Intelligent Design Creationist Supports Nazi Group
Posted on April 26th, 2008 by blue collar scientistTony Zirkle, Republican candidate for Congress in Indiana’s Second Congressional District, spoke to a Nazi party celebrating Hitler’s 119th birthday. For video, go here.
Zirkle claims to be a devoted Christian. That’s his excuse for speaking at a Nazi event:
This is just a great opportunity for me to witness,” he said, referring to his message and his Christian belief.
Zirkle is, as is consistent with his “faith,” a supporter of intelligent design creationism. He thinks that people who home school their children so as to avoid good science education should be refunded a third of their property taxes:
Two of the issue that have been flaming the controversies over public education are the evolution/creation debate and indoctrinating kindergarteners that homosexual domestic partners constitute merely one more acceptable, alternative lifestyle. Our public schools should not be exploiting our elementary school children to become pawns in these highly emotional, divisive debates.
Under the 1st and 14th Amendments, Congress has authority under the due process clause to ensure that states are not depriving citizens of their religious free exercise. Therefore, in any district where public schools take either position on these two issues and force their opinions on public school children, I will propose legislation that will entitle parent(s) to a refund of the approximately 1/3 of their property taxes (or percentage of rent that derives from property taxes) that go the public schools so that the parent(s) can either home school or send their children to a private school.
Now, I’ve not heard of even a single biologist who supports the Nazi cause. But here’s an ID creationist, and such a respectable one1 that he’s a congressional candidate, who is speaking right there in front of a picture of Hitler and next to a Nazi flag.
What does that say about Expelled’s message that biologists are Nazis?
Orac has a more complete takedown.
- I use the term loosely. [↩]
Tags: candidate, congress, congressional, creationism, expelled, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, intelligent design, nazi, Nazis, Republican, Tony Zirkle
April 26th, 2008 at 9:52 am
WHOAH! Very good job here.
What’d you do, read Orac’s piece and then go digging for his position on ID?
Whatever you did, you are the man of the hour. This just earned a spot in the presentations I’m giving about ID.
April 26th, 2008 at 9:53 am
“Our public schools should not be exploiting our elementary school children to become pawns in these highly emotional, divisive debates.”
Glad you highlighted that. I completely agree. Though not for the reason Zirkle might think.
(Or maybe for the same reason; this guy might be a living, Andy Kaufman-style self-satire.)
April 26th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
This is so jaw-droppingly flabbergasting that I am aghast with flabber.
Tony Zirkle must have a serious cognitive disorder in order to say the things he has said. Stupidity certainly explains it, but I’m longing for a more technical term to soothe my troubled and baffled brain.
April 30th, 2008 at 1:10 am
I’m very against the whole ID agenda, and an atheist.
However, this kind of accusations do not help our cause. To answer your question: “What does that say about Expelled’s message that biologists are Nazis?”.
Absolutely nothing. There’s wackos everywhere.
ID is a real threat to science teaching, and a fraud. What white supremacists support is totally irrelevant, let’s keep them out of the discussion. Discussing this gives more credit to “expelled” than it deserves.