As soon as Camp was comfortably seated with a pint in hand, I shared the article I read this morning in my Swiss paper.

            ‘Apparently it was Charly Dukes 90th birthday this month. Does that ring a bell?’

            ‘Can’t say it does, although the name is familiar,’ Camp said.

            ‘Charly is one of four still living moonwalkers. He was the tenth man to walk on the moon. It was the Apollo 16 mission in 1972. Together with his partner John Young, they arrived on the moon exhausted after a 6hour delay. His first words after stepping on the moon’s surface were famously recorded as: ‘Hot dog, is this great!’ He brought back moonrocks that were carbon-dated to be 4.5 billion years old. ‘

            ‘Sounds fantastic and it’s already 54 years ago but what is your point?’

            ‘Six years after this historic feat Charly had an epiphany. He found God and the bible which he believes word for word. It tells him that the universe is only 6000 years old and was created in 6 days. He’s a popular fellow these days as the Americans want to return to the moon. CBS invited him as an expert commentator.’

            ‘That’s all very interesting,’ Camp said, taking a sip of beer.

            ‘Charlie Duke’s dilemma is not unique, it is a reflection of the American, neo-Christian beliefs. Charly decided to believe in God, more precisely in the Book of Genesis or the book of Revelation and the Apocalypse by John that proclaims that the world was created in 6 days. On the 7^th day, Sunday, God rested. Charly doesn’t see any contradiction with the age of the moonrocks he brought back. “You either believe what the Bible and God says or you believe in science, neither one of which anybody can prove.” According to the Duke, it’s more likely that science is wrong.’

            ‘Crazy talk but I see where you’re going with this. Charly Duke is not alone.’

            ‘Exactly,’ I said. ‘His views, despite having seen the evidence to the contrary, are pretty well representative of what a lot of Americans believe. Creationism is everywhere but especially popular in the US. According to a Gallup poll in 2024, 37 percent of Americans are convinced that God created the universe and humanity in the past 10’000 years. Only 24 percent believe in the scientific theory of evolution. Also, about 70 percent of US adults believe in the existence of angels.’

            ‘That goes to show why so many believe that grocery prices are sinking, despite the facts to the contrary and that Renée Nicole Good was killed by ICE agents because she drove over an agent not because she wanted to turn left. Millions also still believe that ICE is restoring law and order in Minneapolis and around the country. 

            ‘Well, according to Trump’s address to the nation, we are now in the Golden Age, created by him alone and he’s not talking about his golden throne or the gilded oval office.’

            ‘Yes, that was an embarassing gong show. A circus really, parading the men’s US Olympic Hockey team as the monkeys. Stand up, clap, pump fists, chant.’

            We concentrated on the liquid gold in our mugs. 

            When Vicky came around with another round, I asked her straight out if she believed in God. She looked at me funny, tilting her pretty head. ‘I believe in people and the world people created. God is just an idea and a concept. Too complicated for me.’