Conservative Science Minister Gary Goodyear set off a flap on Monday night when he refused to discuss his views on evolution. Goodyear cited his Christian beliefs as the reason for his reticence.
As quoted in an interview with the Globe and Mail, Goodyear said: "I'm not going to answer that question. I am a Christian, and I don't think anybody asking a question about my religion is appropriate."
The story also reported shocked responses from scientists. Meanwhile, Macleans blogger Kady O'Malley wondered why Goodyear allowed himself to get into such an interview.
Other bloggers labelled Goodyear a "Flat Earther" and "Mr. Science."
The Star this morning reported the Conservatives down to 35 percent in the polls, but still leading the Liberals.
The Star also reported the discovery of a carnivorous dinosaur only about half the size of a domestic cat. Hesperonychus elizabethae evidently flourished in southern Alberta 75 million years ago.
Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.
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freebear
3 years ago
The Science Guy?
I am sure all of the Conservative MPs would say the same thing?
Rod Smelser
3 years ago
How many Scarborough Liberals say the same thing?
So, the Conservatives have a guy in the science slot who's still fighting the Scopes monkey trial, eh? Yeah, ... so what else is new?
How many of the religious-right Liberal MPs from the Scarborough area, who are automatically re-elected with EastBloc majorities, are capable of making similar religious-right statements, if not on this topic, then on other "social" issues?
Fiat lux
3 years ago
How can anybody be a Science
How can anybody be a Science Minister then refuse to answer any question based of religious beliefs?
I'd bet odds that if anybody asked Harper the same question, would get the same answer.
Yes, their answer is always, "the Lord put all the fossils and the polished rocks and stones miles from any streams to "test our faith"!
Our faith in what?
Ed Deak.
hoga
3 years ago
Minister of Magic Deity
So let me get this straight, the Minister of Science refuses to answer questions about evolution because it interferes with his religious beliefs? I thought Stockwell Day was the only one in Ottawa that didn't believe in evolution.
Time to wake up Canada our current federal government makes the Bush administration look like a bunch of pot smoking hippies. How can we have people in charge of our country that are so irrational as to think that earth was "created" 6,000 years ago? This is insanity it doesn't even come down to conservative versus liberal its just common sense.
Stump
3 years ago
It's a question of perspective
To be fair to the Minister for Stuff That Wasn't Made Up A Couple of Thousand Years Ago And Put In A Big Book, the behaviour and beliefs adhered to by fundamentalists and the far-right would make anyone question evolution.
Crawford
3 years ago
Oh, never mind...
In a CTV interview today http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090317/goodyear_evolution_090217/20090317?hub=TopStories , Goodyear said of course he believes in evolution and didn't answer the question yesterday because the question was "irrelevant" to his portfolio.
wally
3 years ago
This item isn't funny...
...because it illustrates the pervasiveness of this primitive idiocy. Our major political parties have cranks and mouth-breathers aplenty. Fair enough. They are elected by their constituents and our system guarantees them a podium. What is improper is the certainty that they will have input and perhaps even influence in crafting policy. The link in Crawford's follow-up post may seem to refute Goodyear's evasion but fails.
"We are evolving every year, every decade. That's a fact, whether it's to the intensity of the sun . . . or to the effects of walking on concrete. Of course, we are evolving to our environment. But that's not relevant."
In fact, it just gives the minister an opportunity to take a lame jab at global warming because, as the Conservatives will tell you, the jury is still out on that. We really don't have the luxury any more of indulging this willful ignorance.
Rod Smelser
3 years ago
CTV Story
The CTV item linked to by Crawford contains the news that funding for the three federal academic granting councils has been cut by $128 million. I have thought for some time that concerns over the granting councils were the main reason why academics lined up against the Harper Govt in the last election, and did their best to try to coalesce support behind the Liberals. That they didn't enjoy much success in that regard doesn't mean they weren't trying as hard as Hell to achieve that outcome.
The actions of the climate scientists and the open letter from the academic economists on carbon taxes and 'green shifts' are the kind of actions I am thinking of in this connection.
hg
3 years ago
Evolution
Evolution is the manifestation of creation
Stump
3 years ago
walking blues
"the effects of walking on concrete. "
I would guess that walking on concrete for most of the day is a social development that's less than a hundred years old and further, remains a phenomena experienced by the minority of the planet's population. Putting forth the idea that we are evolving to meet this change in environment so quickly just points out how clueless this Science Minister really is. What a moron.
Is it too much to ask to have informed and reasonably-intelligent people put in charge of ministerial portfolios?
Rod Smelser
3 years ago
Stump: Please. Surely you know better!
Stump
Is it too much to ask to have informed and reasonably-intelligent people put in charge of ministerial portfolios?
Stump, please. Surely you know better than to ask that. Clearly the answer is "yes, it is too much to ask".
crh
3 years ago
Ed Deak
Welcome back.
Hope you are on the mend and ready for many more posts here on the Tyee.
Rod Smelser
3 years ago
What if?
What if the Min of Agric was a vegetarian?
What if the Min of Defence was a pacifist?
What if the Min of Justice was a Mormon?
Would these beliefs disqualify that person from that portfolio? Just asking.