This story from today's Guardian Unlimited:
A business trust is looking at sites for a Christian showplace to challenge the theory of evolution
The latest salvo in creationism's increasingly ferocious battle with evolution is about to be fired in Lancashire. Not in a fiery sermon preached from the pulpit, but in the form of a giant Christian theme park that will champion the book of Genesis and make a multi-media case that God created the world in seven days.
The AH Trust, a charity set up last year by a group of businessmen alarmed by the direction in which they see society heading, has identified a number of potential sites in the north west of England to build the £3.5m Christian theme park. (More)
I actually have mixed feelings about this.
I'm really sick of the United States being the laughingstock of Western Democracies when it comes to religion. For many years nearly all of the European and Asian democracies have had a great time making fun of the "fundamentalist Yanks" and the absurdities of religious interference on public policy. It's kind of fun to see it happening to one of them - right in the home of Charles Darwin, no less.
But then, common sense overcomes me, and I realize that it is (and always has been) a battle of the community of reason worldwide. I've always had a problem with nationalism, racism, tribalism and sexism. I judge people by how they think and behave and set aside other differences that do nothing but create barriers between otherwise like-minded Homo sapiens. It's the same problem, shared by all rational thinkers.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Creationists plan British theme park and I'm ambivalent
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
I think the fact that they have to hype it up and make it all glitzy is just a self-defeating strategy in the end. It will be hard to take it seriously.
It just shows the weakness of their position and that they are rapidly losing ground.
Big deal. Let them spend all the private money they want to on their stupid "attraction." The Orlando park suckers in its share of Christians each year, but it's not on the radar for most people.
The only sentence in the story that gave me the willies was: The trust also says it plans to apply for government grants and European funding to help it realise its dream of turning the television studio into 'an international leader in promoting family-oriented Christian programmes'.
I think most Brits would be opposed to government funding for this silliness, so I doubt that it will happen.
I see it as yet another import thrust on us from the USA - please keep your weirdos over there lol
If it does look like it might go ahead then there will be a few protesters- me and my friends in the national secular society for one - I'm sure Richard dawkins would have something to say about it too
I can't wait to see what Britain's comedians will do with this. They can be ruthless at deflating pompous stupidity.
What is going on in Britain? They're opening state funded religious schools all over the island, now they've got some 8-balls planning a take-off on The Holy Land Experience? Did someone turn the clocks back to 1907 when I was sleeping?
BTW, the deacon's parents went to The Holy Land Experience last winter and loved it. I hadn't heard of it until after they went on a bus tour with a group of senior citizens. In spite of their high praise of the place, Deacon and I do not plan to go there anytime soon.
Chappy says: Deacon and I do not plan to go there anytime soon.
While it wouldn't top my "things to do before I croak" list, I wouldn't turn down a free trip there.
You have to admit that seeing the birth place of 70% of the current world's population is of immense cultural fascination.
I mean, think of it. 2,000 years ago, there were all kinds of Bronze Age religions throughout the world. Today, just one of those religions represents the great majority of the Earth's human population. Whoever got that meme started is an evil genius!
@ Psychodiva - I still love you guys. Maybe that's part of my ambivalence. I have a soft spot for my roots.
Let them spend their money like that. Fools. I guess it never crossed their minds to maybe build a hospital, research center, create a trust for children in some way, or anything else REALLY for the public good. It's a disgrace that this sort of folly gets to call themselves a charity.
Oh, and let's assume they make it and it turns a profit. What gets done with the profits? Will it be used to some how help mankind like I described above, or will it go to buying nice cars, bigger houses, and other luxuries for the members of the AH Trust or will it be used for more "charity" like building another park or creating some other shit to spread the "good news"?
Charity. Yeah, right.
Today, just one of those religions represents the great majority of the Earth's human population.
Just as a nit-pick, Christians and Muslims combined are actually about half the Earth's population. There are a lot of Hindus and Buddhists out there.
Whoever got that meme started is an evil genius!
St. Paul, the "Patient Zero" of the Abrahamic pestilence.....
----- Infidel753
Infidel, you are correct and I should watch how I word things. This is better:
Today, just one of those religions has developed to the point where over 3 billion people worldwide are descended from it.
Post a Comment