Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Unique Grand Canyon Trips . . . only in one respect

You might know that the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) hosts an annual trip rafting through the Grand Canyon.  I've heard many good things about it and one day hope to make the trip myself.  On the NCSE website, they describe it as:

"Welcome to the FAQ for the NCSE Grand Canyon 2016 raft trip, which will run from June 30-July 8! All Grand Canyon trips include spectacular scenery, fascinating natural history, brilliant night skies, exciting rapids, delicious meals, and good company of people excited about science. Because this is an NCSE trip, we offer a special twist for science fans.

Our NCSE trip features a unique "two-model" raft trip, where we discuss the creationist view of Grand Canyon, contrasted with the normal scientific interpretation. For example, we examine major erosional contacts, and explain how creationists think these formed thousands of years ago during Noah’s Flood, while scientists take a different view.

NCSE's Josh Rosenau delivers a tongue-in-cheek presentation of the creationist view, as well as expounding on the natural history of the Grand Canyon. The standard scientific view of the history of the Canyon is presented by NCSE’s Steve Newton, a trained geologist."
 Well taking a note out of the NCSE playbook, little kennie ham, you know Answers in Genesis, Creation 'Museum', and Ark Park infamy.  He's offering a similar trip, but from the Creationist viewpoint.  He describes it on his website as:
"You probably know that the Grand Canyon is one of the best places on earth you can visit to view powerful evidence that confirms the biblical account of Noah’s Flood. When you grew up and went to school, you may have been taught the false view of the Canyon’s formation in your sciences classes, namely that over millions of years, the Colorado River supposedly slowly carved out a part of northern Arizona to form the Grand Canyon. Increasingly, though, even secular geologists are beginning to agree with catastrophist creationists about the Canyon: a lot of water, over a short period of time, carved the Canyon—not a little bit of water over a long time! Creation scientists like those at AiG would argue that very soon after the Flood, a massive wall of water rather quickly carved the Canyon."
Of course he couldn't resist using this little announcement for a bit of preaching.  He claims that the scientific view of the canyon forming is false and that 'even secular geologists are beginning to agree with catastrophist (is that even a word?) creationists about the Canyon' -- neither of which he can offer any support other than wishful thinking, but then do we ever think we'll get much else?

For some reason the link to the Canyon Ministries isn't working, but you get the idea.  He's even starting to send an AiG staff member along to help 'explain' things from the Creationist point of view, isn't that so special.  Little kennie's other page discussing more of the details says something really strange:
"If a rafting trip does not fit your schedule, but you don’t want to hear the evolutionary explanation of the canyon’s formation when you visit, consider a land-based tour with Canyon Ministries."
I underlined the strange part, the raft trip is going to show the 'evolutionary explanation'?  Really?  That doesn't seem to jibe with the purpose already stated.  But that's just me, I am surprised kennie could even use the word 'evolutionary', but paraphrase one of my favorite movies, I don't think that word means what he thinks it means.

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