Rhapsodies

I have to say one of the things that really scratches my blackboard are Young Earth Creationists. It’s not just that their dogma driven need to institutionalize stupidity is an attack on American exceptionalism it’s that listening to them go on takes all of the fun out of being interested in comparative religion and mythology. To make matters worse there is a complete lack of imagination behind their arguments that makes them fall back on scripture like a broken record thinking that if they only say their stale old talking points loud enough people might actually start taking them seriously. To make matters worse you get the feeling they haven’t really looked at their arguments very well. Take their favorite bit of proof of dinosaurs in the bible, the description of Behemoth in Job 40: 15 to 80

Behold now the behemoth that I have made with you; he eats grass like cattle.
Behold now his strength is in his loins and his power is in the navel of his belly.
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
His limbs are as strong as copper, his bones as a load of iron.

Yeah, I suppose that could be considered a good description of a sauropod but here’s the thing… It’s an even better description of a hippopotamus. And since the writer of Job very likely knew what a hippopotamus was (for all I know may have traveled to Egypt and actually seen one) well… I’ll take Occam’s Razor for 500, Alex.