May 3, 2010
Anti-Evolution Sentiment in Massachusetts
From Salman Hameed of Irtiqa:
Just last week while driving to Boston I saw an anti-evolution billboard on the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90 E) near Ludlow (exit 7). It says “In the beginning, God created …,” and it has the iconic, but scientifically inaccurate, symbol of evolution with an X on it. Really? This close to the “Five College” area? What a shame.
Although this is about 20 miles from the schools you mention, this area is worlds away mentally. Also, remember that anyone can pay for a sign, which says nothing about the local population. BTW, Ludlow is exit 7. Chicopee/Springfield is exist 6.
The number is an outfit called “billboard ministry.” Develop a message of your own, pay them, and they’ll put it up. For some reason, the image of kicking money-lenders out of temples comes to mind.
Being in the East often lulls us into a sense of complacency. We think here are level headed people, not backwoods kooks, but the sad truth is these kooks are everywhere. There are fundamentalists in the big cities of the east. The bright side is that there are rational, clear headed people who accept evolution and science and in no way are bumpkins in the South and midwest and everywhere.
The Billboard is put up by a ministry in texas. Those kooks are intentionally targeting areas they feel “need the message”.
However, ignorance is ignorance and this billboard is just a really large poster for the ignorant.
A family member saw one in Epping, NH (presumably due to the proximity of UNH). I posted your entry on fb. If these people think this is going to save souls, they are ignorant. All this does is promote and validate ignorance. Their money is better spent feeding the hungry.
Y don’t scientists encourage everybody to view ALL evidence about a subject. Consider the text on a poster held up by a deluded man in South Carolina at a state university who claims to be urging rational, scientific thought: “Life consumes OTHER life to get energy to live. What did the SINGLE, SIMPLE first cell eat B4 it asexually reproduced W/O complex DNA?” These 2 statements, while intriguing, R a snapshot into the mind of a man with an agenda: Clearly to cause people to think scientifically. How absurd.
It’s about time somebody had the courage to speak up about how evolution only works if certain scientific absolutes are allowed to work at the same time while other scientific facts are put on hold. It’s also interesting to note that ONLY those who’ve made a large investment in education can observe evolution for themselves. The “ignornt” layman is forced to TRUST that the PAID (biased) evolutionist is telling the truth about conflicting evidence.
I don’t usually advocate vandalism, but nice bucket of paint dumped all over that billboard would at least send a message to the billboard company not to take these idiots’ money. Just sayin’