If It’s Good Enough For Perkins, It’s Good Enough for America

Should it be of concern if a candidate, particularly a vice presidential candidate, thinks that the Earth is only a few thousand years old despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary?

Not at all, says Tony Perkins, who happens to believe exactly that:

As Alaska governor, Sarah Palin endorsed the teaching of creationism alongside evolution in public schools. That would appear to put the Republican vice presidential nominee in the camp of those who endorse a literal interpretation of the Bible to explain life on earth.

On Wednesday, prominent evangelical leader Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council defended Palin and creationism at a breakfast in Washington with reporters.

Asked if candidates who “literally believe the world is 7 or 8,000 years old, which flies in contradiction of all scientific evidence” are qualified for the White House, Perkins replied: “I think so.” He went on to say: “I hold the same beliefs. And there’s a lot of Americans, especially in the faith community, that believe that God created the earth. And there are flaws in the evolutionary theory — and it is a theory … So, certainly doesn’t disqualify her in their minds.”

The fact that Palin is apparently a creationist and that her creationist belief “doesn’t disqualify her in [the] minds” of other creationists is not particularly surprising, nor is it particularly reassuring.