This one at the Discovery Institute’s creationist blog is a bit creepy, but we’ve learned to expect that when blogging about creationists. Their latest is titled Günter Bechly: Welcome to the Underground, and it was written by Klinghoffer. Here are some excerpts, with bold font added by us for emphasis, and occasional Curmudgeonly interjections that look [like this]:
As a colleague pointed out yesterday, American life is taking on new aspects with an increasingly “underground” feel. [Really?] It’s become suffocating on the surface, so truth seeks shelter. People monitor what they permit themselves to say in public, and often in private, too. Social media are watching what you post.
Are you being watched, dear reader? Is it becoming suffocating for you? No? Then what’s Klinghoffer talking about? We’ll find out soon enough. He says:
The experience of being canceled or expelled is no longer limited to controversial speakers on college campuses, who make students feel “unsafe.” It’s not limited to intelligent design advocates either. German paleo-entomologist Günter Bechly was canceled by his employer, the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart where he was a curator.
Ah yes, Günter. Our readers are familiar with him. See, e.g.: Discoveroid Günter Bechly Has Been ‘Erased’. What else about him does Klinghoffer have for us? He reveals:
A distinguished scientist and brilliant writer [No doubt!], his crime was to give the scientific case for intelligent design a fair hearing. [Gasp!] In 2015 he ended up going underground — and finding us here at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, where he is now a Senior Fellow, and at Evolution News, where he is a contributing writer and where I have the privilege of being the editor.
We’ll skip a bit about Günter work for the Discoveroids. After that — alas — Klinghoffer’s post degenerates into a plea for money, starting with this:
It’s because of your support that we are able to provide an institutional home for Dr. Bechly, allowing him to come up from underground and broadcast his writing, his research, his advocacy of the theory of ID and his skepticism about neo-Darwinism. He discusses his work for Evolution News in a new video that I urge you to watch:
The video is embedded in Klinghoffer’s post. We haven’t looked at it — but maybe you will. He continues:
ID scientists like Günter Bechly — and others who write for Evolution News — are the part of the intelligent design underground that has been able to come up into the light. [That’s wonderful!] Bechly appeals here for your pledge of assistance before the end of the year.
The rest of Klinghoffer’s post is more begging “so that we can bring more scientists up into freedom and provide a new venue where they can’t get expelled for telling the truth.”
Verily, it’s a worthy cause. Send ’em all you can, dear reader — and tell ’em the Curmudgeon sent ya!
Copyright © 2020. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
Recently I have been thinking a bit about something that could (should?) have been Intelligently Designed. TomS often has pointed out that design requires restrictions, limiting the Grand Old Designer’s (blessed be MOFO!) omnipotence – and that’s self-contradictory. Let’s see how this applies to calendars. The IDiots from Seattle love to prattle about fine-tuning and a privileged planet and stuff – what about a harmonious calendar?
Let’s face it, every single calendar developed by humans is a mess. The Earth’ orbital period (ie what should be a year) is 365,256363004 days. The rotation period (ie what should be a day) is 23h 56m 4,100 s. The Earth’ only satellite has an orbital period (ie what should be a month of 29 d 12 h 44 min 2,9 s.
No way the Grand Old Designer is restricted here. A year could have lasted 364 days, 13 months and 52 weeks. Not at all harmonious and not exactly Intelligent.
The video of Der Günther is a waste of 45 seconds. Er ist nur ein Bettler. Perhaps we should call him Günther der Bettler from now on.
“Growing evidence against Darwinian evolution”, yawn.
No mention of any evidence for Intelligent Design.
Also Günther der Bettler is lying about being expelled, so perhaps we should call him Günther der Lügner. Internet doesn’t forget:
https://archive.vn/20160603100658/http://gbechly.jimdo.com/world-view/intelligent-design/
Note “the anonymous coward behind The Sensuous Curmudgeon blog”. I’m afraid we regulars here are responsible for
“Such anti-ID zealots and “evangelical” New Atheists have become an embarrassment and disgrace for the scientific community with their rude adolescent behavior, e.g. regularily insulting scientists, who endorse Intelligent Design as “IDiots”, or the ID think tank Discovery Institute as “Dishonesty Institute” or “Disco’Tute”, or William Dembski as “Bill Dumbski”. I feel personally offended by this.”
But Bechly resigned from his position.
And David, is Jesus the Messiah? Just asking…
The IDiots have been asking for money quite frequently; have their regular sources of funds seen through their fakery and reduced their support? I’d love to see a report that they had to cut back for lack of money. If I were a praying man I
d pray for their bankruptcy.
If SC is an anonymous coward, what does that make all of the anonymous Christian ID proponents that the DI routinely invokes? Shouldn’t they proudly proclaim their faith without concern for the consequences? Won’t God provide?
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/meritocracy-isnt-an-alternative-to-inequality-its-a-justification-says-this-harvard-philosopher-11608334819
Randomness, Variation and Selection.
@FrankB
Time is really complicated. If we lived on a fixed Earth, it would be easier. But because the Earth is spinning and orbiting the Sun, there are different measures of days, months and years.
The mean solar time is exactly 24 hours, but we move a fraction of year in one day, which means that the Earth makes bit more than one complete turn in 24 hours – that gives the number that you quote for the length of a day. 23 hours 56 minutes etc. And then it gets even more complicated. The rate of spin changes due to various factors.
Michael Fugate: ISTM that this is a description of a tension that exists in all societies between justice and equality. “A just society cannot be equal; an equal society cannot be just”. But a society that perpetuates and reinforces a specific elite will eventually destroy itself. As Mark Blyth observed, “The Hamptons is not a defensible position”.
The task, therefore, is to ensure social mobility. It must really be the case that “you can do it if you try”, and this must apply to everyone. Entrenched, exclusionary, generational elites must be broken up. Education and training must be as cheap as possible, and readily available – even especially available – to the poor. I would be happier with “affirmative action” if it were on that basis.
There was a report in various news sources of a study by an economist on Citigroup which said that racism in the US has cost the economy $16 trillion this century. I have no idea of the reliability of the study – does anyone?
@TomS: “Time is really complicated.”
Precisely my point – an Intelligent Designer, free from restricions, would have kept it simple and harmonious. To formulate it accurately:
If finetuning (especially of natural constants) is an argument for an Intelligent Designer then the Earthly calendars are an argument against.
If the Earthly calendars aren’t an argument against an Intelligent Designer then finetuning isn’t an argument for.
The latter is my position.
In both cases another pillar of IDiocy appears to be placed in quicksand.
Another remark: Günter der Lügner hasn’t done any significant scientific work since he “fled” from Stuttgart to Seattle.
If we try to make sense of the way the world works, the best that we can do is to end up doing science. I can uderstand that someone will not want to go that path. But that is not the choice that Intelligent Design advocates
Make. They have not shown us any alternative.
When trying to make sense of the entire shenanigan I don’t see any problem a priori when doing it via science and via philosophy and via theology. Creacrappers and unfortunately also several unbelievers create unnecessary problems. From Günter der Lügners piece:
“The affirmation of common descent cannot be a distinguishing feature” (of IDiocy vs. theistic evolution – FrankB).
Then why all those stupid rants against evolution theory, collected on their blog called Evolution News? TomS is right – they have not shown us any alternative. What’s more, Günter der Lügner can’t even explain what his problem with evolution theory is. Still he feels offended when I call him an IDiot. Man, produce something substantial. Like in the old days in Stuttgart. That would be something new.
“They have not shown us any alternative.”
They can’t and the reason is simple: ID is a made up thing. It’s right there in the Wedge Document. The Tooters pushed ID as a way to drive a cultural wedge into society by creating FUD* about a cultural live wire issue, evolution. But, SCOTUS shot down all previous attempts since Scopes to inject religious nonsense into public schools. Ergo, Ipso Facto, pro bono, quid pro quo and Eurika! “intelligent design” creationism.
But as all made up answers, like widespread voter fraud, looking for a cause, there is none. Never will be one.
Really, though, the best measure of success is to follow the money, and by that metric the Tooters are definitely low icon of evolution on the totem pole, true bottom feeders, losers from Loserville population “Tooters.” Good old Biblical creationism is Lord and Savior, and that would be Hambo, followed by the ICR machine … annnnnnnnnnnnnd … that’s it. Only two outfits attract any cash. Waaaaaaaaaayyyyyy down below ICR are the Tooters with their tiny handful of donors and even tinier range of influence.
*FUD – fear, uncertainty and doubt