Jindal: No Problem With Teaching Creationism In Public Schools

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said in an interview that he has no problem with creationism being taught in public schools alongside evolution:

Jindal also said he has no problem with creationism being taught in public schools as long as a local school board OK’s it. Since the state is committed to national academic standards, he said, as long as schools are teaching evolution they should be allowed to teach other theories as well. “What are we scared of?” he said. “Let (students) debate and learn … give them critical thinking skills.”

Once again this year, anti-creationism activists led by college student Zack Kopplin and state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, D-New Orleans, are trying to repeal the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act that permits science teachers to use “supplemental materials” in the classroom.

Jindal didn’t explictly say that he believed “creationism” should be taught in science classrooms, but that’s clearly the  implication of his comments, and it’s consistent with remarks he made before and with currently existing policy. I can’t say I’m really surprised by Republicans who take this position, especially in the south, but it’s still unfortunate that such basic scientific ignorance on the part of politicians is both expected and rewarded by Republican voters.

FILED UNDER: Education, Science & Technology, US Politics, , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Alex Knapp says:

    Finally, teachers can tell children the truth about how the universe was initially formed for Apsu and Tiamat, and how the Earth and skies were created when Marduk destroyed Tiamat and shed her body in two. They can further learn about how after Marduk became king of the gods, he created humans from the blood of Kingu, Tiamat’s husband.

  2. george says:

    I’m actually okay with them teaching creationism, as long as they give equal time to every religion’s creation theories. There can’t be more than a few hundred religion currently practiced, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem.

    I think they should also teach the major alternatives to physics – for instance, Aristotelian physics. And of course “Intelligent Falling” (google for a good chuckle).

  3. john personna says:

    @Alex Knapp:

    I’m a “turtles alll the way down” man, myself.

  4. edmondo says:

    Hey Doug:

    The Republican party has gotten so juvenile that we have a freaking Rhodes scholar who pretends he believes that the earth was formed in 6 days and that God “rested” on the seventh. You must be sooooo proud to call yourself a Repubilcan, Doug.

    Yeah, these guys are going to win a national election again. Sure they are.

  5. john personna says:

    @edmondo:

    Somewhere along the line, the Repubicans (of which I think Doug is not actually one) went Post Modernist.

    The “values party” stopped believing in objective truth.

    I guess that lets them hold “values” all the more fiercly.

  6. rudderpedals says:

    FNORD

  7. “What are we scared of?” he said. “Let (students) debate and learn … give them critical thinking skills.”

    Ha!

    You’re scared that the kids will use those critical thinking skills and reject Biblical literalism. That’s what you’re scared of, Bobby.

  8. Lib Cap says:

    @george:

    I’m actually okay with them teaching creationism, as long as they give equal time to every religion’s creation theories.

    Always good for a smile:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster

    Just as good as any other belief, plus you get pirates.

  9. stonetools says:

    Jindal lost popularity by trying to enact his version of the grossly unfair Ryan plan in Louisiana. He angered most people, including so-cons, by trying too blatantly to steal from the poor and give to the rich. He is now trying to shore up his standing among the so-cons by giving them what they really want, which is to teach fundamentalist Christian doctrine in public schools. Expect more of this, including attempts to restrict abortion even further and to re-introduce “prayer in schools”.
    After he has mollified the so-cons, he will try to re-introduce a modified version of his Jindal plan, in accordance to the wishes of his plutocratic paymasters.Its been the Republican plan for the past forty years. Lather, rinse, and repeat.

  10. DC Loser says:

    I want to see a Pastafarianism elective offered in Louisiana. What are they afraid of? Exactly.

  11. Lib Cap says:

    Oh, and Jindal is obviously just trolling for votes, as he must know that his position doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

    See: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/church-state/decisions.html

  12. Dave says:

    This from the state that already defacto teaches creationism through their voucher program. That was almost killed until the islamic school withdrew its attempt to participate.

  13. Issac Asimov says:

    I would suggest the Governor reccomend two texts to be used in his proposed Science Theology class.
    The first is my Guide to the Bible: Old and New Testament.
    http://www.amazon.com/Asimovs-Guide-Bible-Isaac-Asimov/dp/051734582X
    The other treatise, The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth authored by Thomas Jefferson.
    http://www.amazon.com/The-Jefferson-Bible-Morals-Nazareth/dp/1604591285

  14. grumpy realist says:

    Considering that Intelligent Design being taught in schools was pretty well slapped down by SCOTUS as being an impermissible introduction of religion into public schools, I find it hard to believe that Intelligent Design’s battier cousin, creationism, can reside.

    In other words, Jindal doesn’t even know his law correctly. Figures.

  15. al-Ameda says:

    Excellent, let Louisiana be as stupid as it wants to be.

  16. Jeremy R says:

    So in the last few days we have Gov. Jindal endorsing public school creationism, Gov. Deal refusing to endorse Wilcox County students efforts to finally desegregate their proms and Arkansas is effectively killing of their comprehensive sex ed. A good week for the paleocons I guess.

  17. Rafer Janders says:

    @Lib Cap:

    Pastafarianism is not “just as good” as any other belief – it is THE only true belief, you heretic.

  18. KariQ says:

    @edmondo:

    Doug has been quite clear that he is a Libertarian. While I find that often means “Republican who doesn’t want to admit it,” in Doug’s case he appears to be quite sincere. His comments are consistent with that political leaning. He’s not a Republican.

  19. KariQ says:

    oops, please delete

  20. MarkedMan says:

    @KariQ: Doug, in previous times, used to admit that he never voted Democratic as a matter of principle and in most cases voted Republican. Nowadays, he doesn’t say who he votes for, but based on his posts I would suspect he is still a “Republican with plausible deniability”, i.e. a Libertarian. Def: one who consistently votes Republican whenever it matters but disowns what the people he voted for actually do, claiming he would really rather vote for libertarians, if only they were viable.

  21. Tony W says:

    @Jeremy R:

    paleocons

    I’m stealing this – it’s that good

  22. EddieInCA says:

    Doug is not a Republican.

    However….

    …He supports, or has supported, some of the most virulently right wing conservative republicans in both state and local races.

    …He has stated on numerous occasions that he will/would never vote for a Democrat on principle.

    …He refuses to consider even the possibility that a Democrat could, quite possibly (and probably in too many situations), be a better candidate.

    …He has proclaimed himself to be a “Libertarian”, yet continues to support pretty much every right wing candidate in Virginia.

    But it’s not you. You’re not crazy. It just doesn’t make any logical sense. So don’t try to make any sense of it.

    He’s Doug. He has no obligation to give you sense or logic.

    It just the way it is, because he says so.

    So just deal with it.

    Or ignore it.

    Or continue to mock the complete lack of consistency or intellectual honesty in his often-conflcting, contradictory positions and statements.

  23. Where’s Tsar Nicky telling us that this will help the United States get more students interested in STEM degrees?

    Teaching creationism as science will also surely help us get above 17th place in science rankings of high school students.

    Also, is this the first step towards Shariah law in Louisiana? The only countries that take this creationism bulk serious are in the Islamic world (and the United States of course).

  24. Barry says:

    @Alex Knapp: And if any official even looks harshly at them sue the living f*ck out of the school district and then retire to someplace which is not batsh*t crazy.