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yes, some propose that the teen age girls who identified the witches may have eaten contaminated bread, but that doesn't account for an entinre community. The Puritans were very intolerant and this shows what intolerance can do. There were also witch hunts in Europe in the 17th century and before. After all, religious people believed in witches. Ray Rayilyn Brown Board Member AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message ----- From: <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 6:15 AM Subject: Re: Age of "Unenlightenment" could continue >I believe there's an excuse for the Salem people - they were off their >heads > on the effects of eating mouldy bread - maybe you'd best check bread > supplies > to government offices ? or mould in the air-con ? > > Quoting rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]>: > >> The "Founding Fathers" were indeed an exceptional group of educated men >> and >> they lived long enough to rebel, create and serve in the government they >> invented. We haven't seen their likes for a long time. >> >> They were definately not the Cotton Mathers of Massachusetts who is like >> so >> many of the present day neo-Puritans. >> The Puritans of old Salem went on a witch hunt. The dark unenlightened >> side >> of our history is active again, opposing science and spreading >> superstition. >> >> Ray >> >> Rayilyn Brown >> Board Member AZNPF >> Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation >> [log in to unmask] >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: <[log in to unmask]> >> To: <[log in to unmask]> >> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 11:37 AM >> Subject: Re: Age of "Unenlightenment" could continue >> >> >> > That's odd, given that America was populated by people who got restive >> > with >> > living in Europe, indicating they were the more innovative members of >> > their >> > society. >> > Didn't current Americans inherit their grandparents willingness to look >> > over >> > the horizon ? >> > >> > Quoting rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]>: >> > >> >> Referencing historical backaground: the thinkers of the 17th century >> >> "Age >> >> of Genius" produced those of the 18th century Age of Reason or The >> >> Enlightenment which produced the US Constitution. I thought the >> >> religion >> >> vs. science thing was pretty much over with the Scopes trial in the >> >> 1920's >> >> even though Scopes was convicted of teaching evolution in his science >> >> class. >> >> George Bush has spearheaded a new Age of Unreason and his faith-based >> >> policies have cost us PWP's dearly. >> >> Ray >> >> >> >> Blumner: Could another scientific illiterate replace Bush? >> >> By Robyn Blumner >> >> Tribune Media Services >> >> Article Last Updated: 12/08/2007 12:48:25 PM MST >> >> >> >> What happened to Christine Comer makes me wonder whether America is >> >> really >> >> emerging from its Age of Unenlightenment. >> >> >> >> Comer was forced to resign her position as director of science at the >> >> Texas >> >> Education Agency because she forwarded an e-mail about a lecture on >> >> the >> >> fallacy of "intelligent design" and creationism as a scientifically >> >> grounded >> >> alternative to evolution. Comer, who spent 27 years as a science >> >> teacher >> >> and >> >> had been in her post at the agency for nine years, was told that the >> >> agency >> >> must remain "neutral" on the subject. >> >> >> >> Neutral? Are they kidding? On the one hand you have a theory that >> >> has >> >> been successfully tested using the scientific method for more than 100 >> >> years >> >> and whose accuracy has been repeatedly affirmed by the vast fields of >> >> biology and genetics. On the other hand you have a hypothesis that >> >> relies >> >> on >> >> supernatural intervention for which there has been no legitimate >> >> scientific >> >> testing or objective proof. >> >> >> >> Florida is also now in a dust-up because the teaching of evolution >> >> has >> >> been included in its proposed science standards. Donna Callaway, a >> >> member >> >> of >> >> the state Board of Education - appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush - >> >> said >> >> she'll oppose the new standards because of it. >> >> >> >> Really folks, in this information age, when scientific innovation >> >> is >> >> the >> >> key to our nation's future, we don't have the time to be mucking >> >> around >> >> in >> >> this tired debate. You don't produce doctors and scientists by >> >> teaching >> >> science from the Bible. Period. >> >> >> >> Not surprisingly, a former advisor to George Bush as Texas >> >> governor, >> >> who >> >> also worked in his federal Department of Education, provoked the Comer >> >> witch >> >> hunt. Lizzette Reynolds, deputy commissioner for statewide policy and >> >> programs, complained about Comer's e-mail and called for her >> >> termination. >> >> >> >> These are the kinds of dim-witted people that have been elevated >> >> to >> >> key >> >> posts in the Bush administration, marking it as one promoting loopy >> >> religiosity over fact and evidence. >> >> >> >> Think about some of the administration's policies that have >> >> emanated >> >> from President Bush's radical religious views: >> >> >> >> The suspension of most federal funding for embryonic stem-cell >> >> research. >> >> (Bush to Parkinson's patients: Drop dead!) >> >> The spending of hundreds of millions of dollars on demonstrably >> >> useless >> >> abstinence-only sex education. (Why Johnny has herpes.) >> >> The effort to prevent emergency contraception from being sold over >> >> the >> >> counter. (How to guarantee increased abortions.) >> >> And the retraction of appropriated international family planning >> >> money. >> >> (Ditto.) >> >> >> >> Bush's Iraq "crusade" is perhaps the most disturbing example of his >> >> Christian Manichaeism, but even his administration's long-standing >> >> antagonism toward the evidence of manmade global warming has religious >> >> overtones, with a hint of The-End-Times-Are-Nigh lack of interest in >> >> its >> >> consequences. >> >> >> >> Yet in every case where the administration ignored objective fact >> >> or >> >> science in favor of religion, Bush took this country down the wrong >> >> path, >> >> harming people's lives and endangering health. >> >> The "salvation" for those of us in the reality-based community is >> >> that >> >> the Bush administration is soon looking at its last year in office, >> >> and >> >> maybe, finally, the war on science is also coming to an end. >> >> But maybe not. >> >> >> >> Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is gaining as a GOP >> >> presidential >> >> contender. He may be a friendly face, but the ordained Baptist >> >> minister >> >> is >> >> no friend to reason. In the Republican primary debate last May, he was >> >> one >> >> of three in the field to raise his hand to proclaim that he does not >> >> believe >> >> in evolution. >> >> >> >> In a later debate, Huckabee rejected for himself the belief that >> >> we >> >> are >> >> "descendants of a primate," magnanimously suggesting that it was OK if >> >> others chose to believe it. Gee, thanks. >> >> >> >> Pretty much all the presidential candidates, both Democrats and >> >> Republicans, are freely spouting off about the centrality of faith in >> >> their >> >> lives (with Mitt Romney promising that his is not too weird), but it >> >> is >> >> only >> >> Huckabee who is the dogma-driven real deal - a man who as president >> >> would >> >> follow in Bush's anti-science, anti-intellectual footsteps, a man who >> >> would >> >> feel "chosen" for the job and licensed by a power higher than the will >> >> of >> >> the voters. >> >> >> >> The mission-zeal with which Bush has arrogated power and his >> >> maniacal >> >> unwillingness to compromise is packaged righteousness, pure and >> >> simple. >> >> Remember that Bush said he appealed to a "higher father" for strength >> >> when >> >> journalist Bob Woodward asked him if he'd consulted his father before >> >> invading Iraq. >> >> >> >> Who needs information grounded in experience when you have prayer >> >> and >> >> prophesy? >> >> >> >> And Huckabee would be Bush redux. >> >> >> >> Here is something scary-ignorant. Last week, the Web site >> >> ChristiaNet.com, which bills itself as "the world's largest Christian >> >> portal," cheered the results of a survey it took finding that half of >> >> its >> >> 1,400 Christian respondents said that dinosaurs and man roamed the >> >> Earth >> >> at >> >> the same time. >> >> >> >> Putting aside that the schoolteachers of these people should be >> >> slapped >> >> silly, these are Huckabee's peeps. We can't afford to put this kind of >> >> backward thinking and scientific illiteracy in the driver's seat >> >> again. >> >> --- >> >> You can respond to Robyn's column at [log in to unmask] >> >> >> >> Rayilyn Brown >> >> Board Member AZNPF >> >> Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation >> >> [log in to unmask] >> >> >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: >> >> mailto:[log in to unmask] >> >> In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > ---------------------------------------------- >> > This mail sent through http://www.ukonline.net >> > >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: >> > mailto:[log in to unmask] >> > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: >> mailto:[log in to unmask] >> In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn >> > > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > This mail sent through http://www.ukonline.net > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn