I'm not convinced about dinosaurs

[OxfordCommoner]

Recently I've been reading some websites about how the whole dinosaur industry is an elaborate scam. I'm almost believing that dinosaurs are just conjecture and fakery and that the whole thing is a huge money making exercise.

I'm not sure what to think because it sounds a bit bonkers to say you don't believe in dinosaurs, but actually when you read up on it it seems very likely it's true and they never existed.

AIBU? And if so could you convince me they are real?

Fatmomma MN trip to the creationist theme park would be amazing

OP your CPN will be able to help I'm sure. It's not nice to be feeling like you don't know what you can believe and you have stumbled into a world full of very odd people (the creationists, not MN)

sorry I took the piss op. Hope you're ok.

OP, the trouble is, the internet is full of persuasive looking sites that sound convincing but are a load of crap. Sometimes it is hard to tell the real from the lies.

Websites about what causes allergies, wierd lifestyle gurus nonsense, conspiracy theories about Diana, the Moon landing, Jimmy Saville etc - all kinds of stuff that preys on the vulnerable and as someone who recognises they are mentally unwell, YOU are vulnerable and susceptible. Don't believe everything you read.

Hi op, sorry you're not feeling 100% at the moment hope you feel better soon.
Out of curiosity you say you believe the bones are real but bot from dinosaurs, what is it you believe they are from?
I work with a person who doesn't believe in dinosaurs or evolution, he's very religious, never can get to the bottom of where he thinks the evidence comes from, as most people can imagine conversations on the matter are frustrating to say the least.

I think they're just animal bones all mixed together, and they fit the evidence to prove the lie.

I just can't shake the idea. DH thinks it's hilarious but agrees I should tell my cpn tomorrow.

oxford. No, probably not a very rational thought. Hope you're feeling OK. It sounds like you've got good insight into when a thought might not be quite right though and that's a good thing.

OP, do you understand the principles of carbon dating? or do you think they have lied about the ages of the bones ie when they claim to have found a skeleton, it is not just bits of random creatures that all happen to have died in the same place over the years?

oh my golly gosh... there's one in the UK. That's TOTALLY do-able!www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/08/wont-go-back-to-creationist-zoo-bristol

My old boss believed that fossils were put there by his god to test a person's faith in Christianity.

That seems to me even less likely than a plot by BigPaleo.

I recently came across a site that put a plausible sounding case for a Flat Earth and blamed BigGlobe for the scam. They were approaching it from a fundamentalist Christian viewpoint too.

I think the writers of this type of thing are very much in the problematic place of trying to justify the absolute truth of texts written in a different time and culture. It would require more collaborating fraudsters in all the Universities of the world than is likely imo human capabilities.

Oxford, it's great that you can see this belief isn't quite rational. Hope you are feeling better soon and your DH is being supportive.

I should have written "in my experience of human capabilities."

OP it's good you've got the insight to realise this maybe a sign you need some extra help with your mental health. Definitely mention it to your CPN tomorrow, hope they are good and supportive.
Look after yourself, I'd avoid those particular websites for now.

Wishing you well.

Have you never seen the bones OP? They are HUGE. They couldn't have come from any current animal.

OMG! There actually is and it has 4 Tripadvisor stars. They seem to be encouraging school trips. Unbelievable

I was discussing dinosaur bones with my 3 year old DGS this morning...he went fossil hunting with his dad last week..
My brain hurt afterwards..

I know Dinos were real in the same way I know that gravity exists, why aeroplanes can fly without using magic and that (almost) all the other people online who claim to be people really are people & not programmes written by the Illuminati. I understand enough to satisfy me without being able to produce a scientific proof.

My sister ( a science teacher) doesn't believe in dinosaurs either - or radio carbon dating. These things are planted by Satan to test faith. She works at a Baptist school and teaches creationism in science classes.

I often wonder if the dinosaurs did in fact co-exist with humankind at some point, because of the legends of dragons.

Obviously I don't believe that, but think it's odd that there are legends of massive scaly lizard-like fierce beasts, some with wings, when there were actually things quite like that which existed on Earth millions of years before humans.

Didn't we have this once before?

Legends or dragon arose after humans found dinosaur remains, the remains were first, the stories came after.

These sites are SO irresponsible and dangerous IMO.
And, goblinhat, your sister is not a science teacher, she's a creationist teacher.

Yes, it was great the last time, but MH issues were not involved.