Creationist Running the Space Program. What Could Go Wrong?

[bigtree]

John Amaechi OBE? @JohnAmaechi

Great.
A man who thinks the earth is 6000 years old & ‘created’ is now overseeing NASA.
What could go wrong?


Mike Pence will now oversee US space policy
A resurrected advisory group will help guide the national space agenda

Today, President Trump signed an executive order to reinstate the National Space Council, an executive agency that will be tasked with guiding US space policy during the administration. The council, typically chaired by the vice president, is one that the US has seen before; it was first in operation during the ‘60s and ‘70s and then again under the George H.W. Bush administration, before being dissolved in 1993. Now, it’s back again, and this time with Vice President Mike Pence at the helm.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/30/15903230/national-space-council-executive-order-mike-pence-nasa-policy

Link to tweet

[left-of-center2012]

1. Imagine a 'Star Trek' episode

The Enterprise discovers a blue planet where the inhabitants wage wars against each other,
each proclaiming their god to be the one true god.

[maxrandb]

3. There already is a Star Trek episode that predicted what we are currently living through

The episode is called The Squire of Gothos.

If this isn't Trump to a tea, I don't know what is

[HAB911]

2. Apocalypse here we come

[frazzled]

4. Angels will descend from heaven and

catapult him into orbit, for a good look-see at how it all works? And then he's stuck in orbit for a few thousand years?

That would be nice.

[Girard442]

5. Creationism is something they toss out to the rubes.

They have no problem accepting the tenets of science when it leads to new ways for them to blow up people.

[bigtree]

6. likely, but it's a major part of their script

Creationist Ken Ham “explains” climate change: Earth is just “settling down” after the Great Flood
http://www.salon.com/2014/11/24/creationist_ken_ham_explains_climate_change_earth_is_just_settling_down_after_the_great_flood/
_____________________________________________

Trump Budget Cuts “Critical” NASA Climate Missions.
Four Earth-observing satellites are targeted for elimination in the president's budget proposal

___ missions singled out—the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3, the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO), and the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR)—cover different aspects of the climate system and are in differing stages of planning and readiness.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-budget-cuts-ldquo-critical-rdquo-nasa-climate-missions/
_______________________

Watch Mike Pence question global warming and demur on evolution

[NastyRiffraff]

12. "Intellect?" He's not too bright

Pence, that is. I lost count of the times he contradicted himself.

[Volaris]

23. Or make moar monies.

But yeah, either way the hypocrisy really posses me the fuck off. I kid you not if I ever find myself elected to anything, I'm getting sworn in with my hand on a copy of Newton's Principia. Because fuck them.

[MineralMan]

7. Ah, I foresee a space mission to Heaven in the works.

It's out there, you know. And NASA will find it, or be de-funded entirely.

They're re-purposing the Hubble Telescope to search for the Golden Kingdom, I understand.

[bigtree]

8. rumor is

...golden flying space chariots of fire in production, as we speak.

[madinmaryland]

9. I could think of quite a few "good" christians that should be selected for that mission...

starting with tRump, Pence, Ryan, Turtleman, and all of the other fundy hypocrites.

[SQUEE]

10. yeah, thinking like that and we would never have got to the moon...

oh, wait.

"The separation of church and state is a source of strength,
but the conscience of our nation does not call for
separation between men of state and faith in the Supreme Being."

LBJ

Fuck Pence, but the constant smug bashing of the religious is tiresome.

[hatrack]

14. Pence is free to produce his Angry Invisible Sky Fairy whenever convenient . . .

As are Bibi Netanyahu, or Erodogan, or Khamanei or Franklin Graham or Ken Ham, for that matter. When that happens, I'll gladly shut up.

Until that happens, I'll support the mindset that erased smallpox and created antibiotics and explained volcanoes and sent unmanned probes out of the solar system.

That's as opposed to mindset of the fearful, stupid, hypocritical control freaks now in charge because no one dares to question their special, fragile, sacred, untouchable and utterly non-empirical beliefs.

[SQUEE]

15. All great works.

many done by believers.

As are the works of President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Martin Luther King Jr and Jesse Jackson.


Again that demeaning condescension in your post.. It makes no sense to me.

[hatrack]

25. Believers are free to do many things, even great works. . .

But the fact that they believe does not allow them to ignore reality, as the Mike Pences and Ken Hams of the world do. That reality includes the age of the earth, the size of the cosmos and the secular nature of American government.

Feel free to believe that Earth is 6,000 years old, but you're not going to get that job at USGS if your professional output reflects that belief.

Feel free to believe that it's turtles all the way down, but you probably won't be teaching high school science if you include that in the syllabus.

Feel free to believe that America is a "Christian Nation", but don't act surprised when, as a public official, you get called out, censured or slapped down in the legislature or by the courts if you attempt to elevate your brand of God, or your brand of believers, above others.

And don't act surprised when the basis and validity of your beliefs get questioned. Comes with the territory.

[Volaris]

24. The only counter I would have is that mike pence is a man of religion, not Faith.

There's a big damn difference. You're right that the bashing of religion can get a little thick here, but I think that might be people not knowing how to correctly differentiate between the two.

[NightWatcher]

11. Just be careful launching rockets, you'd hate to hit god in the eye up there.

[Jimbo101]

13. Same with the U.S. House Committe on Science, Space and Technology

These are anti-science, anti-Climate change deniers - that want to limit / shut down NOAA, NASA, EPA,... - and force scientists out to replace with their clones and cronies.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

16. Will xtians be the only ones allowed to be astronauts

just curious.

[ProudLib72]

17. Once the rockets go up, who cares where they come down?

Too bad "Pence" doesn't rhyme with "Wernher Von Braun".

[ProudLib72]

21. I hear you

I think the space race took precedence over everything else, which is why he was so celebrated. Was it worth it? I don't know. I like to tell myself he was more interested in Hitler supporting science than the other way around.

[Hieronymus]

18. Pretty ridiculous for those who reject science.

[DFW]

20. "Houston, we have a problem."

"The Lord will fix it."

"Uhh, hmmm, right. That is very reassuring. Can you please put someone competent on the line?"

"No, sorry. But I WILL pray for you. Houston over and out."

(Inside the space capsule: ) "Who the fuck was THAT? He does a really good Mike Pence imitation, but we need to speak to whoever is in charge, and soon!" "He sounded like Mike Pence because that WAS Mike Pence, and he IS in charge. I hope our insurance is paid up."

[benld74]

26. Houston we have a nut jobber

[Baconator]

22. Any moment now...