Poor Fundies...

Recently, all the religious right has been singing "It's Hard out there for a Pimp," and I think skippy and PZ have figured out why. Two things, not including that study showing prayer probably has no effect on health, happened recently that would put a cramp in any decently fundamentalist world view.

First, at Pharyngula, paleontologists have discovered a new fossil that provides another link in the chain between fishes and land vertebrates.

This creature is called Tiktaalik roseae, and it was discovered in a project that was specifically launched to find a predicted intermediate form between a distinctly fish-like organism, Panderichthys, and the distinctly tetrapod-like organisms, Acanthostega and Ichthyostega.

...The analysis of the fossil clearly positions it as an intermediate: it has a more mobile skull/neck than a fish, and although its limbs are clearly fin-like, they also have features that presage the digits of tetrapods.

The really interesting thing, I think, is that this creature fills in a gap, but then creates more. One of the cooler things about science (vs. religion) is that you can't really ever answer all the questions.

A good scientist will never say, "This is how it is. The end." Science is a process that develops a picture of how things are most likely to be given current evidence. Religious dogma, however, makes grand declarations that close lines of inquiry. Often with threat of torture. (Ask Galileo.)

In other news that Jerry Falwell will likely overlook, skippy points out the recent discovery of a Gnostic text that appears to be a copy of the Gospel of Judas.

the account goes on to relate that Jesus refers to the other disciples, telling Judas "you will exceed all of them. for you will sacrifice the man that clothes me." by that, scholars familiar with Gnostic thinking said, Jesus meant that by helping him get rid of his physical flesh, Judas will act to liberate the true spiritual self or divine being within Jesus.

unlike the accounts in the new testament gospels of Matthew, mark, Luke and john, the anonymous author of the gospel of Judas believed that Judas Iscariot alone among the 12 disciples understood the meaning of Jesus teachings and acceded to his will.

I find early Christianity fascinating because there were so many different variations, including the vaguely Buddhist-seeming Gnostics. It's interesting to think what geopolitics would be like if these sects had each flourished, or if a different branch of Christianity had become 'mainstream.'

Also, it gives a huge slap in the face to Bible literalism. I've always wondered how people could take the bible word for word when its contents had been translated a million times over, and the books included had been picked and choosen from many, many texts.

I don't want to sound like I'm begrudging anyone their religious beliefs here. But, apparently we atheists are considered the scum of the earth by the rest of America, so I feel justified.