In case you missed it, I decided to move this up from the comments section where it was left a few days ago by Doug Skinner:
I’ve just been reading about the most stupidly brilliant theory to reconcile Genesis with the geological and fossil record. Back in 1857, Philip Gosse argued that God created the earth with fossils in it — just as he created Adam with a navel, even though Adam had not had an umbilical cord. In other words, God did not create dinosaurs; but he did create fossilized dinosaur bones.
I suspect there’s money to be made by repackaging this idea to anti-evolutionists. In 1857, Gosse was just laughed at, but our society is much dumber today.
For those of you interested in learning more, additional information on Gosse can be found here and here.
And, fans of Doug Skinner will be happy to know that he has a piece in the current issue of “Strange Attractor,” and articles coming up in both “Fate” and “Fortean Times.” I have no idea what those pieces are on, but maybe he’ll leave a comment and let us know…
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I’m pretty sure that this idea has already been repackaged and resold. I recall a Bill Hicks bit where he talks about creationists arguing for genesis in the face of dinosaur bones and other fossil evidence by saying that “God placed those there to test our faith.”
Atheist yours truly recently asked a devoutly Catholic friend what he thought of the recent appearance of the Virgin Mary on a highway overpass near Chicago, and the instant shrine of candles, pictures, and flowers that sprung up around it.
He said, “God doesn’t play party tricks,” which I thought was a pretty good answer.
I refrained at the time from noting that this alleged God also created parasitic wasps whose larvae eat their way out of the parasitized caterpillar, and created sea lamphreys, and tapeworms, and so on. Never mind.
I was just in Chicago a month or so ago, visiting a friend that lived a few blocks from the Virgin Mary sighting. Somewhere I’ve got a blurry picture that Linette shot out the window as we drove past. I just never got around to posting it.
God also made athiests.
The “Strange Attractor” article is on Boris Vian, a French writer, hoaxer, ‘pataphysician, musician, nightclub personality, etc. of the 1950s — very popular in Europe, but not too well known in the US and UK.
The “Fate” article is out now — on Richard Shaver, schizophrenic pulp writer and painter.
The “Fortean Times” article is due out in a few months — it’s about the original Fortean Society, founded in the ’30s to promote “dissension from all dogma whatsoever.”
Now you know!
I just learned “Fate” put Shaver on the cover. It’s about time! My article has been posted at http://www.fatemag.com, where you can read it without spending money. If you buy the magazine, though, you get more pictures.
Congratulations! I’ll go out and buy a copy at lunch.