Up to the parents. Ok, that´s fine, but remember that there are millions of booger-eating American morons out there "raising" kids who are far too ignorant to take care of even themselves. If you don´t think so, spend a little time watching daytime loser television.

U no I meen?

Certain things such as racism, hating, superstition, brain-dead fundamentalism and all the rest don´t come naturally to little kids. They have to be taught -- usually by their idiot parents.

that´s a dispute amongst theologians

Earth´s age is a matter of theology?

Hey Marco, ever heard of Geology?

No wonder educated voters are so allergic to GOP (that is a matter of fact based on polling, I am just a messenger here!) - scientific illiteracy.

Obviously, the whole point of this interview was to get Rubio to commit Akin-Mourdock on himself. These Dems plan ahead. Allow me to offer a bit of advice. Just say no to these interviews, or, if you can´t stop yourself, say I´m not going to comment on that. I am here to talk about public policies about which I have concerns, expertise and interest relating to the survival of the republic.

The operative word is THEORY!

Anyone that considers Theories Facts are pompus idiots...Al Bore comes to mind...as do 99.999% of the Libs. If the theory fit the agenda, shazamm, it´s TRUE! BS

#2, he´s referring to the dispute where literalists want to take the KJV 7 days as 7 24 hour periods and those who explain the word used that was translated back then as day meant an indeterminate amount of time: (a nano-sec or 5 trillion years or something in-between, who knows?) and so the Bible as a phenomenological work doesn´t say exactly how long or how it was done, just that it happened and in what order.

Be carfull of saying people are "scientifically Illiterate" if they express an opinon that differse from yours. Remember when scientists scoffed at the idea of plate tectonics? Now its been proven and expains how earthquakes happen. I´m an "old earther" myself. But remember that the Bible is not a science book. It is a book about our relationship with each other and with God.

Rubio did okay but he needed to use fewer words. Or, better yet, he could stay away from gotcha magazine interviews.

Thank goodness. He has quickly proven himself an idiot. Next!

Quite true about the dispute between the literalists and the allegorists, #5. But Rubio is a Roman Catholic, is he not? He could simply have cited RC teaching on theistic evolution and left it at that.

The Hill will normally put the worst spin on anything a GOP pol says.

That headline is awkward and makes it sound as if Rubio is granting parents a right to raise their children.

But I agree with his thrust, what you personally believe about God, or a biblical creation, or dinosaurs, or the Big Bang, is not a President´s concern or business.

The President is limited and not Czar or Pharaoh. I hope it remains that way. The trend is not good.

I do not understand why Our guys simply cannot exhibit the solid common sense that #3 exhibits in his reply. For heavens sake, Senator, you just walked into the trap.

During my childhood, Carl Sagan was the final authority on the universe. No one takes Sagan´s "Star Stuff . . . always was and always will be . . ." bunk any more. Stephen Hawking wiped Sagan off the face of scientific the map. And to think I was expected to believe it or people would make fun of me!

I have no more regard for a geologist´s opinion of the earth´s age than Hawking has for Sagan´s opinion of the universe.

Geologists are too quick to rest on their closed minded laurels.

Rubio is right! Government needs to Butt out!

The ignorance of science on these threads never ceases to astound and sadden me.

No wonder Obama won again.

1. This has nothing whatsoever to do with governing. It´s a ´gotcha´ exercise by the media Leftists. #3 is correct.

2. Discussing the aspects of geologic age and Creationism is in general a Fool´s Errand.

3. Rubio does not meet the Constitutional requirements for President or Vice-President. It wastes time and is embarrassing to see so much fawning over him.

#4, the precise scientific definitions/uses of ´theory´ and ´hypothesis´ are important, but rarely understood or used correctly by ´civilians.´

I might vote for Akin, I might vote for Mourdock, probably would in spite of my knowing they were scientific illiterates, since I know that their opposition is as well, and I like other aspects of their beliefs.

But it sure is sad, and double-sad to see Rubio is another one. That´s two strikes against Rubio, btw, his announced positions on immigration and high-tech jobs was #1.

If he gains 300 pounds before the 2016 primaries, that would be a third strike.

Still what the heck, I voted for Romney and I didn´t like him, either.

But yeah, it would be highly amusing to hear Obama asked this question. He probably thinks the world was hatched out of a giant green poobah bird egg just moments before his own birth.

#2, your take on why ´educated´ people shun the GOP is ironic when you think about it. First of all the ´educated´ people I think you refer to are liberals, correct? I understand their shock that any ´educated´ person would believe anything written in the Bible. They know all about the world, reality, ´science,´ and pretty much the collective wisdom of all of humanity. Just ask them something. Guns? Oh, you will get an earful about the savage nature of humans and how some humans must protect them from themselves. Money? Sure, when you have wasted all of your savings, charge MORE. You´ll be back on your feet in no time. Sex? Easy, gay marriage is actually better somehow and babies aren´t babies. Next question?

It is about faith, miracles, nature, life and love. On the one hand you have a guide to help you overcome your base instincts and on the other you have ´enlighten´ examples like George Soros. Do you think George respects anyone or anything over himself?

The irony part is ´educated´ people mock people of faith, but they worship and have absolute faith in a media that shapes EVERY bit of information through a leftist filter. Which is why headlines that we saw every day with Bush, never appear with a Pres who let an ambassador be murdered by incompetence or neglect.

It hasn´t been that long ago that science taught the steady state theory and an eternal universe and creationists believed the universe had a beginning or that there was something called Piltdown man, or that we were all at risk of global cooling. Science isn´t quite as settled as some would say.

Way to snap up the social issues bait, Marco, ol´ chump. Now the ´Rats already have the first sound bite to use against you.

Re: #13 - I am a Christian and a geologist. Were I and my colleagues close minded, you would not have fuel in your tank. As a profession, we are not remotely related to the global warming-type of "scientists" and are largely very conservative.

This is a disappointing string of comments. First of all, the media is already out to destroy anyone even slightly viable for 2016 - so sure, let´s help. Second, there is some argument that Obama doesn´t meet the Constitutional requirements to be President either. But he just go re-elected. Maybe we should hold our fire for now.

I am not a young Earth creationist, but I do believe in First Amendment protections for the free pratice of religion and understand that the young Earth creationists are no so much rejecting science as they are beliving in the ability of God to perform supernatural miracles that cannot be explained by science. While I don´t necessarily understand or agree with the need of many Fundamentalists to believe in a young Earth or the literal truth of every word in the Bible, I often find the faith in God that drives them admirable and do not find the believe in a young Earth worthy of mockery. Unless your doctor tries to whip out some leeches to treat your cancer, does it really matter how old they think the Earth is or whether they believe that every word in the Bible is literally true?

Science changes all the time. Remember when dinosaurs were cold blooded and dragged their tails? Well, until they didnt. Does DC current flow from positive to negative, or negative to positive? It depends when you went to school or what day of the week it is. Remember when a processor could not switch faster that 333Mhz because electricity couldnt move any faster than that? Gee, thats kind of out the window, too.
Science prides itself on its method, but it is no more accurate and far less lasting than theology.
Teach your kids what you believe to be true. It cant possibly be any more wrong than what the educated elites are teaching.

Since radio-carbon dating only dates back, at most, in the tens of thousands of years, the theories about the age of the earth are based on assumptions about half-lives, etc. and extrapolations that are much less reliable. The simple truth is that no one knows for sure how old the earth is. And not even a credible theory for how life sprung up from the rocks.

Agree w/posters that it was a "gotcha" Q.

Here´s what I would have said:
"Theories will always abound about how old the earth is, since there are about 16 geological/astrophysical ways to try to measure it. A thorough education would include exploring every single one of them."

Why must we constantly be forced to choose between radical, socialist liberal who want to destroy our country and radical, religious zealots who want to force their religious dogma on our country?

According to Gallup´s 2012 poll, only 15% do not believe in God being involved in the origins of the Earth. A majority believe that God did it as is (46%) and the rest believe God guided the process. So this is only an issue to atheist activists. Their outcry is meaningless.

Here is th only acceptable answer: "Parents? Teaching their children? Nonsense. First of all, children do not belong to their parents, far less to amy imaginary ´God´ in the sky. Children belong to the State, and the Stae will determine what its children will be taught. Parents only have two jobs: to shut up and pay up."

It was a gotcha. He strode right into it. The fatal flaw in trying to seem sophisticated and worldly. Better to keep it simply.

Rubio is trying so hard to impress that you can almost feel him straining. Such eager beavers give me pause. Better a bit more slow and steady - and street smart.

As for those leeches mentioned by #22, they are back in medicine, enabling such esoteric procedures as the reattachment of "appendages":

Sherman said the primary use today is draining congested blood in damaged appendages or skin flaps. The leeches have a natural anticoagulant that breaks up small clots and keeps new ones from forming. That allows pools of blood to drain and keeps blood flowing freely until new vessels connect.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-01-23/health/bs-hs-medical-leeches-20110116_1_leeches-medical-devices-medical-science

And then there´s Einstein, who upended all notions of space and time. There is so much we don´t know.

The Lord works in mysterious ways. Why couldn´t he have created evolution snd then give us the brains to figure it out? Evolution doesn´t disprove God.

I fail to understand the doubt about Rubio´s eligibility for the Presidency. He was born in the USA to parents who were legal immigrants (and who were naturalized four years after he was born). That makes him a citizen "born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction therof."

In the entire scheme of things, does it really make any difference what the age of Earth is?

What Rubio should say in 2016:
´´Why don´t you ask my opponent Joe Biden, who is old enough to have been here when it all started.´´

I´m sick of Republican candidates feeling that they have to appease Young Earth Cretinists (no, that was not a typo).

For most of human history time was counted by sunrise and sunset and edited by season and there were no years just the span from one full moon to the next.
The Bible even credits God with a thousand years in his sight could be as a day. So how was that day counted?
It´s time for all the natural born thinkers to read the 14th amendment and decide why should they use a British common law ruling of who and why is anyone a citizen of the United States. uThe constitution is not based on those type of common law.
It´s time to quit eating our own expounding impossible standards that will please the far right and insist that is conservatism.

I´m tired of people who want to impose their religion--oops, I mean--"science" on the rest of us. Atheists are very welcome in the other party.

Time is relative. I have been at family get togethers where time appears to stop...

We are but a drop on a slide in a scientist laboratory. Right now the contents are expanding as we spread out on the slide but will one day start to contract as we dry out. Proving both theory´s of an expanding and a contacting universe.

See this for a view of galaxies.
http://tinyurl.com/cojuv7z
Some may say these are but protozoa. They are just the tiny bits we see whereas the scientist in the other universe see us as protozoa and others look at them the same way.

Eventually if we kick open the locker door (Men in Black 2 ref) we might see who is the "chief" scientist.....

Another pretty boy nitwit. When asked questions that are and will be outside your job description, re-direct the conversation.

Parents can teach their children there is a Santa Claus and they will be able to vote for Him.