# Bush and Biblical explanation for the Grand Canyon **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 20, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-and-biblical-explanation-for-the-grand-canyon/270231 "2004-10-20T15:50:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-and-biblical-explanation-for-the-grand-canyon/270231/101 "2004-11-21T16:15:20Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > ??? > > You waited four weeks to take a jab at **Alde** , So what? Is that relevant to this great debate? My posting behavior needs to be discussed here? For your information I had just entered this thread for the first time. > [@](#): > > comparing the building of a mosque 635 years _after_ the destruction of the Temple to covering up some bible verses in a National Park with verses from the Qur’an. Since you believe my motivation is relevant to this great debate, let me tell you that I never intended for this comparison to be anything other than a harmless jab at **Aldebaran** , a poster who is quite willing to mock and jab others. > [@](#): > > Now you’re trying to drag in some nastiness about swastikas defacing a synagogue–a point that has not been part of this discussion, at all. I didn’t try, I did. You read it didn’t you ? Since you turned this thread into a slam on me by whitewashing the impact of the building of a mosque on the Jewish Temple Mount, you need to get some perspective on the significance of that event. You remember what sparked the latest Intafada ? > [@](#): > > Had the Caliph erected a mosque on Temple Mount in 72 or 134 (had there been an Islam at that time) I could see your “riposte” as a mildly heavy handed reply to **Alde** ’s clumsy attempt to mock U.S. SOCAS. Trying to portray the raising of a mosque on the site of the Temple (which was done to _honor_ those traditions Islam inherited from Judaism), simply looks like you woke up with a bad case of indigestion and historical ignorance. To honour the traditions of Judaism??? > [@](#): > > I’ve quite often of defended both Christianity and Judaism when they have actually been attacked. Well whoop de doo and good for you. > [@](#): > > Perhaps a certain need to denigrate Islam colors your perception of my posts on those subjects? Your so vain. You think this thread is about you don’t you? If you re read this thread you will note that my comments here were sparked by **Aldebaran** , not you. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-and-biblical-explanation-for-the-grand-canyon/270231/102 "2004-11-21T17:16:03Z")
> [@](#): > > whitewashing the impact of the building of a mosque on the Jewish Temple Mount, you need to get some perspective on the significance of that event. Well, leaving aside that your “harmless jab” resembled killing gnats with a sledgehammer, your historical “perspective” appears to be non-existent, given that the _building_ of the mosque on a plain of abandoned rubble did not cause any friction at the time and that the current hostility is due to current troubles. This _is_ the **Straight Dope** and we _should_ be fighting ignorance, not promoting it. This exchange is not about me, at all; it is about keeping even humor informed instead of ignorant. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-and-biblical-explanation-for-the-grand-canyon/270231/103 "2004-11-21T21:28:34Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Well, leaving aside that your “harmless jab” resembled killing gnats with a sledgehammer, your historical “perspective” appears to be non-existent, given that the _building_ of the mosque on a plain of abandoned rubble did not cause any friction at the time… well we now know where you stand on the question “If a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody around does it make a sound?” > [@](#): > > This exchange is not about me, at all; it is about keeping even humor informed instead of ignorant. Hmmmm > [@](#): > > I’ve quite often of defended both Christianity and Judaism when they have actually been attacked Ya right ! ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-and-biblical-explanation-for-the-grand-canyon/270231/104 "2004-11-22T00:56:52Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Extremely slight nit-pick… it was the convention during those times to capitalize nouns in general. But even if it weren’t, I suspect that word would have been capitalized as a form or respect. Of course, we’ll never really know. 🙂 Even slighter nit-pick. Notice that in this[draft of the Declaration](http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/decp1.jpg) the word “creator” is not capitalized. To get an enlargement put the mouse pointer on the lower right-hand corner. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-and-biblical-explanation-for-the-grand-canyon/270231/105 "2004-11-22T01:35:44Z")
**grienspace** , the Temple Mount is as sacred to Islam as it is to Judaism. It’s believed to be the spot from which Muhammad ascended to Heaven. By the time Al-Aqsa was built, the Temple had been rubble for over 600 years. The Muslims didn’t raze a standing sacred building to erect their own. They built their own sacred building on a spot that was both sacred to them and, at the time, empty. Ascribing motivations to people you don’t even know in the modern day is bad enough. Doing it to people who lived over 1000 years ago is insane. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-and-biblical-explanation-for-the-grand-canyon/270231.md?page=5)