I was just looking through a bunch of my childhood books and I was somewhat surprised to find a book entitled What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? by John Morris, the president of the Institute for Creation Research, Ken Ham, the president of Answers in Genesis, and Jonathan Chong.
The book isn’t really anything special; it’s the typical Creationist nonsense. They try to make Creationism seem as credible as they can by attempting to associate it with science, which is ironic given the skeptical, naturalistic, and empirical nature of science. Some examples of this on the first two pages include Tracker John, who informs us that the Institute for Creation “Research” is “one of the most interesting places in the world” and that “special scientists,” known as “creation scientists,” work at the ICR. They also state that if we keep reading we can find out “some of the many things that ICR scientists have learned about one of God’s mightiest creations – the dinosaurs.” I love how they pretend their “scientists” have actually discovered something about dinosaurs when some people like my grandmother claimed dinosaurs were a conspiracy by the evil, secular scientists. I also had a relative who believed the moon landing was a hoax. I feel so special to have so many critical thinkers in my family.
What’s really disturbing about this book isn’t the contents, but rather the fact that this book is aimed at children who don’t know any better. In the dedication it states that they hope “each of you, at an early age, place your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, our great Creator and Savior.” Of course they want you to at an early age. If not then, they might actually have to provide valid, thoughtful reasons for their beliefs in order to get you to side with them, and we all know how bad Creationists are at that. Needless to say, I’m glad I rejected those blatant lies.
I went to a church service with my grandmother to celebrate a family event about two years ago. The pastor was a guest speaker who had been the pastor at that church some years ago. Her whole sermon was based on the idea that you had to get to the kids early, before the secular world got hold of them. The whole effect was kind of creepy.
Yeah, get to them before they begin to think for themselves! I really wonder sometimes how indoctrination didn’t really have much of an effect on me, but I have trouble seeing how it could even have an effect on people in the first place. I honestly don’t understand how someone can take what they teach seriously at all, especially after a little bit of thought. People’s ability to use wishful thinking really is depressing.
Yeah, I never really have gone to church, I think I have about 3 times after I turned 10, and I really didn’t care at the time. Now I find it hard to believe in this. The book is stupid, how can creationism and science mix like that? Doesn’t make any sense to me, how they seem to have found out how dinosaurs were the greatest creations? =P
(whoops, can you delete the first one? >.>)
Heh, I used to go to church every Sunday no matter what. As of now, the last time I was in a church was during my Confirmation classes because I’ve successfully argued about God and whatnot with my parents, though they just prefer to believe that kind of stuff anyway.