Blog 1851 – 10.18.2020

Archaeopteryx

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z4t9gduCuERpS0z5NbEEiUROD7CkPruY/view?usp=drivesdk

Archaeopteryx

Now that is a big word and I had a bit of difficulty pronouncing it and if I got it wrong or my struggling to say it took away from the story I apologize. Still I think the theory that all the marvelous birds are descended from the great creatures who ruled this world before it was our turn is amazing.

Many religious folk do not want to believe this world ever existed without humans, as we style ourselves today, calling all the shots. Even some of those who say they accept the existence of dinosaurs insist that men lived along side them hunting them as the first people did the buffalo on foot in groups before the Spanish Conquistadors introduced horses to the Americas.

The answer to the question per USGS (the United States Geological Service whose mantra is “science for a changing world”) to the question, “Did dinosaurs and people live at the same time?” Is a clear cut and unambiguous, “No! After the dinosaurs died out, nearly 65 million years passed before people appeared on the earth.” The answer goes on to say that the theory that modern day birds are what is left of the dinosaurs is accepted by most scientists, but that there is still some debate about that in the scientific community.

I am reminded of a funny line about how stubborn most of us are to hold on to sometimes silly and childish beliefs and proven false theories that just no longer serve us or anyone really, “Don’t confuse me with the facts. I have my mind made up.” Still just like a well made bed, minds are meant to be unmade, lived in, and remade, even changing not just the sheets and pillow cases, but even the mattresses and pillows from time to time. It is contrary to what some conservative people believe an ever changing world.

Of far more important than religious or children’s fairy tales, in my opinion, is good science for a changing world. Controversial TV comic and commentator Bill Maher last Friday night in his New Rules segment pointed out a little talked about factoid, that five of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices if Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed will profess to be Roman Catholics. He, a self named atheist raise Roman Catholic, questioned if we, a very diverse people, would elect five of any one religious group to the highest court in the land. He went on to say that Roman Catholics make up only twenty percent of the U.S. population and that the fastest growing religious group in the country is Nuns, actually Nones, with more than twenty percent now checking the box for None when questioned about their religious affliction.

Bill recommended a more diverse court to represent this diverse country. He went on to say that an atheist on the court would have no trouble with the church versus state issue or other Constitutionally and established in law issues. In the piece he pointed out some of the far narrower than nominal Roman Catholic beliefs that Amy Coney Barrett professes especially “speaking in tongues” or babbling as Bill called it, showing a clip of a TV Evangelical babbling to illustrate his point. Joe Biden is a Roman Catholic of the more common and reasonable variety as are most. What we need for President is not another nut, religious or otherwise, and we certainly have more than enough Catholics on the court. The last thing we need is a nutty one who denies climate science, opposes birth control, affordable health care, and babbles to boot.

The world of the dinosaurs is past, but some beliefs as outmoded as dinosaurs still persist. Or at least so say I and an ever growing number. Vote, all of you of every religious persuasion especially all you Nuns, I mean Nones.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SmFdCz7FBsmPMcvte0eAFGVqQcCvW-GW/view?usp=drivesdk

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