Evolution is a Jewish Conspiracy, says Congressman

A particularly prehistoric congresscritter named Ben Bridges, representative from Georgia -- Cleveland, Georgia, to be specific -- now finds himself the center of controversy because a memo under his name offers the following anti-evolutionary screed:

“Indisputable evidence — long hidden but now available to everyone — demonstrates conclusively that so-called ‘secular evolution science’ is the Big-Bang 15-billion-year alternate ‘creation scenario’ of the Pharisee Religion,” the memo says. “This scenario is derived concept-for-concept from Rabbinic writings in the mystic ‘holy book’ Kabbala dating back at least two millennia.”

The memo calls on lawmakers to introduce legislation that would end the teaching of evolution in public schools because it is “a deception that is causing incalculable harm to every student and every truth-loving citizen.”

It also directs readers to a Web site www.fixedearth.com, which includes model legislation that calls the Kabbala “a mystic, anti-Christ ‘holy book’ of the Pharisee Sect of Judaism.” The Web site also declares “the earth is not rotating … nor is it going around the sun.”

(Emphasis added throughout.) Now, as it happens, I've read some qabalistic writings, mostly the bastardized stuff that floated into the Western Hermetic tradition, but also a smattering of the original material. I've also thumbed through Gershom Scholem's historical writings on the topic. (Note: There are a number of ways to transliterate the Hebrew word QBL, meaning "tradition;" I prefer Qabala.) And here are a few basic facts:

1. There is no one mystic "holy book" called the Kabbalah or Qabala. There is a collection of writings.

2. Although Jewish folklore traces the Qabala to Moses, or even to Adam, the first qabalistic writings are not two thousand years old. The Sefer Yetzirah dates (many believe) the the 10th century. The Zohar, the first qabalistic work of major importance, appeared in Spain in the 13th Century; it is a collection of writings, not a single book.

3. Although the creation of the world is frequently referenced by the qabalistic mystics, nothing in any qabalistic text (or textual summary) I've ever seen indicates any linkage to Darwinism. The idea that Darwin or Copernicus were devoted qabalists is supported by nothing in their personal histories, and by nothing in the qabalistic writings themselves. There may indeed be latter-day qabalists who see a connection between ancient Jewish mystical texts and the theory of the Big Bang, but we can safely consign all such arguments to the file cabinet marked "Ex post facto speculation."

You should take a look at the afore-linked "fixed earth" site if you want to take a gander at a truly primeval worldview.

Indeed, the diligent reader will be astonished at the level of demonstrable hi-tech fraud, baseless assumptions, occult mathematics, etc.,--all part of a religious conspiracy!--that has been at work over many centuries implanting the incredible evolution myth about the origin of the Universe, the Earth, and Mankind.

AIEE! It's a conspiracy!

You may also be interested to see this page (another product of Congressman Bridges' pals), which condemns "Christian Zionism" and decries support for Israel. If you know the American fringe as well I do, you'll recognize some very familiar themes:

This collusion is raising the threat of adopting laws that would make it a “hate-crime” to say or write anything critical of the Jews...or even to pray in Jesus’ name in public places. This is the same type of “hate-crime” law that was passed shortly after the Jewish-dominated Communist government came to power in Russia almost ninety years ago.

Ah, yes -- it's our old friend "Communism = Judaism," an almost unkillable meme.

Normally these cranks would be allowed to fester undisturbed within their small corner of the internet conspiraverse. But note: These sicko southerners actually have a congressman pushing their views.