Among GW Bush's most heinous legacies is the continuing political activity of right-wing conservative Christians. Their continuous attacks against those who don't subscribe to their particular faith and attempts to punish them by implementing laws forcing them to adhere to their beliefs constitute an attack on the religious freedoms cherished in this country.

The largest issue involved here is the separation of church and state – one of the basic precepts of this country. Churches should not be involved in politics. If they want to be involved in political activities they should be denied the tax exemptions they currently enjoy. Churches certainly have a right to promote their ideas however they wish, but they should not have tax payer assistance in this effort. They need to recognize the rights of other citizens to practice and preach their own beliefs; they certainly employ these rights themselves.

The politics of America's Creationists have become a national disgrace in the eyes of the rest of the world. The ongoing perpetration of the concept of Creationism and their erroneous assault on Evolution is not only adversely affecting our Constitution rights and freedoms, it is affecting our schools and hampering technological research that could offer incredible advances in medicine and healthcare.

Creationists seriously believe that Evolution is just a theory and, falsely, that all theories are unproven. They don't understand that Evolution is a proven theory based on the scientific method and that we live in a state of natural evolution that is in constant change and easily provable. Evolution is the cornerstone of the biological sciences. All living species evolve by adapting to situations, such as climate conditions, available food sources, the need for defense mechanisms, etc.

Conversely, Creationism is a Hypothesis: an educated guess, that cannot be proven. The concept is based on faith and is simple, inflexible, religious dogma.

Among the most easily understood examples of evolution is the flu virus. Each year new varieties develop, so many that it is quite difficult to develop serums that prevent the illness. Each year, our government attempts to guess which of the new viruses will present the greatest threat and develop a serum that will combat it. Each year the virus evolves to combat the latest serums. This also true of bacteria, which evolve to become resistant to current treatments.

Religious freedom and the right to free speech are essential to the future of this country. The divisiveness of the Bush Era needs to dissolve quickly into the past. We need a United America that can work together to build the future Americans deserve. Creationists need to abandon their hurtful policies and help to rebuild the American Vision under which this country was founded.

Dave Satre
February 7th, 2009
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Creationism vs. Evolution

Separation of Church and State

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