As it happens I was reading the "Mastering Civic Engagement" text at the
same time as reading this discussion on Museum-L, and it occurred to me that
the groups which hold fundamentalist Christian, creationist/neo-young-Earth
views, in many areas, can be considered a significant enough constituency
that we need to figure out how to collaborate with them as an important part
of our work in civic engagement.  I don't think we should necessarily
present their viewpoint in an unquestioned manner; rather, we need to ensure
that we are not setting up a situation where there are competing orthodoxies
and clashing power structures.  If we can find a way to present Native
American cosmologies in a non-sinister, power-sharing way, surely we can
include this kind of "mythology" as well.  Acknowledging that this view
exists and that many people believe it doesn't mean that we come down on the
side of agreeing with it wholeheartedly--presenting it in a balanced manner,
with evidence either way, is responsible museum practice. I feel the same
way about acknowledging the existence of Afrocentric histories of the
world--present the argument from both sides, and allow the visitors to
figure out their own opinions.

I fully realize that religion is a loaded issue, but we don't want to fall
into the same pattern as our "enemies":  insisting that one view is
absolutely right and persecuting others who don't see it that way.  Perhaps
we can all grow as museum workers and individuals if we open ourselves to
other possibilities before insisting on orthodoxies of our own.

Julia Muney Moore
Director of Exhibitions and Artist Services
Indianapolis Art Center
820 E. 67th St.
Indianapolis, IN  46220
(317) 255-2464 x233
FAX (317) 254-0486
email <[log in to unmask]>
website <http://www.indplsartcenter.org>


-----Original Message-----
From: P Boylan [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2002 5:10 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Biblically/Politically Correct Tours


It is truly sinister that increasingly vocal political pressure is being
brought by such small, but apparently ever more powerful, groups on those
in education, libraries and museums to demand "equal representation" of
their "alternative" views - no doubt as a prelude to the eventually
banning of scientific orthodoxy.

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