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November 19th, 2012
04:19 PM ET
Rubio ignites debate with answer about creationismBy Dan Merica and Eric Marrapodi, CNN Washington (CNN) – Florida Sen. Marco Rubio attempted to walk the line between science and faith-based creationism in remarks that that have provoked the ire of liberal blogs, leaving the door open to creationism in responding to a recent question about the age of the Earth. When GQ’s Michal Hainey asked Rubio, in an interview released Monday, “How old do you think the Earth is,” the rising Republican star described the debate about the planet’s age as “one of the great mysteries.” “I'm not a scientist, man,” Rubio told the interviewer. “I can tell you what recorded history says, I can tell you what the Bible says, but I think that's a dispute amongst theologians and I think it has nothing to do with the gross domestic product or economic growth of the United States.” “Whether the Earth was created in seven days, or seven actual eras,” Rubio continued, “I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries.” Most scientists agree that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old and the universe is 14.5 billion years old. Christian Young Earth Creationists, on the other hand, argue that the weeklong account of God creating the Earth and everything in it represents six 24-hour periods (plus one day of rest) and date the age of the Earth between 6,000 and 10,000 years. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter Left-leaning blogs and sites like ThinkProgress and Huffington Post jumped on Rubio’s comments, with the Zack Beauchamp from ThingProgress writing, “To suggest we can’t know how old the Earth is, then, is to deny the validity of these scientific methods altogether — a maneuver familiar to Rubio, who also denies the reality of anthropogenic climate change.” Rubio is regarded as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2016, though the senator says his visit last week to Iowa, home of the first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, had “nothing to do with 2016.” His response to GQ’s age of the Earth query has also provoked questions about his political aspirations. Dave Weigel of Slate writes, “How can you read that and not think ‘Iowa’? ” The state is the first to hold a presidential caucus in 2016. Forty-six percent of Americans believe that God created humans in their present form at one point within the past 10,000 years, according to a survey released by Gallup in June. That number has remained unchanged for the past 30 years, since 1982, when Gallup first asked the question on creationism versus evolution. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories The second most common view is that humans evolved with God's guidance - a view held by 32% of respondents. The view that humans evolved with no guidance from God was held by 15% of respondents. The Gallup poll has not specifically asked about views on the age of the Earth. Rubio attends a Baptist church in southern Florida but also considers himself “a practicing Catholic.” He was born Catholic, but his family converted to Mormonism when Rubio was 8 years old, according to Rubio’s recent memoir. The family left its LDS faith behind when it moved from Nevada back to Florida and Rubio was confirmed in the Catholic Church. Catholic teaching is that science and faith are not at odds with one another and it is possible to believe what scientists say about the Earth’s age and in God. But many evangelical churches, including Baptist ones, promote a version of creationism. When CNN reached out to Rubio’s Baptist church in Florida on Monday, a person answering the phone would not comment on its teachings about the Earth’s age and said that a church representative was unlikely to be available in the near term. During the GQ interview, Rubio argued that “there are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all.” For the past 30 years, the “equal-time argument” –- the idea that Creationism taught alongside evolution -– has been popular method for Creationists to advance their cause. In the late 1980s, some state legislatures passed bills that promoted the idea of a balanced treatment of both ideas in the classroom. In 1987, the issue made it all the way to the Supreme Court, where a Louisiana "equal-time law" was struck down. The court ruled that teaching creationism in public school classrooms was a violation of the Establishment Cause in the Constitution, which is commonly referred to as the separation of church and state. |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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He's a God fearing Senator from Florida. I would expect nothing but ignorance to come from his mouth. It's okay to believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus too as long as you're not in public office and have a say in whether fact over fiction is taught in schools. I'd say it's probably his last term, but it is Florida where the IQ is formed in the shallow end of the gene pool. Cupping hand in face.
Yet I imagine you celebrate Easter and Christmas and believe in neither. What does that make you.
What do those two holidays have to do with anything? They were just co-opted from pagan holidays and do not require worship in magic man in the sky to have fun on those days.
I don't celebrate Easter and I enjoy Christmas as time off with my family and an exchange of gifts as is customary whether you believe in a God (Pick one there are thousands of made up Gods) or not. I also go out for Valentines day and have yet to see a cherub shoot anyone with an arrow.
frespech- That would make him an American.
You "imagine" too much frespech
Hawaiiguest
In my second incarnation Mithra, those were my birth and death celebrations. Just become some Johnny come lately Messiah butted in, I would still like them to exist, no harm done and the retailers eat it up.
We'd prefer "God-fearing" to Pharoah, right?
Reflexive mockery of anything with religious overtones is equivalent to going through life drunk and stupid...
There goes the Republican chances for the next election...
Too bad he's just now saying it, he needs to bring it up again in 4 years.
There's a reason Roman's used to burn them at the stake – no reasoning with them.
The reason was because they would not acknowledge Caesar to be God. You see Caesar wanted to be God.
Apparently, that Jesus fella wanted to be god too.
Who the F*** cares how old the earth is?!?!?!?! Jeez people believe in whatever you want to believe!!! Is certainly not gonna affect the person next to you (unless you live in the coocoo Middle East)
I'm not a Republican but this guy had a great answer! He is not a scientist or a lunatic so he'll leave the discussion to somebody that has nothing better to do! He is interest in GDP growth and unemployment rate, which is what he should be worrying about because that is his job!!
If the GOP is appointing him to say The Science Committee wouldn't it be part of his job to actually KNOW science??
There are actually quite a few people who care how old the earth is. Correctly dating it, mapping geological history, as well as making geological projections leads to insight into many things. Earthquakes affect us. Volcanoes affect us. The science and answers that are learned can be transferred to other areas of science. These answers and discoveries help us to explore the oceans, and even help with exploration of space. Oil, which still powers most of the world, is now more accessible in areas previously not thought to be good places to drill. The list of connections to things that do affect you daily goes on and on.
But I understand your point about this not being on the top of the list of concerns for the average person. Whether or not you personally care, or your car mechanic cares, or the owner of your local grocery store cares, this is important. Science and Education in general is the "R&D department" of our country, if you want to think of the US as a company. Companies that shun R&D may limp along for a few years or even a few decades, but eventually die a slow, painful death.
This is the wrong topic on which to base that argument. Science is wonderful and this field is very interesting, but if we're going to get any presently useful information from the specific field of geological dating, it's much, much more recent stuff like climate evidence.
If he is running for office I think the voters have a right to know how competent he is and asking basic questions like how old the earth is helps define competency. And yes, we should ask him what he knows about the unemployment statistic such as: please explain what an Ultimate Sampling Unit is and how it is used to help determine the US unemployment rate. My guess is he would know no more about that than he does about the age of the earth.
First of all when your diety is imaginary WELL one can make up anything can they not? First the Earth is Flat – NOW we'll God made it round. First – 6 days – NOW well in imaginary diety world a day can be thousands of years.... I mean really.
Read the Bible and quit professing that you know what it says because you clearly do not.
It doesn't matter what it says because most of it is made up nonsense.
frespech
On what points is gladiator wrong, in your view?
I'm okay with teaching creationism as long as equal time is given to Pastafarianism. FSM (all hail his noodly appendages) should be venerated just as much as any other deity.
RAmen
I hope Bobby Henderson will get off his butt and run for office, we need visionaries like him in Congress. With the help of his noodliness and of course his Pastafarian base, he would be a shoe in.
RAmen...Peace, I need a beer.
Very Good!
During the GQ interview, Rubio argued that “there are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all.”
No. We should vote on it. Majority rules, and dictates what the truth should be.
Only scientific theories should be taught in science class. If you want to teach the christian creation story, teach it in a mythology or theology class.
" I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all.”" See, I'd be happier if only the true ones were taught. What did you learn in school today, sonny? You learned that a giant hedgehog named Spiny Norman created all the continents? By grunting? This is certainly, um, valuable information.
Apparently geologists don't know what they are talking about, until it's time to find oil.
Or a realist that would teach that fossil fuels will run out. So go green.
The GOP still doesn't get it.
Courting the evangelical vote didn't get it.
You gotta use reason and logic to win it.
He makes a good point in saying what does this have to do with GDP etc., but he obviously dodged the question. GOP is in real trouble. They are afraid of speaking the truth in order to not offend/alienate there dwindling supporters. I predict they lose the House in the mid-term.
He was only asked the question because he's on a science and space committee. This questioned his qualifications and he failed miserably.
It speaks volumes about a person's ability to think. If you believe that the world is 10,000 years old, you are incapable of rational thought, and problems like increasing the economy require clear, level headed thinking. It requires the ability to examine factual evidence and to act accordingly. Our advances in technology, medicine, transportation all require the ability to think rationally. The evidence that the world is billions of years old is irrefutable. If you can't state that clearly, you have no business trying to be a leader.
"If you believe that the world is 10,000 years old, you are incapable of rational thought," Harsh, but pretty accurate. If computers work, the world is older than 10K years. You can't really claim science is bunk when they are operating on your heart with a robot arm that was flown in on a jet plane from Germany. These are the days of miracle and wonder, this is the long-distance call.
In 1974 on an archeological dig, I discovered that all dinosauer bones are fake – made of carbon-testing-resistent plastic.
During my studies I have found that in 1614 over 300 humans conspired to create these fake bones to fool scientists, then used heavy earth moving machinery such as tractors to bury these fakes all over the planet.
This was truly an amazing fraud ... all scientists lie. Earth is only 9000 years old, and I have proved it.
You have convinced me. Can't argue with such logic.
Nice joke, but completely overboard on the crazy scale to be truly Poe.
Dear Sly,
I hope you are being sarcastic. If you aren't and really believe what you are saying then nothing I can say will change your mind because it's obvious you are in complete denial.
@intothemoonbeam
Go buy a clue!
Ha ha, it's "proven" it. You need to scale back your meds, sir.
Its only a "great mystery" to those who are wilfully ignorant
The GOP could nominate Rubio as their Presidential candidate and they would still lose the Latino vote.
Or that the earth is the center of the universe.
Dear Mr Rubio – NOBODY CARES!!!
Why do we have idiots like this on Science committees? We need to make a requirement that in order to be on a science committee you must first understand basic Science!
That would be a great start. It would get all the Oklahoma legislators off the committee. I am from Oklahoma but not responsible for who we send to DC.
Don't wonder why the U.S. is not in the top 10 for academic achievement.
Yeah, and ranks lowest in male docking. Prolapsed.net can help with that.
"Weak as water!" Mrs. Slokum, Are you being served
Why are we still believing in magic men in the sky? Can we please grow up?
Because they are not men as you incorrectly stated but energy and plenty of it.
Maybe they should also teach that the earth is flat....
Christians would love that!
Wait are you saying its not
The Bible clearly states it's a sphere suspended by nothing.