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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Does Canada's Science Minister Accept Evolution?

You might think that's a silly question. How could anyone in Canada become Minister of State (Science and Technology) and not accept the most important scientific fact in biology? Yes, it's true that Gary Goodyear is a chiropractor but he can't also be a creationist, can he?

Apparently he can, according to The Globe and Mail [Minister won't confirm belief in evolution].
Researchers aghast that key figure in funding controversy invokes religion in science discussion

Canada's science minister, the man at the centre of the controversy over federal funding cuts to researchers, won't say if he believes in evolution.

“I'm not going to answer that question. I am a Christian, and I don't think anybody asking a question about my religion is appropriate,” Gary Goodyear, the federal Minister of State for Science and Technology, said in an interview with The Globe and Mail.

A funding crunch, exacerbated by cuts in the January budget, has left many senior researchers across the county scrambling to find the money to continue their experiments.

Some have expressed concern that Mr. Goodyear, a chiropractor from Cambridge, Ont., is suspicious of science, perhaps because he is a creationist.
We are in far worse trouble than I thought. No wonder the Stephen Harper party is cutting back on basic research. They must think most researchers are really stupid for believing in all those silly theories like evolution.


7 comments :

Anonymous said...

...won't say if he believes in evolution.
“I'm not going to answer that question. I am a Christian, and I don't think anybody asking a question about my religion is appropriate


Supposing I don't accept his notion that belief in evolution is based on religion?

truti said...

Larry, yourself among the many liberals who decided not to vote strategically, bear responsibility for the triumph of the Tories. Bad as Stephen Dion may be, no Liberal cabinet would ever have kooks like this one in charge of science. But wait, the Tories aren't done yet. The next time when Liberals and the left-of-liberals squabble again, the Tories will return with an even stronger plurality and David Warren will be your new minister for education!

Heathen Mike said...

What a wanker Goodyear is. Letter-writing campaign, anyone?

Unknown said...

Larry, yourself among the many liberals who decided not to vote strategically, bear responsibility for the triumph of the Tories. Bad as Stephen Dion may be, no Liberal cabinet would ever have kooks like this one in charge of science. But wait, the Tories aren't done yet. The next time when Liberals and the left-of-liberals squabble again, the Tories will return with an even stronger plurality and David Warren will be your new minister for education!

Hate to say I agree, but I agree.

In Canada, we don't vote for a party we like; we vote against parties we don't like. Until we get some proportional representation, that's the way it's going to be.

A. Vargas said...

Believing in evolution is not a matter of religion. It is about knowing the science. It is clear Goodyear has never done that,

Its clear the angry chiropractor has found his job by promising to be the pawn of religious conservatives, and not for any true merit in comprehending and thus managing science.

This is a huge disservice to Canada's scientific development as well as its international image.
Whatever happened to that non-confidence vote? Are canadians just going to suck up all this shit without a peep?

Anonymous said...

What an embarrassment of a human. I wrote an email to the PM's office requesting Goodyear be fired immediately. You can too! - email address is pm@pm.gc.ca.

Devin said...

i'm glad i'm getting out of here in a few months