A lot’s been made of the pig-ignorance of The View co-host Sherri Shepherd’s comments today concerning evolution and the shape of the Earth, but the full, staggering stupidity of her opinions must be understood within the context of the current North American public’s acceptance that faith-based mythologies must be respected as much as is scientific fact — or perhaps even trump it. And this is precisely the kind of miseducation which the Ontario PC party, currently stumping for leadership of the province, seeks to entrench.
Also? There must be some clause in fellow, neocon co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s contract which stipulates that she not be portrayed as the most idiotic woman in America all of the time. This is a program, by the way, which is consistently nominated for Emmy Awards, although recent wins have, unsurprisingly, been for shit like make-up. If I want to watch smart, funny women riffing on current events, I’ll catch Real Time with Bill Maher’s guest roster, not the fools of The View.
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I’m frankly surprised that Sherri Shepherd was singled out as the ignorant one. From the popular, look-how-unstupid-we-are “One day could mean BILLIONS of years! It’s SYMBOLIC!” argument to “Internets! And babies! Being born in sperms!”, these masterminds managed to erradicate months of cumulative homesickness in a matter of seconds. Thank evolution you’re here to make me laugh, or else I might cry.
Now now: this “Round-Earth” theory is just that–a theory. While scientists *claim* that there is overwhelming physical evidence that the Earth is “round” it remains a theory because…well…because it doesn’t actually say that the Earth is “round” in the Bible. And the Bible, as we all know, is the final word on all things scientific, geological, medical, architectural, monetary, legal and of course moral.
Besides, I don’t know if you’ve ever looked across the distance to the horizon but, well, I’d say the Earth looks pretty flat to me! And isn’t simple observation enough? Does everything have to be telescoped and microscoped and hyperanalyzed? Can’t we just substitute all this “science” and “medicine” with good old fashioned common sense? The Earth is flat because it looks flat, and if it’s not, who cares? Who’s it hurting?
I think it’s important that children be taught both theories–the Round-Earth theory in the “science” classroom and the Flat-Earth theory in the Religious classroom. Of course, since one of these classrooms includes teachings found in public schools paid for by the government, we feel that faith-based private schools should be also be government-funded, so that we can recite this scientific claptrap to our children and then tell them to ignore it all the rest of the time. A diverse Canada depends on diverse Canadians believing diverse, and sometimes contradictory, things. We’re all the richer for it!
My name is John Tory, and I approve this message.
KerstinMSD, you’re correct in pointing out the general level of stupidity on The View’s panel of intellectual heavyweights. I don’t even want to raise former host Rosie O’Donnell’s assertion that steel doesn’t melt.
And David, thanks for raising the flat-Earth argument. I’d wanted to mention, as was pointed out a few weeks ago — in a searing indictment of the US-American map shortage by Miss Teen USA South Carolina Lauren Caitlin Upton — that maps are flat and there’s your proof that the Earth is flat, right there.
On Toronto’s Global News this evening, we’ll be treated to an analysis of the real cost to taxpayers for John Tory’s plan to fund religious schooling of all stripes. I’ll hold my breath for any cost analysis of raising a whole generation of Ontario students to be significantly less-informed than ever before, through the insertion of myth-as-fact in the school curriculum.
I agree that funding religious schools, which teach what is inherently nonsense, is wrong.
That is why I am not voting for Tory or McGuinty, since both support Catholic funding for 675,000 kids. In my mind that is really more of an issue than the extension of equal treatment to the other small minorities. In fact, if Catholic schools continue to be funded, it actually seems to make sense to treat the other equally since it is hard to justify ongoing official religious discrimination.
I will be voting Green. In my opinion anyone concerned about the religious school funding issue who supports McGuinty, whose not-so-hidden agenda seems to be defending Catholic schools, is really deluding themself, not to mention violating their own principles.
We have absolutely no hope of EVER getting rid of Catholic funding if we do not support the only political party that has made it part of their platform to eliminate Catholic funding, i.e. the Green Party.
Thanks, Carl, for that reminder. Read more about Green Party of Ontario’s education platform here.