Representative Paul Broun, of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, gave a speech in which he called evolution, embryology, and astronomy “lies straight from the pit of hell”. James McGrath does a great job of putting into words exactly what I think when I hear someone demonstrate incredible ignorance about the world we live in and then start to talk about how simple it is to understand the points made in an ancient book written by another culture translated from a foreign language.
Broun’s statements about the Bible being his guide to public policy worries me as much as, and perhaps more than, his statements about science. What else is he referring to? Which texts does he have in mind? Why do I suspect that he will ignore the Jubilee law and anything related to social justice, and promote all sorts of “unbiblical” laws while perhaps even believing that he is being biblical?
After all, if his misunderstanding of science is anything to go by, I wouldn’t have much confidence in his ability to understand the Bible.