Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Saner Heads Prevail in South Carolina

The Columbian Mammoth is now the official state fossil of South Carolina.  Seanna Adcox has the story:
Olivia, who wants to become an Egyptologist, requested the designation after realizing South Carolina was among just seven states without a state fossil. Her research showed that slaves dug up fossilized mammoth teeth on a South Carolina plantation in 1725. They are thought to be among the first identified vertebrate fossils in North America.

"That just fueled her passion. It was not just about fossils but about her state being recognized," said her mother, Amanda McConnell.

But Olivia's seemingly simple idea, which easily passed the House in February, drew opposition in the Senate.

Senators tacked on language declaring mammoths were among God's sixth-day creation, as written in the book of Genesis. They also attempted to create a symbol moratorium. Both amendments were eventually tossed out by a House-Senate committee that worked out a compromise, which both chambers approved last week.
Not sure exactly how the compromise was structured because the bill's sponsor is a believer in “biblical creation” as well. Apparently, he said it did not make sense to tack the language on to just this bill.

I have seen this phrase “biblical creation” creeping into the literature of the young earth movement and I find it offensive. Those who use it equate it with young earth creationism and the language is stark: those who don't agree with that movement don't believe in the bible because their creation theology is not “biblical.” That is arrogant, myopic, condescending and (I believe) scripturally indefensible.

Congratulations, Olivia.

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