Dinosaurs, Camels and Bears, Oh My!

The animals went in two by two… A model of Noah’s Ark on display at a UK zoo has dinosaurs happily boarding the ark between the polar bears and camels. Noah dolls and other biblical tat are for sale in its gift shop. Sounds like something out of a Monty Python sketch, doesn’t it? Alas, it is not.

Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm near Bristol in the UK, has a distinctly Christian theme and openly discredits science in favor of creationism on its page, Evolution: A Theory Under Pressure.

The Facebook group Sink the Ark protests the zoo on the grounds that it markets religion to children and schools. The group page includes a collection of photographs. Among the pictures is a photo of a happy looking Noah for sale in the gift shop. Unfortunately, some of the pictures (including the one of the Noah’s Ark model) are no longer available due to a Facebook account closure. This blog will post a link to them when they reappear which they undoubtedly will at some point..

One can only imagine the look on Noah’s face if he saw two Stegosauruses walking up the plank especially alongside the camels and polar bears.

Inauguration Day with Facebook

Watching the CNN Inauguration Live on Facebook on Tuesday was a real insight into America and its people – at least on Facebook. It was entertaining being able to “chat” on Facebook with excited friends in America while simultaneously “chatting” with a less excited one in the UK while watching the inaugural events all on one screen.

People feverishly updated their Facebook statuses with platitudes for the entire world to see or for anyone that cared to see. According to a report by the Telegraph UK, “More than 3,000 people were leaving comments on the Facebook CNN feed every minute at the ceremony’s peak.” Kenneth, for example, felt “like a kid on Christmas morning!” Elizabeth reminded everyone that, “there is nobody but God.” Donald was “witnessing change.”

I worry that poor Kenneth will unwrap his gift left by Father Hope only to find more of the same, another stocking full of broken promises, more cheap products made in China and real soldiers still playing war games overseas. I wonder if Elizabeth will ever realize that God probably doesn’t exist and hope that her church does not get its way with more faith-based programs or help get creationism in science classrooms. Will the “change” that Donald wishes for just be another unfulfilled American dream? Let us hope not.