The Grand Canyon...

[fajrdrako]

Can I believe what I read? This article must be an April Fool's joke. No? Especially:

Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees.... "In order to avoid offending religious fundamentalists, our National Park Service is under orders to suspend its belief in geology," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. "It is disconcerting that the official position of a national park as to the geologic age of the Grand Canyon is 'no comment.'"

Comments

[kikibug13.livejournal.com]

Whah?

It really _must_ be a joke.

A bad one, at that!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Apparently true, and going under the category of 'truth is stranger than fiction' not to mention 'fiction gets labelled as truth'. You'd think people would be speaking out against such nonsense.

Really not funny.

[vervassal.livejournal.com]

That's gotta be a joke!

We're a democracy, no? Or was it a theocracy?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I shake my head sadly at the implications.

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

You're joking. WTF. Okay, seriously, I'm officially disgusted with humanity right now.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Weird, isn't it? Doesn't this kind of thing make the American national parks commission a laughingstock? Don't they care?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

And p.s. that is a wonderfully funny icon.

United States of Jesus

[glinda-north.livejournal.com]

Here's a Time magazine article: http://www.time.com/time/columnist/jaroff/article/0,9565,783829,00.html


I weep for my country.

Re: United States of Jesus

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness. You might as well laugh as weep, it's so absurd. Why is anyone putting up with this? If the Bush administration told them to say black was white to avoid offending some religious group, would they say it?

[medelle.livejournal.com]

Awww geez.

See, this is why I find myself more and more hesitant to publically identify as a Christian - because as soon as people hear it, they think you're a fucking quack!

*sighs*

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Well, you are...
There are just degrees of it: from the almost sane and pretty benign through to the totally barking. As with all religions.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

this is why I find myself more and more hesitant to publically identify as a Christian - because as soon as people hear it, they think you're a fucking quack!

Yeah. I feel for you. It's a strange position to be in. And it's the kind of thing that makes a person like me find it more and more difficult to be sympathetic to even the most intelligent, rational, tolerant and reasonable Christians, because the other kind are making such fools of themselves.

I always wonder why anyone would worry about 'not offending' people who are simply wrong.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Why are people letting these idiots intimidate them into silence?
They should go ahead and offend them! They're wrong!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the way I see it. By my view, the truth cannot be offensive because it is the truth. And things that are simply wrong are offensive - especially when unexamined so the errors are left to stand uncorrected, and to be repeated.

So why doesn't the Bush administration worry about offending us?

That was meant to be rhetorical question.

Grump.

[cupati.livejournal.com]

It is either:

a. Satire - what they believe will happen, if things go on
b. True - and mightily scary
c. Someone's idea of a bit of fun - and not.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Shudder.

Sometimes I want a new planet. We're all supposed to be civilized and intelligent, right?

Okay, maybe not.

[seimaisin.livejournal.com]

I am told, by a friend with friends who work for the National Park Service, that it isn't uncommon for the politicians in power - either party - to pressure them to tailor information available at national monuments to their own particular bias. This, however, is the stupidest one they've had to endure.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

They must be wondering if their leaders have gone insane.

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

No, it is not a joke ... just a reflection of what can only be described as "utter stupidity" at the highest levels of the U.S. central government.

Unfortunately, fanatics and fundamentalists are everywhere. It really doesn't matter what religion they follow, as I noted in this journal entry (http://duncanmac.livejournal.com/2816.html) of mine.

It becomes particularly entertaining when people at opposite extremes of this debate also happen to be relatives. Relatively speaking, that is part of why I don't talk much to most of them [though laziness plays a role too :-(].

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

"utter stupidity" at the highest levels of the U.S. central government.

I can't help wondering how it could come to this - the biggest, most powerful country on earth being governed by the stupidest people in it.

Christian fanatics are annoying but as far as I know they don't murder, maim and oppress others the way some other fundamentalists do - they haven't the power. Yet. (I remember the text of The Handmaid's Tale with a shudder.)

As for relatives - that's not something we get to control!

[kiyuchan.livejournal.com]

This is why I am moving to Canada at the earliest oppurtunity. I know there's insane there, too, but I think only in the US do you get this level of batshit crazy.

*headdesk*

[kiyuchan.livejournal.com]

*opportunity

I think I'll blame my bad spelling on US/FL education while I'm at it. :\

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

This is why I am moving to Canada at the earliest opportunity.

You'd be welcome! I used to say the only thing really wrong with this country was the weather, but that's changed. Since this winter is so mild, we don't even have anything to complain about. Canadian conversation has ground to a halt: what can we say all winter, if we can't complain about the weather?

[ceruleancat.livejournal.com]

Didn't look through the comments to see if anyone's said this already, but this might be a hoax: http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-01-17.html.

I hope it is. It's seriously scary otherwise.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Most people seem to believe it, so it is a great relief to learn I don't have to. I know this is an insane world, but there are levels of wrongness here that I'm just not ready to accept! Thanks for the link.