A geologist who bases his work around Christian beliefs concerning the age of the Earth has been given a permit to study rocks at the bottom of Grand Canyon National Park, according to his attorney.
The National Park Service initially had declined his permit request, and that ignited a three-year long campaign by Dr. Andrew Snelling, who earlier this year sued the Park Service over the matter.
Dr. Snelling back in November 2013 had sought a permit to collect roughly 30 pounds of rocks from the Inner Gorge of the park for use in explaining "geological phenomena and other endeavors from a Biblical perspective." He wanted to collect the samples from the floor of the Grand Canyon "to study the folding of Paleozoic sedimentary structure."
That request, his lawsuit alleged, led to an odyssey during which park staff asked two other outside geologists to weigh in on the merits of Dr. Snelling's proposal. One of those geologists, Dr. Karl Karlstrom of the University of New Mexico, in reviewing the proposal demonstrated, in the lawsuit's words, "antipathy for Dr. Snelling’s religious faith."
Dr. Snelling's attorneys withdrew the lawsuit last week after the Park Service relented and agreed to issue the necessary permit.
“When the government refuses to allow a Christian geologist simply to collect information because it dislikes his views, it undercuts science and violates the law,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb, co-counsel for Snelling. “We commend Park Service officials, Interior Secretary (Ryan) Zinke, and the Trump administration for understanding that specifically targeting Dr. Snelling’s faith as the reason to stop his research was both inappropriate and unconstitutional. As the Park Service finally admitted, ‘Dr. Snelling’s proposal is well stated with methods that are similar or equal to standard scientific practice to test the hypothesis provided,’ so it is the right choice to let the research go forward.”
Comments
You left out some other publications, EC:
I'd seriously be curious to hear his explanation for the different approaches he takes to geologic research. Others seem to wonder, too.
Will the Real Dr Snelling Please
Stand Up?
http://www.noanswersingenesis.org.au/realsnelling.htm
ecbucks was just waiting on the talking points from his preferred propaganda outlet. Cut him some slack.
And who might my "preferred propaganda outlet" be, Toxie?
That is interesting, Kurt.
Thanks, Kurt. That goes back to my question at the top of this thread.
This is strange: Will the Real Dr Snelling Please Stand Up? http://www.noanswersingenesis.org.au/realsnelling.htm
Because of the stuff I read at the link, I would hesitate to give this guy anything
I guess the question is, who is asking for the permit Dr Snellling 1 or Dr Snelling 2. Although I'm not sure it makes that much difference. When stuff happens, people don't pray to 30 lbs of Grand Canyon rock. Its clear the man has made credible contributions to scientific research. Don't see any reason to shut down his research because of his religious beliefs.
Sir, each Native American Tribe has it's own faith tradition. The Hopi, for example, believe in several worlds connected by a series of holes. I was simply saying the obvious succintly. Further, I did not use the word, "religion" but, rather "faith" on purpose. The various Native American faiths are unique from Western thought. My point: if a Navaho or Hopi wished to take samples & study them from their faith perspective, would you be so intolerant? Isn't there room in so Grand a place as the Grand Canyon, for tolerance of all faiths & traditions? Be well.