The Cartesian view of the universe, i.e it is understandable

[CanIgonow]

on the basis of natural laws produced the most profound changes in human civilization by removing divine forces as determinants of our fate.The American continent was shaped by people who believed that human effort and thinking would be able to transform our world any way we liked.Now come the fundamentalists who have Bush's ear saying Darwin's Origin of Species is blasphemous, the world was created in seven days,stem cell reserach is evil because it toys with the intent of the Lord and so on.How long will it be before we too look like another Iran in the grip of religious fanatics?

[leftofthedial]

1. I will pray to gawd for your soul

you obviously are deluded by your own rationality.

You say we will look like another Iran like that was a bad thing.

[LARED]

2. I hate to break this to you

but the American continent was shaped mostly by people that certainly would have believed this if they were around today.

Darwin's Origin of Species is blasphemous, the world was created in seven days,stem cell research is evil because it toys with the intent of the Lord and so on.

Of course most got over it sometime after 1900 or so.

[Ghetto_Boy]

3. I am a Irish Catholic Democrat and proud to note that the Roman

Catholic Church embraced evolution as a scientific fact in the 1930's. To me it only adds to God's greatness.

[moof]

4. The shape is the result of plate tectonics.

The framers might have had ties to the masons but they were not terraformers.

Now the current administration, they it is feared could terraform but newclear weapons are a pretty crude tool as terraforming goes.

To answer your question

"How long will it be before we too look like another Iran in the grip of religious fanatics?"

Look around, when has it ever not looked like another Iran?

No person neds to offer themselves for a serious run for office if they are not willing to lie and say they believe in Santa Claus or some similar myth.