re. Cloaking religion in scientific terms

Marie Cocco has written an important and timely critique of the so-called "Creation Science". One can only wonder what the creationists would think of having other religions' creation stories taught to their children as an equally valid scientific theory. It's troubling that even a conservative Pope like John-Paul II recognized the truth of evolution but American fundamentalists can't.

It is also distressing that a nation that was founded on the principal of freedom of religion and that flourished on free scientific inquiry has come to this. And this is not just an academic argument affecting Americans. The encroachment of Christian fundamentalism into American policy shows up in social programs and foreign aid, where agencies are denied funding if they distribute condoms or teach anything but abstinence-based family planning.

The problem with these "faith based" perspectives is that you can find support in your religious texts for any position if you look hard enough. Ironically, one reason why Al Qaeda has little trouble finding recruits is that they can twist a religion of peace such as Islam the same way Bush and company twist Christianity.

Moreover, they belie the premise of freedom of religion. If a political leader is allowed to base policy on his or her religious beliefs, then they have effectively established a state religion. All other beliefs have lesser status because they do not affect policy.

Our legal system, like science, is based on evidence. If the state acts without objective evidence that it is working in the best interest of the people, then it has essentially discarded the rule of law. Is it any wonder that a nation that mythologises the "wild west", makes heroes out of people like Billy the Kid and makes violence a cornerstone of its entertainment, is so willing to endorse religious fundamentalism in its domestic and foreign policies?

Gary Dale