In exchange with child, Perry calls evolution a "theory" - with "gaps"
Republican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
/ AP Photo/Cheryl SenterUpdated: 5:33 p.m. ET
Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry on Thursday said the theory of evolution has "some gaps in it."
The Texas Governor, speaking at an event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was answering a little boy's questions about science when his mom urged him to question the conservative politician on evolution.
"I hear your mom was asking about evolution," Perry told the boy. "That's a theory that is out there - and it's got some gaps in it."
He added: "In Texas we teach both Creationism and Evolution in our public schools -- because I figure you're smart enough to figure out which one is right."
According to the Statesman, however, Texas has yet to approve any textbooks that actually teach creationism. Despite a contentious debate several years ago, the results of which ostensibly opened the door to including "alternate" evolution theories like intelligent design and creationism in Texas textbooks, none of the high school biology submissions considered this year included those theories. A submission that endorsed intelligent design did not even make the Education Commissioner's recommended list.
Perry is known for his deeply Christian views, and has been described as "more explicitly religious than many people who have run for president or have been president."
The little boy initially asked Perry how old he thought the earth was.
"You know what, I don't have any idea - I know it's pretty old, so it goes back a long, long ways," the presidential candidate responded. "I'm not sure anybody actually knows completely and absolutely how old the earth is."
Fellow GOP presidential contender Jon Huntsman responded to Perry's comments via Tweet on Thursday: "To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy," he wrote.
Earlier this week, Perry suggested global warming was a hoax and that scientists were manipulating data for financial gain.
Rick Perry on the campaign trail
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Where? Every so called discovery has been proven to be debunked. There are plenty of signs of micro-evolution (within a species) but there has NEVER been any discovered proof of macro (one species into another) nor Life evolution (life from nothing). In fact, microbiology has proven much of the theories of Evolution unlikely.
Just a simple question, if life evolved slowly over time, when the fish came on land, which evolved first? The reproductive system, the respitory system, the digestive system or the muscular system? Science has proven, through Health Science, that no living organism can exist without those, but you take a fish and give him legs, he can just "walk" up on land.. he has to use water to breath constantly.. a land based diet would kill him instantly and he would need a mate... a second fish that evolved exactly the same way... at the same time...
For this to happen, would need to be within the normal life cycle of ONE LIFE.. how many life cycles have been observed by man? And yet we have ZERO signs of this ever happening???
1. In the first, the earth emerges from the waters, and is, therefore, saturated with moisture. In the second, the whole face of the ground requires to be moistened.
2. In the first, the birds and the beasts are created before man. In the second, man is created before the birds and the beasts.
3. In the first, all fowls that fly are made out of the waters. In the second, the fowls of the air are made out of the ground.
4. In the first, man is created in the image of god. In the second, man is made from the dust of the ground and is merely animated with the breath of life; and it is only after his eating the forbidden fruit that, 'The Lord God said, 'Behold, the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil.'
5. In the first, man is made lord of the whole earth. In the second, he is merely placed in the Garden of Eden 'To dress it and to keep it.'
6. In the first, man and woman are created together, as the closing and completing work of the whole creation --, created also, as if evidently implied, in the same kind of way, to be complement to one another, and, thus created, they are blessed together.
In the second, the birds and beasts are created between the man and woman. First, the man is made of dust of the ground; he is placed by himself in the garden, charged with a solemn command, and threatened with a curse if he breaks it: then the birds and beasts are made, and the man gives names to them, and, lastly, after all this, the woman is made out of one of his ribs, but merely as a helpmate to the man.
The fact is, that the second account of creation, together with the story of the fall, is manifestly composed by a different writer altogether from him who wrote the first, creating gaps so wide and distinct that evolution appears to be a solid continuum.