Line seen in sdorn's LJ

Bewildered and frustrated at the survival of creationism as pseudo-science?

Well, no. Hardly at all. Any more than I'm bewildered and frustrated at the survival of Hinduism, the folk beliefs of the Kazakhs, or the Australian aboriginal belief in the Dreamtime, none of which seem to get quite as much stick as this one belief system. Pseudo-science is just belief with diagrams.

I like a pluralistic society, a plurality of ideas. Anything that lessens that plurality, that tries to rule ideas out of existence, is to me a bad thing. I also like a plurality of callings, where some people are scientists and practise real science, and the rest of us don't have to if we don't want to.

I can see being bewildered and frustrated if the teaching of pseudo-science were being globally enforced and the teaching of real science were being globally excluded, and if that is successfully happening in America, then I apologise, there is genuine cause for alarm, though it's probably too late. But the mere existence of a Creation Museum excites me no more than the existence of the Enterprise model in the Smithsonian Institution ("but...but...some people might believe that Star Trek was REAL OMGRACGBH!!!1!!"). Though I'm sure they're grateful for the free publicity they'll be getting from people complaining about them.

This is what I believe. We do not, under any circumstances, have the right to dictate what is in other people's heads. Any more than extremist Christians or Muslims or Communists do. If we lose sight of that, then we are no better than they. And if anyone is hoping that among the first acts of a successful Democratic president will be to declare anathema on creationism and enforce the teaching of scientific rationalism as a pseudo-religion, then I have to say that I do not share that hope.

An old song

I don't know what made me think of this.

BESIDE THE WITCHFINDER

(Words (no tune yet) by Zan(TM))

Won't you come along and ride beside the witchfinder
As he goes from town to town to ply his trade?
We can watch the people quail, avert their faces and turn pale
And marvel at the powerful friend we've made.
It's a pleasant thing to ride beside the witchfinder
Even though he may not laugh at all our jests:
And in each new town we find, if he feels like being kind,
He may let us watch him as he makes his tests.

He's a sombre fellow in his cloak of black,
But his company for interest does not lack,
And if anyone you meet should give offence
You can point them out to him
And they'll soon be feeling tense...

It's a privilege to ride beside the witchfinder
Though the folk you meet are sometimes unaware.
But if they deny to you the respect that is your due
You can ask your friend to give them all a scare.
There are always folk who'll ride beside the witchfinder
Though he shows no trace of kindliness or charm:
And as many folk have found, with these witches all around,
It's the only way to keep yourself from harm.