"In August of 2003, Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Joe Alston attempted to block the sale of Grand Canyon: A Different View, by Tom Vail, a book explaining how the park’s central feature developed on a biblical rather than an evolutionary time scale. NPS Headquarters, however, intervened and overruled Alston. To quiet the resulting furor, NPS Chief of Communications David Barna told reporters that there would be a high-level policy review, distributing talking points stating: 'We hope to have a final decision in February [2004].' In fact, the promised review never occurred. [...] 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.'"
I'm fine with some of my tax money going to support the presentation of fairy tales. I like the idea that the libraries in our schools have made-up stories in them, and that I can see public art depicting scenes that did not and could not occur. But when the fairy tales and made-up stories that I paid for are presented as fact, nothing could be futher from appropriate. There was no 'great flood,' period. The Grand Canyon formed over a long period of time due to natural forces, period. There is no 'different view' of these facts that is not based on telling lies to oneself - and now, to others.
I'm proud to be a member of the reality based community. It's the community that makes medicine, non-animal transportation, telecommunication, and all the rest of the modern (ie since the dawn of agriculture) world possible. Christians may act like if they believe hard enough that things come true, but reality doesn't work that way. If it did, my desire that they would leave this planet like they've been promising for 2,000 years would come true and we could get on with things.
Post a Comment