Natural History, Bible-style (Chr. Science Monitor, via AlterNet)

[marmar]

Natural History, Bible-style

By Jane Lampman, Christian Science Monitor. Posted May 26, 2007.



A new creation "science" museum puts dinosaurs in the garden with Adam and Eve. Some 700 scientists have deplored its inaccurate exhibits, warning that students who accept them are "unlikely to succeed in science courses."

For natural history museums, the awesome dinosaur is a star attraction for drawing wide-eyed children and their families. It's surprising, though, to be welcomed at the gate of the Creation Museum in northern Kentucky by two stegosauruses. After all, this brand-new museum is designed to disprove evolution, including the millions of years that science says dinosaurs walked the earth.

For Bible-defending "creationists," God created Earth and all its creatures between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. But they know a drawing card when they see one, and this museum has more than its share of animatronic (moving, teeth-baring, roaring) specimens. In fact, dinosaurs play a big role in this "biblical history": They live not 65 million years ago, but with humans -- in the Garden of Eden and on Noah's Ark.

"Dinosaurs are one of the icons of evolution, but we believe they lived at the same time as people," says Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis (AiG), the fundamentalist Christian ministry that built the facility. "The Bible talks about dragons. We believe dragon legends had a basis in truth."

The $27 million museum set on 50 acres opens on Memorial Day, and AiG hopes for 250,000 visitors a year. Mr. Ham, a former science teacher in Australia, is direct about the museum's purpose: to restore the Bible to its "rightful authority" in society.

For many scientists, however, it's distressing. Some 700 scientists at educational institutions in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana have signed a statement deploring the "scientifically inaccurate" exhibits and warning that students who accept them are "unlikely to succeed in science courses."

Erroneous, with 'great flash and dash'

Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education, says, "This is freedom of speech, but it's unfortunate the public is going to be exposed to erroneous science presented with great flash and dash ... in an authoritative way. This is going to be detrimental to science literacy."

No doubt, AiG knew how to create an appealing experience, choosing a designer of amusement parks who created the Jaws and King Kong exhibits at Florida's Universal Studios. In a special-effects theater, the seats shake and visitors are sprinkled with water. There's a lush Garden of Eden, a partial re-creation of Noah's Ark, a slice of the Grand Canyon, lots of videos on plasma TVs, and a planetarium for exploring the universe. At Noah's Cafe, kids can saddle up on a triceratops.

...(snip)...

The museum scorns such an approach. One exhibit shows a pastor preaching it's OK not to believe in a literal Genesis. Then it depicts "the consequences" in one family: A young boy looks at porn on the Internet while his sister calls Planned Parenthood.

No one has a handle on the scope of creationism's influence, says Numbers, author of "The Creationists." "Intelligent design" (which disputes aspects of evolution but accepts that the universe is billions of years old) has been more in the news recently. But AiG, simply one group in the creationism fold, is clearly doing well. The museum has 8,500 charter members, Looy says, and is all paid for -- by donations averaging $100. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/story/52356/?page=1

[Joe Bacon]

1. Another reason that the whole world is laughing at us.

Thanks to Falwell and his goons, America has gone from being to the city on the hill to the sleaziest trailer trash park that ever existed!

[adnelson60087]

2. I will never teach this non-science in my classroom...

but by the time the 11th and 12th grade students reach my room, the damage is done. Seriously, industry leaders wonder why so many kids are not going into Math and Science related careers here in the US. They should petition the major parties and tell them how much this kind of thinking retards scientific literacy in the masses. It breaks my heart to teach students who look at this stuff and FULLY BELIEVE IT, often turning away entirely from science and reason. I fear the US is in deep trouble regarding this phenomenon. Any others feel this way?

[kimmylavin]

3. No, no, no.

"Then it depicts "the consequences" in one family: A young boy looks at porn on the Internet while his sister calls Planned Parenthood."

ARE THEY KIDDING??? That is just beyond preposterous.

And on another note, I'm genuinely curious: where do they mention dragons, literally, in the bible? Enough to make people equate them with dinosaurs? From the passages I've read, it seems like they're just mentioning dragons figuratively.

[TrogL]

4. There's no place for "figuratively" in a literal Bible

To a literalist, it says "dragon" it means dragon, bad breath and all.