Monday, May 28, 2007

BIBLE BASED " CREATION MUSEUM" OPENS IN PETERSBURG KENTUCKY - " IGNORANCE IS BLISS "

Let us begin with a little music from South Pacific - so here is the cynical song " You've Got to be Carefully Taught " which is about teaching hate & bigotry & other negative values to children - many people miss one of the central themes of South Pacific which is about racism as being as American as 'apple-pie ' which the writers are criticizing & sometimes this song is completely dropped when high schools or others are performing this musical ...




Anyway so you think the " CREATIONISTS" are a bunch of
crackpots who only represent a minority of Americans well better think again for the new " CREATION MUSEUM " in Petersburg , Kentucky funded by Creationist organization " Answers in Genesis " at a cost of 27 million dollars opens today, Memorial Day in the United States .

So here a couple of items about this...


Here's a funny bit with Ned Flanders from the Simpsons on Creationism vs Evolution




Here is the director of the museum Ken Ham being interviewed & taken quite seriously on CBN, the Christian Broadcasting Network, arguing for " CREATIONISM " as scientific fact :




Next is a BBC item about THE CREATION MUSEUM founded by ANSWERS IN GENESIS ( AIG ) " TIME TO TAKE UP THE SWORD OF GOD " -



And for more information on the CREATION MUSEUM see their elaborate website with videos Answers In Genesis

Here is how the AIG describes their Museum & their Mission Statement:

The Creation Museum will be upfront that the Bible is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice, and in every area it touches upon. We’ll begin the Museum experience by showing that “facts” don’t speak for themselves . There aren’t separate sets of “evidences” for evolution and creation—we all deal with the same evidence (we all live on the same earth, have the same fossils, observe the same animals, etc.). The difference lies in how we interpret what we study. We’ll then explore why the Bible—the “history book of the universe”—provides a reliable, eye-witness account of the beginning of all things. After that, we'll take guests on a journey through a visual presentation of the history of the world, based on the “7 C’s of History”: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation. Throughout this family-friendly experience, guests will learn how to answer the attacks on the Bible’s authority in geology, biology, anthropology, cosmology, etc., and they will discover how science actually confirms biblical history. The complex, near Cincinnati, Ohio, will also be the headquarters for AiG-USA and will house the ministry offices, recording studio and resource distribution center. The museum will also feature classrooms for use by school groups, pastors and others. Museum mission statement

*

Exalt Jesus Christ as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer through a safe, wholesome, family-friendly center for learning and discovery that clearly presents major biblical themes from Genesis to Revelation. * This center will equip Christians to better evangelize the lost with a sense of urgency, through a combination of exhibits, research and educational presentations that uphold the inerrancy of the Bible. * This center will also challenge visitors to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and to accept the authority of the Bible by providing culturally relevant biblical and scientific answers from a biblical worldview. Main theme The Bible is true from Genesis to Revelation!


Also see article critical of AIG & its " CREATION MUSEUM" from Christian Science Monitor :

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."



as the article points out :

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.


Yet the main mission isn't entertainment; it's presenting a particular "biblical worldview" in which Genesis stands as literal history and true science.


"Genesis gives an account of the history of all basic entities ... from the One who knows everything," Ham says. "If you don't know everything, there could always be evidence that will lead to wrong conclusions."


And wrong conclusions is what AiG claims is behind evolution. Dividing science into "observational science" and "historical science," its theme is that the latter is simply interpretation based on one's presuppositions. In one exhibit, for instance, two paleontologists (a creationist and an evolutionist) are digging up a dinosaur skeleton, but they have two different interpretations -- one from a perspective of thousands of years and the other, millions of years.

And for another example of how influential the Religious Right is in America here is a related article from the organization " Americans United for The Separation of Church & State "about the United States military establishment & Evangelical Christians ... we see again how Evangelicals & the Bush Regime try to erase the lines between the Chrurch & State & to eventually make America into a truly Christian Nation - Christian that is as defined by Evangelical Fundamentalist :

Military Support For Evangelical Rally Raises Constitutional Issues, Says Americans United
Thursday, May 24, 2007

Religious Liberty Watchdog Groups Questions Armed Forces For Participating In Christian Event In Georgia

U.S. military participation in a three-day evangelical Christian gathering in Georgia violates the U.S. Constitution, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

In a May 23 letter to Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne and Acting Secretary of the Army Peter Geren, Americans United says the military should not endorse or promote a festival arranged by evangelical Christian groups at Stone Mountain Park.

The event is being hosted by Task Force Patriot USA, as well as LifeWay Christian Stores, the publishing house of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), and Holman Bible Outreach International.

According to Task Force Patriot USA’s Web site, the organization exists “for the purpose of sharing the fullness of life in Jesus Christ with all U.S. military, military veterans and families,” and “Christ is our Commander-in-Chief.” The group’s logo is a shield centered with a Christian cross with its sides bracketed by an American flag and Christian flag.

The May 26-28 event at Stone Mountain Park is billed as a “Salute To The Troops, Memorial Day Celebration,” but the program includes a Christian worship service and heavy emphasis on evangelical outreach.


Note: in the end the military due to publicity by Americans United decided to distance itself from the Evangelical sponsored event but only at the last minute...


Take care,
GORD.

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