# Ah, Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get More Absurd With Creationism **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 20, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-just-when-you-thought-it-couldnt-get-more-absurd-with-creationism/275806 "2004-11-20T05:52:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-just-when-you-thought-it-couldnt-get-more-absurd-with-creationism/275806/21 "2004-11-20T15:06:14Z")
> [@Dan Norder](#): > > Worse than just the fact the book is being sold is the fact that it was in the _science_ section of the bookstore. That’s what caused the original controversy. It has since moved to the _inspiration_ section, where I have no problem with it (well its still a stupid book, but I have no legal problem). After all the book store is there to sell books about the canyon, it obviously doesn’t mean the federal gov’t endorses everything in those books. Likewise the bronze plaques with psalms may very well be legitimate, after all psalms is good poetry irrespective of its origins, and the gov’t can use it without endorsing christianity, so long as their legitimately trying to decorate the park and not make a religious statement. As for the blocking of publication telling employees that creationism is bunk, that does sound sketchy, but the article isn’t too forthcoming with the details so for all we know the publication could’ve been stopped for other reasons. So I’ll reserve judgement. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-just-when-you-thought-it-couldnt-get-more-absurd-with-creationism/275806/22 "2004-11-20T16:09:34Z")
It’s far worse than one might think. This administration is so in the pocket of the fundies that they are forcing officials to _flood the canyon on purpose_ to re-create the Biblical flood! [http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/11/20/grand.canyon.flooding.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/11/20/grand.canyon.flooding.ap/index.html) Sure, they claim it’s for environmental reasons… ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-just-when-you-thought-it-couldnt-get-more-absurd-with-creationism/275806/23 "2004-11-20T16:59:57Z")
Well, a lot of institutions that we might consider to be “taxpayer-supported” are becoming more and more “somewhat taxpayer subsidised,” based on their profit and loss balance. So they have to exists more and more as commercial ventures. Now, in the recent election, the big “message” from the voters was that America is a tradtional-values, churchgoing type of country. May or may not be a misinterpretation, but the one that came across nonetheless. So, the message is received, but not just by Washington, as expected, but by Madison Avenue (figuratively; the entire advertising industry, the bulk of which is actually in California these days). This doesn’t mean that the current glut of vulgarity in the mass media will cease, Janet Jackson’s mammary glands notwithstanding, since there’s still money to be made in that direction. However, the election showed a clear demographic of 50+ million households that hasn’t been properly exploited. So far its been mostly fundies selling to fundies. Brace yourselves for what will happen when people whose only religion is Marketing get going. The fundies have the money. The Parks need the money. Publishers know how to get the money. The only science involved is economics. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-just-when-you-thought-it-couldnt-get-more-absurd-with-creationism/275806/24 "2004-11-20T17:23:50Z")
> [@Slithy Tove](#): > > The fundies have the money. The Parks need the money. Publishers know how to get the money. The only science involved is economics. And what a dismal science that is! As someone already noted, there was a GD thread about this some time ago. Much ado about nothing. It’s a freakin’ book store. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-just-when-you-thought-it-couldnt-get-more-absurd-with-creationism/275806/25 "2004-11-20T18:07:30Z")
> [@Martin Hyde](#): > > Well first this is the Pit. In one of the stickie’s here, the mods and other’s point out the absurdity of doing things like, “And since this is the Pit: Fuck.” I’ve seen Pit threads get kicked to GD because they were civil discussions, just because we’re here doesn’t mean it’s obligatory to fling insults. > [@](#): > > Secondly I was just patronizing you as you were and are attempting to patronize me. Wasn’t being patronizing. > [@](#): > > I was making simple conversation. Geology has proven that there was a huge flood in that region at one time, in fact prior to the huge flood that occured there during antiquity there was a mother of all floods there during prehistory. And, perhaps, unintenionally, leaving an opening for some of our posters, who do labor under the misguided apprehension to jump in and say, “See! See! This proves that the Bible was telling the truth about Noah’s flood!” > [@](#): > > What does it have to do with the grand canyon? Nothing, the grand canyon was formed because of many years of erosion caused by running water. A flood would be hard pressed to cause a deep gouging erosion ala the grand canyon. Yup. **John Mace** , I’d agree, except for the fact that the park has stopped mentioning the age of the Grand Canyon, which is kind of important if you’re trying to edumacate folks about the place. Ya know that some of the Fundies make the argument that since God created the Earth, we can pretty much do with it as we please. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-just-when-you-thought-it-couldnt-get-more-absurd-with-creationism/275806/26 "2004-11-20T18:19:29Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > **John Mace** , I’d agree, except for the fact that the park has stopped mentioning the age of the Grand Canyon, which is kind of important if you’re trying to edumacate folks about the place. Ya know that some of the Fundies make the argument that since God created the Earth, we can pretty much do with it as we please. If ture, that’s troubling, but there’s a lot of disinformation floating around about this story and I’m skeptical that it’s as simple as that. For example, if you go to the GD thread, you’ll find that the “religious plaques” mentoned in the same apragraph were donated by a group of nuns and are simply meant as inspirational passages. I don’t see anything wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-just-when-you-thought-it-couldnt-get-more-absurd-with-creationism/275806/27 "2004-11-20T18:27:04Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > If ture, that’s troubling, but there’s a lot of disinformation floating around about this story and I’m skeptical that it’s as simple as that. For example, if you go to the GD thread, you’ll find that the “religious plaques” mentoned in the same apragraph were donated by a group of nuns and are simply meant as inspirational passages. I don’t see anything wrong with that. Well, some people don’t see the harm in putting a monument of the Ten Commandments in a Federal Court House, either. If you’re going to allow one religious marker, then you’ve got to allow them all. Think that the Park Service would be hunky dory with a plaque containing quotes by Henry David Theoreau signed by the Church of Satan? (You know, “This Plaque Donated By the Sulfuric Church of Satan, Tucson, AZ.”) How long do you think that those would last, if they managed to be put up? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-just-when-you-thought-it-couldnt-get-more-absurd-with-creationism/275806/28 "2004-11-21T15:35:35Z")
> [@Dan Norder](#): > > Worse than just the fact the book is being sold is the fact that it was in the _science_ section of the bookstore. Yeah, but that’s par for the course in most bookstores. Ever take a look in the psychology section? In the philosophy section? In the history section? I think many bookstore workers frustratingly put books in categories where they don’t belong just because there is no Woo Woo Tinfoil Hat Bogus Pseudoscience section. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-just-when-you-thought-it-couldnt-get-more-absurd-with-creationism/275806.md?page=1)