Ben Carson is known for both his neurosurgeon background, and his controversial religious beliefs. While he was able to balance his devout Christianity and commitment to science as a surgeon, he is having trouble avoiding criticism from the scientific community regarding some of his perceivably "anti-science" views. The candidate has said that vaccines should be "spread out," that he sees no evidence of global warming, and that "the Big Bang is a fairytale." In a new interview with the New York Times, Carson explains his views on a number of topics, including vaccinations, same-sex couples, creationism, football injuries, and his career as a neurosurgeon. Carson addressed the criticism that has been lobbed at him, and defended his faith throughout the interview.
In response to a question regarding vaccinations, Carson responded, "My point was that there are a lot of people who are so concerned about the load of vaccines that they are getting in a very short period of time that they may abandon the use of vaccines altogether, which would be a very significant public health issue for us. I think we have to be willing to talk with them and to look at alterations in schedule."
The interview went on to address issues such as the high occurrence of concussions in football, and the doctor's malpractice history. Regarding the cases brought against him, Carson replied, "Considering the number of cases I did, and how complex they were, the number is really quite small." Carson also addressed the public's need to "see carnage," and the necessity of our society to make sure this is done in the safest way possible.
Regarding evolution, Dr. Carson said, "I believe the Bible. I do believe it is the word of God. I do believe he created heavens and earth. It says in Genesis 1, in the beginning God created heaven and earth. Period. We don't know how long that period is before he started the rest of creation. It could be a minute. It could be a trillion years. We don't know. I have never stated that I have an understanding of how old the earth is. That's something that a lot of people will ascribe to me."
