Dinosaurs on the Ark

Today's LA Times "Column One" was about giant dinosaur roadside attactions being converted into exhibits on creationism. One of these attractions is in my neck of the woods - in Cabazon, near Palm Springs. According to the new owners of Dinny the dinosaur and his pals, the earth is only 6,000 years old and man lived side-by-side with T. rex*. (you can read more on their website ).

Interestingly, the Kanters, who own the Cabazon dinosaurs, are working with Pastor Robert Darwin Chiles to convert the site "from tourist stop to place of worship". They intend to add several exhibits including one about cryptozoology. That's right, side by side will be exhibits on bigfoot and creationism.

The only good news is that the Kanters are home-schooling advocates so they aren't trying to get this sillyness into the public schools.

For commentary (and registration-free text from the article) see the blogs of Arthur Silber and Gary Farber.

For more about real dinosaurs, check out the Dinosauria site from the University of California Museum of Paleontology.

* Cabazon's Mr. Rex is a movie star of sorts, having made an appearance in "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure".

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Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks for the interesting post. I feel bad that they are taking these wonderfully tacky roadside attractions and ruining them. The roadside attractions have always been about freedom of expression. Of forming your own beliefs. About not being in the mainstream. It's very all american. And now this.

I followed some of the links, and I have to say that these religious folks piss me off to no end. I don't like when someone conveys that morality only comes from religion, and that other religions are not part of the mix. As the article said, it is possible to embrace religion and science together with out making the Science bow down to the church.


"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."

. . . Susan B. Anthony