Creationists on Christie - plus Rush Holt, Herb Conaway & Ed Potosnak weigh in

by: Rosi Efthim

Sun May 15, 2011 at 11:50:03 AM EDT

At this weekend's Democratic State Conference in Atlantic City, I caught up with 3 men who practice both science and politics - Congressman Rush Holt, Assemblyman Herb Conaway and congressional candidate Ed Potosnak. They all had something to say about Christie's creationist parry. That's below.

We don't generally reprint or link back to sources like CBN, but it's instructive to peep in on what Christie looks like over on their side. What they "heard" in what Christie said is in CBN's headline: Christie: Schools Should Be Able to Teach Creationism, and though their article is cautious in its language, that crap plays very well over there.

Let's face it; there are only a few explanations for Christie's statement. If he was pandering, CBN is here to tell you it worked. But, wait - was he? Is it possible Christie really believes the world began 6,000 years ago? What might he think fossils are? Creationism has been debunked and debunked again. Does he not know?

GOP voters are consistently tugged toward anti-intellectualism by their leaders, the dumbing down of an entire class of voters is in sharp contrast to the intelligent (if wrong) and well-thought out (if wrong) worldview that 30 years ago was outlined by the likes of William F. Buckley and other thinkers now called paleos by post-Reagan Republicans - overcome by a generation of climate change-denyers, creationist mythologizers, and dumb if pretty spokesmodels like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, who is such a low-hanging fruit that a Cherry Hill high-schooler just went national with an invitation to debate her on the Constitution. Christie's statement is also germane because Christie wants to divert education funds to religious schools, a growing movement a lot of money is behind. Is he also unclear that it's science and not pretty religious myth that should be taught in schools?

Rush Holt: Congressman, physicist and the man who beat the Watson supercomputer in Jeopardy
(Christie's statement) doesn't reflect well on New Jersey. If New Jersey wants to reclaim its title as the invention state, the innovation state, the source of america's productivity, then it can't be a know-nothing state. What bothers me about creationists - or icreationism-lit known as "intelligent design" is known as, is that it's lazy thinking. We've gotten ahead -  as a species and as an American economy - by thinking deliberately and concertively about how the world works - as shown by the evidence we've observed. Creationsim ignores evidence and creationists are choosing not to live in the real world.
If you want kids to be prepareed to get ahead in the real world, you should teach them to observe the hard fact of the real world.

Herb Conaway: Physician and Assemblyman:

Freedom of expression and freedom of thought are sacred in this country. Our birthright. But with respect to teaching, let's make sure we're teaching science in science class - not something else.

Ed Potosnak: Congressional candidate, former chemistry teacher:
A mistake we have made in the scientific community is referring to Darwin's theory instead of what it actually is, which is Dawrins law, which is that species evolve over time. While the explanation may change - hence why they call it a theory - the fact remains that our Governor is putting partisan politics and his political career  ahead of scientific evidence.  

Wow. Just wow.

by: Rosi Efthim

Thu May 12, 2011 at 12:17:21 PM EDT

Asked: Does @GovChristie believe in evolution, or creationism/intelligent design? Gov: "That's none of your business."

The Bully is a Coward

by: huntsu

Sun May 08, 2011 at 10:32:00 AM EDT

While charming a town hall audience in Manalapan Wednesday, Gov. Chris Christie called on a woman who had an unusual question for him. She asked what he thought about creationism being taught in schools along with evolution.

The governor paused and took a sip of water, quipping, "That's a new one." It was also a tricky one for the governor of a moderate state whose conservative credentials help make him a GOP star. ...

"I think it's really a dangerous area for a governor who stands up from the top of the state to say you should teach this, you shouldn't teach that," Christie said.

No, Governor, it's not a tough one.  Here's what your answer should be: "Science should be taught in science classes, and religion should be taught in Sunday School."

It ain't rocket science, though maintaining your "conservative credentials" in the face of lunacy appears to be.

Paul LaClair visits Hudson DFA & Paul Aronsohn drops by

by: FogerRox

Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 02:26:20 AM EDT

Is was great to meet the LaClair family, Paul wasn't sure he could stay for long, but Matts compelling story and the ensuing discussion went on for over an hour. We talked about Dominionism and the Rapture, but most important was Matts story.

Proselytizing teacher in Kearny..... a repeat offender ?

by: FogerRox

Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 01:45:14 AM EDT

The BLUE JERSEY folks have been blogging on this issue as far back as "njdem" on Feb 19th, Nick Lento did a follow up on Feb 21st, and the father of the 17 yr old student, Paul LaClair's diary of Feb 26th, Nick Lento then posted some video on Feb 27th, as well as my own  hack job on March 8th.

Since David Paszkiewicz has been teaching in Kearny for 14 years, I had wondered if this proselytizing was new behavior, or a long term trend. If its been a trend, and the BOE knew and did nothing, its a great issue to elect new BOE members on.

So after trading emails with Paul LaClair, I hit the google, and here is what I found....

Video of Last Tuesday's Kearny Board of Ed Meeting Parts 1 and 2

by: Nick Lento

Tue Feb 27, 2007 at 01:48:03 AM EST

 

Click To Play

 

It's in a quicktime format and runs around 15 minutes.  If it loads slow for you and stops/sputters; just pause it and leave that window alone for a spell.  Then come back after it's loaded and it should play smoothly.

I'm trying to load a second, longer excerpt. If you appreciate this one; the second will be better.

Unfortunately my battery crapped out so the end of the event was not recorded by me. However, I dare say, there'll be more than enough to get the flavor of what our Constitution is up against.

Part 2 is Below The Fold.... 

The Chronicles of Kearnya: The Saga Continues

by: Steven Hart

Mon Feb 19, 2007 at 12:12:40 AM EST

Though it's possible that young master LaClair may be planning to make a prediction of which character will be killed off in the upcoming Harry Potter novel, it's far more likely that he'll be there to offer his thoughts on the board's "Don't Bother Asking and Don't Even Try to Tell Us" philosophy for dealing with educational malfeasance.

You'll recall that LaClair taped-recorded history teacher David Paszkiewicz informing his captive audience that evolution and the Big Bang were an unscientific hoax, that dinosaurs were part of the cargo on Noah's Ark, and that only those who were down with the wingnut program were going to get a pass through the pearly gates. The school board responded with a number of weak-kneed measures, the most odious of which was to ban all future taping within classrooms - the only way LaClair had been able to prove his complaints in the first place.

The board meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Washington School in Kearny. I'm not saying you should go, but if you did, your rational well-mannered presence might help counterbalance the mob of religious hysterics that will probably be there as well. The values of American civilization have to be defended in all sorts of unexpected places, and if Kearny is one of them, so be it.

Cross posted at The Opinion Mill.

What's the Matter With Kearny?

by: Steven Hart

Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 07:20:11 AM EST

Think again. Turns out the Hudson County burg of Kearny has its own problem with a fundie who styles himself as a history teacher:

Among his remarks in open class were statements that a being must have created the universe, that the Christian Bible is the word of God, and that dinosaurs were aboard Noah’s ark. If you do not accept Jesus, he flatly proclaimed to his class, “you belong in hell.” Referring to a Muslim student who had been mentioned by name, he lamented what he saw as her inevitable fate should she not convert. In an attempt to promote biblical creationism, he also dismissed evolution and the Big Bang as non-scientific, arguing by contrast that the Bible is supported by what he calls confirmed biblical prophecies.