DefCon
This Memorial Day, the religious right will launch one of the most outrageous campaigns to date in their war on science: the $27 million “Creation Museum” in Petersburg, Kentucky.
The “Museum,” which was built by the religious right organization Answers in Genesis (AiG), is dedicated to the falsehood that the Earth is only 6,000 years old, claims that humans and dinosaurs coexisted a few thousand years ago, and has but one goal: to institutionalize the lie that science supports these fairytales.
Click here to sign our petition opposing the “Creation Museum” and demand that AiG cease its campaign to confuse our children and undermine scientific understanding. Sign the petition here.
If you are an educator – whether teaching kindergartners or PhD candidates – be sure to sign our petition for national educators too. Sign the educators’ petition here.
This institution is only the most recent example of the religious right's war on science education - whether in the form of anti-evolution stickers in textbooks or the promotion of intelligent design in the classroom.
In all of these cases the religious right has sought to create controversy where none exists. However, in the case of the “Creation Museum” they have gone one step further: instead of acknowledging their contempt for science, they have decided to claim that science actually proves inherently anti-science propaganda.
While AiG has the right to spend $27 million promoting a lie, it is imperative that as concerned citizens we let America know the true dangers of their nefarious campaign.
Please take a moment and voice your opposition to this deceptive institution.
To Sign the Petition
30 comments:
ugh it's opening this month. Here's an excerpt from an article:
"A NEWSWEEK poll conducted last month found that 39 percent of those surveyed felt that the theory of evolution was “not well-supported” by evidence. Last year, a Pew Research Center poll found that 58 percent of those interviewed support the idea of teaching creationism along with evolution in schools."
/sigh
... and of course my adopted state has to be in the forefront of this sad state of affairs ... double sigh...
This is the greatest thing to happen to science in a long time. Let the debate begin! If anyone is not willing to debate then it is no longer science and is religion including evolution. The best thing is to take Ken Hamm on and prove him wrong. Science vs. science, which is what science is truly about. Science doesn’t shut ideas down it proves then wrong. So prove him wrong or change your mind.
It amazes me that the government can spend the peoples money on the religion of "evolution" in public museums and not a wimper will be heard. Yet, when another view point is offered, it is verbally dashed by those who havnen't spent (or been forced) to pay for it.
Mark and Anonymous,
Lets talk intolerance:
Top Ten Signs You're a Fundamentalist Christian
10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.
9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.
8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.
7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" including women, children, and trees!
6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.
5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.
4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects - will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving."
3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to "prove" Christianity.
2 - You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.
1 - You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history - but still call yourself a Christian.
Great top ten list. But just like evolution it’s nothing but smock and mirrors. You still didn’t give us scientific evidence of evolution. Lets take man back.
Man
Monkey or monkey like thing
Mammal like thing…we really don’t know
We really don’t know the steps since there is no fossil record of it. So we jump to one cell organisms.
Now one cell is a very simple thing. What’s in a cell really? Just a few parts like DNA to name one of the simpler parts.
What came first the DNA or a cell? DNA can’t live out of a cell and reproduce. A cell can’t reproduce without DNA. So what came first?
Life is not simple even in its simplest form.
Evolutionist love to say that it’s science so give some. Reminder science must be able to be observed, tested and reproduced.
It wasn't my intent to support evolution, my intent was to show how full of shit fundamentalist political activists are and why they are so dangerous and so close-minded (much more than any scientist)
By the way Mark why don't you introduce yourself and let us know what your interest is in this matter.
Mark,
Do not attempt to remove the splinter in my eye, when you have a two by four stuck in your own :)
I don't have time to teach you about evolution, and, lets face it, you don't want to "think" about it...
Evolutionism
Creationism
You are free to believe in your hokum and I'll believe in mine... thanks for dropping by...
What happened to right of religion? This is a museum not the state's capitol! I am a proud Christian but I also know that not all people are. I see all sorts of other religious landmarks but it seems that if it happens to lean to Chritianity people think it should not promote false ideas. If people don't want to go to a Christian themed museum then they have the RIGHT NOT TO GO TO IT. So don't support it, and don't trash talk it if you don't. Open your mind that other religions you don't believe in are followed by other people and we as American's have the right to put up religious landmarks no matter what religion it is.
I know some people also think Christians are close minded and defensive when others oppose the religion. I feel that that people that are screaming against Christianity are also afraid of something otherwise they would not be worried. Christions wouldn't feel they had to protect the religion if people didn't try to kill it.
~Hillary of Hebron
Hilary of Hebron,
Typical, out of one side of your mouth you claim your right to do and say what you want, and out of the other you criticize/condemn others for doing the same thing.
You don't see that as a problem?
As Americans do we not have the right, and the responsibility, to engage in critical discourse about beliefs and ideas, and especially institutional propaganda (whether it is the government or private)?
This is the problem--read the top ten list above...
I will continue to "trash talk" (critical thinking?) institutional propaganda designed to "fool" people wherever I see it.
What we fear about fundamental Christianity is its close-mindedness and its attempts to shut down any other belief-system.
The idea that Christianity is embattled in America is simply ridiculous...
Thi...
What is your idea of fooling people? Opening a museum that is Christian themed? What if I decided to open a museum that is themed on the teachings of Islam, Hindu or any other religion in the world, would you do the same thing? I am sure your top ten list applies to some people, sure people on both sides can over do it. But to sit and say one religion is WORSE then others is wrong. If you don't like it cool. Voice your unhappiness but don't think you can sit here and tell me and the religion I am following is the reason the world is what it is today. It is what it is cause we are all different and I just want everyone to know that. They are not trying to force you into being a Christian but if someone would walk up to me right now and be interested in going to the museum or just would listen to what I have to say on why I follow MY GOD then I will tell them. If they could care less then I wont tell them. Simple as that. Now I KNOW not eveyone is like this but I AM. I wont force someone so I dont think it is right to make a building close down just cause you think it is your responsibility to tell the would it is teaching the wrong thing to unsuspecting people who happen to walk through it. If a nother museum wants to open next to it on how evelution is the reason we are here I am open to that. I go to many museums but like myself most people are not going to change there religion they follow because of seeing or hearing something. If you are stong believer in something then stay with it if you are interested in other things then test the water but never feel like you HAVE to change. You have the right to stay put or change.
~Hillary of Hebron
Let’s look at your top ten no matter how off base it is.
10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.
Yes, we say our religion is the one true religion and it would be to deny our religion to say other wise. All religions do this even atheism. I do this, you do this but I admit what I do and number 10 is not a bad thing.
9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.
You say we came from dirt also, where did the other life forms come from? We say that we where created in the image of God.
8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.
Yes, triune. That is one God in three persons. I’m okay with you not getting that one. It’s just a little too deep for you.
7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" including women, children, and trees!
God created us and God can kill us. In this short amount of space I can’t really go too deep into that but if you want to I can later. I’ll make a note of it…
That’s all I can do for now. Talk to you later dude.
Oh yeah, wikipedia. You send me to wikipedia as evidence of evolution, that’s a joke. How about something more real.
mark
Oh, one question…
Do you believe in absolute truth?
Mark,
Before I thought you were just some misguided fool... now I see you have a serious agenda and you are a complete idiot (idios)... thanks for clearing that up.
Your juvenile attempts at intellectual reasoning are really quite amusing--please send more :)
Question from Mark the frothing fundamentalist: Do you believe in absolute truth?
Answer from Thivai the unredeemed anti-theist: Absolutely not!
Now, now - boys, let's chill out, alright?
mark-the-uncapitalized-one/Anonymouses: Off-the-Map and Hemant Mehta (starting ) both cover the Creationist "Museum" very well, from an interfaith/atheist-to-theist-and-vice-versa point-of-view. If you're willing to dig around a bit, you can see exactly why we don't buy into your ideas any more than you do ours. Then, if you still feel like trolling around, I suggest you take it there.
Thivai: Didn't you see the sign on their cages? Don't feed the trolls! ;)
Thanks Literaghost for the response and sources.
Although I would like to make it clear that I am an anti-theist (with a large dose of pantheism), not an atheist :)
Thanks for the links to the atheist site as I am always interested in the views and opinions of brave contrarians...
Well, resources are resources, and they [atheists, so on and so forth] seem to be getting more organized (than previously, and than other semi-similar groups). Psst - I find at least 75% of those blogs' valuable content lies in the posts' comments, which often branch into many, many informative discussions between people of all shades of belief (or lack thereof).
...Wow, that's a lot of parenthetical commentary. (Bad habi-oh, here I go again...)
Also - ack, sorry about the run-on link!
Hilary and Mark,
Lets get this straight, I do not have a specific axe to grind against Christians (some of my best friends are Christians)... what I reject and condemn is narrow-minded, dogmatic and political religious institutions that seek to confuse and manipulate the masses (for various reasons). All religions that do this (as I mentioned I am an unredeemed anti-theist and pantheist).
Now if my stance bothers you, then you might want to ask yourself, why?
In parting I would like to say I appreciate your attempts at dialogue and in gratitude I would like to invite you to a dance. Won't you join me ;)
Dance Monkey Dance
Mark puts great stock in and guides his life by an anonymous book written two thousand years ago, but draws the line when with the self-regulated Wikipedia.
Ha, ha... you have to admit it is funny...
What's the big deal? So a bunch of fundamentalists decided to pitch in their hard-earned dollars to help create some flashy displays they can take their kids to so they needn't be exposed to actual science... free market I say. Of course, I would be outraged if this kind of nonsense was being funded by government grants, but read the press release: it's 'privately funded'. As far as I'm concerned, everybody is free to live in their own little parallel reality, as long as they don't force me to pay for it...
Thivai,
It sounds like you could use a little spirtuality in your life! From reading your postings it seems like all you are doing is bashing other peoples beliefs. It is people like you who are judgemental of others, that makes the world what it is today. So I'll pray for you. Hopefully GOD can shed some light into your life. You believe what you want and we Christians will believe in our religon.
Every state has a Natural history museum (pretty much)what is so wrong with opening a Christian themed museum? The founders are not forcing anyone to go. They are not forcing anyting on anyone. If you are interested in visiting then you can, if your not, ok, dont go.
Anonymous commenter who doesn't even have the courage to identify themselves when they condemn another, peek out from under the skirt of your religion and try to develop some ideas/concepts that we can use to further the discussion.
Please feel free to pray for me :)
Yours truly,
The unredeeeeeeeeeemed Thivai
Answer this; at the rate the sun is shrinking just one million years ago the sun would have been too big for anything to live on this planet. So how did plants and animals live billions of years ago on earth when it would have been that much hotter?
You dogged out anonymous for being anonymous but didn’t answer her comment. Why is it okay to have every museum teaching old earth but one that teaches young earth is one too many.
mark
Fascist Mark,
Your science is as poor as the ridiculous creation museum... its amusing (but all so revealing) how on one hand you defend the right of the creation (fantasy) museum to promote its propaganda, yet reject my right to critique it and the right of other American citizens to protest its existence.
You still didn’t answer the question. So the sun isn’t getting smaller? Is that what you’re saying? Prove me wrong. Don’t just say I am and think people should just believe you. You have the right to say what ever you want to say. I know that, that’s what makes this country so great but I have the right to call you out on what you say. Freedom of speech isn’t the freedom to say anything and not be questioned on it. I question evolution because I once believed it and found it to be a lie. Maybe you need to do more home work like I did.
Mark,
When you say something clearly, provide me with some evidence, and document your sources... then I will address your statement.
I know that fundamentalist christian are not really concerned with documenting their sources, but we in the rest of the world usually ignore unsubstantiated arguments.
I can teach you how to do this if you need some help.
Best wishes Christian warrior
Hypocritical Mark,
You state:
"Freedom of speech isn’t the freedom to say anything and not be questioned on it."
Yet you throw a hissy fit because people question/critique/protest the $27 million propaganda institution of lies known as the Creation Museum?
Very much a double standard? No surprise...
Mark,
Check this report on the battle amongst the founders of the Creation Museum:
So Bizarre--I couldn't write fiction this good
:) Are these the true-believers you wish we would model ourselves on?
Children need to know the difference in micro and macro evolution. They need to know that
God created us and that he should know more about science, than man may ever begin to understand.
The museum is great, if finally allows the other side to speak.
Even Darwin said, he may be wrong, he just did not live long enough to be able to admit it.
Judy
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