Saturday, May 29, 2010

What about the Dinosaurs Nelson?

Barry McColgan
Dermot Crowley Ógra Shinn Féin
West Tyrone


According to the north's 'one culture' minister Nelson McCausland, the earth was created by God over 6 24 hour days sometime between the last 5,700 and 10,000 years.

In a stinging attack, one of the DUP's very own back wood’s men lambasted the Ulster Museum for disproportionately promoting this aul notion of evolution.

Instead Nelson demands the museum to afford equal space to his concept of 'creationism' which he claims is supported by some 30% of the north's population.

If that 30% exist according to Nelson, who don't forget, also claims that Ulster Scots is a language and that the Orange Order is a cultural body, then perhaps the Assembly should invest in a crane to lift the big rock they've been living under for the past 200 years.




'Young Earth Creationists' which can count great thinkers like 'George W Bush' in their ranks, dismiss Darwin's theory of Evolution, mountains of scientific fact, the discovery of tonnes of fossilised animals, plants, and dinosaurs, carbon dated millions upon millions of years back, never mind a good dose of common sense.

But hey, who ever let science, or a wee bita carbon dating get in the way of a good story.

While some in the bible belts of the USA and north Antrim, may take the word of the bible literally, when it suits them, most Christians, or anyone who has read the bible with even an incline of common sense would accept or understand that Genesis is merely attempting to describe the creation of earth to a simpler people, in a simpler time.

To interpret it any other way or take it literally in the 21st Century is too dismiss human progress and piss on all the hard work of generations and civilisations of evolving our understanding of life, the universe and everything.

You can have three attitudes to this;

- Agree with Nelson, good luck with that.

- Believe that he is entitled to his point of view irregardless of how mad it is

- Highlight and oppose the craziness of such a senior figure in the north, a minister attempting to promote view through museums and schools that would be at home with Pol Pots year zero logic.

May common sense prevail and that big rock be lifted.

Let there be light Nelson.

9 comments:

Kilsally said...

Two creation scientific journals - one American and the other Australian. If you believe evolution then atheism is the only conclusion as there is then no need for Jesus Christ who can to save us from our sins..the wages of which is death (the wages of sinj is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ Our Lord)

http://www.answersingenesis.org/

http://creation.com/

Kilsally said...

`or anyone who has read the bible with even an incline of common sense would accept or understand that Genesis is merely attempting to describe the creation of earth to a simpler people, in a simpler time.`

This cannot possibly be true and actually shows your ignorance of the bible. The bible teaches that man`s sin (adams fall from grace)is responsible for all the death and pain in the world and that god sent Jesus (the second Adam) to save the lost and die for their sins....if you have death before sin then the bible and Christianity is false and a myth. Hence you cannot really be a Christian and believe in death before sin.............

Anonymous said...

Great post, some in the DUP would make you cringe, from Sammy 'flat earth' Wilson to this. Some craic altogether.

Sparky said...

Great article Barry.

@Kilsally,

So let me get this straight.... you actually believe that everything the bibles says is the truth?

So a cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree?

Right so.... good man.....

I on the other hand do not believe the bible is to be taken literally.

Anonymous said...

With George Bush coming from oil rich Texas, if the world was only created in the past 10000 years, what's his explanation for oil? I'd like to hear that one ;) CS

Kilsally said...

`who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master,`

Hardly the Reformed view. Scripture teaches that all are equal in Christ.

`I on the other hand do not believe the bible is to be taken literally.

How do you take it then. Please start with the point of Jesus Christ?

Kilsally said...

How fast can oil form?
http://creation.com/how-fast-can-oil-form
by Andrew A. Snelling

Dinosaur Questions and Answers
http://creation.com/dinosaur-questions-and-answers

Anonymous said...

Excellent post Barry, you are completely right in your assertion that Genesis attempts to explain the story of creation in simple terms, for even today humanity is unable to explain how the universe was created. People like Nelson McCausland miss the point of Genesis when they climb all over the claim that God created the world in '7 human days'. The shrinking of timescales enables our limited minds to handle the immense scope of the universe and the creation story. The opening words of Scripture are after all In the begining...'' which implies that the genesis story continues today, ie God's work continues today.

What Genesis attempts do is:

demonstrate God's omnipotence.

The importance of humanity in God's eyes, crafted in his image.

Power of God in creating a world that is calm and ordered.

Unlike other ancient versions of creation whereby confusion and battles reign, and through the battles of dieties mountains are formed ect. The Judeo-Christian version of creation is unique in that respect.

Mc Causland is an idiot, Scripture is not to be taken literally word for word, you only have to look at the parables of the New Testament to see that.

With repsect to 'Sparky and his nicked Irish Times quote of ''A cosmic Jewish Zombie'' insulting does not help your argument merely weakens it, I doubt you would be as disparaging about other faiths.

Good post Barry, keep it up.

Kilsally said...

Anonymous you fail to tackle the point of Jesus Christ. Christ came to deal with out sin which separates us from God - that sin was caused by the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden in Genesis which brought death into the world. This is summed up by Romans 6 verse 23
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Young Earth Creationists are not really bothered about the time scale but rather that with evolution you have death before sin whereas scripture teaches that sin brings death and hence the need of redemption / a redeemer.

If you have death before sin then the whole basis of scripture is false - reading literally or not does not matter and the foundation doesn`t stand.