This article is more than 3 years old.

Shutterstock: Galyna Andrushko

A young earth creationist has won a several year long legal battle with the National Park Service over access to sample the Grand Canyon for evidence of his creationism beliefs. The lawsuit stemmed from a request by Australian Dr. Andrew Snelling, a young earth creationist, to collect 50 to 60 rock samples from the Grand Canyon, which was denied.

The National Park Service allows researchers access to sample the Grand Canyon but it must be approved by the park service and final research permits must be awarded. Dr. Snelling is a geologist by training who disregards modern science over biblically centered theories. Dr. Snelling filed a lawsuit with the National Park Service claiming his application to sample the Grand Canyon was denied due to religious discrimination based on his creationism beliefs.

A few days ago, after a lawsuit that stretched on since 2013, the National Park Service granted Dr. Snelling permits to sample the Grand Canyon. The park referenced a May 4th, 2017 order by President Donald Trump insisting that people’s religious freedoms would not be limited “from undue interference by the federal government.”

In response to the granted permits to sample the Grand Canyon, Dr. Snelling dropped his lawsuit. ‘We commend Park Service officials, Interior Secretary Zinke, and the Trump administration for understanding that specifically targeting Dr. Snelling’s faith as the reason to stop his research was both inappropriate and unconstitutional,’ commented lawyer Michael Kitchen and Alliance Defending Freedom who represented Dr. Snelling.

A Geologist Disregards His Own Field

Dr. Snelling works for Ken Ham’s Answers in Genesis, a large creationist organization headquartered in Kentucky. The organization is responsible for the Ark Encounter exhibit in Williamstown, Kentucky.

Dr. Snelling believes in young earth creationism, a belief that claims the Grand Canyon was carved in a few days by Noah’s Flood. He holds a doctorate degree in geology from the University of Sydney and has guided rafting tours along the Grand Canyon.

Young earth creationists hold the belief that the creation of Earth as told in the Book of Genesis should be taken literally. Specifically, that the Earth and all life was created in six 24-hour days (including the Grand Canyon) approximately 10,000 years ago. This is in contrast to those with an old Earth creationism belief that six days did not equal the 24-hour days we regard today and hence believe in scientifically derived ages for the Earth and Universe.

According to young earth creationism beliefs, Noah’s flood carved the Grand Canyon 2,300 to 3,300 years before Christ was born. This singular flooding event is believed to have deposited all rocks and fossils we see on Earth today.

As a geologist, I am clearly biased that the foundations of geology, all of which points to the Earth being 4.54 billion years old, is more credible than an anti-scientific view that Earth is 10,000 years old. What is surprising is that Dr. Snelling disregards his entire field. This is similar to an astrophysicist believing the Sun orbits around the Earth.

Despite Dr. Snelling never revealing to the public his research proposal and motivation to sample the Grand Canyon, it’s clear he will be trying to debunk the fundamentals of geology. Dr. Snelling has every right to practice his own religious belief. However, when those beliefs are guised as a pseudoscience one must see the research for what it is, a desecration to science itself.

By granting Dr. Snelling access to sample the Grand Canyon, the NPS is allowing a pseudoscientist legitimacy in his pseudoscience. Some people may not ‘believe’ in science, but they certainly enjoy the modern comforts that science has afforded them.

What is more surprising is the number of adults in the United States that simply do not believe in geology. A 2017 Gallup survey centered around creationism found that 38% of adults in the United States held the view that “God created humans in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years.” Gallup noted this was the lowest level in 35 years.

Get the best of Forbes to your inbox with the latest insights from experts across the globe.

Follow me on Twitter.