[asa] getting my anecdotes straightened out

Can anybody remember the source of this, or discern if it is no more
than urban legend?

 From the point of view of an anthropology professor, the story
goes.... a young lady raised her hand in class and quite calmly and
seriously informed him that it was impossible that men and women have
the same number of ribs because the Bible teaches otherwise. The
incredulous professor then challenges her to go examine the skeletons in
the lab to see for herself.

This was probably used in the context of belittling creationists (I
think.). But I can't remember where I read it. I want to say in one of
Stephen Jay Gould's books, but I'm not sure. (And Gould is generally
more respectful towards believers though he could be feisty in his own
right on behalf of truth and science.)

Oh ---and please note; this isn't to open commentary on the anecdote
itself. Obviously the claimed facts are all wrong and the Bible teaches
no such thing about our rib counts today. And of course most reflective
creationists would never make such a claim. The point of the whole
thing is/was to illustrate a simple-minded interaction between belief
and the self-prided hard core "scientist". I want to find the source
to see if the alleged event is convincingly documented to have happened.

--Merv

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Received on Fri Feb 20 06:37:30 2009