There is a serious disconnect between the Republican Party's propaganda and reality.  This is hardly surprising, given the conservatives' adoption of the Bible as sole reference and guide.  While it is tempting to seek simple answers to complex questions, answers generated only from religious tenets developed without the consideration of science are woefully incomplete.  The quest for solutions to the pressing problems we encounter requires the consideration of all possible sources of information, not just the carefully controlled notions we are fed from Washington.

Congress, dominated by the party of "less government", seems more than willing to insert their personal religious beliefs into every aspect of lawmaking.  Certainly, religion has its place in the discussions, but it should not supersede the Constitution in the crafting of laws.   In their zeal, they seek to circumvent the separation of powers that provides checks and balances against domination by the majority.  They further disregard the separation of church and state, wisely included by the founding fathers.   Perhaps it is time to apply their own methods, requiring a test of their constitutional understanding akin to the "No Child Left Behind" exams they now require of students. 

We cannot afford to hobble our efforts to find solutions to the many difficulties we face by rejecting scientific investigation in favor of arbitrary explanations handed down through the millennia by generations that did not understand the rational nature of the universe.  The scientific method, slow and painstaking, often provides partial answers as the quest for understanding progresses, yet science has given us amazing technologies that can feed the world and treat disease, dramatically increasing the quality and lengths of our lives.  We must insist that our political leaders understand the scientific method at least as well as they understand their chosen religions.