" Perhaps I ought to be more proactive in challenging their imaginary science"

This sort of attitude has been prevalent in the Christian church for centuries, and has been stated in the thread on Zika an organisation run by old white men for a couple of millennia or so is bound to be totally self-serving whilst ensuring above all it's own survival and it's grip on power

The creationists are the direct intellectual descendants of the Inquisition; they speak with an authority they have not earned and from a position of ignorance of the subjects they proclaim their judgement on. They are so vehement because they are scared of their fragile worldview being challenged by people whose knowledge and understanding far exceeds their own struggling intellects; they cannot even conceive of the nature of the work of those they so readily condemn.

On this day in 1600 Giordano Bruno was burnt at the stake because he had the insight to recognise that the stars were like our sun and could have planets around them, and these planets might harbour life.

He was killed by the same breed of nasty, small-minded cowards that in this age rail against science and free thought, the same breed that denied the inquisition as a tool to spread their fear and ignorance now blow up ancient archeological sites, throw gay people off buildings, stone people and try to rubbish the work of honest scientists and spread their own insidious views into our schools and wider culture.

They should be rebuffed and challenged at every opportunity; they want us to return to the dark ages.