The immediate goal is to poke holes in theories of biological macro-evolution. They have, in fact, already conceded to the point that variuos things on this planet evolve – insects, animals, plants, and geological formations. They refuse to take the next logical step and let go of the idea that an entity – most frequently the deity of monotheism is indicated – started the whole thing.
A broader goal is to maintain the postulate that the deity (particularly that of monotheism) had/has particular fondness for human beings. Some would suggest unique formation, some suggest divine favor, some suggest other things. They key is in suggesting humans are intrinsically superior to other living and non-living objects on this planet – indeed, that the planet itself is special and central to the deity’s awareness.
The ultimate goal is, strangely enough, more mundane: If they are able to undermine the science of biology (which my biology professor noted was ‘merely’ an advanced specialization of chemistry which is an advanced specialization of physics, then their slippery slope reasons they can undermine geology, astronomy/astrophysics, and other sciences as well. By undermining the sciences, upon which so much of our engineering and technological progress is founded (applied physics = engineering, get it?) they can undermine the rest of secular education, as well. By undermining secular education, they can impede the spread critical thinking. Why? Because critical thinking is antithetic to blind faith. Without blind faith (or, more succinctly, when challenged by critical thinkers), religious myths and dogma lose their ability to hold members due to the critical thinkers’ ability to comprehend the fallacies and manipulations of the religious institution. In other words, the more people learn to think critically, the less power they give to religion.
In fact, I was reading an old TIME magazine article on “the downfall of Christianity” that suggest the latest wave of political activism among Christians was very much an alarmist reaction to analyis of the 2000 census data showing church membership had dropped to less than 50% in the United States. It wasn’t much, something like 49.8%, but it was a threshold figure that was alarming and the pastor that read it felt he needed to do something and he started a campaign to get Christian voices to be louder (if not more abundant). The rest, as the cliche goes, is history: Neo-Puritans striving to dominate political spheres from town halls to the Texas Schoolbook Content Review Boards, to presidential elections. In other words, they see that they lost authority long ago; they’re mobilizing because they know they’re losing power, as well.
The ultimate goal is to retain some semblance of power and relevancy in modern lives, if only for a little while.
Okay, so somebody basically said, “Just let them believe. How can it harm those who don’t share their belief?”
Basically because the canon of the (Christian) creationists is that, in the words of my favorite cult movie, “There can be only ONE!” and therefore a True Believing Christian can’t abide alternate concepts of the universe or its theological underpinnings. Furthermore, the prophecy section basically says there can’t be a Rapture (Jesus comes back and takes everybody back to Heaven) until faith in God (via his Son) is unanimous, planet-wide. If they can’t get the United States to at least say it believes unanimously, how can they possibly get the rest of the world to do so?
Why not start with other countries? Spain kicked out all the non-believers once, right? The point is that the United States has been dominating the world for quite a while and that dominance will also be leveraged to get the rest of the world to follow suit – once everyone has been converted first (whether they like it or just say they do).
I can understand the wrath of some of the other responders here, who see that the Christian Creationist isn’t willing to share the planet with non-believers. Polk and Custer leveraged that sentiment once, so did Hitler.
—G!
Two men say they’re Jesus!
One of them must be wrong!
. Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)
. Industrial Disease
. Brothers in Arms
