dan sexton writes:

But evolution is not science. Neither is archeology and much of astronomy.

Well, of course those things are science, but never mind.

Let's assume that all current scientific explanations of how life came into being are 100% wrong. That somehow, with all of the science we've gotten right, using the exact same methods we completely bungled the origins of the universe.

Would this mean that a mythical or superstitious explanation must be correct? No. It would only mean that we have not yet found the correct natural, scientific explanation.

This is like forensic experts analyzing a murder scene and, being unable to determine the identity of the true killer from the evidence, throwing up their hands and saying, "God must have done it!"

Former Boston Red Sox player Carl Everett stated a few years back that dinosaurs are a myth because they are not mentioned in the Bible. Asked what all those skeletons in the Natural History museums are, Carl patiently explained that they are fake bones.

I can only imagine what Carl thinks of this heathen, anti-God museum. Dinosaurs, indeed!

Too funny.

Implicit in these expressions of censure is that freedome of the first amendment might not be for this kind of speech.

Nice strawman, that.

There is no "implicit" notion that people should not be free to express their belief in universe-by-abracadabra.

The corollary to that, however, is that since they are free to spew their idiocy, I am free to call them stupid.

For what it's worth, however, the First Amendement only refers to the powers available to the Federal government. If you start in on some ramble about Creationism and I tell you to shut the fuck up I am not treading on your First Amendement rights. I am not the Federal government, and I can tell you to be quiet if I want to. If you are on my property I can have you hauled away for trespassing. If you are my employee, I can have you fired for insubordination or inappropriate workplace behavior. If you spend 27 million "Christian" dolllars to build a museum for lobotomy patients, I can tell everyone in earshot that you are a hypocrite and a bad Christian.

Ahh, love that freedom of speech!

Lewis Black said it best: These morons watch the Flintstones and think they're watching a documentary!

(btw, how did (Just for Men-Grecian Formula)Adam and(Cher)Eve start out as Caucasians in the Middle East?? Can Darwin explain THAT????)

Some of us are capable of extrapolating the subtle and not so subtle effects, the wide ranging implications of a museum dedicated to fantasy, but not intended for that purpose.

You can have any belief you want, and say anything you want and I'll support your right to do so. That doesn't mean I am not able to parse the rhetoric and doctrine for gross inconsistencies, and then talk about them with others in a public forum. Who is really trying to curtail freedoms here?

That also doesn't mean I shouldn't critique Churches who use their tax-free status to build equally gross wealth, to build disgusting "super-churches" that are more like malls, and 27 million dollar museums while there are starving people and people in need-which was historical Jesus' primary work.

The fact that they spent it on an endeavor, the intent of which is to indoctrinate the young before they have the tools to discern fancy from supported reality, is another matter.

One cannot be a Christian, and build financial wealth without cherry picking the bible...which is supposed to be "true" from beginning to end...as one would have to ignore this pretty relevant passage: "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

Why else would these people feel the need to defend their "faith" with websites full of arguments against "evolutionists"?

If they really had faith, they wouldn't need to defend it for a single breath. Get it?

I also agree with those posters who assert that building this "museum" is unchristian. You can feed a lotta poor folks for $27 million. Heck, just turn the "museum" into a shelter for poor folks. They can then sleep snugly beneath the T-Rexes since they're vegans.

of not-quite-concealed lollies on Eve. And she's smiling dreamily at Adam. And they're just no more than up to their

in water lilies. I don't think that Bible-believing Christians should or will take their children to such a bawdy place.

Title 9 in under a year, say I.

People keep noting that 40% of Americans believe in creationism, and are shocked. I wouldn't put too much stock in that figure, though. People say they believe what they are told they should believe, but that's different from really believing something. People go to churches where they are told that the bible is literal truth, and so must believe in the historical truth of creationism. So, that's what they say when asked. But on another day, if asked, "do you believe dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago?" I think a lot of that 40% would say 'yes.' People seem to have an ability to maintain mutually contradictory sets of beliefs, some weak and some strong. I think what's different about what's happened in the US (vs. Europe), is the successful top-down Falwellian effort to get Americans to have a surface belief in an idea that doesn't match what they believe at a deeper level. This is related to how republicans keep winning elections when deep down voters seem to hold more progressive beliefs in universal health insurance, a robust social saftey net, an end to war, etc.

we have a few fundamentalists in the family but no one has asked them the dino question yet

A

To parody our What Would Jesus Do (WWJD) neighbors...

What Would Tony Soprano Say (WWTSS)?

In an episode after Tony is recovering from getting shot by Junior, some religious people pray for him, and he starts to kinda see their point about the Afterlife...but then, they come to visit him while Tony's reading a picture book about dinosaurs, something he wants to give to another child. The religious "minister" guy comments that the dinosaur myth is just that...that dinosaurs were created in the Garden, just as Adam and Eve.

Tony retorts "So your basically saying humans were walking the earth the same time as the dinosaurs? Like on the Flintstones?"