I would go further and also state that it undermines our standing in the world and increases the likelihood that foreign nations will move further ahead on a competitive level as it pertains to new innovations.
One side bar: with regards to politicians. In my personal opinion, a scientific literacy test is irrelevant mainly due to the fact that the majority of politicians, even those that supposedly adhere to these dogmatic philosophies are doing so strictly because it garners them votes. I have no doubt in my mind that most do not share these beliefs and if the pendulum swung in the opposite direction, they would immediately switch sides if it was politically convenient.
There are a few exceptions: Gohmert from Texas and Bachmann from Minnesota actually do believe this nonsense. However, they are easily placed in the 'Totally Batshit' camp and very few individuals take them seriously except their local constituents, most of which likely have limited to no education.
"Our future lies not in our dogmatic past, but in our enlightened present"
™ Version 4.2
