Darwin Day

[Reverend Blair]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the majority of Christians do believe in evolution.

Duh! Why do you think I keep singling out creationists? Do you think I live in some magic kingdom where everybody is an atheist, tibear?

Christians believe that God created the universe and evolution is simply how he did it.

No, that is what most Christians believe. Those that believe otherwise have been backing a very real push to have their decidedly non-scientific beliefs taught in science class. I'll let them do that the day they let me teach their Sunday School classes...complete with beer, smoke and some props that would make the preacher's skin turn orange.

Creationists are free to believe their theory if they want, it is simply another way that God could have created the universe.

They are free to believe whatever they want. The second they start mumbling that it is valid science, or using to undermine scientific theory, then they become fair game. Given their actions in the US in last few years, it's open f*cking season.

 

[merryclaire]

what if i want to vote no, but not because i hate science?

there's a missing poll box.

don't really see the point in making a darwin day. where will the end be?
einstein
socrates
colombus
descartes
whatisface with the pea plants, who taught us about genetics...mendel, i think...why can't i remember his name?
napolean (haha, just thought i'd throw that in...
after all, there are those wonderful little desserts...)

catch my drift?
or why don't we put one in each month and work our way towards totally obliterating working?

 

[merryclaire]

ok, i did it once again, hopefully i will get the hang of this sometime soon
i always read the first page and forget that there is 18 pages after it

if i was redundant pls ignore ;0

 

[peapod]

How about something like "all sweets day" named in your behalf...cause you are so "tweet" bye bye...

 

[Reverend Blair]

don't really see the point in making a darwin day. where will the end be?

Just as we don't have two holidays for every god of every religion and don't take every saint's day off, we wouldn't need a day for every scientist.

Darwin's theory had the greatest impact on the widest spectrum of society, so it makes sense to have him represent scientists.

 

[merryclaire]

hmmmmm
i could argue that darwin's theory had the greatest impact on the widest sprectrum of society....

what about the man (sorry another name that should be at the top of my head, this is not my day, i think) that invented penicillin, polio vaccine?

i could go on and on
freud
oh my god, talk about widest impact on widest spectrum of society....he is so in use, the great unwashed don't even know they're using him
anyways, but i won't go on and on, because you believe darwin is the man and i believe he is but one of many incredible men, and it is impossible to say who had the greatest impact of any of them, and it is better to say that they were all pretty incredible
the men i mentioned in my previous thread i specifically stated because they all had theories that opposed religious belief (excepting napoleon, lol) and that seems to be a favored trend of yours...

suffice it to say that yes, i agree darwin was pretty darn spiff
did you know that darwin had his theory of evolution and sat on it for many years scared of the huge uproar it would cause and it was not until some other poor sod, who's name i don't remember either and who is universally forgotten, was going to publish the very same thing and darwin got his buns in gear.

but really when it comes right down to it, i wouldn't really care who represented the scientists for science day!
sure let's have a science day!! hooray hooray

 

[Reverend Blair]

The polio vaccine and penicillin were very much influenced by evolutionary theory though, MerryClaire. The growing of cultures for specific uses is very much dependent on evolution.

The same can really be said for most scientific disciplines. The big bang theory and how the earth formed is intertwined with evolutionary theory because certain conditions had to be met for life to form.

See why I think it should be Darwin? His theory really did change everything because it changed our basic assumptions about life.

 

[Vanni Fucci]

What I'd like to know is why the Christians here feel so threatened by a national holiday that does not conform to their beliefs...I don't feel threatened by the Christian holidays of Christmas or Easter...

Neither do I feel threatened by Yom Kippur or Hanukka, which the Jewish folk are free to celebrate...

...or Kwansa...

...or Cinqo de Mayo...

...or Walpurgisnacht...

...or Samhain or Beltane...

...it's not like anyone's suggesting there be a Satan's day...although I think the Christians should push for that, as if it were not for Satan, the clergy would not as easily frighten you into attending and supporting the church...

...rather skittish those churchy-folk...

 

[LadyC]

Forget evolution. Electricity has had a larger impact on us all. We are no longer ruled by the sun... we can set our own hours. We work shifts and can stay up later doing whatever we want to, like watch TV or read till the wee hours.

Of course we're all sleep deprived now...

 

[Reverend Blair]

What I'd like to know is why the Christians here feel so threatened by a national holiday that does not conform to their beliefs...I don't feel threatened by the Christian holidays of Christmas or Easter...

People are very much afraid of change, Vanni. So far every official national holiday has been based either on nationalism or religion. This represents a shift away from that, so they would like to see almost anything else come in.

 

[LadyC]

So far every official national holiday has been based either on nationalism or religion. This represents a shift away from that, so they would like to see almost anything else come in.

Really? What's the religious and/or nationalistic significance behind New Year's? Labour Day? Thanksgiving? Boxing Day? The various civic holidays (usually the 1st Monday in August)? Alberta's Family Day?

In actual fact only about half of our stats are based on religion (Christmas, Good Friday, Easter) or nationalism (Victoria Day, Canada Day, Remembrance Day)

 

[Reverend Blair]

Boxing Day and the August long weekend aren't national holidays. Neither is Alberta's Family day.

Thanksgiving has its roots in Christian worship.

I'll give you Labour Day and New Year's, Lady C.

The point still stands though. Having a holiday in honour of a scientist, especially Darwin, scares the hell out of the Christian right because it represents a change...that the country really doesn't give two figs about their religion.

 

[LadyC]

Boxing Day is a stat holiday in every province, that makes it a national holiday. In addition, each province has it's own civic holiday, that makes them more or less "national" too.

Thanksgiving is a celebration of the harvest. Half of the participants at the original weren't Christian.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Boxing day is not a national holiday, and is not a stat holiday in Manitoba. Neither is the August long weekend.

Manitoba - Civic Holiday
The first civic holiday in Manitoba was observed on September 16, 1874.

From the Manitoba Department of Labour and Immigration: Although it is commonly given to employees as a holiday, the first Monday in August is not a statutory holiday.

http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/symbols_facts&lists/august_holiday.html#manitoba

Thanksgiving is very much based on Christian tradition.

 

[LadyC]

So Manitoba is unique then.

According to the government's website...
http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/jfa-ha/index_e.cfm
Boxing Day appears to be a Holiday.

If you want to quibble about the origins of Thanksgiving, perhaps we should do the same with Easter and Christmas. They were both originally pagan celebrations that the Christians appropriated.

 

[Reverend Blair]

If you happen to be a government employee.

The fact remains that those are not national stat holidays. End of story.

Just to get back on topic. I do think that Darwin day should be a national statutory holiday. That means the whole country gets the day off.

 

[LadyC]

End of story... I love that statement. It's the written equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears.

Why Darwin, Rev? Was he Canadian? Did he ever come to Canada? Why should we have a holiday named for him?

 

[Reverend Blair]

I've been through that on this thread, Lady C. Why don't you go back and read it?

 

[Vanni Fucci]

Re: RE: Darwin Day

Why Darwin, Rev? Was he Canadian? Did he ever come to Canada? Why should we have a holiday named for him?

...another who seems to think that Jesus was Canadian... :lol:

 

[LadyC]

Oh, I have. I believe it's because evolution is the most important scientific discovery... er, make that theory... in history.

My point is that he's not Canadian. If you want a stat to celebrate science, why not choose a Canadian scientist. There are plenty to choose from.