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Old 02-15-2014, 10:05 PM
 
6,324 posts, read 4,307,929 times
Reputation: 4333

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Quote:
Originally Posted by mhans123 View Post
America might not be the "stupidest country on the planet" persay, but it is saddening to think how poorly the US has managed its resources. When you look at what the US has: an excellent highway infrastructure, stable democracy, free (mostly quality) k-12 education, abundant natural resources, top notch healthcare, and the highest nominal GDP it is embarrassing to see the violent crime rate, poverty rate, astronomically priced and inefficient healthcare and other such mishaps.
Actually, our health care ranks 37th in the world by the World Health Organization, at the very bottom of the industrialized nations list. While the quality of our health care may be top notch, our access to it is abysmal, so for an increasing number of Americans, we're lucky to afford "free clinic" quality health care.

But anyway ... in international test scores, most other nations score quite a bit higher than Americans in science and math. I'll go by that rather than a poll.

America is not an intellectual nation, unfortunately. Just pick up a school newspaper and notice that the front page is given over to the glories of atheletes while the academic champions are lucky to get a paragraph mention on page 9. It's very telling when a classy channel like the History Channel has converted over to "redneck" anti-intellectual shows like Hillbilly Hand Fishin, Crocodile Hunters, Cajun Pawn, Axemen, and any other facet of American life that requires brawn and few brains.

The other documentary channels are filled with a) doomsday and mega-disaster scenarios, b) religious history shows, c) shows about religious prophecy, d) shows about the life of Jesus, and, well ... you get the point.

I don't think Christianity made America stupid. I think our culture did that. A culture where the Super Bowl is the most watched program every single year, where sports are glorified, but academic achievement is shunned. In every show about school-aged kids, the smart kid is always picked on, socially awkward, unpopular, and a complete failure with the girls. It teaches our kids not to be too smart or they'll wind up sitting at home on prom night reading a physics textbook. Don't score too high on tests or you'll break the curve and all of the mediocre and lazy kids will hate you for it - and THEY are the popular ones.

I mean, seriously, we do not value intelligence and academic achievement in this country. Not really. Watch what happens if you mention that you like Star Trek. GASP! Yeah, you're a nerd, a geek, I bet you haven't ever gotten laid. That's what happens if you like a cerebral show like that. You should be watching synapse-destroying shows like American Idol and Honey Boo Boo.

So, Christianity didn't make America a stupid nation. Instead, it is our stupidity that has allowed Christianity to thrive. Our stupidity has fostered certain predominantly American brands of Christianity like Young Earth Creationism, Biblical literalism, fundamentalism, and evangalism. There are Christians all around the world, but only in America do we see battles over whether Intelligent Design should be taught in science class. And while most other industrialized nations show their populations having a 80% to 90% acceptance rate of evolution whereas America's acceptance rate is a paltry 50% to 60%. That means almost half the country believes we were all made from dirt and ribs.

Stupidity and anti-intellectualism has been a breeding ground for outrageous religious beliefs ... like a piece of bread left in a moist and dark place breeds mold. If we valued intelligence and academics (instead of insulting our universities as Ivory Towers and "professors only have book smarts but no common sense"), there wouldn't be so much primitivism taking place in our country.
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Old 02-16-2014, 01:05 AM
 
Location: Illinois
4,751 posts, read 5,422,822 times
Reputation: 12999
I agree with everything Shirina said above.

Would it be acceptable if only 74% of the US could read? If only 74% could do basic math? I certainly hope not. The dumbing down of science curriculum to support a fairytale (and I say this as a practicing Catholic) is absurd and insane.
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Old 02-16-2014, 06:04 AM
 
17,842 posts, read 14,354,108 times
Reputation: 4113
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shirina View Post
Actually, our health care ranks 37th in the world by the World Health Organization, at the very bottom of the industrialized nations list. While the quality of our health care may be top notch, our access to it is abysmal, so for an increasing number of Americans, we're lucky to afford "free clinic" quality health care.

But anyway ... in international test scores, most other nations score quite a bit higher than Americans in science and math. I'll go by that rather than a poll.

America is not an intellectual nation, unfortunately. Just pick up a school newspaper and notice that the front page is given over to the glories of atheletes while the academic champions are lucky to get a paragraph mention on page 9. It's very telling when a classy channel like the History Channel has converted over to "redneck" anti-intellectual shows like Hillbilly Hand Fishin, Crocodile Hunters, Cajun Pawn, Axemen, and any other facet of American life that requires brawn and few brains.

The other documentary channels are filled with a) doomsday and mega-disaster scenarios, b) religious history shows, c) shows about religious prophecy, d) shows about the life of Jesus, and, well ... you get the point.

I don't think Christianity made America stupid. I think our culture did that. A culture where the Super Bowl is the most watched program every single year, where sports are glorified, but academic achievement is shunned. In every show about school-aged kids, the smart kid is always picked on, socially awkward, unpopular, and a complete failure with the girls. It teaches our kids not to be too smart or they'll wind up sitting at home on prom night reading a physics textbook. Don't score too high on tests or you'll break the curve and all of the mediocre and lazy kids will hate you for it - and THEY are the popular ones.

I mean, seriously, we do not value intelligence and academic achievement in this country. Not really. Watch what happens if you mention that you like Star Trek. GASP! Yeah, you're a nerd, a geek, I bet you haven't ever gotten laid. That's what happens if you like a cerebral show like that. You should be watching synapse-destroying shows like American Idol and Honey Boo Boo.

So, Christianity didn't make America a stupid nation. Instead, it is our stupidity that has allowed Christianity to thrive. Our stupidity has fostered certain predominantly American brands of Christianity like Young Earth Creationism, Biblical literalism, fundamentalism, and evangalism. There are Christians all around the world, but only in America do we see battles over whether Intelligent Design should be taught in science class. And while most other industrialized nations show their populations having a 80% to 90% acceptance rate of evolution whereas America's acceptance rate is a paltry 50% to 60%. That means almost half the country believes we were all made from dirt and ribs.

Stupidity and anti-intellectualism has been a breeding ground for outrageous religious beliefs ... like a piece of bread left in a moist and dark place breeds mold. If we valued intelligence and academics (instead of insulting our universities as Ivory Towers and "professors only have book smarts but no common sense"), there wouldn't be so much primitivism taking place in our country.
Great post as usual.
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Old 02-16-2014, 07:36 AM
 
Location: Sitting beside Walden Pond
4,612 posts, read 4,881,022 times
Reputation: 1408
Quote:
Originally Posted by mhans123 View Post
America might not be the "stupidest country on the planet" persay, but it is saddening to think how poorly the US has managed its resources. When you look at what the US has: an excellent highway infrastructure, stable democracy, free (mostly quality) k-12 education, abundant natural resources, top notch healthcare, and the highest nominal GDP it is embarrassing to see the violent crime rate, poverty rate, astronomically priced and inefficient healthcare and other such mishaps.
You are free to go live somewhere else, just like Snowden did.

In fact, that is what a lot of our ancestors did. They were not pleased with the country where they were born, so they packed up and came to America. You can do the same thing in reverse.
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Old 02-16-2014, 07:43 AM
 
28,896 posts, read 54,045,943 times
Reputation: 46669
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr5150 View Post
I guess I'll waste a post.

Stupider than whom? Angola, Egypt, Mexico, Argentina, Italy, France, Albania, Russia, North Korea, Thailand, Romania, Australia, Europe in general and etc?

And where do live that teaching creationism is mandated? Not in Sunny CA or rainy OR and WA. Dry AZ and NM??? I see nothing. Fact is 99% plus of the folk in my church know the earth orbits the sun.

Me thinks your anti Christian mindset is "starting" to influence your thinking.

The good news is that the US is ahead of Europe in this matter: 1 In 4 Americans Thinks The Sun Goes Around The Earth, Survey Says | KALW From the article:

Only 66 percent of people in a 2005 European Union poll answered the basic astronomy answer correctly.

Article: International Science Poll Shows Many People Believe in Myths, Not in History | OpEdNews
74% of Americans know that the Earth goes around the sun, rather than the sun going around the Earth. 86% of South Koreans know this scientific fact. But only 66% of Europeans do, 70% of Indians do, and 72% of Malaysians do. (Other countries weren't surveyed on that question.)

**********

Seems to be a universal problem. But at least the US is ahead of unreligious Europe.
Nail meet hammer, because one has nothing to do with the other. I mean, hey, I think teaching creationism is stupid and unconstitutional. But I don't think even the most knuckle-dragging fundie has an issue with the earth's orbit around the sun.
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Old 02-16-2014, 07:52 AM
 
Location: Here
2,301 posts, read 2,027,807 times
Reputation: 1712
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asheville Native View Post
1 in 4 Americans Don't Know Earth Orbits the Sun. Yes, Really. : Discovery News

"Schools across the nation are currently facing the unthinkable notion of teaching creationism alongside evolution in science classrooms. The fact that religion is given the same standing as science is not only absurd, it's a fundamental institutional failing where children (who may be excited to learn about science) will grow up with a second-rate education, neglecting decades of scientific knowledge in favor of pseudo-scientific religious agendas."

Never underestimate the power of stupid people especially in large numbers. This is a real threat to our future, as a country, we will be unable to compete with the rest of the world. Actually we're pretty damn close to that right now. Second class education system, work ethics in the crapper.
I would probably gone with the word "ignorant" rather than "stupid". There is a whole psychology concerning religion and what happens to a person when he or she undergoes childhood indoctrination, and how it can change attitudes all through life, sometimes for the better, but often for the worse. One of those "worse" is how religion can be seen as factual and science seen as false or even deceptive. Some of the people sharing that delusion are intelligent in every other way.
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Old 02-16-2014, 09:25 AM
 
5,187 posts, read 6,921,788 times
Reputation: 1648
When the Moon is in its 7th hour and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide our planet.
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Old 02-16-2014, 10:13 AM
 
Location: Georgia
484 posts, read 880,702 times
Reputation: 259
Quote:
Originally Posted by hiker45 View Post
You are free to go live somewhere else, just like Snowden did.

In fact, that is what a lot of our ancestors did. They were not pleased with the country where they were born, so they packed up and came to America. You can do the same thing in reverse.
I wouldn't rule it out in the future.
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Old 02-16-2014, 01:09 PM
 
Location: Southern Willamette Valley, Oregon
11,185 posts, read 10,960,959 times
Reputation: 19598
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shirina View Post
In international test scores, most other nations score quite a bit higher than Americans in science and math. I'll go by that rather than a poll.

America is not an intellectual nation, unfortunately. Just pick up a school newspaper and notice that the front page is given over to the glories of atheletes while the academic champions are lucky to get a paragraph mention on page 9. It's very telling when a classy channel like the History Channel has converted over to "redneck" anti-intellectual shows like Hillbilly Hand Fishin, Crocodile Hunters, Cajun Pawn, Axemen, and any other facet of American life that requires brawn and few brains.

The other documentary channels are filled with a) doomsday and mega-disaster scenarios, b) religious history shows, c) shows about religious prophecy, d) shows about the life of Jesus, and, well ... you get the point.

I don't think Christianity made America stupid. I think our culture did that. A culture where the Super Bowl is the most watched program every single year, where sports are glorified, but academic achievement is shunned. In every show about school-aged kids, the smart kid is always picked on, socially awkward, unpopular, and a complete failure with the girls. It teaches our kids not to be too smart or they'll wind up sitting at home on prom night reading a physics textbook. Don't score too high on tests or you'll break the curve and all of the mediocre and lazy kids will hate you for it - and THEY are the popular ones.

I mean, seriously, we do not value intelligence and academic achievement in this country. Not really. Watch what happens if you mention that you like Star Trek. GASP! Yeah, you're a nerd, a geek, I bet you haven't ever gotten laid. That's what happens if you like a cerebral show like that. You should be watching synapse-destroying shows like American Idol and Honey Boo Boo.

So, Christianity didn't make America a stupid nation. Instead, it is our stupidity that has allowed Christianity to thrive. Our stupidity has fostered certain predominantly American brands of Christianity like Young Earth Creationism, Biblical literalism, fundamentalism, and evangalism. There are Christians all around the world, but only in America do we see battles over whether Intelligent Design should be taught in science class. And while most other industrialized nations show their populations having a 80% to 90% acceptance rate of evolution whereas America's acceptance rate is a paltry 50% to 60%. That means almost half the country believes we were all made from dirt and ribs.

Stupidity and anti-intellectualism has been a breeding ground for outrageous religious beliefs ... like a piece of bread left in a moist and dark place breeds mold. If we valued intelligence and academics (instead of insulting our universities as Ivory Towers and "professors only have book smarts but no common sense"), there wouldn't be so much primitivism taking place in our country.
Absolutely stellar post.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MoonBeam33 View Post
Would it be acceptable if only 74% of the US could read? If only 74% could do basic math? I certainly hope not.
Actually....... If those numbers were seen in America's inner city schools, it would be considered a smashing success!

Quote:
Originally Posted by GalileoSmith View Post
I would probably gone with the word "ignorant" rather than "stupid". There is a whole psychology concerning religion and what happens to a person when he or she undergoes childhood indoctrination, and how it can change attitudes all through life, sometimes for the better, but often for the worse. One of those "worse" is how religion can be seen as factual and science seen as false or even deceptive. Some of the people sharing that delusion are intelligent in every other way.
I call this the "light switch" effect. The brain shuts off when religion is the topic.
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Old 02-16-2014, 01:13 PM
 
16,433 posts, read 22,154,382 times
Reputation: 9622
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asheville Native View Post
1 in 4 Americans Don't Know Earth Orbits the Sun. Yes, Really. : Discovery News

"Schools across the nation are currently facing the unthinkable notion of teaching creationism alongside evolution in science classrooms. The fact that religion is given the same standing as science is not only absurd, it's a fundamental institutional failing where children (who may be excited to learn about science) will grow up with a second-rate education, neglecting decades of scientific knowledge in favor of pseudo-scientific religious agendas."

Never underestimate the power of stupid people especially in large numbers. This is a real threat to our future, as a country, we will be unable to compete with the rest of the world. Actually we're pretty damn close to that right now. Second class education system, work ethics in the crapper.
When it was accepted in schools that God created the Universe, we had the top ranked school system in the world. We kicked God out of the classroom and now we are #26. Who is stupid?
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