Today's Globe and Mail reports that Canada's Minister of State (Science and Technology) has "clarified" his position on the validity of evolution [Minister clarifies stand on evolution].OTTAWA — Science minister Gary Goodyear now says he believes in evolution.Those of us who have been dealing with creationists for several decades will recognize those words. That's a creationist speaking. They're willing to admit to microevolution within kinds but unwilling to admit to common descent.
“Of course I do,” he told guest host Jane Taber during an appearance on the CTV program Power Play. “But it is an irrelevant question.”
....
On Tuesday, Mr. Goodyear said twice during the CTV interview that he did believe in evolution.
“We are evolving every year, every decade. That's a fact, whether it is to the intensity of the sun, whether it is to, as a chiropractor, walking on cement versus anything else, whether it is running shoes or high heels, of course we are evolving to our environment. But that's not relevant and that is why I refused to answer the question. The interview was about our science and tech strategy, which is strong.”
Goodyear could have easily said that he accepts common descent and the idea that modern species, including humans, evolved over billions of years from more primitive organisms. That's what "believing" in evolution means to most people. He did not say that.
That pretty much settles it for me. Goodyear is a creationist. He rejects one of the fundamental concepts of biology. That makes him anti-science.
The man in charge of science in Canada is anti-science. Heaven help us.
13 comments :
Larry, after voting against the Libs just because you did not want Dion become PM, what did you expect? And now you want the heavens to save you? Harper seems to be a master manipulator of the parliamentary system, and thanks to the squabbling left, he will gradually weasel the worst policies into law. Where do you think Bush is going to be delivering his 1st post-presidency lecture? Alberta! That was easy.
The US Dems did this in 2000, pulling down their own candidate, and paid for it with eight years. You are just getting started. Clark, Mulroney, Campbell, and now Harper. Nice work! The only thing needed to keep the Tories in power is for the liberals to keep splitting hairs
slippery bastard...someone should ask him in his face if he believes humans evolved from apes
Email Gary Goodyear at GoodyG@parl.gc.ca and ask him directly whether he accepts the overwhelming scientific evidence that all life on Earth has evolved from a common ancestor.
It seems we may infected our neighbor to the north with our idiocy.
Sorry about that. (Better you than me, though.)
Thanks for the explanation. I thought the "clarification" was just a little too odd to provide any comfort.
My first thought was, "I don't believe in evolution because I have a callous on my foot." That's what his convoluted stance certainly implies. It made me wonder if he even knew what evolution was, which is a scary thought in itself.
Now I know why it was worded oh so carefully.
Geez, what a piece of work the Harper cons are.
truti asks,
Larry, after voting against the Libs just because you did not want Dion become PM, what did you expect?
I expected to get rid of Dion and replace him with a Liberal leader who can win an election.
Why do you ask?
The behavior serves to prove that evolutionist are following a dogma. Why is it anyone's buisness what someone else beleives! If evolution is truly a science then people would be allowed to criticise the evidence as they please. Many argue with ignorant statements such as "go read a book, there is overwhelming evidence...". I will ask you this, did YOU read a book! Did YOU delve into the numerous scientific articles behind the theory! I bet not! There is overwhelming proof to the contrary, but I do not wish to put words in your mouth, study the theory YOURSELF, and arrive at YOUR conclusion, and leave other people alone.
Why is it anyone's buisness what someone else beleives!
Because people often have a hard time not acting on what they believe, and that is an issue when they have the power to act. If this were merely a free speech issue, we wouldn't be talking about this.
I will ask you this, did YOU read a book! Did YOU delve into the numerous scientific articles behind the theory!
Actually, I did, and continue to do so. I have a decent library, have used public bioinformatic tools and research articles on PLoS. Personally, I would highly, highly recommend the full-colour big version of The Ancestor's Tale - it covers a lot of how we know what we know.
Where did you get your information that allowed you to ride in on your high horse like that?
There is overwhelming proof to the contrary
No, there isn't. There's paranoia and lawyering, which isn't the same thing at all.
I really, really want someone to ask him about germ theory since, as a practicing chiropractor, it's highly likely he doesn't believe in germ theory either. The danger posed by Goodyear isn't science vs religion, it's science vs purely-for-profit pseudoscience. The science vs religion distraction is meant to divert us from the fact that it's really about funneling tax dollars into the pockets of business cronies and multinational corporations.
Let's not forget that Born Again Bush started dissing his fundamentalist supporters once he was on his way out of office. The attack on intelligent thinking - and reality-based thinking - has clearly refocused on Canada.
Canadian chiropractors as a group aren't typically as odd as to reject germ theory.
They do, however, seem to fall much more often for the "vaccines cause autism" shtick.
Ritchie - They're odd enough to conflate evolution with concrete footpaths, high heals and running shoes, I'm not convinced Goodyear doesn't reject germ theory too. Canadian chiropractors are just as odd as their American counterparts - they're just more "Canadian" and mild mannered than in the US! ;-)
Twaddle. Utter, incredible, twaddle.
I guess the old adage is true: people see what they so desperately want to see.
Yes, Patrick, I see Twaddle.
Let's read some more:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090317.GOODYEAR17/TPStory/National
"When I was in high school, we were already tweaking with a coil that would wrap around the upper [radiator] hose and it got an extra five miles to the gallon. ... So I've been there on this discovery stuff "
FER SHUR.
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