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The Interior Department is facing a lawsuit from a Christian geologist who claims he was not allowed to collect rocks from Grand Canyon National Park because of his creationist beliefs.
In the suit filed earlier this month, the Australian geologist, Andrew Snelling, says that religious discrimination was behind the National Park Service's (NRS's) decision to deny him a permit to gather samples from four locations in the park.
Snelling had hoped to gather the rocks to support the creationist belief that a global flood about 4,300 years ago was responsible for rock layers and fossil deposits around the world.
NPS's actions "demonstrate animus towards the religious viewpoints of Dr. Snelling," the complaint alleges, "and violate Dr. Snelling's free exercise rights by imposing inappropriate and unnecessary religious tests to his access to the park."
The lawsuit was filed May 9 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. NPS has yet to respond to the allegations.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday May 28 2017, @05:07PM (2 children)
Maybe he will ruin something during collection or open the flood gates to the nut crowd that also wants to collect samples. A lot of sampling can become a big burden in many small steps.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Sunday May 28 2017, @08:30PM (1 child)
Have you actually BEEN to the grand canyon?
Every Geologist on earth could sample that area for the next million years and never make a dent.
Since the sample would remain property of the Park Service they need only stipulate that the samples would be returned or be made available for other geologists to study as well.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday May 28 2017, @09:01PM
Seems they want to throw some sand in this researchers machinery then.