Bill Nye remade a name for himself in 2012, before Dancing with the Stars, when he let the world in on one of his dirty little secrets: He apparently believes 46% of Americans are unable to properly turn a wrench, let alone turn on a computer.
OK, so maybe that was a little extreme.
It does seem, however, that Nye believes a significant portion of my country will never be able to understand why a well-crafted bridge stays suspended in the air. In the video, Nye argues that denying evolution “holds everybody back” and says America needs scientifically literate voters, taxpayers and engineers who can build things and solve problems.
Why, you ask?
Because these people, the 46%, believe God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years.
That belief, according to Nye’s argument, is what holds everybody back. That is what apparently puts our future engineers at risk.
When Creationism Becomes a Culture-War Question
If you are one of those forty-sixers, and you are able to see through the vocal parade of logical fallacies, this might not seem like something to write home about. After all, we’ve seen a “Hollywood” rant countless times before.
What’s different?
The difference is the public narrative concerning Christians in America. It has shifted dramatically over the last few years, and I expect it will continue to.
Christians used to be the friendly neighborhood do-gooders who may have dressed funny or had some other countercultural quirks.
Now the caricature is different. Christians are increasingly portrayed as intolerant separatists whose convictions are not merely strange or outdated, but harmful. Beliefs about education, parenting and culture that were once dismissed as peculiar are increasingly treated as something society needs protection from.
That is a very different narrative.
Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham
Is creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern scientific era?
On Feb. 4, Bill Nye will be “debating” Ken Ham at the Creation Museum near Cincinnati.
I’ll be tuning in and encourage you to do the same.
Most importantly, I invite you to care about the shifts taking place in our culture and the false story being written about either yourself or your neighbor.