The Chair of The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is a Christian Scientist!
My Encounter with The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Last week I wrote a post entitled “Black Holes and Political Ignorance.” In it I quoted Representative Lamar Smith (R-Texas) who, reacting to the recent news that black holes might not exist, said: ““Going forward, members of the House Science Committee will do our best to avoid listening to scientists.” A footnoted disclaimer appeared at the bottom of the page informing readers that the quote was taken from a satirical piece and that the representative had not said this.
The same day I received an email from Zachary Kurz, the Communications Director for the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Kurz had become aware of my piece, which had been reprinted in Humanity+ Magazine, where the disclaimer was inadvertently omitted. Mr. Kurz requested that I update the piece to inform my readers that Chairman Smith had not actually said: “the House Science Committee will do our best to avoid listening to scientists.” I notified the editor of the magazine who immediately printed a disclaimer at both the top and bottom of the page.
Republican Representative Lamar Smith of Texas
The reason the communications director is interested in public relations is that one could easily mistake the satire for the real thing. In fact Representative Smith does not listen to scientists because Representative Lamar Smith’s religion is a Christian Scientist !!!!!!!!! For those who don’t know what this means please read on.
Christian Science
Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices belonging to the metaphysical family of new religious movements.[3] It was developed in 19th-century New England by Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), who argued in her book Science and Health (1875) that sickness is an illusion that can be corrected by prayer alone. The book became Christian Science’s central text, along with the Bible, and by 2001 had sold ten million copies in 16 languages.[4] …
There are several key differences between Christian Science and orthodox Christian theology.[9] In particular adherents subscribe to a radical form of philosophical idealism, believing that reality is purely spiritual and the material world an illusion.[10] This includes the view that disease is a mental error rather than physical disorder, and that the sick should be treated, not by medicine, but by a form of prayer that seeks to correct the beliefs responsible for the illusion of ill health.[11] …
Between the 1880s and 1990s the avoidance of medical treatment was blamed for the deaths of several adherents and their children; parents and others were prosecuted for manslaughter or neglect and in a few cases convicted.[13]
Hopefully this gives you a sense of the philosophical beliefs that inform Representative Smith. If you would like you can read about Mary Baker Eddy’s beliefs in animal magnetism, witchcraft, and others superstitions. But the more you read the more you will be convinced that this man should not serve on this committee.
The Implications
Now Rep. Smith has a legal right to hold to whatever ignorant superstitions he likes. He is free to pray when ill rather than see his physician, which is exactly what he should do if he is faithful to his religious principles. It also makes sense that he opposes the expansion of medicaid under the ACA. For he doesn’t believe in medicine—he really doesn’t!
Remember this man chairs the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. If all of us, conservatives, liberals, libertarians, socialists, progressives, and everyone else don’t take steps to change this situation we will live in a theocracy which will slowly return this country to the Dark Ages. And that world of superstition and ignorance before the enlightenment was a horrific place. In it people with the plague prayed furiously … and then died miserably.
FInally, if you are a conservative interested in projecting American power in the world remember that American power depends, not on the outstanding level of physical fitness of the American public, but upon smart bombs, drones, missiles, submarines, engineering, computer software, and an economic policy based on the best economic theory not on economic dogma. Knowledge is power; ignorance leads to suffering.
Here by the way is the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in action. (The most relevant segment begins at about 3 minutes into the video.) Watch the scientifically illiterate Republican members of Congress juvenile attempts to critique climate science. Let us hope the Dark Ages are not reborn.
