Former child actor Kirk Cameron, has, in recent years, made a name for himself in the world of evangelical Christianity as a staunch defender of what non-scientists on the outer fringes of reality call Creation Science. In this role, he generally appears alongside a fellow named Ray Comfort, who operates something known as Living Waters ministry. If you’re so inclined, you can find dozens of clips on the internet of Cameron, playing the role of an open-minded person on a sincere intellectual quest, posing questions to Comfort, who handily tears holes in the theory of evolution, and warns of the risks inherent in so much as questioning the literal truth of the Bible… Here, on that subject, is a quote from Cameron that’s been getting a lot of press these past few days:

“You can see where [Hitler] clearly takes Darwin’s ideas to some of their logical conclusions and compares certain races of people to lower evolutionary life forms… If you take Darwin’s theory and extend it to its logical end, it can be used to justify all number of very horrendous things.”

Which explains why, I guess, Cameron and Comfort have decided to take their battle to the streets. Over the next several weeks, the duo will be visiting the campuses of America’s most esteemed universities, and challenging the Darwinian status quo. And there’s a clever twist… They’ll be handing out new copies of Darwin’s book “The Origin of Species.” The only difference is that their version will also include the truth, which is to say that, in addition to the words that Darwin 150 years ago, it will contain information about how the earth is 6,000 years old, how fossils were planted by the Devil to make us question our faith, and how dinosaurs coexisted with man… Here’s the plan:

So, I’ve been thinking about how to greet them, assuming they stop in Michigan. At first, I was thinking that we should organize a flash mob to take all of their books. (If I understand correctly, they’re printing 50,000, and visiting 50 schools, which, assuming they don’t sell copies to churches, and independent evangelical activists, would leave about 1,000 copies per university.) The way I was picturing it, we’d get hundreds of people to descend on their location like locusts, requesting copies. Then, once all the copies are handed out, everyone, in unison, would tear out the section written by Comfort, and pitch it into a giant recycling bin. Perhaps, I’m thinking, this could be done while blasting Thomas Dolby’s She Blinded Me with Science. Or, would that be sending the wrong message? Maybe it’s safer just to go with the old standby… Anyway, I’m now thinking that it might be more effective to write an unauthorized intro for one of their books on Darwin’s behalf.

I don’t mean to come across as angry about this. I’m not. I like that they’re traveling around the country, talking about what they believe in. (Even if it’s probably more about raising money from their base than creating any real, substantive dialogue.) And it doesn’t even bother me all that much that they’re probably going to be printing Darwin’s work at a type size that’s impossible to read. It’s a free country, and they can do as they like, as long as they aren’t breaking any laws. I just want to be sure that whenever they appear, people are ready to counter them with the real facts. And the real facts are clear on this matter. Creationism is religion. It is not science. And it has no place in scientific education… So, yes, by all means, debate it on the diag. But don’t bring it into the classroom.

I’d like to be kind and say that everyone with a belief should be able to have his or her belief taught in school, but with global warming, the looming energy crisis, and everything else facing mankind right now, do we really have time for such distractions?

Oh, and speaking of silly distractions, it’s not just that Darwin influenced Hitler. According to Cameron, Darwin also had a “disdain for women.” I joked here several years ago that this is where things were heading. I predicted that, before too long, they’d be coming forward with evidence that Darwin was gay, and that all of his research was just a front which allowed him to travel the world and seduce young boys. And I can see signs that the idea is germinating now.

Speaking of Creationists on tour, I’m also hearing word that Skip Tilton from the Creation Museum is going to be in the area, speaking on October 9 at the New Hope Church of Canton. If anyone wants to go and drop some science on them, let me know.

[This post has been brought to you by Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of Species.”]