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> >> >> >>Christian dinosaur hunters dig for signs of Biblical dragons >>By Marcus Warren in Keldron, South Dakota >>(Filed: 19/06/2004) >> >> >>Countless dinosaur bones lie buried in the rocks of South Dakota but the >>Christians excavating one remote cliff-face were digging not just for >>reptilian vertebrae but for the hand of God. >> >>With screwdrivers, hammers and shaving brushes for tools, the group was >>seeking and, as far as it was concerned, unearthed proof that the animals >>perished not millions of years ago but in Noah's Flood circa 2300 BC. >> >> >>Russ McGlenn who runs 'Creationist' dinosaur digs >>To these believers in the Bible's literal truth, they are not dinosaurs but >>"missionary lizards", which are powerful weapons in the battle for young >>American hearts and minds. >> >>Those certain that God made all living things, dinosaurs included, on Day >>Six of the Creation, are deploying ever more imaginative tactics in their >>struggle against schools and universities teaching Darwin's theory of >>evolution. >> >>Boldest of all is a trend for believers, young and old, to dig for fossils >>and dinosaur remains as witness to God's handiwork. >> >>Lecturing to a rapt audience of 20 like-minded Christians after a hard day >>in the field, Russ McGlenn, a self-styled amateur archaeologist and >>palaeontologist and head of Adventure Safaris, said: "Heavenly Father, we >>thank You for the evidence of a catastrophic flood event. We thank You for >>the time to study Your creation. Heavenly Father, we thank You for the >>evidence of a catastrophic flood event." >> >>Mr McGlenn was admittedly preaching to the converted but his success at >>strengthening their beliefs and faith was undeniable. >> >>"It's just dumb to believe that everything came from one kind of bang or >>fish or something," said Katy Carlson, 13, one of the youngest on the dig. >> >>Her companions included a 74-year-old Californian woman who spends two weeks >>digging for dinosaurs every year, the mother of three teenagers who brought >>them there "as a Christmas present" and a group of Christian children from >>Wisconsin. >> >>Camping outdoors, riding and simply marvelling at the emptiness of "Big Sky >>country" are all part of the fun but the main draw is the chance to get down >>on hands and knees and quarry for dinosaur remains. >> >>South Dakota is one big open-air dinosaur cemetery. "Sue", the world's best >>preserved tyrannosaurus rex skeleton was discovered in the area and, in some >>locations, bones are easily spotted, poking through the soil. Just as >>evident, depending on who is looking, is "proof" that the creatures died in >>a flood. Evidence is seen in geological strata and the animals' sudden >>deaths. >> >>The afternoon's work yielded a rich crop of bones, from a group of >>Edmontosauruses known to be buried in the hillside. The remains join similar >>exhibits, including a triceratops skull, at a museum opened by the land's >>owner to spread the word that Darwin was wrong. >> >>"Dinosaur fossils are not proof of evolution but rather extinction," a >>poster tells visitors to the museum. The war between Darwinian science and >>Christian fundamentalists has raged for decades but the battleground has >>lately shifted from courtrooms and lecture halls to small-scale museums, >>churches and even a Creationist theme park called "Dinosaur Adventure Land". >> >>According to the most recent poll, nearly half of all Americans, 48 per >>cent, believe in the Book of Genesis's version of our origins. The >>Creationists fervently hope that number may even be rising. >> >>Evolution is "the dumbest and most dangerous idea in the history of >>humanity", said Kent Hovind, a vocal enthusiast for the cause who also runs >>the theme park in Florida. Explaining his Creationist creed, he said: "We >>think dinosaurs were part of the normal Creation and were just big lizards. >>Noah took some of them on the Ark, probably babies, when the floods came. >> >>"Throughout history, there are stories of people killing the animals that >>survived but they called them dragons." >> >>Passions aroused by the debate occasionally spill over into politics, >>usually into the charged sphere of education, sometimes involving national >>figures such as the former president Jimmy Carter and President George W >>Bush. >> >> >> >>________________________________________________________________ >>$0 Web Hosting with up to 120MB web space, 1000 MB Data Transfer >>10 Personalized POP and Web E-mail Accounts, and much more. >>Get It Now At www.doteasy.com
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