"...For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 13, 2004

PARK SERVICE STICKS WITH BIBLICAL EXPLANATION FOR GRAND CANYON
Promised Legal Review on Creationist Book Is Shelved

Washington, DC — The Bush Administration has decided that it will stand by its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah’s flood rather than by geologic forces, according to internal documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Despite telling members of Congress and the public that the legality and appropriateness of the National Park Service offering a creationist book for sale at Grand Canyon museums and bookstores was “under review at the national level by several offices,” no such review took place, according to materials obtained by PEER under the Freedom of Information Act. Instead, the real agency position was expressed by NPS spokesperson Elaine Sevy as quoted in the Baptist Press News:

“Now that the book has become quite popular, we don’t want to remove it.” (for more details, see URL)

Just a few editorial points that I would make:

(1) It's not Noah's flood, but God's (last time I checked the Bible)

(2) I see parallels between the Taliban destroying those two Buddhas in Afghanistan, and W. and his cohorts laying waste to a 200 year's worth of geological science to replace it with "creationism".

(3) And as a a corollary to (2), George W. and his people are scientific morons.

The ignorance and sheer incompetence of this man is mindboggling

  I truly believe that W believes, as does his Taliban(right-wing christians) that he is appointed by God for the times and is on a direct mission from God!!  If external terrorists don't do this country in, the christian right certainly will!!  The political right-wing extremist christians are just as dangerous as Osama, and any Islamic Jihadist group out there!!  
  I want to puke at the thought that I might have to vote for Kerry.  However, I am truly convinced this is the most dangerous, ignorant, right-wing, and incompetent administration in the history of our nation.  This man may do more harm to this nation and world than Nero did to Rome.  What a truly ignorant fuck!!  As much as I respect and admire Bush Sr. I am appalled that he is not ashamed of such unworthy offspring!!!!!

This dispute has been going on for a long time.  This resolution now is timed to get more fundamentalists to the polls.  They'll probably respond like cattle, as Bush knows they will.  

Principle doesn't matter to the Bush.  It didn't matter to his father, either.  Winning does.  

/Zin  

person support this guy.

Otherwise I may just have to kill myself.

1.  Their God is too small.  God (for them) has came, spoken, and left and (for
    them), there can be no interaction or revelation beyond the understanding of
    religion that they obtained when they were children.
2.  They have forgotten the Reformation.  Luther (along with being an awful person)
    had the fundamental insight that God and people had a personal relationship
    and that no church was required to stand in the way.  The right in America
    (and religious zealots in other countries)  have decided God cannot be trusted
    and want to impose their religious vision on the rest of nation.  It is evil, bigoted,
    and in the end it is anti-religious.  Deciding you are God's messanger and God's
    agent to right the evils of your society and the world is hubrus of the worst sort.  

Harry

   

-- Modified on 10/20/2004 6:18:14 AM

Sorry Omniseeker it's all too true.

Tell your loved ones to keep "sharps" away from you.

Jacob Bronowski initially raised the relationship between art, science and creativity in his '70's PBS series "On the Ascent of Man", now alas largely forgotten.

A key point of Bronowski's was that, scientific effort at it's best was every bit as creative as masterpiece level art. Non-scientists tend to think that scientific achievements are more-or-less inevitable, and that if one scientist doesn't make a discovery another one surely will. Although simultaneous discoveries by more than one scientist do occur in history, the most important ones usually occur because of a singular, immensely insightful individual. For example, a recently recovered copy of Archimedes's The Method (PBS-Nova) indicated that he invented key elements of calculus in the third century B.C.E. It would not be until two thousand years later that Newton and Leibniz would "reinvent" the calculus. Then too, Leonardo da Vinci is simultaneously recognized as one of the world's greatist artists, inventors and scientists. Da Vinci's artistic vision is at the heart of his singular scientific achievements.

How does all of this relate to the George W. administration declaring that the Grand Canyon was caused by "Noah's Flood", and George W. declaring that the "jury is still out" on evolution? Using his narrow prism of fundamental Christianity, George W. is attempting to nullify the best creative work of thousands of scientists. Because of their scientific labors, we all have a deeper understanding of the world that we live in. Since these scientific achievements reflect the best of all us, I cannot believe that I live in a society that will allow this to be swept away by executive fiat. To me, George W. represents one of the "barbarians at the gate".      

-- Modified on 10/20/2004 7:43:53 AM

The best I ever read to look carefully at the integration of sceince, art & creativity and authentic spirituality & human development is a writer named Ken Wilber, a man of enormous intellect.  He looked at human development on all its axes and proposed a comprehensive model to integrate these seemingly divergent types of endeavors.

And, no this view of "spiritual" would not have the kind of thinking that would get the Noah's Ark in Arizona.

You know I love ya, 2, but those who don't like Shrub already think the way you do, and those who are buying the book already believe the lies it panders to.  Those who are secular but support Shrub because he is the figurehead for the Republican Takeover (like most of the R's on this board) just ignore it, because it doesn't matter to them, anyway.  They shrug it off and go right on supporting him because he is "strong on defense, smaller government, and free enterprise".  They couldn't care less, and see no correlation between this issue and how it could ever affect them.

Thanks for sharing, though...always like to be aware of the bones thrown the the God Squad.

LOL!

Actually, you could say about George W. the same that once was said of Bill Buckley -- he is one of the finest minds of the 17th Century.

Hmm! I think I take that statement back. After 4 years of George W., I have rather fond thoughts of Bill.