Friday, August 5, 2011

Corrupt or Religiously Stupid?: NH Politician introduces bill to teach Creationism in science class

I have often touted New Hampshire’s status as the least religious state in the nation (tied with Vermont), where people’s religious perspectives, or lack of them, are usually kept to themselves and not shoved down peoples’ throats. I still maintain that I am largely accurate in that representation. But there are exceptions to every rule.

Gary Hopper, NH state representative for the 7th District mercifully does not represent my town in the NH legislature. His bio says he is a 2nd term Republican, is a machinist by trade, and has a High School diploma.






Gary is also a "Conservative Christian" who believes in the Judeo-Christian Creation myth, rejecting evolutionary theory as “just a theory” with a lot of problems. Not the least of which is that kids are taught that the origin of life is an accident, and thus has no purpose. The inference being that the kids will feel they have no purpose.

Gary doesn’t know that Darwin’s theory of evolution does not speak with authority on the origin of life on the planet, only the development of species through natural selection after life began. But hey, to Gary that’s just details. Rep. Gary Hopper is an asshat.

When I heard that Rep. Hopper is supporting legislation to make Creationism part of NH schools’ science curriculum I wrote him a very brief note:

Gary,
You're an imbecile and embarrassment to NH.
I wish you represented my district so I could expose your religious infirmity and gross stupidity to your constituency and vote you out. Albeit, I think you already did the former.
Sincerely,
Bart Centre

Not very tactful, but I’m not known for tact. I received the following reply:

Hi Mr. Centre,
You may be able to explain something to me. For a very long time I have wondered why do Atheist [sic] become so enraged at the mention of God?

I don't believe in Santa Claus but I am not angered by people who are [sic]. If you believe I am just ignorant what harm does that do to you and how can you detest something that doesn't exist?

Rep Hopper

Once again the obvious eludes the vapid mind of the religionist. It falls to me to educate him:

Gary,

You are (no surprise here) confused. Atheists don't get angry at the mention of god/s. Nor do we detest god/s any more than we detest Moby Dick, or Darth Vader. It would be foolish to detest a fictional character.

You can mention your imaginary friend in church, at home, in the street, in your car, in your favorite restaurant, bar, Public Park, street corner, or anywhere you like. What atheists resent are people in positions of responsibility using their belief in an imaginary being [and fables] to dumb down education, further setting US students behind the industrialized nations in science; or to forestall scientific advancement that can better peoples lives and longevity; or impinge on the wall of separation; or to promote their religious symbols on government property; or to meddle in peoples sexual activity or truncate peoples' rights and freedoms and happiness by opposing homosexual marriage, or a woman's right to chose - because it offends their so called sky daddy.

We despise those religionists who do not know history and/or who seek to re-write history by implying this is a "Christian Nation", or that our Founding Fathers wanted it to be.

But I imagine this is all lost on you. I sincerely doubt you have the mental acuity to process this. Perhaps the only way you could understand it is if another representative proposed that the Hindu Creation story be taught in science classes; or the Mayan creation story; or if a Satan worshipper petitioned to say an opening prayer at the next legislative session. Then perhaps you'd understand. No doubt you'd go ballistic. That's called Christian Hypocrisy.

Now, be sure to put this on your fb page [as claimed to have been done with my earlier letter]. Maybe it will make sense to those who visit your page but still have a modicum of intellectual honesty, respect for reality, and understanding that Creationism is religion not science.

Yours in reason,
Bart Centre


Fact is I was almost convinced that this buffoon was getting money from the Religious Right to promote this absurd creationism bill, and he may well be. But, it wasn’t until reading his bio that I discovered I was dealing with someone who has a marginal education; who had never taken a course in reasoning, logic, ethics, comparative religions, or philosophy, much less advanced biology.

It’s entirely possible I misjudged his dishonesty and that he is in fact a simple minded superstitionalist with limited intellect who is not satisfied encumbering his own children with mindless fable in place of science, but feels compelled to do the same to all of NH’s children.

I’m not sure if I prefer a corrupt politician to a moronic one, the effect is often the same. I’ll ponder it further.

17 comments:

MissBizzyLizzy said...

Sigh..... if he just took in the tiniest bit of your second message (mainly the part about teaching from a different religion's point of view), maybe he'd understand?? Nah...people like this are (sadly) beyond reason. Their beliefs are 'right' and therefore nothing anyone else says has any validity. Sorry to say your efforts have probably been wasted. :-(

NewEnglandBob said...

I keep hammering the same message: these people are ignorant and proud of their ignorance. They despise educated people. these are the ones, including the tea party racists, misogynists and xenophobes along with the Republicans who are out for only themselves who are going to ruin the US.

Dromedary Hump said...

MissBizzy,
Odds are you are right...I've cast pearls before a religious swine. However, he didn't respond to that last email. Perhaps something told him he may be not thinking things through entirely. We can hope.

In the least I corrected (or attempted to) a misconception about what atheists ARE angry about.

Bob, as usual, we're in full agreement. I'm just ashamed that a district in NH actually elected this fucktard.

Dromedary Hump said...

HEY ALL... I WILL BE AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER SATURDAY 8/6 THROUGH MONDAY 8/8.

BUT PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS AND I WILL APPROVE AND POST THEM HERE UPON MY RETURN.

THANKS!

HUMP/BART

tiNstAg said...

This "Cretinist" probably needs several weeks to understand the big words you've just sent to him. It frightens the crap out of me to think how someone so monumentally ignorant can get elected to a position where he has power over others.

Anonymous said...

Did both your letters get posted to the cretin's facebook page?

Dromedary Hump said...

tin... agreed...and elected in NH!!!

Anon..nope, he only posted my first letter... whoich garnered much comment. So I took the liberty of posting the link to my blog on his fb page for all his fb friends to enjoy.
I also haven't gotten a response to the final email...or my posting of the blog link to his page:)

Fifthgen said...

Glad you got past your buffalo BBQ thing; pretty boring and about to drop reading your stuff.
BUT now it looks like you have a bunch of highly educated snobs reading your stuff. Must be all easterners who haven't ventured very far away from the Ivy League campuses back there. Just so happens that some of us college educated types live in the fly-over part of the States and happen to have some real world experiences away from the professorial staffs that continue to contaminate east coast minds. I can't believe you blast folks because they ONLY have a high school education. WUWT? Are you implying that only the academia with PhDs are the only ones qualified to be elected to govern? Might want to check some history books here Hump! I mean, how's that smart ass Harvard bunch in the White House with no real world experience working out for you Hump? I can't afford four mo years of this level of Hope & Change; and it isn't just because the dumb asses "inherited" a bunch of debt. This goes beyond Republicrats and Demoplicans...they are all the same...they all are from the same school of considering themselves the "elites" the "privileged class" and the rest of us are mere peasants they can piss on and tax more.

Hey, I'm right with you on this "creation" crap being taught on the same level as "science"...real science, not this half baked stuff you and a slug of your followers apparently think is science! For example: Take the AGW argument about CO2 causing global warming. It's all based on politics & MONEY there Hump...more and more info (every day) is finally being allowed to be published in "peer-reviewed" journals showing that "AGW" is a fucking religion in itself, and NOT science. This crap has given the actual practice of "the scientific method" a bad name! Where's Al Gore's degrees in science if you are going to ride your high horse of academic standards? Looks like double standards to me.

So fuck all you academics out there; and hooray for the true Atheists in the crowd! I know a lot of PhDs that can't find their way home without instructions, and a lot of high schoolers who are pretty damn savvy about all sorts of things - things that are real!

You've mixed apples and oranges here Hump. Science vs Creationism as a curriculum is bad for all the country, and I agree with you wholeheartedly but, let's not forget that there are some really intelligent folks out here (and maybe back there too) who don't have the bullshit diploma in whatever hanging on the wall to impress your condescending asshole readers like NewEnglandBob...what a fuck he must be in real life, if he has one! Now there's a guy I wouldn't want teaching my kids or running ANY level of government in whats left of this country.

Anonymous said...

The constitution allows anyone, even the village idiot, to become a state representative. There are no education requirements.

Now that's where we need a constitutional amendment.

Anonymous said...

"The constitution allows anyone, even the village idiot, to become a state representative. There are no education requirements."

There used to be "educational requirements" aka literacy tests for voting to prevent “village idiots” from voting; however in reality, they were used to keep the minorities and “undesirables” from voting.

Somehow, making educational requirements to run for office I don’t think will work the way you think they would and just be another tool for the asshats who support representative Gary Hopper to keep him in power.

- fastthumbs

Anonymous said...

I posted this to Gary Hopper's facebook page (see if it stays up...):

Fight the good fight Gary and ram through creationism into the science class! Keep eroding the science standards so the education of our kids becomes even more subpar. I'm sure there are lots of Chinese, Indian and Russian children today who’d be qualified for the well paying high tech jobs of tomorrow while our children go into food service and hotel hospitality to wait on these foreigners imported to the USA because our kids no longer have the science smarts.

See the last panel of this comic: http://carapace.weblogs.us/archives/1608


- Fastthumbs

David said...

Unfortunately, I think parliament attracts a particularly dangerous kind of religionist. Ones that see an opportunity to impose their religionist ideals involuntarily on society through the introduction of such bills.

NewEnglandBob said...

Hey Fifthgen, when you stumble across a fact for the first time in your life, you can look at it and begin to think, instead of paining your feces all over using your mouth.

What a low life scum bucket you are. Get a brain and lessons on how to use it.

I guess I pegged you in my first comment and you saw how rotten you truly are.

Dromedary Hump said...

Fifthgen,
That you didn't like my buffalo burger account is likely more owing to your inability to find humor in the religionist mind, and less due to my writing style.

I point out Gary Hopper's lack of education credientials because they are indicative of his lack of familiarity with the subjects/disciplines I pointed out. It is this very lack of advanced education..either through formal education or self-taught, that allows his misunderstanding of Darwin's theory to be come distorted. If he had any respect for education, his own and those of NH children, he'd have taken steps to educate himself instead of simply mouthing mindless Xtian apologetics.

If that offends you too bad.

If you don't respect education, it's import in proper analysis and logic; if you see respect for higher education as simply symptomatic of Eastern elitism; and if don't realize that religionists by far and away have less education than secularists,thus creating these kinds of inane attempts at spreading their ignorance among the populace - then you are reading the wrong blog.

Finally, while I posted your comment this time, I will not tolerate further personal attacks upon one of my readers. I read his comment and saw no grounds form your initiating a personal attack. Do it again, and your comments will not be posted nor welcomed here.

Dromedary Hump said...

Fastthumbs...
Great post to Gary's page!!

I have been banned/blocked from his page ;)

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a good opportunity for the Flying Spaghetti Monster Pastafarians to show up and demand equal time for their creation myth. I'm sure a good time will be had by all. :)

Dromedary Hump said...

(((I received the following email from a friend and reader. I am posting it here without his name. I am also posting my reply.)))
------------------------------

Hey Bart!

I'm not the dude who went ape-shit commenting on your blog about Hopper and you may just say, "Tough shit, B. It's not my fault you didn't earn a degree like Bachmann, Palin et al" after reading this email. I didn't wanna use government money to go into debt for a degree. Plus, fuck college! I'd had enough of school.

I am proud of this piece of shit! After earning this useless piece of paper, I took a night class, learned a trade and went to work. Yeah, that ONLY a diploma remark caught my wife and I off guard and we've been discussing it off and on since we read it.

So, I'm letting you know via email my disdain. I read your reply to that Fifthgen person. Nice. I'm sure you know there are a lot of dead Americans who had ONLY a high school diploma killed in the line of duty. Eh well, fuck it. You gotta figure over 80% of enlisted servicemen/women have ONLY a high school diploma.

I know you're not shallow, not shallow enough to say, "Diploma only?!?! I'm surprised you're an atheist!!" But, that's how it came across in your blog. One last thing before I end this rant, I noticed you took a sentence off of that particular blog entry. That leads me to believe that we aren't the only ones who felt offended.

It's your blog and I know you don't give a fuck whether we like it or not, but that was fucked up. I didn't go to college, I was too busy learning things.

Your Bud,
-B
--------------------

B,

I meant no offense. In fact, I removed the offending reference but the notification email went out in its original form anyway. I realized too late how it sounded.

I don't judge people on their level of schooling. I judge people on how they use the education they have. If people can reason, logic, evaluate and accept evidence and fact that's what's important. Whether they have a Phd, or a GED it makes zero difference to me.

Rep Hopper however lacks any such ability. His education, his "evolution" of learning, if you will, stopped with high school and what his religious shaman taught him. It is for that reason I emphasized the limit of his schooling.

I'm sorry you and L were offended. That's the last thing I intended. Bad choice of words, and inadequate explanation in the article on my part.
You have my apology and unquestioned respect.

Your friend,
Bart


((( Any of my readers who were similarly offended, or taken aback by my poorly thought out comment also have my apologies. ))))