Palin's record on pushing social issues as governor

[CardinalJunky]

I do my best to educate myself about the candidates without using cable news analysis programs or the editorial pages of a newspaper. Last week, someone (Farmdude?) brought up Palin and creationism being taught in school. This is an FYI, I don't intend to argue about it, I can't pretend to know what she would do as VP, but I will use the candidates records to decide on who I vote for. So, I decided to find out the deal....here is what the deal seems to be, from the Associated Press;


http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g...zwOqAD92V3VQG0

Palin has not pushed creation science as governor
By DAN JOLING – 4 days ago

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — As a candidate for governor, Sarah Palin called for teaching creationism alongside evolution in public schools. But after Alaska voters elected her, Palin, now Republican John McCain's presidential running mate, kept her campaign pledge to not push the idea in the schools.

As for her personal views on evolution, Palin has said, "I believe we have a creator." But she has not made clear whether her belief also allowed her to accept the theory of evolution as fact.

"I'm not going to pretend I know how all this came to be," she has been quoted as saying.

McCain said during a debate last year that he believed in evolution when it came to the origin of life.

When asked during a televised debate in 2006 about evolution and creationism, Palin said, according to the Anchorage Daily News: "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."

In a subsequent interview with the Daily News, Palin said discussion of alternative views on the origins of life should be allowed in Alaska classrooms. "I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum," she said.

"It's OK to let kids know that there are theories out there. They gain information just by being in a discussion."

Creationism is the belief that the Earth and its creatures were created by a deity. It's an alternative to the origin of life explanation taught in public schools under the theory of evolution, which puts forth that all living organisms descended from a common ancestral gene pool.

Palin said during her 2006 gubernatorial campaign that if she were elected, she would not push the state Board of Education to add creation-based alternatives to the state's required curriculum, or look for creationism advocates when she appointed board members.

At a GOP presidential debate in May 2007 in Simi Valley, Calif., McCain said he believed in evolution.

"But," he added, "I also believe, when I hike the Grand Canyon and see it at sunset, that the hand of God is there also."

Palin's children attend public schools and Palin has made no push to have creationism taught in them.

Neither have Palin's socially conservative personal views on issues like abortion and gay marriage been translated into policies during her 20 months as Alaska's chief executive. It reflects a hands-off attitude toward mixing government and religion by most Alaskans.

"She has basically ignored social issues, period," said Gregg Erickson, an economist and columnist for the Alaska Budget Report.

[HarveyGlass]

These people are such tools. None are qualified to run this country.

[frankpos]

I don't know

but her being able to field dress a moose

makes me kinda hot

for some reason : - )

[cardfan]

How qualified must you be? Every day is scripted for them.

[Red Alert]

I dont know, its not that I'm worried that she would try to push it. I view creationism as an extreme. Its just whacky and tells me alot about the persons way of thinking. I have no doubt that she is trying to downplay it. Creationism is way out there. It strikes alot of people the wrong way Mainstream crhistians, athiests, agnostics... Hell, theres probably a satanist out there thinking, "Creationism? Thats just stupid."

If there's any creationist people on here, sorry, but you might as well be a scientologist to me.

[farmdude]

You hit the nail on the head, I have no worry that she will try to foist creationism on the school system, but anybody that denies evolution as a fact is not veep material to me.

And yes I believe in a God, not quite sure who he is as I believe many religions perceive him differently than others, and I'm pretty sure God is OK with that.

[Empire Lindy]

Wonder if she will campaign in Covington KY at the creation museum?

[CardinalJunky]

Just to make this clear.....believing God created everything is crazy?

Freddy

[HarveyGlass]

[Empire Lindy]

Originally Posted by CardinalJunky

Just to make this clear.....believing God created everything is crazy?

Freddy

If you take it as a literal interpretation and view evolution as the devil's tongue, yes. If you believe that the earth is only 12,000 years old because the Bible somehow says so and creation proves, yes. If you believe dinosaur fossils were placed in the ground to challenge our Christian faith, yes.

Otherwise I'm cool with the ideology that a powerful being (God) "created" the earth and the moon and the stars. The Big Bang itself, if you will, was God's work. The fact that there are 5 races and mixing two of them produces something new sorta proves God didn't create everything, unless you want to argue that the creation of the child is God's work. In that case I don't think we're discussing evolution versus creationism anymore.