His opponents will get some mileage from the Republican’s answer to question about “creationism” in a debate.

He did not propose this as a vital educational reform. He did not advocate removing evolution from the curriculum. He merely said that he would not oppose a local school board including such a component.

It’s never safe to trust the truth value of a politician’s defense of someone else in his own party. Let’s fact-check John Frary’s claim about Paul LePage. What did Paul LePage actually say?

Debate transcript, May 27, 2010:

Full text of question posed by Maine Public Radio’s Jennifer Rooks: “Do you believe in creationism, and do you think it should be taught in Maine public schools?”

Full text of answer by Paul LePage: “I would say intelligence, uh, the more education you have the more knowledge you have the better person you are and I believe yes and yes.”

John Frary Claim #1: “He did not propose this as a vital educational reform.”
Verdict: FALSE. In a gubernatorial debate, candidates speak about what they would do as governor. When asked “Do you believe in creationism, and do you think it should be taught in Maine public schools?”, Paul LePage unequivocally declared “I believe yes and yes.” Yes, Paul LePage thinks creationism should be taught in Maine public schools. It was a reform proposal made specifically and voluntarily by Paul LePage.

John Frary Claim #2: “He did not advocate removing evolution from the curriculum.”
Verdict: TRUE. But nobody claims that Paul LePage is advocating this. Run a google search for “Paul LePage” and “remove evolution” and you’ll get… nothing at all. Tomorrow, you’ll get nothing. John Frary is engaged in an attempt to change the subject from creationism, a subject Paul LePage declares he thinks should be taught in Maine public schools.

John Frary Claim #3: “He merely said that he would not oppose a local school board including such a component.”
Verdict: FALSE. Paul LePage did not equivocate. He did not couch his support for creationism in public schools in terms of “local school boards” or “components.” Paul LePage made the broad declaration, “Yes,” he thinks creationism should be taught in public schools.

If you live in Maine and you think creationism is for Sunday School and science is for public school, now is the time to come out and say so. After Paul LePage is elected governor, it will be too late.

It’s the Pug of Doom bumper sticker.

Anyone who’s ever known a pug understands the delicious absurdity of this sticker. Pugs are weird, affectionate, snorting, cute, completely harmless, silly, disturbingly snotty, dogs. There isn’t a whiff of doom about them.

In my mind, this Pug of Doom idea takes the idea of the pug personality and turns it on its head, almost as if the pug could be posing as a dangerous dog, when in reality, it’s just a friendly little odd animal that needs special care and attention.

Hm… Wait a minute. Is this bumper sticker perhaps a commentary on teenagers from supportive, comfortable families who pose as if they’ve got edge? Could it be a statement about affluent, safe Americans who like to pretend that they’re under constant danger from terrorists?

Well, maybe it is a progressive bumper sticker, then, in a way, with this message: Let’s all stop taking on this pose that we’re on some kind of dark and dangerous path. Let’s drop the security obsession. Let’s recognize people who are truly in need, and help them, instead of wallowing in an entertainment world of pretend problems.

Let’s not be pugs of doom.

(Also available as a t-shirt)

This bumper sticker puts a jar of peanut butter in place of the coiled snake of the Gadsden flag to tenderly poke fun at Americans’ bristly political nature. Yes, yes, defend liberty! But by all means have a sandwich first; activism in the defense of freedom can take up a lot of calories.

We should by all means continue to wash our hands. But to counter the swine flu and bird flu hysteria that’s spreading around like some kind of virus, why not slap this sticker onto your car and remind people it’s OK to inhale?

My Swine Flu Can Beat Up Your Bird Flu Bumper Sticker

A lot of the time, our target is the world’s dominant religion, Christianity. Big power invites great satire, after all.

All religions are ripe for satirical scrutiny, however. That includes the Hindu-Buddhist tradition, with its emphasis on detachment from the everyday world, and all the things that truly matter to most of us.

Be here now, the Buddhist instruction for mindfulness tells us. Really, though, what are our imaginations for, if not to take us somewhere else now, when we would rather not be here?

This bumper sticker offers a gentle response to the mindful approach: Be Over There Now.

That’s the argument made by a growing number of Americans, who say that they don’t trust science, and think that major policy decisions should be made merely on the basis of “common sense” or “gut instinct” – emotional guesses about what people want to be true.

This bumper sticker responds to the critics. Science doesn’t matter, unless you care about reality.

Think for yourself? Aren’t Catholics just supposed to follow the teachings of their church?

Well, the priests of the Catholic Church like to say a whole lot of things about how things have to be – but then they go about breaking their own rules. The truth about Catholicism is that it’s not a purely top-down religious tradition. The Catholic laity makes decisions about Catholicism just as much as the priests, and what Catholics actually do is often very different from what Catholic priests say they do.

So, yes, many Catholics like to think for themselves, not just take orders. Guess what? Most Catholics are pro-choice, because they don’t check their brains as they enter the pews.

Our foreign policy reflects this limited view, designed as if the needs of the United States are the only important thing in the world. Place this bumper sticker on your car to remind your neighbors on the road that the planet Earth is bigger than just the USA

This bumper sticker is for part of the new North Carolina, in which private beliefs are actually, you know, a matter of private conscience: North Carolina atheists.

While we’re at it, let’s point the way to some organizations for North Carolina atheists and other sorts of nontheist freethinkers:

Western North Carolina Atheists

North Carolina Atheists on AtheistNexus

Triangle Ethical Humanists

Piedmont Freethought Association

If they want to practice a form of religion that’s out of touch with the present day world, that’s their business. Unfortunately, the right wing Christian activists can never leave it at that. They’ve got to go around telling everyone else what to do.

As far as these religious zealots are concerned, there’s only one right way to do things: Their way, as defined by the rules made by shepherds thousands of years ago. It’s time to tell the Religious Right, loud and clear, Get Your Bible Off My Body!