Scientist Bill Nye Hammers Creationists: Evolution-Deniers 'Hold Everybody Back,' Harm Children's Education & Hold Views That Will Eventually Be Extinct

Bill Nye was once beloved for being America's brightest and most energetic "science guy." However, the former children's show host ("Bill Nye the Science Guy" aired from 1993 until 1998) is entering more contentious ground of late, as he recently jumped into the political realm to intensely support President Barack Obama's re-election campaign.

But, politics isn't his only area of interest these days. Last week, the famed scientist lashed out against champions of creationism. In a new video for Big Think, an online educational forum, Nye claims that evolution deniers are damaging children and harming scientific progress.

The video, which was posted last Thursday, has already been viewed more than one million times. Entitled, "Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children," the clip holds little back when it comes to the scientist's views on evolutionary denial. In the video, Nye takes particular issue with the fact that America is the only nation in which creationism is so widely embraced.

"Denial of evolution is unique to the United States," he said. "People still move to the United States. And that’s largely because of the intellectual capital we have, the general understanding of science."

His qualms with individuals who don't embrace the notion that human beings evolved goes well beyond mere theological and scientific disagreement. Nye believes that those who tout creationism are actually doing damage to scientific progression.

"When you have a portion of the population that doesn’t believe in that, it holds everybody back, really," he said, going on to say that it's difficult to make sense of life and to attain the proper answers if one denies the scientific theory. "Evolution is the fundamental idea in all of life science -- in all of biology."

Nye went on to plead with parents -- even those who "deny evolution" and live in a "world that's completely inconsistent with everything we observe in the universe" -- to properly educate their children.

"We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future. We need people that can — we need engineers that can build stuff, solve problems," he added.

"In another couple centuries that worldview, I'm sure...just won't exist," Nye concluded. "There's no evidence for it."

As noted, Nye has been speaking out fervently for President Obama's re-election campaign and, as Inquisitr has noted, he's been stumping for him.

(H/T: Inquisitr)