Scientists study foes’ ways at Creation Museum

[Amelia]

Scientists study foes’ ways at Creation Museum

Not surprisingly, the visitors object to depictions of evolution

By Jeffrey McMurray

The Associated Press

June 26, 2009

PETERSBURG, Kentucky - In one of the largest gatherings of critics since the Creation Museum in northern Kentucky opened two years ago, six dozen paleontologists in the area for a conference this week took a field trip to get a glimpse of the marketing tactics used by the other side of the evolution debate.

Paleontologists spend their careers studying evolution, and here they were visiting a place where nearly every room is dedicated to disproving it through Creationism, a fundamentalist Christian belief based on a literal interpretation of the Bible that contends God created the universe just a few thousand years ago.

"The real purpose of the museum visit is to give some of my colleagues an opportunity to sense how they're being portrayed," said Arnold Miller, a professor of paleontology at the University of Cincinnati, which is hosting the conference. "They're being demonized, I feel, in this museum as people who are responsible for all the ills of society."

Miller and other paleontologists object to numerous other aspects of the museum they say imply science is doing more harm than good.

For example, multiple rooms are devoted to the great flood, which a strict biblical interpretation might explain was a rebuke for questioning God. The implication, some of the paleontologists say, is that their studies concluding Earth is millions of years old — not thousands as creationists claim — must pose a similar threat to mankind.

Scientists also disagree with the depiction of Noah's ark itself. Inside a miniature ark is a compartment holding two small dinosaurs, living alongside the monkeys, cows and other animals.

"It's like a theme park, but the problem is it masquerades as truth," said Derek Briggs, a Yale University paleontologist.

The scientists Miller brought with him got a group discount but otherwise had minimal interaction with museum staff. A line of other visitors led outside into the full parking lot for much of the day.

David Menton, a cell biology professor and researcher with Answers In Genesis, which founded the museum, made no apologies for the fact that the museum's teachings are rooted in the Old Testament. He insists they rely on largely the same facts scientists use, just with a starting point millions of years later. Anything before that can't really be proven by science anyway, he says.

"I've spent enough of my professional life in science that I know science being compatible with religion is not the sort of thing that keeps scientists up at night," Menton said. "There's a lot of scientists out there that rather applaud that idea."

He defended the displays that argue people and dinosaurs are contemporaries, including one at the museum entrance that show two young girls playing in a field near a dinosaur.

"I'm not saying dinosaurs and man frequently hobnobbed," Menton said. "I live on Earth at the same time as grizzly bears, but if I could stay as far away from grizzly bears, that suits me fine."

The critique of scientists even extends to the gift shop, where among the DVDs for sale is one entitled, "The Cure for a Culture in Crisis: It doesn't take a Ph.D."

It all had Wednesday's visitors shaking their heads.

"Faith is one thing," said Mark Terry, a high school science teacher from Seattle, "but when it comes to their science statements, they're completely off the wall."

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31569042/ns/technology_and_science-science/

[carolaa]

Wouldn't that be cool if our church would do a creation museum?!

[Planey]

Wouldn't that be cool if our church would do a creation museum?!

It would really need to be sponsored by our theologians.

Though we have a core of scientists who are young-earth creationists, I don't believe you could get a consensus from a majority of SDA scientists.

Graeme

[carolaa]

OK. How about since there is already a creation museum, we could call it an origins museum, and evidence to support all theories would be presented fairly. Do you think the scientists could get together to do something like that?

I really like how our SDA science books present the subject of origins. Of course, they come from the assumption that a loving God exists and, according to the Bible, He had a hand in creation. But basically they explain the evidence and how it can be interpreted different ways, with no disrespect for the evolutionist view.

I wish all students everywhere could have the right to learn other interpretations than just evolution. If there were an origins museum that simply presented the different views fairly, maybe public school teachers would not be afraid to bring their students to it.

[Dr. Shane]

ICR also has a creation museum although I believe the AiG museum is more elaborate. AiG loves publicity and knows there is no such thing as bad publicity. Every time there are stories in the secular press criticizing their creation museum they have an increase in visitors, hits on their website and sales in the online store.

The Adventist church has the Geoscience Research Institute and they are a great bunch of scientists. I believe the most reputable creationist organizations are Institute for Creation Research (ICR), Answers in Genesis (AiG) and Geoscience Research Institute (GRI). Of course I like GRI the best but I am a bit bias. I don't think we need a creation museum. I think we need more videos and creation evangelism based on solid evidence that is fair to both sides.

[carolaa]

Well, videos are no doubt the cheaper way to go, and they can probably have a wider audience as well. It's a simple matter to order or download a video, but it's a much bigger deal to have to travel to a spot. Either way, there needs to be lots of publicity so people even know about them.

[Bravus]

It's not as though we don't see evolutionists being blamed for all the ills of society right here too...

[Dr. Shane]

Evolution is only one of the enemy's tools of deception. There are all kinds of methods to deceive mankind. Evolution can hardly be blamed for ALL of society's ills. Society has many problems such as: drug abuse, alcoholism, gambling, child abuse, divorce, homosexuality, violent crime, sexual promiscuity, identity theft, poverty, obesity, unemployment, autism, traffic congestion, corporate fraud, voter fraud, pollution, stray animals, tooth decay, trans-fat, etc, etc, etc. I have never heard a creationist blame evolutions for all of society's ills.

I have heard the claim that evolution leads a person away from the Christian faith. I think that is something worth discussing. I have also heard some creationists claim that evolution contributes to the climate that permits racism and abortion.

[phkrause]

Some good thoughts there Shane.

pk

[BobRyan]

I have heard the claim that evolution leads a person away from the Christian faith. I think that is something worth discussing. I have also heard some creationists claim that evolution contributes to the climate that permits racism and abortion.

Question; Is there any christian denomination promoting the gay agenda today that did not first compromise the bible with Evolutionism?

in Christ,

Bob

[phkrause]

I agree with dgrimm, that's an excellent question Bob. Worth looking into.

pk