I wish to clarify something about my original post starting this thread...
I did not post to mock anyone's religious beliefs; that is something I would never do, to anyone's faith. I posted because I found it to be somewhat interesting in the frame of scientific debate. I do believe the creationist's attempts to explain their position, outside of simple religious belief ("it is true, because God said it is so...") are to be considered as equally valid as any non-religious explanation as anyone. That being said, the creationist theories are also subject to the same critical thought and scientific rigors as the explanations of the "mainstream" scientific community. It is philosophically and morally cowardly to hide behind the cover of "you are attacking my religious beliefs" when pressed to validate the non-religious aspects of the theories the creationists put out to the general public. If there is any validity or proof to any theory, it must stand the same tests or it is not a serious theory...
For the sake of full disclosure, I am not, my self, a religious person. I was raised as a Catholic, attended Catholic school, and went through the usual school processes; I was confirmed; at one point; I was an altar boy; sang in the choir; and mulled the idea of possibly becoming a priest (an idea that mysteriously left me when my female classmates came back to school one fall in about my 13th year somehow changed, in the most delightful ways...). The education I received was in a Jesuit-run school. The Jesuits are known for their advocacy of education and science and my school was very "old-school" in its curriculum and methods (the period I attended was between 1956-1966). We wre taught to respect all other religions and, in daily "Religion" class, we were told about the beliefs of other faiths in a manner, looking back from a veiwpoint of a few decades and with the benefit of experience over that time, that was surprisingly even-handed. There was no bashing of the other faiths, although the Protestants did seem to suffer a bit in the translation, but more as being "misguided than "wrong". The bible was taught as more of a allegory than a chronicle of absolute, word for word, "facts" and the teachings of Christ were noted as being the parables they were. We were encourage to think for ourselves and to make decisions based on as full an understanding of all sides of an issue as possible...
I did leave my more Catholic life behind once I left Catholic school and have, in the intervening years, gone to a more personal, ethics based take on life. I do not subscribe to any one belief, I do not pretend to have any absolute proof or knowledge of those things many find as "facts", and I do not gratuitously mock or "bash" those who do; I am pretty much open to any idea, but that idea must be based in more "because I or <insert diety or belief here> say it is so"...
I have been checking in on this thread from time to time. I was rather startletd when the first few posts were mainly invective based on what appeared to be a "kneejerk" reaction to a simple post. There was no actual mention of any religion nor any real bashing of a faith. The "flinstones"reference was to the similarity of the idea put forth by the creationist and its similarity to a pop culture idea (although, in retrospect, I probably shou;d have used a "1,000,000 Years B.C. reference or some other 'caveman' movie). The nature of the thread seem to have settled down a bit to more a view of the science than the religion...
...although, the sidetrip into the belief in Santa was interesting. There is the old joke abouth the dyslexic who mistakenly sold his soul to Santa. (And, bofore anyone accuses me of dyslexic bashing, I am mildly dyslexic and claim the right to joke about my own disability)...
If I offended anyone's belief, it was not my intent and I am sorry you took it the wrong way, but I am not sorry for the post...
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