Category Archives: Hate-Mail (and Concerned Criticism)

This part of your website interested me greatly:

“So.. to the majority members of the Kansas School Board: Why are you so hell-bent on this? Where are your supporters? Have them contact me, because I have yet to hear a single explanation of why faith-based theories should be taught in science classrooms.”

Are you really trying to make the argument that while creationism theories require absolute faith and have no scientific evidence behind them,(which I wouldnt argue) belief in the Big Bang theory of creation does not require equal or even greater faith? I think that is a very foolish, ignorant, and hypocritical standpoint, especially coming from someone who screams so loudly about impartiality.

Lets look at this more simply:

Theory A: All of the matter in the universe was created by an all powerful being (God in our case), everything that exists stems from his will and this is why we see so much purpose and logic in our world.

Theory B: All of the matter in the universe came to be through instant imacculate conception, and for SOME reason (note scientists even today can give no valid logical scientific basis for why or how such an event as the big bang would occur, just that it DID, again no faith required here) all of this matter exploded and created one big fucking universe. But this isnt even the end of this line of thinking, now we have to get down to the animal level here on earth. Science says there is a system called “natural selection”, so here science is claiming that there is actually an intelligent force driving the evolution of plants and animals on this planet. So in fact there is a creator, its called “mother nature”. This system/organism/being/creature/lifeforce whatever you want to call it, has been driving the survival needs of all creatures for quite some time, is responsible for creating US, the greatest living things we know to exist, and yet EVEN this “mother nature” cannot accept the title of God, because scientists wouldnt admit to it.

So in reality, not only are evolutionists worshipping another being, but they openly deny it at the same time. Please tell, what requires more faith.

My suggestion? Get all of this bullshit out of the schools, when you can prove something, you can teach it, until then, behave yourself.

Spencer Reesman

Mr. Henderson’s pseudo-Letter is smarmy, jejune, not humorous in the least, but incontrovertible scientific evidence that its author is, in fact, be the missing link between homo sapiens and lower primates.

[Corrected version of original e-mail immediately below. Please have the academic courtesy and decency to include only the corrected version on your website.]

“Mr. Henderson’s pseudo-Letter is smarmy, jejune, not humorous in the least, but incontrovertible scientific evidence that its author is, in fact, the missing link between homo sapiens and lower primates.”

-Alexander F. C. Webster, Ph.D.

Bobby:

It is interesting that evolution advocates use derision and sarcasm to deal with those who believe in intelligent design. They also seem to think that evolution is one unified belief. It is obvious that the theory of evolution is really less than a scientific theory. One can see that by the lack of intermediate species in the fossil record. Those who have a knee jerk response to competing theories show their real academic credentials. They are running scared because what they believe is shown to be fraudulent. I am always amazed at the lack of confidence scientist have in the theory they love so much.

James Bean

Hello To preface this e-mail I am a PhD student working on the urban ecology and the ecophysiology of bats and in principle I agree with the point your trying to make. However don’t you think that the incredible level of self important, smug, adolescent and culturally insensitive wiseass tone of your web site totally voided an otherwise good point? I realise of course that I am only encouraging it but sending an e-mail but I felt compelled to as web sites like yours only make it harder to bring science to the general public.

In my work I aim to help people live more sustainable and allow for wildlife in cities I do heaps of community education and I rely on support from people of all walks of life. It doesn’t matter to me what they believe. We need to work together not antagonise each other and I feel your web site with its mocking tone will only reinforce the idea that scientists believe they know all and have no respect for anything but themselves. While your original idea was fine you opened it up to abuse by every ignoramus on the internet and it is now not about what they teach in schools but about how Americans can jump on a band wagon they don’t even understand. Sorry but we already knew they were good at that. Please do feel free to post this, though I dont think you will, as I am sure there are others like me who are disappointed at the way your point has been made.

Regards Andrea

Andrea Dekrout Ph.D. Student University of Auckland

Mr Henderson-

While I found your “open letter” interesting in a sort of adolescent, college sophomore kind of way that I would have found entertaining 25 years ago, I also found it tiresome, conceited, and immature.

Stipulated:

-I majored in biology in college and I am a working scientist.

-I believe that life evolved on Earth pretty much the way Darwin and his philosophical descendants say it did.

-I do NOT believe that the Bible (or any other religious tome) is a scientific text regarding the mechanics of how life became as complex as we see it today

-I do not want the book of Genesis to be taught as the mechanics of how life came to be on our planet.

All of these things stipulated – I was offended as an American and a human being by the sneering, self-important, and condescending tone, tenor, and implications of your web site. Grownups don’t find humor this way.

I guess I must have missed all the other college-sophomore sarcasm infested websites you created mocking creation mythos of American Indians, African tribes, etc., and bemoaning the way that secular humanism has become the de facto established religion throughout much of the public education industry in the U.S., in defiance of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. You did make those sites, didn’t you? No?

Your statement that you have nothing against Christians is patently deceitful and dishonest. I’m trying to imagine your type finding huge humor in mocking creation mythology of Indian or African tribes in some similar context, but I’m guessing that you would be aghast, offended, and firing off accusations of “xenophobe”, “racist”, “Western exceptionalist”, “antidiversity”, etc. OK to have a snide and insensitive laugh at the expense of your cherished Christian bogeyman, but do the same thing to anyone else, and you’d be horrified, right? “Piss Christ” is cutting edge, funny, and a deep social commentary but “Piss Buddha” would be a hatecrime in your circles, no doubt. Not much intellectual consistency or progressiveness there.

As I stated above, I don’t agree with any of these creation mythologies – Abrahamic or otherwise. However, there are light-years of difference between my attitude towards them and yours. In you mind, you have made these fundamentalists into the ultimate evil and stupidity ever produced in the universe. I do not presume that they are either evil or stupid for their beliefs, but respectfully disagree. That’s what “diversity” really means – or perhaps you feel, in an Orwellian way, that some forms of diversity are more equal than others?

I fail to see the problem with being open-minded about the POSSIBILITY that the evolution which produced today’s plethora of life was the result of some entity or force instead of a completely random process. That this possibility frightens you to the degree apparent in your web site, or that you lack the philosophical or intellectual ability to be able to give it fair and even-handed consideration, says a great deal more about your own (ahem) intelligence, personal deficiencies, and insecurities than it does about those you attempt to lampoon.

Nonetheless, I think that it’s important that you and your type continue to publish as much superior-minded, look-down-you-nose stuff like this as possible, in as many places and as publicly and frequently as you can. While you’re at it, don’t forget to post maps of “Jesusland” and other graphics and words denigrating anyone who is stupid and ignorant enough to have devout religious belief, Christian being of course the worst of the lot.

See how it advances you and your agenda at the ballot box.

Cheers

Rob Thompson – Removed per his later request –

………..

Rob changes his mind. And I am highly skeptical about the “threats”.

………..

Mr Henderson-

I challenged you to post my letter to you and you did. Thank you.

However, I have been deluged with people who are frequenters of your site loading my e-mail box with all sorts of things, including solicitations and, unfortunately, threats.

I will therefore request that you remove any mention of my e-mail address from your website immediately, before something terrible happens to me or my family.

I thank you in advance.

Rob Thompson