Quillette: Progressive Creationism: A Review of ‘A Dangerous Idea’

[Antiboyscout]

https://quillette.com/2018/12/11/progre ... rous-idea/

"A Dangerous Idea rounds up all the usual suspects, from James Watson and Francis Crick to Arthur Jensen and Charles Murray, and subjects them to what amounts to a show trial. They are all “biological determinists,” in the words of the documentary’s narrator, which makes them guilty by association of some of the worst crimes of the 20th century, including the Nazis’ extermination of six million Jews and the forced sterilization programs of 31 U.S. states. Not only that, but the very notion that DNA provides a genetic blueprint for life—not just human beings, but any living organism—is based on “pseudoscience.” That’s right, Crick and Watson, who jointly won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of the Double Helix, aren’t real scientists, according to this documentary. “DNA does not determine our physical traits,” intones the narrator about two-thirds of the way through. Apparently, the very concept of a gene is “a figment of our collective imagination.” The film includes interviews with some of the “dangerous” scientists responsible for these fictions, including James Watson, creating the impression that they were given a chance to respond to the charges laid at their feet and had nothing to say. In fact, this is all bought-in footage, and very carefully edited."

[TGLS]

In summary, don't conflate Watson and Crick with racialists and racists. It makes you look like a moron.

[Darth Wedgius]

I think one reason some on the left may reject heritability of characteristics or any level of genetic determinism is because then unequal outcomes can be assumed to be because of discrimination or other malign social influence of some sort, something that can be fixed.

[CharlesPhipps]

Creationism is a sad weird view by a lot of religious individuals.

I grew up in the Bible Belt among fundamentalists...and THEY thought it was idiocy.

[Karha of Honor]

Creationism is a sad weird view by a lot of religious individuals.

Why is it sad? What's so wrong with retconning evolution?

In what jobs or social situations does it matter that someone did it?

[CharlesPhipps]

Why is it sad? What's so wrong with retconning evolution?

In what jobs or social situations does it matter that someone did it?

Because it's not true and if you really are sincerely religious, you should not fear the truth. It also causes a distrust of science which can lead you to disregarding medical advice which can get people killed or horribly injured or untreatd.

[Karha of Honor]

Why is it sad? What's so wrong with retconning evolution?

In what jobs or social situations does it matter that someone did it?

Because it's not true and if you really are sincerely religious, you should not fear the truth. It also causes a distrust of science which can lead you to disregarding medical advice which can get people killed or horribly injured or untreatd.

People will fear the truth all the time no matter what ideas they have in their heads. I fail to see why it makes you ignore doctors.

[clearspira]

Why is it sad? What's so wrong with retconning evolution?

In what jobs or social situations does it matter that someone did it?

Because it's not true and if you really are sincerely religious, you should not fear the truth. It also causes a distrust of science which can lead you to disregarding medical advice which can get people killed or horribly injured or untreatd.

People will fear the truth all the time no matter what ideas they have in their heads. I fail to see why it makes you ignore doctors.

Because evolution is true and creationism isn't? That is good enough for me. It made sense to believe in all of this nonsense before electricity was developed (I guess), but we've moved on now and disproved all of this nonsense. I frankly I could not care less what you fear, all I care about is that people stop teaching kids nonsense.
(How many more times I wonder can I press that this is all nonsense without overusing the word?)

[Karha of Honor]

Why is it sad? What's so wrong with retconning evolution?

In what jobs or social situations does it matter that someone did it?

Because it's not true and if you really are sincerely religious, you should not fear the truth. It also causes a distrust of science which can lead you to disregarding medical advice which can get people killed or horribly injured or untreatd.

People will fear the truth all the time no matter what ideas they have in their heads. I fail to see why it makes you ignore doctors.

Because evolution is true and creationism isn't? That is good enough for me. It made sense to believe in all of this nonsense before electricity was developed (I guess), but we've moved on now and disproved all of this nonsense. I frankly I could not care less what you fear, all I care about is that people stop teaching kids nonsense.
(How many more times I wonder can I press that this is all nonsense without overusing the word?)

There a re relevant and irrelevant truths. if Evolution gets retconned with God or not is fucking irrelevant to pretty much everything.

[clearspira]

Why is it sad? What's so wrong with retconning evolution?

In what jobs or social situations does it matter that someone did it?

Because it's not true and if you really are sincerely religious, you should not fear the truth. It also causes a distrust of science which can lead you to disregarding medical advice which can get people killed or horribly injured or untreatd.

People will fear the truth all the time no matter what ideas they have in their heads. I fail to see why it makes you ignore doctors.

Because evolution is true and creationism isn't? That is good enough for me. It made sense to believe in all of this nonsense before electricity was developed (I guess), but we've moved on now and disproved all of this nonsense. I frankly I could not care less what you fear, all I care about is that people stop teaching kids nonsense.
(How many more times I wonder can I press that this is all nonsense without overusing the word?)

There a re relevant and irrelevant truths. if Evolution gets retconned with God or not is fucking irrelevant to pretty much everything.

As an atheist, I find the idea that theists can just casually retcon their religion to be weird. The omnipotent supreme being couldn't explain himself properly the first time round?