Religion

cbayer

(146,218 posts) Mon Mar 23, 2015, 10:38 AM Mar 2015

The Shared Assumption Behind Creationism and Anti-GMO in Europe

http://religiondispatches.org/the-shared-assumption-behind-creationism-and-anti-gmo-in-europe/

BY MICHAEL SCHULSON MARCH 20, 2015

Creationism, like baseball, is an American pastime. And, like baseball, creationism can feel like a uniquely American sport—“a local, indigenous, American bizzarity,” in the words of Stephen Jay Gould.

There’s no question that anti-Darwinian sentiment occupies a special place in the American psyche. But there is nothing uniquely American—or, for that matter, especially right-wing—about feeling as if nature works in ways other than those specified by contemporary biology. And skepticism toward evolution is a global phenomenon, from Turkey to South Korea.

And in Europe, too. In Creationism in Europe, a recent release from Johns Hopkins Press, a group of scholars survey the continent’s creationist scene. Curious to dig deeper into the more global side of these ideas, The Cubit rang up Stefaan Blancke, one of the book’s editors and contributors. Blancke, a postdoctoral fellow at Ghent University, in Belgium, studies the cognitive biases that shape our views of nature. We spoke about creationism in Europe, the influence of the First Amendment, and what anti-GMO and anti-evolution activism have in common.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Is the appeal of creationism different in Europe than it is in the United States?

Creationist beliefs are far more widespread in the US. But, [in Europe], we do have some opinions about how nature works, how nature functions, that I think are anchored in the same cognitive predispositions that creationism is. So we don’t have a lot of creationism, but we do have a lot of anti-GMO resistance. There are quite a lot of similarities between the two positions.

more at link

7 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

The Shared Assumption Behind Creationism and Anti-GMO in Europe (Original Post) cbayer Mar 2015 OP

You certainly have a talent for finding clickbait.. Fumesucker Mar 2015 #1

First of all, if this is click bait, it's really bad click bait because you are the first response. cbayer Mar 2015 #2

Actually I'm retired and don't pay much attention to the day of the week or the date... Fumesucker Mar 2015 #3

I also don't pay much attention to dates or even time. cbayer Mar 2015 #4

A very nice German made compact camera tripod.. Fumesucker Mar 2015 #5

That drawing is outstanding. cbayer Mar 2015 #6

Some artists who sell informally, okasha Mar 2015 #7

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)

1. You certainly have a talent for finding clickbait..

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Mon Mar 23, 2015, 04:45 PM

Mar 2015

Which reminds me, whatever happened to rug? It's well past Lent now I believe...

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

2. First of all, if this is click bait, it's really bad click bait because you are the first response.

Reply to Fumesucker (Reply #1)

Mon Mar 23, 2015, 04:56 PM

Mar 2015

You live in a highly religious area and you don't know when Easter is? That's pretty funny.

Rug will return in about a week.

<<<<<----- backatcha

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)

3. Actually I'm retired and don't pay much attention to the day of the week or the date...

Reply to cbayer (Reply #2)

Mon Mar 23, 2015, 05:06 PM

Mar 2015

Saturday is my big day and the only one I bother to keep track of, it's the day the Casbah Rocks.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/103640478

Never have been all that good with dates anyhow, it's one of my weaknesses.

I bet if you put this in GD it would get some attention, there have been some real battles over GMO stuff there lately. I'm kind of neutral on the subject so it's fun to watch the two opposing sides battle over it.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

4. I also don't pay much attention to dates or even time.

Reply to Fumesucker (Reply #3)

Mon Mar 23, 2015, 05:16 PM

Mar 2015

Sundays are my day because that's when David Johannsen's mansion of fun is on the radio.

Flea markets hold no interest for me. I don't need anything at all and I certainly don't need what others are throwing away. My husband, on the other hand, loves the swap meet and picks up lots of boat bits.

I'm not going to put this in GD, but I thought it was a pretty interesting analysis. I am very ambivalent about GMO, but I do think there is a lot of public hysteria based on a very poor understanding of what it really is about.

Did you pick up anything cool at the Casbah this weekend?

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)

5. A very nice German made compact camera tripod..

Reply to cbayer (Reply #4)

Mon Mar 23, 2015, 05:27 PM

Mar 2015

I'm a bit of a picker and my area of expertise is cameras and electronics, I find something worthwhile about every third weekend.

Every now and then I find something I like personally, this came to my attention in early January, a piece by a local artist but unfortunately I couldn't afford it..

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

6. That drawing is outstanding.

Reply to Fumesucker (Reply #5)

Mon Mar 23, 2015, 05:35 PM

Mar 2015

I am sorry that you weren't able to get it.

But that's why I don't generally go. Something that I really don't need will probably tickle me…...

okasha

(11,573 posts)

7. Some artists who sell informally,

Reply to Fumesucker (Reply #5)

Mon Mar 23, 2015, 08:20 PM

Mar 2015

i.e., in non-gallery settings, will accept payments or may be willing to bargain. This is much more likely, of course, if you live in the same community. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Reply to this discussion