How religion turned American politics against science | Kurt Andersen | Big Think
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- Опубликовано: 17 янв 2018
- How religion turned American politics against science
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In the last 30 years religion has radicalized American politics and seriously harmed the perception of science, says journalist and author Kurt Andersen. This can be directly tied to the rise of the Christian Right in the 20th century. To see this, you only have to look at the response to the same question posed to Republican presidential candidates over three election cycles, from 2008 to 2016: "Do you believe in Darwinian biological evolution?" In 2008, the majority answered yes. In 2012, there were notably less. In 2016? There was only one of 17 candidates who said he did-Jeb Bush, and even he began to backpedal as he answered. "I don’t believe all those people believed what they said," says Andersen, "I don’t think all of them disbelieve in evolution, just some of them-but they were all obliged to say 'yes' to falsehood and magical thinking of this religious kind, and that’s where it becomes problematic." From climate change to Creationism and outright conspiracy theories, Andersen points to how the Republican party has come to increasingly incorporate fantasy and wishful untruths into its approach to social, economic, and foreign policy-and it's turning America into an anti-science spectacle. Kurt Andersen is the author of Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire.
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KURT ANDERSEN:
Kurt Andersen, host of Studio 360 on NPR, is a journalist and the author of the novels Hey Day, Turn of the Century, The Real Thing, and his latest non-fiction book Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History. He has written and produced prime-time network television programs and pilots for NBC and ABC, and co-authored Loose Lips, an off-Broadway theatrical revue that had long runs in New York and Los Angeles. He is a regular columnist for New York Magazine, and contributes frequently to Vanity Fair. He is also a founder of Very Short List.
Andersen began his career in journalism at NBC's Today program and at Time, where he was an award-winning writer on politics and criminal justice and for eight years the magazine's architecture and design critic. Returning to Time in 1993 as editor-at-large, he wrote a weekly column on culture. And from 1996 through 1999 he was a staff writer and columnist for The New Yorker. He was a co-founder of Inside.com, editorial director of Colors magazine, and editor-in-chief of both New York and Spy magazines, the latter of which he also co-founded.
From 2004 through 2008 he wrote a column called "The Imperial City" for New York (one of which is included in The Best American Magazine Writing 2008). In 2008 Forbes. com named him one of The 25 Most Influential Liberals in the U.S. Media. Anderson graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, and is a member of the boards of trustees of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Pratt Institute, and is currently Visionary in Residence at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He lives with his family in New York City.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Kurt Andersen: In 2008, the big Republican presidential candidates were asked: "How many of you believe in Darwinian biological evolution?" Two-thirds or three-quarters said, "I do." In 2012, the same question was asked, same group of people-Republican presidential candidates-and it was already down to a third. In 2016, the 17 main candidates for the Republican nomination were asked: "Do you believe in evolution?" One, Jeb Bush, brave Jeb Bush, said he did-"but," he said, walking it back even as he said it, “I’m not sure it should be taught in our public schools, and if it is, it should be taught along with Creationism.” So from 2008 to 2016, that was the change and that change is-I don’t believe all those people believed what they said; I don’t think all of them disbelieve in evolution, just some of them-but they were all obliged to say yes to falsehood and magical thinking of this religious kind and that’s where it becomes problematic.
America has always been a Christian nation. That meant a very different thing 100 years ago or even 50 years ago than it means today. I grew up not going to church very often at all and not with much religious education, but all of my friends were weekly, regular churchgoers of various kinds.
Christian Protestant religion became extreme, it became more magical and supernatural in its beliefs and practices in America than it had been in hundreds of years and more so t...
For the full transcript, check out bigthink.com/videos/kurt-ande...
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Isnt there a separation of church and state, so isnt the title hear flawed?
@Don't trust Government you religion is a propaganda
@Don't trust Government your christian religion
@Don't trust Government and anti science religion
@Justin Sawyer I’m pretty sure a lot of trump supporters are evangelical sooo...
There was a valid reason why the founding fathers tried to keep religion out of politics.
Did you know China is an Atheist country but still becoming more powerful than the west.
@@Knightmare919 Theism over there is increasing, and Western theism is decreasing. God judges the West
@@Knightmare919 Atheism, please believe in science, don't be superstitious about the self-transfer of energy from low to high energy (the evolution of the universe), pseudoscience. Because the warm water produced does not change back to cold water and hot water, the energy emitted by the sun does not return to the sun(The state of matter n energy before the evolution of the universe).
Scientists have discovered that the universe has been degenerating because of the Big Bang evidence(contradicts with the big bang). Scientific theory: The universe evolved from the increase (degeneration) of entropy, concealing the contradictory lies of creationism(god).
The Bible, book of job, isaiah or other, says that god stretches out the heavens, which is the redshift of the universe.
Universe evolution insults mechanics: The gravity of the sun evolved the solar system, but I have never seen the gravitational theory that gravity can evolve antigravity(gravitation of eight planet). The gravity of the sun should interfere with their evolution, causing them to eventually fail to form.
With the advancement of science and technology, there are more and more loopholes in the theory of biological evolution, which proves that when science was underdeveloped, those people superstitious in the theory of biological evolution. Nowadays, the theory of evolution is very controversial in the scientific community.
The people below are superstitious of pseudo-science, which caused him to have a logical obstacle. I commented on the evidence of creationism. He still said no?
@@linlaodenis2933
No we don’t have evidence of creationism. You have no idea what you’re talking about.
@@linlaodenis2933 So wrong on far too many levels. Check yourself.
It shouldn't be "do you believe in evolution" - it should be "do you understand evolution"....!!!
+Smidlee
I understand evolution - you don't!
You've just proven that you don't have a clue on what you're talking about!
The Scientific theory of evolution is the most well proven theory in existence - in fact, it is so well proven, that there is a higher likelyhood of you disproving gravity by floating away like a ballon than there is of anyone disproving evolution!
But hey, you're welcome to try - in fact, why don't you try?
Please, disprove the scientific theory of evolution to me...!
Correction. Understanding something doesn’t compel someone to accept it.
Personally I pose the question in this manner. Do you accept evolution as valid scientific theory explaining the myriad number of species?
Sparky Wolf Ignorance is bliss.
Smidlee Your lack of intelligence is frightening.
"When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent" Isaac Asimov
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” ― Isaac Asimov.
seen two quotes by this guy in the comments both bangers
"The great thing about science is that it's true whether you believe in it or not."
-Tyson
And it can be proven! Not so Religion.
haha cool quote
i love Neil so much
*re: "The great thing about science is that it's true whether you believe in it or not."
-Tyson*
That's not a scientific principle at all. Tyson is an EEOC "science guy" If you want to understand physics at all you need to try Dyson, not Tyson.
Freeman Dyson career accomplishments:
Awards
FRS (1952)[3]
Heineman Prize (1965)
Lorentz Medal (1966)
Hughes Medal (1968)
Harvey Prize (1977)
Wolf Prize (1981)
Andrew Gemant Award (1988)
Matteucci Medal (1989)
Oersted Medal (1991)
Enrico Fermi Award (1993)
Templeton Prize (2000)
Pomeranchuk Prize (2003)
Henri Poincaré Prize (2012)
Scientific career
Fields Physics, mathematics
Neil deGrasse Tyson:
Career accomplishments: Zilch (zero)
Here is the most accurate description of the discipline and ethos of science, as penned by one of the greatest scientific minds of the 20th century: Richard Feynman:
*“Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts. When someone says ‘science teaches such and such’, he is using the word incorrectly. Science doesn’t teach it; experience teaches it”*
Far cry from "science is true...blah blah blah" isn't it?
@@StellaLovesMusic25 apart from the fact that there Is 0 way to prove a god exists while we prove science everyday because it naturally occurs in everything
if there is a god it is science itself
making everything possible we have
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful".
Lucius Annaeus Seneca, 4 BC - 65 AD
"Trump is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the GOP as useful".
The Lord Jesus Christ > lucius annaeus seneca in hell 65 ad
Lucius committed a Fallacy of Part and Whole there, since all human beings have a religion. They are either members of an organized religion or have their own personal unorganized religion.
John Van Raak - That is great, I love it!
Brilliant. I have not heard this quote before and for it to have been said 2000 years ago has made my night.
Thank you.
Thanks Mr. Anderson for your insights. I retired from a 45 year career as a church musician. I have seen attendance plummet in the last 2 decades, and that was before COVID. So, when I hear about the U. S. being a Christian nation, I am completely incredulous. People '"call" themselves Christian, but it's one more element in the magical thinking that portions of our country have latched onto in their mythology. Christianity is all about living the faith, something we do, not just how we self-identify.
Unlike muslims.
Yep. My sister in law talks about witches, and how yoga is some kind of dark magic. You laugh about it the first time, but when you keep hearing it, you can't help but think there's going to come a time where someone gets hurt or killed because "God told me to".
Came across this today: lol is not short for laugh out loud, lol stands for Lucifer Our Lord. Everybody who uses lol in texts is actually hailing Lucifer.
Next up, JC Penney's is blasphemy, using the initials of Our Lord Jesus Christ for Mammon, aka Evil.
I'd like to think my satire won't become evangelical truth, but JHC-- which will mean Jesus Hates Canada, instead of Jesus H. Christ--I'm not betting against that.
An argument could be made that that has already happened millions of times through human history. (The crusades, the inquisitions, etc.). Religion has been a cancer on mankind since time immemorial. .
Not kill me, someone will unfortunately die trying to. I'll say prayers and condolences afterwards.
Hitchens once said, "A good man will do good things and a wicked man will do wicked things, but it takes religion to get a good man to do wicked things."
Going to come a time? It already happens all too frequently.
Not to brag, but I have been saying this for at least 40 years. The religious delusion is dangerous because it legitimizes other delusions.
*WORD* 👍🏽
Yes all delusions making the world more susceptible to other lies. Rationality, empathy & science should be the cornerstones of the future. But humans are stupid, greedy and dead easy to exploit. Just look at Germany in 1930-45 and USA today. There are 70 million retards following the biggest liar in the world.
@@la7dfa "Fervor of belief is no substitute for good hard evidence." Daniel Dennett
So you’re boasting that you were an atheist before it was cool?
@@zachgates7491 Not boasting about my awakening which came at about age 12. There were many before me. (See "The Renaissance")Boasting about my prescient understanding of the danger of delusion.
The reason people should realize that religion should not be forced on everyone is.
I do not live in a church, I live in a country
Same
Yes and that includes the religion of evolution.
@@jonjeskie5234 Which is by definition not a religion.
Can't replicate any religion in a laboratory, but you sure can with this.
@@TheWhale45 That is just idiotic.
@@jonjeskie5234 The theory of natural selection is the opposite of religion. It is based on observable phenomena.
We’ve been arguing about religion for thousands of years but can’t we agree that teaching our kids morals ethics and character would be a good thing regardless about what happens after we die
We're born with those things, at least most of us are. But society and religion pollute what is naturally ingrained in us to begin with and then try to sell it back to us.
This is happening in my country too. Religious superstitions have overwhelmed reason and logic. In fact the more the world progresses technologically the more religion takes root. People here can't cope with these new challenges and retreated into their familiar comfort zone
Hien Ching Lung, I believe you are correct. People are worried about the future and turn to religion to provide a 'simple' comforting answer to all the problems facing the world....that god is angry and we must pray devoutly for him to save us.
Religion has a place because it provides simple answers (& pseudo solutions) that reduces some peoples stress levels.
BUT the danger with religion taking over politics is that we stop tackiling difficult issues and just rely on prayer to save us.... I expect much like the people at Pompeii did!!
Oh, "my country" sounds like like an unusual place.
@@jamesmcinnis208 It is. And beautiful too. But the religious fanatics are turning it into a rigid, intolerant and racist society
@@Sean006 it took a full circle, people were religious when they set their foot on earth.
@@rafsandomierz5313 I don't know the answer. Perhaps some religious organisations are becoming more anti-science, less willing to accept facts from non-theologians whom they suspect of having an agenda against religion....perhaps there will be a shift to religion if science & technology doesn't provide the answers to the problems in the 21st century. People will be 'happy' to pray to god to solve the apparently unfixable issues whilst they continue to live the lifestyle that adds to those problems. It is a paradox.
I listened to comedy program a few years back, in which a Muslim comedian was talking about how Muslims where going to destroy Christmas. Over the next half hour he went on to explain how this was all rubbish and all made up by the right wing press. His closing statement stuck with me. "It dosent matter if you believe that Jesus was the Son of God, a prophet, just a man or a myth. Surly we can follow the tenants of his teachings. Love thy neighbour, treat others as they would treat you, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless." Republicans have forgotten this message.
When you read the Bible and know something about the society of that time, you realize that Jesus was a progresive person.
Well we can say for sure that the message of Jesus is stupid magical, primitive bigot nonsense.
"Slaves, obey your masters!" Another pearl of wisdom from the fabricated jesus of the bibkle
@@Ozone280 Jesus never said that, nor does the bible claim he does.
That is from the old Testament, but even there you could argue about its meaning.
Jesus said you should be a slave to others, by treating them kind and serving them.
@@samuela-aegisdottir He talked about taxes anf the top 1%
The political rise of Evangelical Christians in the US is akin to the rise of the Islamic theocracy in Iran back in 1979. Needless to say It did not go well for Iran.
True!
.....and it might come as a big shock to many when they find out who facilitated and backed the 1979 Iran revolution.
I don't expect Evan. Chr's to become a theocracy, but if they do, they'll fail far worse than Islam ever did.
One difference is that the Iranian theocracy arose from popular pressure after the United States maintained our fraudulent Shah over their heads until they had had enough and exploded. That is what sank Jimmy Carter.
@@TheWhale45 Can't be stuffed if you can't get it matey.
@@TheWhale45 What is absurd about pointing out how religion is the opposite of reason?
I think this leaves out several important things. First, the motivating force behind today's Republican Party and the beliefs of many religious people is fear. They see danger, and they react in fear - fear of things they can't control like growing secularism (which, ironically, their behaviors are feeding), fear of the increase in the number of people of color, fear of science which is telling them things they don't want to know, like gay people are likely born that way, fear of modernity, fear of technology, and more. And so much of the GOP platform and rhetoric feeds these fears. "Only we can save you from these awful things." Next is the apocalyptic vision of modern Christians (although this is not new to the Christian faith). The belief that if we do the right thing (become an upright Christian nation), then God will protect us and arrange for us to be saved from those things we are afraid of. They believe that science has turned on them by proving that genetics plays a large role in who we become (addiction, homosexuality, that women can be just as good as men at things that were formerly thought to be too taxing or strenuous). Their response has been to reject science, which is a very dangerous trend. All of this is sad and dangerous for our country, and for those of us who are devout Christians and view our faith as simply trying to live and love like Jesus.
Well at least the smart ones like me I can say we'll know how to spot the ones who are extreme and the one who are not because I can tell very easily. It's unfortunate though that you have a point and many people will just defend themselves against all christians if they were to attack all the others because hysteria would end up on both sides. I would not become full of hysteria like the rest of the country, but I would live in a lot of fear and constantly have to wash my back the same way so it would be very much of a panic and very paranoid situation all the time.
Your comment here though is probably the most intelligent one I've ever read covering this issue, but know this, no matter what happens. I would never just go after a Christian for being a Christian, even though I'm not a Christian, I'm also not a lunatic killer. I would protect you just as much as I would protect anyone else.
people are against secularism because it attacked them first
science demand we believe all of darwinism when they cannot prove it
@@brucenadeau2172 Virtually no one in the scientific community "demands" that you believe all of darwinism. The scientific view of darwinism has changed over the years as new discoveries are made, and will continue to change. The evidence for evolutionary processes is undeniable, but does anyone understand it fully? No. Belief in God and belief in evolution do not have to be in conflict. A creator who made the universe could certainly build evolution into the creation.
From outside the US it sometimes seems like half the population of america is already wearing tinfoil heads. It´s frightening, especially for people who have decided to live a life of reason.
I’m a bit pessimistic about what the US will become when I see so many science deniers and the trend of folk flying from facts; even unnecessary subjects as part of a curriculum schools such as Creationism. If students of today get in the habit of flying from facts, this will likely create unhealthy bias hence they are highly unlikely to accept ambiguity let alone critical thinking.
Brings to mind that the fourth estate is pretty much non existent in the US and the dumbing down the media has caused for decades is obvious - conditioning many folk to have short attention spans then feeds them simple ideas and solutions for complex problems.
The trouble with many of those who believe and practice in the privacy of their homes and churches is the belief that their religions require them to proselytize in public. Religion too often enables a particularly toxic form of entitlement.
From Leo: Everybody displays their belief system in public. Communists, atheists, greedy, gluttons, propagandists, the non binary, you name it. No person in any aspect of society is neutral, even if you could define the ever shifting societal standards. It is absolutely bigoted and ridiculous to point out one belief system and decide that is the only one that has no public voice, especially when they are generally law abiding, productive, citizens.
@@barbmelle3136 Atheism is not a belief system.
that is why those that are no longer afflicted with this disease must respond in kind. Every time religion is thrust in your face, thrust back with sanity, make these people realize "they cannot force their beliefs on others" and it will not be tolerated. These braindead zealots are doing what they're told to do, and simply must be told to shut-up, the adults are talking!!!
@@BojanBojovic agreed
The problem is not that religious people go public.
The problem is they are wrong.
They believe things that simply are not true.
Good to see a channel boldly taking about sensitive topics that too many are too afraid to touch.
Vice has been going downhill for years. Just checkout their Facebook, its clickbait galore
@FilthyDank Wasteman the 11th Considering most people in the US are Christian and many of them literally believe religious teachings, I'd say it's relevant for many people there. You probably live in Europe, where people who genuinely believe in religion aren't so common. But just because Christianity isn't so relevant where you live, it isn't necessarily the case elsewhere. Religion is very relevant in the US as it has penetrated American politics and society and has been shoved into the throats of the masses there. That's why people need to concern themselves with this subject.
@@rockysandman5489 I grew up in NYC and now live in CT. This is no south, but I'm familiar with what you're saying. American version of Christianity is hypocratical and regressive.
@George Mandrake Mhm...depends on the context.
Sad that this is considered a sensitive topic and not a necessary one
I am so glad to have a religious community that respects science and explicitly includes the guidance of reason and the results of science among its sources.
the thing is sciencetic method was founded by christian
🤣
@@brucenadeau2172 tell that to the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Babylonians, Indians, Chinese, and Japanese.
I fully agree, the line of separation between church and state has become very blurry. That can be very dangerous too.
but it was science so called anti-religion that blurry the line by demanding we beleive in darwinism even when they cannot prove it and using that to attack belief in god
Separation of religion and government is so important!!!!
Look no further than the middle east to see what religion and politics mixed turn countries into.
Smidlee
To anyone who knows history of theocratic states. The direction evangelicals have the USA moving in now is more towards a civil war of epic proportions. I wonder how many Christians would die for this final solution. I think it is under consideration. Going with the story from Germany I wonder how many conversions there would be of true Christians to Islam in order to stop the crusaders?
separation of religion from children is even more important
Carl Bailey
Well along with freedom to practice a religion I think they forgot about the right to freedom from religion. I heard a shocking demonstration of the trend in American politics yesterday. Apparently the belief in evolution rather than creationism has undergone a complete reversal among presidential candidates in the Republican Party in the last three elections. So much for the 50,000 year old fossil of human skull found last week! I think the trend is also to introduce this into the educational system if Betsy has her way!
Smidlee
Your comment is cute. They defend the theory religiously. Haha. Did you think about it while you were writing it? The reason science is coming to sound like religion is that as the quantum world is discovered and explored the principles being discovered are beginning to present a universe that is itself in a sense almost like computer coding, as if there is no reality... perhaps the whole universe including life itself exists only in the same way as an ultra sophisticated computer program and therefore we are in a simulation and actually are like artificial intelligence only thinking that we experience life when in fact everything is nothing. Stay tuned for exposure of the ultimate matrix! No matter what we can conjure up it always leads to the next conundrum.
"Keep thy religion to thy self" - George Carlin
stop invading society's liberties and be civilized, be open to intelligent, educated debate and *PERHAPS* the country can survive peacefully! god was *NOT* here first! Let the indigenous peoples rebuild and stop desecrating it & give them *some* lands back!
@Fred Wright I’d be glad but it’s not possible when everyone feeds you their bullshit
American exceptionalism at its worst. I'm sorry but when you are the only developed (democratic) country denying climate change or evolution because it doesn't prescribe to your religious beliefs, you have a problem.
That's the nicest quote about religion I've heard him say. I've heard him say "f*** religion!"
@Kitalia the kitsune 😆
The game plan of the evangelicals goes back, at least 50 years. Back when I was in high school in suburban New York, there was an organized effort coming out of the bible belt states to indoctrinate baby boomers. I experienced it, directly, in the mainstream protestant church that I was attending. Looking back I can see the tactics clearly. They shipped a group of evangelical kids up to spend a weekend with us and showered us all with “love”. It was a powerful drug, especially to those of us who were dealing with difficult issues (I had lost my Mom to cancer only weeks earlier). Fairly quickly, my head cleared and I reverted to my natural skepticism. At about the same time, there was an organization called Campus Life that held ice-cream events mixed with their self-produced horror movies (an analogue for hellfire and brimstone?). It was a bit harder to see behind the curtains with this group, the evangelical part came later, offers of which I politely refused. The evangelical recruitment groups borrowed quite a bit from the counterculture adding the trappings of the hippie movement with the “free love” and drugs part replaced with jesusism.
Science flies you to the moon,religion flies you into buildings.
LOL Very well put! Look at the contrasting historical outcomes of religion versus science.
@@karenryder6317Issac newton was a Christian and created physics
"Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them." --- Barry Goldwater
And now we have a religious bible thumping subservient to her husband crazy woman on the Supreme Court. It’s going to get scarier!
@@johnjohnson3709 worse than the Zionist woman who only had one black clerk in 20 years on the court?
@@zachgates7491 always love it when racists use a racial example to make a point. Let's talk about the number of blacks on Trump's cabinet. And he's claimed he is the least racist person in the world.
@@gazpachopolice7211 Ben Carson comes immediately to mind. As for Biden’s crew, let me guess: you think Kamala’s the most qualified VP ever, in no way pandering to sub-continental software drudges in Silicon Valley
Wow, not only did he guess what was going to happen, but he realized the consequences. Great quote gordon.
Fascism will arrive in America via a bible, wrapped in the American flag.
It already has.
@Jackie Coleman Cloward-Piven was a non-starter. But, really, ending poverty is fascistic? Really?
It already has
It’s already here
@@chrishartz2397 the wish to abolish democracy is a hint when looked at history
This was posted 4 years ago and things have only gotten weirder. 😕
“They were all obliged to say yes to falsehood and magical thinking.” 1:01
That’s sooo alarming.
"In the beginning the Universe was created. This made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move."
So, see you at Milliways later...?
Hitchhiker's Guide!
Who said it's a bad move?
D Adams?
ha ha ha ha ha ha the hubble telescope has re defined the universe - any one who thinks it was created by a singular magic sky god is crazy or a con man. Sadly atheists got no churches or songs and religion, although evolving, is here to stay with Islam the most dangerous.
Quite honestly, I never thought I would see this type of crap that is going on today, it truly saddens me, we have been set back by decades.
"Quite honestly"
more like a century haha
This video is 4 years old. And things seem to have gotten so much worse viewed from the UK.
“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
-Carl Sagan
No kidding we are in trouble , that’s putting it mildly. This country is being run be the insane !
If only your comment didn't age well - but sadly it is just becoming more evident every day...
But perhaps you should have added, criminal to insane...
@@gorillaguerillaDK Your comment takes some seconds to digest.
Whip Scorpion
Yeah, well, easy to see English isn’t my native language?
That's karma!
@@gorillaguerillaDK For a non-native speaker you've done really well: that was a complex idea to express. You might find a little more attention to punctuation advantageous.
0:53 🤯 As a Christian: I'm sorry, what?! I was raised ROMAN CATHOLIC. There is no more religious than a school LITERALLY attached to a church than that. But we were taught about science. Real science. Real - as much as western countries can - history. How are you going to teach Creationism in A SCHOOL like that is ok?! What do you think church is for?! What if you aren't a Christian? How is it ok for your child to be taught a religious story as fact? As fact! I'm stunned.
The book in the catholic Bible that says that science is a tool to find God, it is not in the Protestant version. That is why
@@revilomec and that's it?! This strangely begins to explain the vim of atheists
There is still intelligent life on earth! 😉😊
The Catholic Church has recognised that "The Light of Reason" is equal to "The Light of Faith" since the days of St Thomas Aquinas and the Schoolmen.
@@DeborahWalkerXOXO yes.. that's the reason.. your mind will be blown how much of hose people in Flat earth.
"Atheism is the voice of a few intelligent people."
Voltaire
Do you have a degree in ANYTHING? :) I have two, one of which being a Master's.
@@wesleywalkerthewriter appeal to authority is an argumentative fallacy.
@@Gk2003m LOL Hold on... You're going to talk about an appeal to authority in a comment defending a video by Kurt Andersen... What are Kurt Andersen's credentials in...? Go ahead, GED.
@@wesleywalkerthewriter I’m going to talk about it as a fallacy in ANY context. Which it is. I don’t know Anderson, I don’t know the guy to whom you’re replying, and I don’t know you. But I do know that “I have two degrees, one a Masters” while implicitly questioning the education levels of those to whom you are responding is not only a baseless appeal to authority, but also an adhominem attack. Which is not usually a hallmark of those with higher education; erudite people tend more toward letting their knowledge speak for itself, and therefore eschew such trite and belligerent discourse.
I can name you dozens of people who contributed to human civilization hundred times more than Voltaire, and were fervent believers.
Please share these brief videos with other people. Thanks!
President George Washington - "The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." (Treaty Of Tripoli, 1796)
President John Adams - "Where do we find a precept in the Bible for Creeds, Confessions, Doctrines and Oaths, and whole carloads of other trumpery that we find religion encumbered with in these days?"
President Thomas Jefferson - "History I believe furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purpose."
President Thomas Jefferson - "The Christian god can easily be pictured as virtually the same god as the many ancient gods of past civilizations. The Christian god is a three headed monster; cruel, vengeful and capricious. If one wishes to know more of this raging, three headed beast-like god, one only needs to look at the caliber of people who say they serve him. They are always of two classes: fools and hypocrites."
President Thomas Jefferson - "Religions are all alike - founded upon fables and mythologies."
President Thomas Jefferson - "I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature.
"President Thomas Jefferson - "Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man."
Abraham Lincoln - "The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession."
President James Madison - "During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry, and persecution."
President James Madison - "In no instance have . . . the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people. Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise."
President William Howard Taft - "I do not believe in the divinity of Christ and there are many other of the postulates of the orthodox creed to which I cannot subscribe."
I clap
also just gonna copy and paste these everywhere
joe564338 Please do!
Smooth kriminal are u kidding? Abraham Lincoln is most religious out of these. I am studying about him. All he does is talk about how good God is.
Night Prowler All thinking men are atheists. - Ernest Hemingway
"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed." --- Albert Einstein
Lighthouses are more helpful than churches. --- Benjamin Franklin
"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I
dismiss yours." --- Stephen Roberts
Professor Stephen Hawking sets out to answer the question: "Did the Universe need a creator?" The answer he gives is a resounding "no".
"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense." --- Chapman Cohen
"Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions" - Blaise Pascal
"No man has ever been brainwashed by science" -- Unknown
"Which is it, is man one of God’s blunders or is God one of man’s?" ---- Friedrich Nietzsche
"A man is accepted into a church for what he believes and he is turned out for what he knows." --- Mark Twain
"Religion is an illusion and it derives its strength from the fact that it falls in with our instinctual desires." ---- Sigmund Freud
"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov
"If you want to control a population, give them a god to worship"- Noam Chomsky
Great thoughts. From a European perspective the two-party politics of the US looks more than a bit weird, and I think that is one of the keys here. In my country we have parliamentarianism. That leads to the formation of many different parties, all with their special interests. That again leads to the fact that we have some more or less religious parties where those with religious beliefs can express their viewpoints and vote for them. These parties are normally quite small and therefore do not get a huge influence. In the US, the religious basically can only choose between two parties, and since the Republicans have more or less decided that THEY are the party for the religious, they HAVE to somehow accommodate them.
The Republican party has co-oped religion and is using it as a political tool.
100% agree. Was raised very religious but I abandoned it here in the US because of how much they don’t practice what they preach. My beliefs made me more loving, accepting of others, and I never backed down on science. The religious right in the US is extremely dangerous, just look at January 6th
Religion and poltics should be separated. Religion is toxic for politics and politics is toxic for religion.
Really good point! Unfortunately, the two party system in the US is currently the game and no one has the power, money or initiative to change/expand it.
I agree. The Parliamentary system is superior to ours. I will never understand why our Founders chose it.
He actually said "America has always been a christian nation." WTF? Would like to hear what he meant by that.
It's worth considering that much of the "Protestant extremism" is at odds with what could be considered core principles of Christianity.
What are core Christian principles?
@@wepreachchrist6685 I suppose the actual core is that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, who died on the cross to redeem our sins. So I was imprecise, since I was referring more to messages such as the Beatitudes and lessons like "let he who is without sin cast the first stone," or 'turn the other cheek,' which I suppose not everyone would consider core principles.
Absolutely!
@@wepreachchrist6685 To love, forbear, give, share, forgive, nurture, heal, seek peace, and respect one another. These "political Christians " are conveniently overlooking or forgetting these core principles; however, one must understand that Christianity is being utilized as a political tool to give leverage to an unchristian agenda. Do not let Conservatives define Christianity!
@@mikestewart505 Those are core principles.
Convictions are more dangerous enemies to truth than lies." - Nietzsche
@@SilenceDogwood. You write an asinine comment, get called on it, and then want to whine about it.
@@SilenceDogwood. good question since when did God or jesus gave politics also it's pretty funny the reason why people agree to religion and politics should be together cause of the monarchy days
I love it. When it's Christianity screwing things up, everyone just calls it 'religion', but if it's Islam then the headlines make that very very clear.
*"...Religion poisons everything..."*
Hitchens wasn't wrong
It's a sad state of affairs when a video like this needs to be made. With that said, thank you for creating this video.
by the way, nice nickname, Yours!
This video wasn’t made to educate you, you can tell that by the first sentence. It’s not about religion or science, only politics. I guess he doesn’t have a real argument to support his world view.
@@maliciousmike8440 What is your "world view" Mike.
And if it is a religious world view, do you have evidence to support it.
@@theresawilliams4296 I am a Christian and yes I have ample evidence to support that, but I can never prove there is (or is not) a God. That’s why it’s called “faith”.
But my point was, this video is disingenuous.
Yeah but it's still a good thing this video was made though. It really does a lot to educate people about what's going on with the Republican mindset. Theism is definitely a problem today.
It's unfortunate so many atheists have magically concluded that theism has somehow been defeated. Atheists would be wise to do more to recruit more agnostics and deists into a new skeptic movement against theism instead of either alienating or attempting to needlessly conform other secular people.
A secular government is imperative. Religion will erode the freedoms we have if we let this continue.
Socialism will erode freedoms faster than religion.
@@elderinisrael How exactly? And stick to the actual definition of socialism, not the libertarian strawman.
So we have to stop religious people from forcing people to accept their beliefs. By forcing religious people to accept Atheism and Evolution.
*seems based.*
@@EmperorHero1 Nice strawman.
@@MrMezmerized Explain.
Watching this in August 2022, and this is faint compared to where we are at now, and we are very likely headed.
Kurt - You need to construct your viewpoint so that it is directed, respectfully, at the people who need to hear this information. Also, you could nuance it more elegantly so that by the end of your speaking the evidence is undeniable or they will just reject it out of hand.
"I feel sorry for the people that waste time obsessing over their love of Jesus instead of ... real people."
They want immortality.
They study Jesus to earn immortality. They are afraid of death. They are not afraid of people. Fear dictates their life.
Alma Vasquez When their life messes up, they thought someone would grant them fortune. God is just only human form, why not a star or planet? Now you know who made them.
It's not their fault that they live in a 3rd world country
Do not feel sorry for us Christians. The truth is we don't need it.
Advice: You do not need proof to believe in God. It's a matter of faith.
@@immanuelkambao2364 Yes, you need proof to believe something
One of many reasons that U.S of A isn't the "best country in the world" nor will it ever be.
The second part I disagree with, we can fix America
@@johnsmith-wc8gs Oh yes, might is right. Republicans understand this, see video above.
@@johnsmith-wc8gs The US is only the "most powerful" because it spends so much money on the military while making it's citizens starve. Hope Congress members enjoy their Thanksgiving holiday while they let 40% of American kids wonder if there will be a next meal.
@@huntersims1966 Very interesting point: "Third, after WWII, many of the Nazi scientists emigrated to the US and were given "exemption from prosecution" for war crimes". These people were not genius's and their descendants are not genius's. For example, Einstein married his cousin. My point is life is not simply about "what a person knows", but all the things they don't know and may never understand in their lifetime. Likely the minds of many of the descendants of those people were poisoned with terrible ideas that did not work in Europe, but worst they are now infecting American society with the same ideas. America made a deal with the devil. So why do people expect God to save them?
@@huntersims1966 Einstein also produced the atomic bomb. My question is If he was such a genius why didn't he know what those fools would do with his work? The entire world has been made much less safe because of what you claim to be the work of a genius. People are not genius'. Everybody has a part to play. A rose was never meant to be an apple. Wood is not metal. The sun does different work than the moon. Don't try to tell me about some nazi scientist, as if being a scientist is an excuse for being a terrible human being. Because it's not. In the little christian bible stories there's a saying: What good is it for a man to gain the world but lose his soul? You might want to reread that?
"Fantasy and wishful untruth" = Nail on the head
3:25 "Believe whatever you want." That's not quite right. People are indeed entitled to their informed opinions. But religion encourages belief without evidence (ie "faith"). Belief without evidence is the problem, because belief informs action, like voting.
Exactly! Critical reasoning skills need to be taught to counter those who accept things without any evidence.
Kurt you're so right. I can't help but also think how Archie Bunker was a wacky fictional character in the 1970's, today Archie Bunker is the proud face of Right Wing political beliefs.
59Suntzu...Kurt is a proven liar. You have proven yourself to be brainwashed and deluded.
Who proved Kurt wrong and when?
Archie has a gruff, overbearing demeanor, largely defined by his bigotry towards a diverse group of individuals-blacks, Hispanics, "Commies", gays, hippies, Jews, Catholics, "women's libbers", and Polish-Americans are frequent targets of his barbs. As the show progresses, it becomes apparent that Archie's prejudice is not motivated by malice, but is rather a combination of the era and environment in which he was raised and a generalized misanthropy. Archie often misquotes the Bible. He is Protestant - Episcopal. He takes pride in being religious, although he rarely attends church services. Pretty much the same stuff as Conservative bloggers.
59Suntzu...I see nothing as a rebuttal. Then it is settled. You are wrong.
@@wmthewyld Go look on any clip of All in the Family. Go see how many people are saying that "Archie Bunker was right.".
@@59Suntzu You are correct. Look at the clown chirping at you.
Comments here reveal confusion about scientific theories. Yes, any Scientific Theory begins with a hypothesis, but is not elevated to the status of theory until it's tested against all credible, verifiable evidence that's accumulated to date. Testing involves repeatability and a lack of apparent contradiction at high levels of analysis that account for spurious outliers in data. Scientists accept a Scientific Theory if it's useful in making accurate predictions that enable further inquiry, but with the acknowledged caveat that the Theory will continue under scrutiny by critics until credible evidence & analysis contradict it. In effect, a Scientific Theory is not ever *certain,* but is rather so probably true that it is reliable and useful as a building block of knowledge.
SIMKINETICS So, uncertainty is reliable and useful OK.
Exponential decay law has proven evolution wrong FYI. Most people will never understand what you are saying🤷♂️
@@dustin4811 Using exponential decay as a means to dispel evolution is like saying astronauts can’t travel to the moon because of the Van Allen radiation belts. It doesn’t change the fact that it happened.
Science is not what you portrayed here. Induction and derivation are not tools of genuine science. These are justificationist and verificationist approaches to science . Feynman described science is what we use to keep from fooling ourselves because we are the ones who are easiest to fool. Also, there is no scientific method--only conjectures, error detection and elimination and refutations. The goal of science is to explain not to predict. Good theories are often very good at prediction but the kernel of science is explanation and prediction most often is an important by-product. For example, no one actually observes space-time. Humans are the only animals that can create new knowledge.
@@dustin4811 If exponential decay were a thing, life wouldn't exist. Any supposedly created life would have perished eons ago. The fact that you even think that an entire scientific theory would be so ridiculously easy to debunk, exposes your wilful ignorance and disdain for science in general. Stop reading creationist nonsense.
Religion integrated into politics always works out well. Just look at the Spanish inquisition, and the Talaban running Afganistán.
Can you explain the spanish inquisition? And how was it related with the state?
@@danieltrigo2928 impunity for the church, that's how it's related. ( Maybe not literal impunity, but impunity for "accidentally" torturing an innocent person to death in the name of jesus christ)
@@user-vz4gg6cs4l let me know what you think after whatching it. Have a nice day
The problem is that people who believe in a fantasy make decisions that affect developments around the world.
The best way to create hell, is to mix politics and religion.
Just here for the comments of a video that includes the words science, religion, politics and america in it's title.
Cameron Alexander Such juicy arguments.
Those are keywords for crazies. So of course I click on it and go to the comment section.
It's fun to read the children who don't understand how the world works yell at eachother about it.
Only if they could fit in Logan Paul or something more juicicle
Cameron Alexander same I’m just here to call out stupid people in the comments
"And thus I cloathe my naked villainy with old odd ends stolen out of holy writ and seem a saint, when most I play the devil."
William Shakespeare
Please America vote, vote, vote these loathsome christofascist demagogues out this November. Complacency is complicity! Much love and support from Italy 🇮🇹
Christianity in a nutshell: It's like a jealous lover with a gun to your head. "I love you but if you don't love me I'm pulling the trigger".
Warped ‘fundamentalist evangelical’ Christianity, maybe - but not genuine Jesus Christ Christianity…
@@jeannewells1349 No that's actually it. Some denominations soften the message. I was Lutheran, our pastor never preached final days, fundamental stuff. But if ya take the bible word-for-word it's clear what it means.
@@1areyouserious You definitely have a point - especially about the ‘whole’ Bible. I see myself as a Red Letter Christian, and a believer in The Spiritual. I do realize that the New Testament wasn’t written down until several decades after Jesus’s death, so…?!! The Gospels themselves report slightly different accounts of His life. (PS: I have to admit the ‘gun to the head’ is a good visual). Take care
@@jeannewells1349 We differ, but It's all good. I respect your position. It's what makes life interesting. You have a great day too!
It starts with not having a proper education system where everyone has a fair chance. Just like the USA healthcare and lots of other systems they have.
@@StellaLovesMusic25 they never said anything about socialism
@@StellaLovesMusic25 What did what he have to say.. have anything to do with socialism??? :)
It's like you have a script already built, and you throw in the word socialism and does it sound logical to you?? :) Democrats are not even pushing socialism. If you took the top democrats in the US and moved them over to Canada, they would be considered highly conservative or center right. You don't understand how the rest of the world is operating in other countries. You have bought in to this whole socialism / communism thing the government has been feeding people for over 60years. There is clearly corruption on both sides You don't think that republicans are also the filthy rich? No one is promoting socialism, you need to actually look this up and what it means. Democratic socialism is not the same as just socialism and socialism isn't communism. You don't just interchange the 3, they are 3 different things. Having social programs is not a bad thing and that doesn't mean it's socialism.
Having said that... what he said had nothing to do with socialism. This is your own bias injected in to his idea, which he was not even going down that path.
You need to drop the whole socialism and communism is bad bull... because you don't understand either and this has been injected in to you, by 60 years of constant repetition.
@@rcchristian2 Everything you said is wrong, completely stupid or astonishingly ignorant. Democratic Socialism (completely made up name to try and obfuscate) is Socialism. Period.
@@jwil4905 said _"Everything you said is wrong, completely stupid or astonishingly ignorant. Democratic Socialism (completely made up name to try and obfuscate) is Socialism. Period."_
A simple 30 second google would show that you are ignorant and wrong. Why not even take 30 seconds to look this up you turd??? :) I know you're trolling because I know you can't be this stupid.
Democratic socialism is defined as having a socialist economy in which the means of production are socially and collectively owned or controlled, alongside a liberal democratic political system of government.
*Democratic socialists reject most self-described socialist states and Marxism-Leninism.*
British Labour Party politician Peter Hain classifies democratic socialism along with libertarian socialism as a form of anti-authoritarian socialism from below (using the concept popularised by American socialist activist Hal Draper) in contrast to authoritarian socialism and state socialism. For Hain, this authoritarian and democratic divide is more important than that between reformists and revolutionaries. In democratic socialism, it is the active participation of the population as a whole and workers in particular in the self-management of the economy that characterises socialism while centralised economic planning coordinated by the state and nationalisation do not represent socialism in itself.
----------------------------------------------------
Or maybe you did know this and you're just not smart enough to understand it. I don't know. lol
*It's better to be silent and know you're a fool, than to speak out and let everyone know.*
Very true!! ....and that's how America wants it. They want the majority of their citizens to be uneducated, unhealthy, isolated, vulnerable, and poor. Those unfortunate factors create a weak and desperate population that's easy to manipulate, control, and enslave. Sad! The US is becoming a Plutocracy and soon will become a quasi- Feudalism. There'll be two classes: the Lords and the peasants.
If you believe what the right wing conservative GOP is pushing, well just what won't you believe?
Religion teaches you how to NOT think. Nothing good can come from that.
I grew up in the Roman Catholic faith. The nuns who taught me through 8th grade were not well educated. I went to a Catholic High School as well with a very progressive sect of priests. We were taught that evolution fit with the Bible. Eve gave Adam the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in other words awareness. That was their take, sounded good then so I stuck with it.
The public school system is failing us. Thomas Jefferson would be disgusted by the current state of half of the governing masses.
Did you check out AiG's homeschooling material? Some of the best stuff!
Lol thomas jefferson wouldnt care about the electorate he'd be more terrified of runaway government control
@@aralornwolf3140 oh god I got taught that as a kid, then I figured out they taught me evolution but they would call it something else 😂 “we don’t believe in evolution we teach *insert definition of evolution without saying evolution here*” (we don’t believe in evolution we believe in adaptations through natural selection) it’s an entire belief system built around “we don’t believe in *straw man definition of evolution we made up* we actually believe in *actual definition of evolution* but that’s not evolution”
@@mattsullins3818 ,
That's better than I expected... I thought they would be teaching you stuff that couldn't be called science.
Schools are becoming more like churches....kids are getting fed Jesus baloney....US is on a downward spiral...easy to see China is goingto wipe us out.😖
I grew up in Iowa and only knew of a few religious families. You could spot the kids by all the bruises they always had.
More considerate parents dismember their children in-situ while still ensconced in mom's womb.
Yikes!
I'm absolutely convinced that personality type is the root cause of all of this. You are either self reliant or group reliant and thats the difference of placing self interest over reason or not.
Having resided in Mississippi for most of my life, I find religion to be a plague upon humanity. Something that everyone who knows me is well aware of.
Honestly how can you still be religious in 2018?
Valdrex ruclips.net/video/YwZ0ZUy7P3E/видео.html
One way is to only believe in science and worship evidence and not realising one can be religious without a "god"
Viyus Avery Who "worships" evidence? Why worship anything?
Viyus Avery Why do you think people need to worship or pray anything?
Don't underestimate the power of religion
The John Birchers finally won.
It took them a long time but zealots are nothing if not persistent.
As baby boomers age they swing farther to the right which means that most of the country is moving that way. It'll be at least 50 years before the pendulum swings back, maybe longer
@@jeffreyphillips4182 I heard a wag say about 35 years ago, that as you get older, you become more Conservative.
The founders didn't want any religious beliefs involved in the laws of the country. The US Constitution's First Amendment begins as, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." It's what is referred to as the separation of church and state.
Thanks for saying the quiet 🤫 part out loud 💯💯
This video has aged really well considering what happened since 2020.
It's really good to see a page full of people that think and comment with reason and logic. I have nothing against religion or it's practice. But I do not want my life governed by people who say do as I say I believe not as I actually do.
No matter what, religions should be out of politics and education
Don't drink the Koolaid!
I didn't know things were so bad in America
I tend to be a pessimist but frankly, I think we're done. The 20th century was America's century. I suspect this is China's. I also suspect the 21st century will be more fraught with catastrophe than the 20th. In fact, my dark premonitions about the 21st century make me appreciate why the worst curse anyone can bestow upon another is "may you live forever."
WildwoodClaire1 This is why we as individuals need to take control of our lives and take positive action. We can't leave it up to big institutions.
It's funny how people just pull shit out of there ass there is literally no data suggesting china overtaking the United States anytime soon. The only real way it could happen is if there was an economic crash that didn't effect them too which is unlikely.
+Nick Harrell
USA is loosing influence every day and China is gaining more influence every day!
The only area USA continues to yield most power in is military!
Americans often think that just because some of the most significant tech businesses, like Google, Microsoft etc started in the US that makes the country more significant than it really is - those businesses is globalized by now!
And with the current admin in power in the US the country is lucky if it's even given a seat at the grown-ups table in a few years from now!
And yes, that has a lot to do with the clear disregard of science in general....
Bear Arms exactly
Politics must be secular to have any chance of fairness for everyone.
It is incredible how the first secular country in the world is actually a christian sharia nonsense.
@@StellaLovesMusic25 Fairness? 25000 children younger than 5 dies every day, 7 days a week, 12 months every year. Do the maths yourself.
Your immoral piece of sheet...
@@StellaLovesMusic25 the god in your book of wholly fables sure loves killing for an all-loving being. Loves killing innocent babies and animals, and created the most horrible parasites. You should read that book critically from cover to cover for once, and not come up with lame excuses like “who are we to judge god” or “some parts of the bible are not meant to be taken literally”. Especially the last one is soooo wrong; who are YOU to determine which parts of god’s perfect book are not to be taken literally (to paraphrase apologists).
Each Presidential Candidate promises to be our SAVIOR.
Joe Biden will feed the 300 million with a loaf of bread and 2 fish.
Actually, Joe said it would be less than that . He can do it with NOTHING.
Uh... absolutely false.
I think it's interesting how we always say "believe what you want at home". How do you expect people to believe one thing at home and believe something else when they walk out the door?
Who's "we"?
That's how we are created by walking out the door and seeing others like us who have been told by others like them and so on and this that there. 🤔🤫🥲✌
I'm a Brit living in America and the one thing I realised about living in America is that they don't know much about science, language, the origin of the english language, and they are very undereducated. I've read more American novels that the average American and I am English. Americans don't read. Whereas Brits read many American novels in school like: Ethan Frome, To Kill A Mocking Bird, The Age Of Innocence etc. British children read more American novels than American kids do. How is this possible? I only know this because I am a Brit and I am married to an American and I ask him about novels and he's never read them and I a Brit have.
This made a big deal with me. It's as though America doesn't love it's own literature, yet in England they do.
How is this possible? What the eff is going on with American education?
In a word = _"local control."_ In Europe as an example since you hail from there education is more nationalized though England proper still employs a more localized approach compared to say Wales and Scotland. Ergo schools may receive more comparable levels of funding and resources while curriculums are largely standardized. Net result: children receiving education which for the most part is comparable to what others in different parts of the country receive.
In the US however education is controlled entirely at the local level while funding is part local + part State + and part Federal funding. Further local school boards can contain parents as opposed to academics who allow their personal subjective beliefs to interject themselves into the process of curriculum selection and so forth. That puts the school system at the whim of parental control as if they do not bow to what the often poorly educated parents want then their local funding may get voted down. Net result: a school system may be well funded and have access to considerable resources - while another one 5 miles down the road in another district may be underfunded lacking those resources. One school system may embrace a modern science-based curriculum while another may reject the same for ideological reasons.
So the US educational system is a dumpster fire yielding wildly inconsistent outcomes because it suffers from the whim of local control as opposed to a more Federalized system which offers more standardized curriculums and better distribution of resources. 🤔
". . . they were all obliged to say yes to falsehood and imagination." You nailed it. Nailed it! Falsehood and imagination. But, hey, whom among us is not prone to falsehood and imagination? That's the problem, isn't it? Falsehood and imagination. And the Church (whatever church) facilitates the insanity.
Why don't you learn to look at things individually instead of hastily generalizing?
I watched it happen in my family over the last 20 years.
Was it Orwell who created the phrase "groupthink"?
Brilliantly said
How else can u explain poor southerners on welfare voting for candidates that cut welfare??
Maybe they are not on welfare? Maybe they prefer a job than a handout?
What an odd point you've made.
Your right they should vote to increase thier monthly stipon further burying our country in debt.
Thank goodness they aren't. That is dishonorable way to choose a representative anyhow.
"Who ever gives me money I'll vote for."
Which is exactly what liberals are against politicians doing when running for election, by taking money from corporations.
You sir are a bufoon.
@@rvanzo925 you sound very dumb
Great video! I would love to see a long form version of this.
Heartland vs smartland
Blame it on the “name it and claim it movement” led by Joel Osteen.
I’m convinced that now, more than ever, the time for “religious tolerance” is over. I don’t mean tolerance of other religions, I mean tolerance of any religion. It’s time to widely and openly debunk religious people as being, at best, misguided, and at worst, bonkers. Stop being polite and saying that what people believe is their own business- it’s not, when it influences policy and society. In particular, it’s time to start saying that people who believe they have an invisible sky daddy are manifestly unfit to hold positions of power and influence.
How do you define dangerous?
@@patricialong262 they obviously do not have a grip on reality.
Only one problem with that approach: the political left LOVES Islam. They're a solid vote bank. Since the political left are the only people who question religion, your idea is a non-starter because embracing Islam is now forever enshrined in progressive ideology. Ironically the only people pushing back on Islam are the Christians, who actually have much in common with them.
@@mbaxter22 seriously, what’s in your water over there
It’s impossible to “forbid” religion, it would be like prohibition... and it’s impossible to separate state from religion at this point because everyone knows that that’s where the votes come from.
Can't believe Americans (USA) still debating whether evolution should be taught or not.
My country is sadly very religious and still evolution is mandatory in schools.
I am watching this now from a country outside of the USA and from the outer perspective after hearing about the Roe vs. Wade overturn, we are all looking from the outside in at a country that is becoming ruled by religious/spiritual beliefs gradually taking away the rights of its women and minorities.
A country that has an agenda AGAINST the Taliban - but now weirdly behaving very similarly.
I have to say from our perspective we are very worried for your States.
It's the death of an empire and will probably get much worse. Don't underestimate the mass psychosis in play
THE CHURCH NEEDS TO PAY TAX !!!!!!!!!!
"Believe whatever you want in the privacy of your home, in the privacy of your family, in the privacy of your church, but when it bleeds over, as it inevitably has done in America, to how we manage and construct our economy and our society, we're in trouble."
Of *course* it's going to bleed over. Beliefs are not these things that you hold for fun, and only when they don't actually impact anything. They guide your actions in all contexts. It's silly to expect someone to believe, say, that scientists are fools and climate change isn't real in their homes, and then for them to vote as though they believe the opposite.
People should be free to think and believe whatever they want without interference from the government. But that doesn't mean that, as a society, we should be tolerant of irrational beliefs. The "live and let live" mentality doesn't work when those people who believe silly things have power over you.
What he meant was, keep your religion out of the law, reaffirming separation of Church and State. Yes have your religion, but also acknowledge that you cannot write your religion into the law. AKA keep it "at home" (out of government) where you are free to express it and live it.
But the problem is if a politician comes along who doesn't keep their religion out of their politics, religious people will vote for them because nothing says you can't vote for a person on the basis of their religious expression.
@@occultninja4 What people want codified into law is a reflection of their values and beliefs about how society should behave. But the thing is, people who seriously believe in a religion don't draw a distinction between their religion and everything else. It's all interwoven into one worldview. So it doesn't make sense to expect someone to keep the portion of their values and beliefs stemming from a religion out of their politics. Even if they were motivated to do so, it would be difficult for them to partition their beliefs into religious and non-religious.
@@rotaerk Even in accepting the premise that people make political decisions entirely based on their beliefs and values, it is still the necessary and propper duty of a politician to strive for the beliefs and values of the nation as a whole and hold those above and beyond all else, and they swear they will do as much when they swear to support and uphold the constitution. If they are unable to do that, then they are flat out unfit for office.
And the problem is these unfit for office people run anyway and get votes and subsequently end up in office.
Sure you can say that it is hard. It is hard to see past and acknowledge your own bias, but not being able to do so is a vice, not a virtue, and a disqualifying vice at that. That is not pardonable on the basis of it being difficult. It merely affirms the level professionalism demanded.
Basically the way I see this argument is that it's saying that the average person is most definitely not cut out to be a good political leader. Most definitely. But that doesn't excuse lowering the bar and lowering that bar is to everyone's detriment.
There definitely is an extent to where politics is just s matter if world view and perspective, and I guess my own unique perspective is that I don't particularly care about them as long as the politician is comepent, factual, can present coherent arguments for their policies and decisions and prove that they will have the effects that they intend and lead to making the nation as a whole (and possibly the world to by extension) better. This way if thinking of not being attached to an ideology and more interested in the validity and "greater overall good" may be rare or maybe even unique to me and I'm just assuming other people think this way so who knows xD
But if I were to make any political decision, it would be with the aim of causing the most good and it falls on me to prove it will and that is verifiable and subject to scrutiny. Hiding my arguments behind the shield of personal beliefs and convictions and values is weak at best and dishonest at worst.
@@occultninja4 It's been a while since I made my original comment, but I believe I was focused on political decisions by voters, not by politicians, and I was commenting on how people vote based on their personal beliefs and values.
If we're talking about people in office, though, then that's different. I would tend to agree that ideally their actions should reflect the consensus opinions of their constituents. But how do they determine that consensus opinion? The initial indicator is that they presumably won the majority vote based on the ideas they presented in their campaign, so presumably those ideas are popular. There's also feedback from lobbying and letters from constituents, but these are hardly unbiased surveys (the squeaky wheel gets the grease). What should they do if a popular belief happens to be a religious one? For instance if more than 50% of the people are "pro-life", is it right or wrong for them to try to legislate anti-abortion laws? It may be motivated by religion, but in this hypothetical, it's also the popular view...
A politician's goal may be to "cause the most good", but the point here is that beliefs, religious or otherwise, can shape what one considers "good". Pro-lifers consider preventing abortion to be good (for the fetuses), while pro-choicers consider allowing abortion to be good (for the mothers with unwanted pregnancies).
@@rotaerk I can respect that example of pro life vs pro choice and the example that a bad idea can be the popular opinion and so wins out, or at least, incentivize politicians to run for it simply for the sake of getting into office. This I would comment is how you get horrible things to happen I'm society, the majority opinion sway to something horrendous and then that horrendous idea gets popular support and gets seen as fine.
I suppose im thinking more in terms of if politics was more of a meritocracy than an idocracy, where the actual merit or legitimacy of the ideas mattered more than who the idea being held by more people (mob rule territory).
For the pro life vs pro choice thing, a rational debate can be held and evidence presented for or against abortion and whether or not it is of benefit or detriment, and also whether or not the constitution actually supports, denies or is neutral regarding it. Even in that debate there is no room to just hold a belief for the sake of holding it. The pros and cons of abortion can be shown and evidence can be presented as to where or not it is actually causing more bad than good or more good than bad.
But going either pro life or pro choice simply because more people want to... I guess that's how democracy works but that kind of thinking really makes me uncomfortable.
Like if enough people genuinely wanted America to become a theocracy and replace the constitution.with the Bible then it would happen. Technically yes but hopefully no xD And this is what the video was point out, how that could happen.
Basically some ideas just should not be represented even if they are popular in the public because of recognizable and provable demerits those ideas have and how unhinged the people that have those views are. Like imagine if the majority of the US were actually religious extremists or something such. Would that justify a theocracy?
Believing something hard enough does not make it right, and enough people wanting it also doesntake it right, and although there is no such thing as onjective good or onjective bad (all are relative), there is a relative good with respect to national values and duties and obligations such that you can reach a state of psuedo objectivity.
Granting immogrs ts citizenship will make America a greater place because -listed reasons with supporting and verifiable evidence- or denying immigrants citizenship will make America a better place because -listed reasons with supporting and verifiable evidence- and then it falls upon the people to weigh the pros and cons and make the decision that they deduce will benefit America and it's people the most, not just themselves.
If people just voted for what benefits them and them only.
. I'm sure issues there are readily visible.
But I will concede that I doubt the average person thinks this way.
“When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movements become headlong - faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thoughts of obstacles and forget the precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it's too late.”
― Frank Herbert, Dune
Religion is about ‘faith’, where you are told what to think, whereas science teaches you how to think for yourself in a logical way.
'2008 to 2016, isn't it the exact period when social media broke through society? When platforms let everyone speak and connect, the pseudo science and religious people connect and organize too'
Believing falsehoods in the privacy of your own home is how it actually bleeds into mainstream. Make no mistake about it.
Good point. If you blindly accept irrational things by faith, your concepts of government and policy will be corrupted by these beliefs and will be exploited by political demagogues who seek power.
@@karenryder6317 it's a vicious circle when self awareness is in short supply.
This guy had no idea how bad it was going to get
How long do you think it will be before we see the first headline of a person being burned at the stake as a witch in 2022?
Religion is a comfort blanket to clutch for when reality scares you.
this is an oversimplification of religion but people do use it as such yes
Ironraven24 religion is an interesting topic.
I have no problem with people believing whatever they choose, but provable facts should always trump opinions.
Kevin Hoey agreed
Kevin Hoey lol reality is scarier, why? Because human diversity in opinions and thinking is the cause to all corruption. Anything else is an excuse.
I debunk all humans with this statement I wrote.