Christian museum sparks creation, evolution debate

A museum near Cincinnati aims to inform the public about the Bible and creationism. It has inadvertently caused a rift among evolutionists and creationists.

The Creation Museum, which uses exhibits such as a walk through Biblical history, a petting zoo and botanical gardens to emphasize the Bible and creationism, is a product of Christian speaker Ken Ham and the group Answers in Genesis.

Creationism, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, is "a belief in a god who is absolute creator of heaven and earth, out of nothing, by an act of free will," whereas evolutionists believe that there was a gradual process of development in which humans changed into a more complex form.

Dave Greear, campus pastor of Campus Light Ministries, said the controversy over the Creation Museum could be based in their religious views more than creation alone.

"Answers in Genesis, the owners of the Creation Museum, makes no apologies for standing for the absolute authority for the word of God," Greear said. "This is probably even more offensive to many than creation itself."

The museum is a 70,000-square-foot building with 160 state-of-the-art exhibits that allow personal interaction, including a walk through the Garden of Eden and the Stargazer's Planetarium, which simulates a space flight.

Greear said he thinks the museum is important because it is a way to educate people about creationism.

"If you only give a person one side of the debate, they have been merely indoctrinated," Greear said. "If you give them both sides they have been educated.

"The purpose of education is supposed to be to teach students how to think, not what to think. If evolution is really an established scientific fact then evolutionists should not fear an honest examination of the evidence."

While some believe the museum will open people's eyes to creationism, others think the Creation Museum could turn people away from researching and discovering both explanations of how humans came to be.

Ashley Corley, senior criminal justice major from Scott Depot, W.Va., said the museum is just another way to close the minds of people without explaining all sides.

"I could only hope that most of those who visit the museum can take from it, and learn from it, but also explore other viewpoints before making up their minds as to what they believe," Corley said.

Daniel Hager, Herd4Christ campus ministry intern, said questions concerning the origin of life are something that should be addressed at home.

Not everyone agrees with what the Creation Museum stands for. A Google search on the museum shows Web sites with evolutionists speaking out against the museum and showing their general dislike of it.

One of these Web sites in disapproval of the museum has an extensive article titled "Exploring The Creation Museum - America's New Mecca of Fanatical Ignorance."

In this article Rob Sheridan, a Pratt Institute graduate who is a writer and graphic designer that rose to fame by doing work for the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wrote that creationists are a crazy sect of religious fanatics that believe the Bible is the "history book of the universe."

"They believe every word of The Bible is not only the word of God, but is absolute literal truth, and the only truth in the Universe against which all other truths must be compared," wrote Sheridan on his Web site, demonbaby.com.

While some have a problem with creationism, others think it is time for creationists to get their turn to educate people.

Greear said since the creation-evolution debate battle is fought on the philosophical level rather than on the scientific level, public school students, secular college students and the general public that consumes only the main-stream media are never exposed to the scientific evidence that logically seems to point toward a creator or presents problems for evolution.

"They control the public educational establishment, most colleges and universities, the secular media, scores of natural history museums, and yet they vehemently attack the Creation Museum as if it will destroy our nation," Greear said. "Why should they care if some crazy creationists want to open a private museum? They clearly are not tolerant of opposing viewpoints."

Even though there has been debate over the origin of life, that doesn't mean one can not adopt pieces of both viewpoints.

"My view on this topic is somewhat unconventional. I do not believe that the earth was created simply one way or another," Corley said. "I really think there is a higher power, whether it's the Christian God or not makes no difference. However, I don't understand why some people believe that a god could create the entire earth but not prepare those he made to change, adapt and evolve over time in order to make life better."

The Creation Museum's hours of operation and ticket prices can be found at www.creationmuseum.org.

Justin Hawthorne can be contacted at hawthorne2@marshall.edu.