Is there anything that can (or should) be done regarding the Creation "Museum"?

Question

It's due to open next week and I have to wonder about the effect it will have on American students. They are already significantly behind most of the world in science education and a museum that portrays Adam and Eve co-existing with dinosaurs can't help much..

The museum does apear to be just another outreach ploy on the part of Christians to convert everyone to their way of thinking. "You'll get people into a place like this that you can't get into a church with a stick of dynamite," said founder Ken Ham. "Some will still sneer, some will say we'd like to hear you again and some will actually believe."

And that's the scary part. I can hear children in science class now pointing out that the teacher is wrong because they saw it at the museum and their parents will back them up on that.

But realistically, is there anything that can or should be done about this corruption of science education in the US?

I fully realize that people have the right to whatever faith they choose. Teaching that faith as science is a completely different thing.

Answer 1

Come on, man, you've got it all wrong. This museum is important. REALLY IMPORTANT. Let me tell me why.

Not long ago, a group of creationist scientists who were studying some of the oldest rocks on earth (about 6000 years) accidently stumbled on a suspicious talking serpent. When asked "Is there anything that can - or should - be done regarding the creation museum, the talking serpent lied, as all talking serpents do by stating "Dang, humans haven't evolved at all, have they"?

The talking serpent was quickly arrested and whisked away to an undisclosed location for further interrogation. And after undergoing several days of very effective, yet humane, "stress positions", the talking serpent cracked and finally started to tell the truth.

I can't reveal much else - at the risk of being audited and branded "Un-American", but I can tell you this. When asked again, "Is there anything that can (or should) be done regarding the creation museum, the serpent replied with "Sure, charge them up the whazoo. Every talking serpent knows evolution is a crock, charge them up the whazoo - they'll buy it."

You hear that loser? This is important news. Fantastic stuff. My only question is - why does the liberal atheist media refuse to pick it up?

Answer 2

hmmm...corruption of science you say. Maybe a museum like this is exactly what the American people need, a source, a beacon of truth. An institution such as this is not going to sway the average non-believer to convert to Christianity. Perhaps this is a place that Christians can go to see things that they already believe materialized. Children that go to this museum will more than likely be going with their parents, and these parents are already raising these children in a spiritual home. This museum is not going to stop kids from getting good grades in science, all you need is a good memory to excel with that. Be unafraid, nobody will force you to take your children there, and if your children are in a class that offers a field trip to this museum, all you have to say is no.

Answer 3

There probably isn't anything that can be done about it, which is unfortunate.

It's not right. This isn't a matter of people just expressing their beliefs; they're deliberately spreading information that is provably incorrect. I don't understand how anyone could look at this and not care, or say "don't worry about it". I mean, what if there was a museum that taught kids that the world is flat? Would people say "oh, come on, it's just their beliefs, let them express themselves"?

They should be required to have a giant sign at the front entrance that says that the information displayed in this museum is NOT supported by the majority of the scientific community. Express yourself all you want but don't mislead kids with all the fancy technology and exhibits into thinking that any biologist out there actually supports Intelligent Design or creationism.

Answer 4

So you have blind faith in science? Because a scientist says something is so you believe it? That's what you are saying. And as the other person pointed out, public schools are not going to bring students to the museum. NOTHING should be done about this. You talk about corruption of science, give me a break, how about the corruption of our children from many other things, look at society today, school violence, drugs, internet predators, terrorists, and your worried about a museum corrupting the education of our children, get a life. Oh and here is an idea, educate yourself. The Bible has all the answers and Ken Ham can prove it to you. But I see as I reread your question your not a believer so good luck.

Answer 5

I know, the math and science programs here in the US are embarrassingly dumb. And people wonder why all of their math, science, and engineering college professors are from other countries!

Of course, they do have the right to have such a building, just as somebody has the right to make a "The Holocaust Never Happened" center or "KKK History" museum or something else we might not like.

The best we can do is promote better science education. Unfortunately nobody has the patience to read something that's a few paragraphs of laymans terms, and you need much, much more than that to explain what evolution is and how it really works. The bigger problem will be explaining how science isn't determined by flashy verbal debate or voting, or that "theory" doesn't mean the same thing as "hypothesis".

Answer 6

Well, first of all, being what you would call a creationist, I am in favor of teaching both in science class, since both have valid points, scientifically, and neither has been been proven. I think that the real danger to science in this or any country is when we accept as fiat unproven theories, shutting the other theories out because we disagree with the source.

Answer 7

Does that mean that any museum about Evolution, is trying to convert people to Atheism? or something silly like that?

People have a right to display their faith and beliefs, ALL people have a right. If you don't like it then do not go to it. I am not saying I agree with the tings in the museum, but I have enough respect for other peoples beliefs, to know they have the right.

Is it a FACT that students from public schools will be going to this museum? Somehow I actually highly doubt it, especially since most public schools do not teach about Creationism.

You say "can you just hear the kid in science class pointing out the teacher is wrong..."
But what about the kids who DO believe in creationism, do you feel bad when they are taught about Evolution (like you obviously agree with) and then have to go home confused to their parents?

Again if you do not like, don't go, don't bring your kids.

Answer 8

Things like that only preach to the converted. Besides they have every right to do what they want.

Though you have a point about this giving kids ammunition to fight there teachers. However, these are still going to be kids whose parents are the type to bring them to a creation museum.

Answer 9

They should at least be forced to show a disclaimer
"Warning: Creation "science" may stunt your intellectual growth"

They have a legal right to promote their point of view, the same way we have a right to promote ours. I think it offers an opportunity for local teachers in Kentucky to finally suck it up and really teach proper science, by which I mean evolution, and critical thinking skills in schools.

These kids will be dazzled by the museums technology, which hides the fact the "science" they use to support ID, is pretty weak. Almost non-existent as the Kansas School Board case showed. ID is just a euphemism for religious fundamentalist dogma.

Answer 10

Yes, there is something that can and should be done about the Creation Museum... It can and should be allowed to exist just like any other Museum is allowed.

I absolutely laugh at the fact that everyone is so "freaked out" and "upset" and all that about the idea of this museum. It's simply a museum about what Creationists believe (at least that is what I assume).

People that believe in supremely silly ideas such as "the big bang" as being science and not just a THEORY (which is what it is.. no one can prove that happened.. no one was there.. etc etc)... don't seem to have any problem having those types of ideas showcased in museums.

As for the people that seem to think it's going to "dumb down" American students, etc.. That's just ridiculous. This is ONE museum (from my understanding) in one area. Probably 99% of people in the USA will never go to it even.

You know.. I did a search and even found things like a "Wizard" event at a children's museum!

"Wizard Wonders! Spend the night in the fantastical world of wizardry in the company of enchanted Museum educators. Learn the science behind potions, make a spell book, create your own extendable ears, and use theatrical skills to bring magical news to life."... Providence Children's Museum...

So, to the people that are so absolutely against the idea of a creation museum because you believe it's not real, then you would have no choice but to say that all that kind of stuff would have to be removed as well, because it teaches kids things that aren't real, right?? OH.. and also, any museum that shows anything that is based on a THEORY and not absolute fact.. all those displays would have to go to, right? Gotta be sure to get rid of all those museums that suggest what black holes are about, etc. . . no actual scientific data there.. Theories of it all, but we haven't sent ships to them I'm sure..

I think you get my point.

Why do people have to get so up in arms about things just because they don't believe them to be true? It really doesn't hurt anyone to believe in a God. Whether it's true or not.. How much harm does it really do to someone if they were to believe it?

Heck.. People teach kids to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, Harry Potter, .. etc etc..

Oh.. And I assume to that you all must ban your children from having any kind of imagination too? I mean... imagine if they played with friends and pretended there were monsters, etc.. How terrible and devastating that must be to you.. since monsters aren't real!

Of course, there's so much more.. Have to throw out all the stuff about dragons, etc too.. can't have kids have any possibility of believing any of this.

Good grief people... It's simple.. If you don't believe it.. Don't go. It's not like it's something that is being forced upon anyone.

Oh, and to the person that said it was marketed like an amusement park.. and comments about mechanical dinosaurs, etc.. Good grief.. I don't even think those comments make sense.. By saying that, you would have to believe then that all amusement parks could be teaching people the wrong things because there are things in them that aren't real at all..

Heck, even normal museums.. ones that have dinosaur things in them.. they're not 100% realistic either. ALL of the looks of dinosaurs outside of the skeletal shape.. are based upon theoretical ideas of what scientists THINK they looked like or what kind of skin/etc they had.. Chances are their outside look could have been 100% different.. But that's put across as fact too..

ANYWAY..

Sorry for the rant.

-- Edit --

Stephen Hawking said: "any physical theory is always provisional, in the sense that it is only a hypothesis; you can never prove it. No matter how many times the results of experiments agree with some theory, you can never be sure that the next time the result will not contradict the theory. On the other hand, you can disprove a theory by finding even a single repeatable observation that disagrees with the predictions of the theory"

To me, that shows that a theory can be based entirely on scientific evidence, etc.. BUT that it can still be shown as incorrect IF there is results that contradict. So, a theory can appear absolutely accurate, but CAN be wrong.

Also, I read this and found what it said interesting:

"An example of how theories are models can be seen from theories on the planetary system. The Greeks formulated theories that were recorded by the astronomer Ptolemy. In Ptolemy's planetary model, the earth was at the center, the planets and the sun made circular orbits around the earth, and the stars were on a sphere outside of the orbits of the planet and the earth. Retrograde motion of the planets was explained by smaller circular orbits of individual planets. This could be illustrated as a model, and could even be built into a literal model. Mathematical calculations could be made that predicted, to a great degree of accuracy, where the planets would be. His model of the planetary system survived for over 1500 years until the time of Copernicus. So one can see that a theory is a model of reality, one that explains certain scientific facts; yet the theory may not be a true picture of reality. Another, more accurate, theory can later replace the previous model."

Proof again to me that theories are not absolute, not guaranteed, not entirely scientific, but sometimes based on BELIEFS