HE'S NOT TALKING RELIGION.

150. I CHOOSE TO USE THE WORDING OF "INTELLIGENT DESIGN"

151. BECAUSE IT TAKES IT OUT OF ANY TYPE

152. OF PHILOSOPHICAL OR RELIGIOUS SETTING.

153. YEAH, THEY'RE TRYING TO SNEAK THEIR CREATIONIST CRAP

154. RIGHT PAST US.

155. AND IN COBB COUNTY, THEY'VE ALREADY HAD SOME SUCCESS AT IT.

156. IN 2002, THEY GOT THE SCHOOL BOARD

157. TO PLACE THIS STICKER INSIDE EVERY BIOLOGY TEXTBOOK.

158. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT INFORMS STUDENTS THAT...

159. I'M BETTING THERE WON'T BE ANY STICKER SAYING,

160. "INTELLIGENT DESIGN ISN'T VALIDATED

161. "BY ANY SCIENCE OR ANYTHING.

162. WE JUST MADE IT UP."

163. I QUESTION WHY WE CANNOT PRESENT THESE CONCEPTS

164. IN A CLASSROOM SETTING AND LOOK AT THEM CRITICALLY

165. AS TO WHAT EVIDENCE THEY DO SHOW

166. AND WHAT EVIDENCE THEY DO NOT SHOW.

167. THE IDEA OF SCIENCE SHOULD BE TO DETERMINE TRUTH.

168. AND TRUTH IS WHAT CORRESPONDS WITH REALITY,

169. WITH THE FACTS.

170. AND SO, IF THE FACTS POINT TOWARDS A CREATOR,

171. THEN TRUE SCIENCE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT

172. AND EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE OF CREATION,

173. OF INTELLIGENT DESIGN.

174. SOUNDS PRETTY RATIONAL, DOESN'T IT?

175. UNFORTUNATELY THE FACTS POINT TOWARD EVOLUTION.

176. THESE ASSHOLES DON'T EVEN REALLY KNOW

177. WHAT THE WORD "THEORY" MEANS IN A SCIENTIFIC CONTEXT.

178. IT DOESN'T MEAN "GUESS."

179. YOU KNOW, THAT THE EARTH GOES AROUND THE SUN?

180. THAT'S A THEORY, TOO,

181. AND THAT, TOO, WAS CONTRADICTED BY THE BIBLE.

182. I GUESS THEY'RE THINKING, ONE STEP AT A TIME.

183. THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.

184. I'M USING SMALLER...

185. PRESENT THE TWO,

186. AND THEN LEAVE IT UP TO THE PARENTS AND THE CHILDREN

187. TO GET TOGETHER AND DECIDE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BELIEVE.

188. I MEAN, WOULDN'T THAT BE A WONDERFUL THING

189. TO GET THE PARENTS INVOLVED WITH THE CHILDREN?

190. SAY, "WHICH ONE ARE WE GONNA BELIEVE?"

191. I WANT OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE.

192. I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO BE ABLE TO CHOOSE

193. OR TO BE ABLE TO TRULY CONSIDER

194. ALL THE OPTIONS TO THE ARGUMENT

195. IN MAKING THEIR DECISIONS ON WHAT THEY BELIEVE.

196. FORTUNATELY, NOT EVERYONE IN MARIETTA

197. IS AS SCARY AS THESE FOLKS.

198. GOD BLESS HIM. LET HIM HAVE HIS RELIGION.

199. I DON'T WANT IT IN MY SCIENCE CLASS.

200. SPIN WORKS, AND THESE GUYS HAVE LEARNED IT

201. TO GIVE THEIR RELIGIOUS CREATIONISM SPIN

202. SO IT LOOKS LIKE SCIENCE.

203. IT'S NOT.

204. IT'S A DUCK, AND THE EMPEROR'S NAKED.

205. JEFFREY SELMAN IS A TRANSPLANTED NEW YORKER

206. WHO CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT'S GOING ON IN HIS NEW HOMETOWN.

207. HOW BAD DOES THE WORLD HAVE TO BE

208. FOR A NEW YORKER TO BE THE VOICE OF REASON?

209. ONE DAY, I OPENED UP A NEWSPAPER,

210. AND I SAW THAT COBB COUNTY WAS PUTTING A DISCLAIMER

211. IN THEIR BIOLOGY BOOKS THAT SINGLED OUT EVOLUTION

212. AS NOT BEING FACT.

213. UM, IT IMMEDIATELY SMACKED TO ME

214. OF THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT COMING IN

215. AND TRYING TO IMPOSE THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL.

216. SELMAN HAS GOTTEN THE A.C.L.U. TO FILE A LAWSUIT

217. IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE SCHOOL BOARD

218. FROM OPENING THE DOOR TO CREATIONISM ANY FURTHER.

219. THIS IS AMERICA, OK?

220. AND TO DENY THAT THIS WHOLE ISSUE IS ABOUT RELIGION

221. IS LUDICROUS TO ME.

222. IT'S SPIN.

223. WHEN SOMEBODY COMES UP HERE AND SAYS INTELLIGENT DESIGN

224. IS A SCIENCE, AND THEN SAYS IT'S BASED ON GOD,

225. THAT'S RELIGION.

226. THESE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE POLITICAL POWER

227. TO DOMINATE OUR CULTURE.

228. THAT'S WHY I'M DOING THIS.

229. THEY'RE NOT GONNA STEP OVER US.

230. AMERICA'S SLEEPING, AND THEY'VE GOTTA START WAKING UP.

231. DO THE RIGHT THING.

232. AND IF YOU PASS THIS THING,

233. MAKE SURE YOU PUT CORRECT SCIENCE INTO THE SCIENCE CLASSES.

234. GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU 'CAUSE I'M A RELIGIOUS PERSON, TOO.

235. SADLY, THE TRUTH IS NOT DEMOCRATIC.

236. LET US DEMONSTRATE.

237. TELLER AND I ARE GONNA VOTE ON THE SEX OF THIS RABBIT.

238. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MALE OR FEMALE,

239. BUT WE'RE GONNA VOTE AND CHOOSE.

240. LET'S SEE.

241. MY VOTE SAYS FEMALE,

242. SO WRITE DOWN "ONE VOTE FEMALE."

243. TELLER'S VOTE...

244. WELL, TELLER THINKS THE RABBIT IS PRINCE.

245. SO WRITE DOWN "ONE VOTE FEMALE, ONE VOTE PRINCE."

246. BUT NONE OF THIS CHANGES THE SEX OF THE RABBIT,

247. AND, QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T CARE TO KNOW.

248. TELLER, YOU CHECK THE SEX OF THE RABBIT.

249. I PREFER TO REMAIN AGNOSTIC REGARDING RABBIT SEX.

250. IN THE 1920s, THE CREATIONIST BATTLE

251. EXPLODED IN THE SCOPES TRIAL,

252. IN WHICH PROSECUTOR WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN

253. BLASTED DEFENDANT JOHN SCOPES FOR TEACHING EVOLUTION

254. IN HIS PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOM,

255. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW.

256. FAMED LAWYER CLARENCE DARROW DEFENDED SCOPES

257. WITH A PASSIONATE PLEA FOR COMMON SENSE.

258. IF YOU CAN TAKE SOMETHING LIKE EVOLUTION

259. AND MAKE IT A CRIME TO TEACH IT IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL,

260. THEN TOMORROW YOU CAN MAKE IT A CRIME

261. TO TEACH IT IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL.

262. AND NEXT YEAR, YOU CAN MAKE IT A CRIME TO READ ABOUT IT.

263. AND THEN MAYBE YOU CAN START BANNING BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS.

264. IF YOU CAN DO ONE, YOU CAN DO THE OTHER.

265. THAT'S NOT FROM THE REAL TRIAL.

266. THAT'S JUST A MOVIE,

267. BUT TODAY, THE BATTLE CONTINUES.

268. MEET THE LEADING VOICE OF THE MODERN CREATIONIST MOVEMENT.

269. I'M DUANE GISH, THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

270. OF THE INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH.

271. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE IN OUR SCHOOLS

272. IS TO HAVE ALL OF THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

273. THAT EVOLUTIONISTS BELIEVE CAN BE USED TO SUPPORT EVOLUTION,

274. HAVE THAT PRESENTED TO OUR STUDENTS.

275. AND AT THE SAME TIME,

276. HAVE ALL THE EVIDENCE THAT CREATION SCIENTISTS

277. BELIEVE WOULD SUPPORT CREATION,

278. WOULD ACTUALLY DEMAND CREATION,

279. HAVE THE STUDENTS EXPOSED TO THAT EVIDENCE.

280. HAVE THE STUDENTS LOOK AT ALL THE EVIDENCE ON BOTH SIDES,

281. CHALLENGE THEM TO MAKE CRITICAL—

282. TO USE CRITICAL THINKING AND TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES.

283. MAN, THE CALIBER OF THE SPOKESMAN

284. SURE HAS GONE DOWN IN THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES.

285. DUANE GISH HAS BEEN FIGHTING THE TEACHING OF EVOLUTION

286. FOR MUCH OF THAT TIME.

287. OF COURSE, IN THAT TIME,

288. WE'VE DISCOVERED A MILLION PIECES OF BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE,

289. INCLUDING GENETICS,

290. ANOTHER MILLION PIECES OF ASTRONOMICAL EVIDENCE

291. INDICATING THE AGE OF THE EARTH AND THE UNIVERSE,

292. A MILLION PIECES OF GEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE,

293. INCLUDING MANY TRANSITIONAL FOSSILS

294. AND SO-CALLED "MISSING LINK" PIECES OF THE EVOLUTION OF MAN,

295. ALL OF WHICH SUPPORTS EVOLUTION.

296. BUT IS DUANE SWAYING?

297. NOT A CHANCE.

298. DUANE IS THE HEAD OF I.C.R.,

299. THE INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH.

300. IT'S A CALIFORNIA-BASED CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOUS GROUP

301. WITH A STRICT FOCUS—

302. MAKE THE WORLD THINK THEIR WAY

303. AND USE WHATEVER DOUBLE-TALK NECESSARY.

304. IT IS OFTEN SAID THAT CREATION IS RELIGION,

305. WHILE EVOLUTION IS SCIENCE.

306. AS A MATTER OF FACT, NEITHER CREATION NOR EVOLUTION

307. ARE SCIENTIFIC THEORIES.

308. EVOLUTION IS NO MORE SCIENTIFIC THAN CREATION,

309. AND CREATION IS NO MORE RELIGIOUS THAN EVOLUTION.

310. WELL, EVOLUTION IS NOT A RELIGION.

311. DR. EUGENIE C. SCOTT,

312. NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION.

313. IT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO TELL STUDENTS

314. THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS DISPUTE

315. GOING ON AMONG SCIENTISTS

316. ABOUT WHETHER EVOLUTION TOOK PLACE.

317. IT ISN'T.

318. WE SEE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

319. SCHOOL DISTRICTS WRESTLING WITH THIS PROBLEM

320. OF WHAT TO TEACH—

321. CREATION, EVOLUTION, BOTH, NEITHER.

322. AND IT SEEMS TO CROP UP

323. WHEN PEOPLE WHOSE RELIGIOUS VIEWS

324. REQUIRE THEM TO INTERPRET THE BIBLE AS LITERALLY TRUE

325. ARE OFFENDED BY THE IDEA

326. THAT EVOLUTION IS BEING TAUGHT IN THE CLASSROOM.

327. CREATION SCIENTISTS HAVE NO INTENTION

328. OF INTRODUCING BIBLICAL MATERIAL INTO SCHOOLS.

329. WHAT WE WANT DO DO IS TO BRING INTO THE SCHOOLS

330. THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS A THEISTIC SUPERNATURAL ORIGIN,

331. AS OPPOSED TO THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION.

332. LET THE STUDENTS DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES

333. WHICH THEY THINK IS MORE REASONABLE,

334. MORE SCIENTIFICALLY POSSIBLE, CREATION OR EVOLUTION.

335. HE ACTUALLY SAID "THEISTIC SUPERNATURAL,"

336. DIDN'T HE?

337. LIKE WE WEREN'T GONNA NOTICE THAT SUPERNATURAL AIN'T SCIENCE?

338. OK, SO HE'S JUST A HARMLESS CRANK, RIGHT?

339. WRONG. HE HAS AN AGENDA, AND WE'RE ON TO IT.

340. WELL, A LOT OF THE TIME, THE CREATIONISTS WILL SOUND VERY SCIENTIFIC.

341. THEY'LL SEARCH THROUGH THE JOURNALS,

342. AND THEY TRY TO PULL OUT SOMETHING THAT THEY THINK DEMONSTRATES

343. THAT EVOLUTION DOESN'T WORK.

344. AND THERE'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING RATIONALE BEHIND THAT.

345. THEIR THEOLOGY IS SUCH

346. THAT IF ONE THING IS WRONG WITH THE BIBLE,

347. YOU HAVE TO THROW IT ALL OUT,

348. SO THAT'S WHY GENESIS HAS TO BE INTERPRETED LITERALLY.

349. THEY LOOK AT SCIENCE THE SAME WAY.

350. IF ONE LITTLE PIECE OF THE EVOLUTION PUZZLE DOESN'T FIT,

351. WELL, THE WHOLE THING HAS TO GO.

352. AND, OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT THE WAY SCIENCE IS DONE.

353. SCIENCE IS A WAY OF KNOWING ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD.

354. I'M DR. RON MATTSON, PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY

355. AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY IN KENNESAW, GEORGIA.

356. WE HAVE TO START WITH IDEAS

357. THAT CAN BE TESTED,

358. AND THERE'S ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY

359. THAT THE CONCLUSIONS WE DRAW COULD BE WRONG,

360. THAT, IN SCIENCE, THINGS ARE POTENTIALLY FALSIFIABLE.

361. THAT IS NOT THE CASE IN CREATIONISM.

362. CREATION SCIENCE IS AN OXYMORON.

363. BOB CARROLL, PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY,

364. SACRAMENTO CITY COLLEGE.

365. THE REAL QUESTION IS WHY ARE THEY TRYING TO PRETEND THEY'RE A SCIENCE

366. WHEN THEY'RE NOT?

367. AND THE REAL REASON IS THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT AGENDA.

368. THEY WANT TO DESTROY SCIENCE,

369. AND THEY KNOW YOU CAN'T DESTROY IT FROM WITHOUT.

370. THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN DESTROY SCIENCE

371. IS TO GET INTO THE SCIENCE CLASSROOM

372. AND BASICALLY TERRORIZE IT.

373. WE MAY NOT BE OBJECTIVE,

374. BUT WE'LL TRY TO BE FAIR.

375. GO AHEAD, DUANE.

376. WHAT'S THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR CREATIONISM?

377. WELL, THE GRAND CANYON'S A VERY INTERESTING GEOLOGICAL OBJECT, OBVIOUSLY.

378. NOW, THAT CANYON POSSIBLY WAS CUT

379. BY THE RELEASE OF AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WATER

380. FROM VERY LARGE LAKES OFF TO THE NORTHEAST.

381. THEY WERE FORMED BY A NATURAL DAM OF SOME KIND,

382. AND THAT COLLAPSED AND THAT WATER CAME DOWN THROUGH THERE

383. AND CUT THAT CANYON IN JUST A MATTER OF, SAY, A FEW DAYS.

384. HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE BIG FLOOD.

385. THE ONE THAT GOT NOAH TO FILL HIS PARTY BOAT

386. WITH EVERY SPECIES ON THE PLANET.

387. DUANE GISH BELIEVES A SINGLE FLOOD DID THIS

388. AND A SINGLE BOAT SAVED EVERY DAMN ANIMAL ON EARTH.

389. NOW, SCIENTISTS HEAR THIS,

390. AND THEY JUST GO, "HUH?"

391. I MEAN, THIS IS JUST PHENOMENAL.

392. NOBODY THINKS THESE PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW...

393. COULD POSSIBLY HOLD THESE IDEAS SERIOUSLY.

394. TAKE A LOOK AT THE GRAND CANYON.

395. THE GRAND CANYON CONSISTS OF GRANITE AND SHALE

396. AND REALLY HARD STUFF—

397. ABOUT 5,000 FEET OF IT.

398. YOU'RE NOT GONNA CUT THIS VERY HARD ROCK

399. WITH JUST A BUNCH OF WATER FLOWING THROUGH IT

400. ALL AT ONE TIME.

401. ANOTHER STINKIN' CREATIONIST CLAIM

402. IS THAT THE ONLY FOSSILS FOUND IN THE EARTH'S LAYERS

403. ARE DEEP ENOUGH FOR LIFE TO BE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD

404. AND NOT MILLIONS.

405. THEY SAY IF EVOLUTION IS CORRECT,

406. THERE SHOULD BE EVIDENCE OF OLDER FOSSILS

407. BURIED MUCH DEEPER.

408. THERE'S NO TRACE OF ANY ANCESTORS.

409. HOW CAN WE HAVE BILLIONS,

410. UH, MILLIONS OF YEARS OF EVOLUTION,

411. CONVERTING A SINGLE-CELL ORGANISM

412. INTO THESE COMPLEX INVERTEBRATES,

413. AND NOT LEAVE A TRACE?

414. IT IS TREMENDOUS EVIDENCE FOR CREATION.

415. BUT WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE FOSSILS

416. THAT SHOW THIS TRANSITION.

417. I MEAN, PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT DR. GISH

418. JUST HASN'T KEPT UP WITH THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE.

419. THE PROBLEM IS SIMPLE.

420. DUANE DOESN'T WANT TO FIND ANYTHING

421. THAT MIGHT SHAKE UP HIS WORLD VIEW.

422. HIS GOD LIVES ONLY IN THE MARGINS OF SCIENCE,

423. SO HE WANTS TO KEEP THOSE MARGINS WIDE.

424. SCIENCE IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

425. SCIENTISTS DON'T LINE UP AND SAY,

426. "GEE, WE REALLY LIKE THIS THEORY, LET'S ALL VOTE FOR IT."

427. THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.

428. WHAT WE DO IN SCIENCE IS WE FIND WHAT EXPLANATIONS WORK.

429. NOW, THE IDEA THAT LIVING THINGS HAD COMMON ANCESTORS,

430. THE IDEA OF EVOLUTION, WORKS.

431. AND THAT IS WHY IT'S ACCEPTED BY SCIENTISTS.

432. THE CREATIONISTS WILL CLAIM THAT EVOLUTION IS A RESULT OF CHANCE,

433. SO HOW COULD IT POSSIBLY BE TRUE?

434. DESIGN MAKES MUCH MORE SENSE.

435. IT'S JUST ILLOGICAL TO ASSUME THAT ALL OF THIS COMPLEXITY OF LIFE

436. COULD COME TOGETHER BY CHANCE,

437. BUT THEY'RE MISSING THE WHOLE POINT ABOUT EVOLUTION,

438. WHICH IS THAT EVOLUTION IS LARGELY A PRODUCT OF NATURAL SELECTION.

439. AND NATURAL SELECTION IS THE ABSOLUTE OPPOSITE OF CHANCE.

440. WHAT DOES OUR BOY RUSSELL

441. SAY TO THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

442. THAT DEBUNKS HIS CRACKPOT CLAIMS?

443. LET ME MAKE ONE THING REALLY CLEAR.

444. I'M NOT A SCIENTIST, OK?

445. A LOT OF THE GREAT SCIENTISTS,

446. LIKE LOUIS PASTEUR AND ISAAC NEWTON SAID THAT THIS,

447. TO DENY THAT THERE WAS A CREATOR FOR THIS,

448. THIS INCREDIBLE CREATION, WAS ABSOLUTELY FOOLISH.

449. AS A MATTER OF FACT, CHARLES DARWIN HIMSELF SAID,

450. IN HIS LATER YEARS, HE SAID,

451. "I WAS VERY YOUNG, FULL OF UNINFORMED IDEAS.

452. "I POSTULATED A THEORY,

453. AND THEY HAVE MADE IT A RELIGION."

454. THE IDEA THAT DARWIN SOMEHOW DIDN'T FULLY BELIEVE

455. IN HIS OWN IDEAS IS COMPLETELY MYSTIFYING.

456. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY GET THAT IDEA.

457. DARWIN WAS A VERY SERIOUS SCIENTIST.

458. HE WAS VERY CONVINCED THAT EVOLUTION HAD TAKEN PLACE,

459. AND THAT HIS THEORY EXPLAINED IT.

460. WHY DO THEY WANT TO DESTROY MODERN SCIENCE?

461. THEY WANT TO DESTROY IT

462. BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE MODERN SCIENCE HAS GIVEN RISE

463. TO WHAT THEY CALL "MATERIALISTIC ATHEISM,"

464. WHICH THEY BELIEVE IS REALLY THE SOURCE

465. OF ALL THE SINS AND EVILS AND WICKEDNESS IN THE UNIVERSE.

466. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SITTING IN THESE CLASSROOMS,

467. THEY'RE SITTING BEFORE THESE Ph.D. PROFESSORS,

468. AND THEY ARE TOLD THAT EVERYTHING BEGAN

469. WITH SOME HYPOTHETICAL BIG BANG,

470. AND OUT OF THAT, EVERYTHING HAS EVOLVED.

471. NOW THEY SAY, "WELL, THEREFORE, WHO NEEDS GOD?

472. "WE DON'T NEED GOD.

473. "THERE IS NO GOD.

474. "AND IF THERE IS NO GOD,

475. "THERE'S NO ONE TO WHOM I AM RESPONSIBLE.

476. I AM ONLY RESPONSIBLE TO MYSELF."

477. NOW, MANY PEOPLE, THEY LIKE THAT.

478. THEY LIKE THAT PHILOSOPHY, THAT BELIEF.

479. BUT IT'S UNDENIABLE THAT IT HAS CAUSED

480. TREMENDOUS CHANGES IN OUR SOCIETY,

481. AND WE CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO RE—TO, UH,

482. REVERSE THAT SITUATION.

483. AND THAT MEANS THROWING OUT THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD.

484. HE SEEMS TO FORGET THAT ATHEISTS, BUDDHISTS,

485. AND OTHERS THAT DON'T BUY

486. THE CHRISTIAN/JEWISH/MUSLIM GOD OF ABRAHAM

487. MIGHT WANT THEIR TAX MONEY TO TEACH REAL SCIENCE.

488. TODAY WE HAVE LEGALIZED PORNOGRAPHY,

489. WE HAVE LEGALIZED ABORTION,

490. WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS DRUG CULTURE,

491. AND WE HAVE OTHER CHANGES.

492. I MEAN, CRIME ON AN UNPRECEDENTED SCALE.

493. NOW, IT WOULD BE FOOLISH FOR ME TO BLAME ALL OF THAT

494. ON THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION.

495. THAT'S THE FIRST SENSIBLE THING HE'S SAID,

496. AND WE'LL TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD.

497. THAT WOULD BE FOOLISH.

498. MY SENSE OF INTELLIGENT DESIGN

499. IS THAT IT'S BASICALLY INCOHERENT,

500. AND IT WILL SORT OF IMPLODE IF YOU PUSH IT.

501. BOB RUSSELL, PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY AND SCIENCE IN RESIDENCE

502. AT THE GRADUATE THEOLOGICAL UNION, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

503. IT MAKES SENSE, IN FACT IT'S ESSENTIAL,

504. THAT WE BRING SCIENCE INTO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THEOLOGY,

505. SO I WILL TALK ABOUT GOD AS WORKING IN AND THROUGH

506. THE PROCESS OF NATURE, DESIGNING THEM IF YOU LIKE.

507. BUT I WON'T TALK ABOUT IT AS IF IT WAS A SCIENTIFIC THEORY.

508. CERTAINLY, I WOULDN'T SAY IT SHOULD BE TAUGHT

509. IN A HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY CLASS.

510. IT COULD BE TAUGHT IN A RELIGIOUS STUDIES CLASS.

511. BACK IN MARIETTA, THE SCHOOL BOARD IS ABOUT TO MAKE THEIR DECISION.

512. IF THEY RULE AGAINST CREATIONISM,

513. IT'S GONNA PISS OFF A LOT OF TEACHERS.

514. THAT'S RIGHT—TEACHERS, LIKE MYRNA FELDMAN.

515. I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS

516. BECAUSE, AS A CHRISTIAN MYSELF

517. AND AS A TEACHER,

518. I WANT TO SEE THINGS IN SCHOOL TAUGHT.

519. UH, SHE MEANS, "TAUGHT IN SCHOOL."

520. I DON'T WANT TO SEE KNOWLEDGE SUPPRESSED.

521. KNOWLEDGE OF ANY KIND.

522. I WANT TO SEE BOTH SIDES OF THE QUESTION

523. ADDRESSED EQUALLY.

524. FORTUNATELY, OTHER TEACHERS HAVE THEIR WIGS—

525. UH, THEIR HEADS SCREWED ON RIGHT.

526. IN A HISTORY CLASS, YOU DON'T HEAR PEOPLE ASKING FOR BALANCE

527. BETWEEN THOSE WHO SAY THAT THE HOLOCAUST HAPPENED,

528. COMPARED TO THOSE WHO SAY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

529. THE PROBLEM COMES WITH CERTAIN SECTORS OF THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY,

530. THE FUNDAMENTALISTS,

531. WHO WANT A LITERAL INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE,

532. AND THEY WANT TO USE THE BIBLE AS THEIR SOURCE OF SCIENCE.

533. IF ALL THIS HAS MADE YOU REALLY SCARED AND ANGRY,

534. WAIT TILL YOU SEE THIS.

535. OUR INTENTION IS TO PROMOTE

536. A BROAD-BASED SCIENCE CURRICULUM

537. WHICH WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION

538. ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF LIFE

539. AND TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS AND OTHERS

540. TO BE TOLERANT AND RESPECTFUL OF THOSE

541. WHO MAY HAVE DIFFERENT BELIEFS.

542. WE EXPECT OUR SCIENCE INSTRUCTION TO BE BROAD-BASED,

543. FACTUAL, AND RESPECTFUL OF ALL VIEWS.

544. I WOULD ASK FOR A VOTE TO APPROVE THE POLICY.

545. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

546. THAT'S RIGHT, FOLKS.

547. THE COBB COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD

548. HAS BACKED THE CREATIONIST ARGUMENT.

549. SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL NOW ALSO BE TAUGHT THE "SCIENCE"

550. THAT THE EARTH WAS CREATED IN 6 DAYS.

551. IN THE SONG IDIOT WIND, BOB DYLAN POINTS OUT

552. YOU CAN WIN THE WAR AFTER LOSING ALL THE BATTLES.

553. IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE COBB COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD,

554. LET'S COMPARE AND CONTRAST EVOLUTION

555. WITH INTELLIGENT DESIGN.

556. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO TEACH KIDS

557. TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD SCIENCE

558. AND NON-SCIENCE.

559. GOOD SCIENCE CHANGES AS WE LEARN MORE.

560. IT BEGINS WITH OBSERVATION,

561. THEN MOVES TO HYPOTHESIS, TESTING, AND DEBATE.

562. WHILE NON-SCIENCE IS RIGID.

563. IT BEGINS WITH WORKS OF FICTION

564. AND PROCEEDS TO ASSERTING,

565. INSISTING, TWISTING THE FACTS,

566. AND SOMETIMES EVEN TORTURING THOSE WHO DISAGREE.

567. YOU COULD LEARN SOMETHING FROM THAT.

568. WHETHER INTELLIGENT DESIGN MAKES SENSE TO YOU

569. OR SOUNDS JUST FUCKING CRAZY DOESN'T MATTER!

570. IT'S JUST NOT SCIENCE.

571. THIS IS FUNNY.

572. THERE'S A GROUP OF FOLKS CALLED THE RAELIANS, I THINK,

573. THAT AGREE WITH THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN THEORY,

574. WITH ONE MINOR DIFFERENCE.

575. THEY THINK IT WAS SPACE ALIENS AND NOT GOD.

576. IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE FUNDAMENTALISTS

577. SLIDE AWAY FROM SOMEONE THEY THINK IS NUTS

578. WHO BELIEVES THE EXACT SAME THING THEY DO.

579. YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE FUSS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM

580. HAS RALLIED THE GOOD GUYS TOGETHER A BIT

581. 'CAUSE IT HASN'T ONLY PISSED US OFF.

582. IT'S PISSED OFF A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE, TOO.

583. AND THAT'S THE FIRST STEP OF A COUNTERATTACK—

584. GETTING PEOPLE ANGRY.

585. AND WE'RE STARTING TO WAKE UP

586. 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN SILENT TOO LONG AND SLEEPING.

587. I MEAN, AS WE'RE SLEEPING

588. THESE PEOPLE ARE WALKING INTO OUR HOMES

589. AND STEALING OUR LIBERTY,

590. AND WE'RE NOT GONNA LET THEM DO IT ANYMORE.

591. CAPTIONED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE —www.ncicap.org—