A few points.

I have no philosophical problem with a museum of creationism--such a 
museum has as great a right to exist as any other; that being said, I 
have a great problem with a museum of creationism that pretends that 
it's consistent with science. This is a general statement; I haven't 
looked closely enough at the museum in question to know how much this is 
a problem with it. The presentation of humans and dinosaurs together, 
however, certainly is purely religious; all the scientific evidence 
clearly shows a long time gap between the extinction of (non-avian) 
dinosaurs and the earliest hominins.

Faith is involved in religion and in science, but the faith is very 
different between the two. In religion, as professed by biblical 
literalists, faith in revelation trumps everything else; in science, 
faith in observation, logic, and testing against the material universe 
trumps revelation. In believers in inerrant scripture, evidence is 
tested against the scripture; in science, against observations of the 
universe of matter and energy.

Keep in mind that "theory" in religion and in science are two very 
different things. Theory in science (when used in its full sense rather 
than the rather common idea that a theory is just a wild guess) is an 
extensively tested, important explanation of phenomena that agrees with 
known facts (observations) better than any other scientific explanation 
advanced. Well known theories include the Copernican theory that the 
earth revolves around the sun rather than vice versa, the atomic theory, 
plate tectonics, and of course, evolution. All of these have an immense 
amount of evidence for them and have been extensively tested.

Many people are upset by creationism (in the sense of Young Earth 
Creationists, Intelligent Design Creationists, etc.) because of the 
Radical Religious Right's continuing attempt to have their particular 
religious beliefs taught in science classes in public schools.

No personal affront meant, John, but in your series of submissions, you 
clearly demonstrate that you don't have the slightest understanding of 
evolutionary theory. Please take the time and effort to understand it 
rather than flail at a straw man.

Cheers,

Art Harris

John Martinson wrote:
> Buzz!  Wrong!
> 
> There is no solid proof that creatures involved up to man.  Similiaries of different animals or life form
> does not prove evolution.  Again these species who are to a supposed chain up to man died or
> killed off  by a stronger or different species/creature.  It is all theories hanging upon the thread of "belief".  And the "theories" has changed as new discoveres come into focus.   
> 
> Again, both (evolution and creation concepts) are totally upon faith and belief. 
> 
> There is nothing wrong with a musuem using exhibits to be created to tell the story of either.  Such
> prejudice, one-sided thinking is just like the days of cabinets of curosity, when only certain people
> could view museums.  Now evolutionist are telling us what is suppoed to be the act of creation,
> with only their thinking and everyone else is wrong.  That is sheer stupidty, when we in the museum
> world create exhibits for the public as you said for enjoyment and entertainment  --as long as it
> fits such shallow and controlled thinking.  
> 
> People who want to see the creationalist museum, let them go to it.  No big deal.  No offense,
> but we need not wet our pants becasie twp different theories or belief systems are out there.  Let
> the public decide what they want to see and believe.  That is what a museum is about -- free
> flowing exhibits, not controlled by bias exhibitors, directors or one-side museum professionals.
> 
> John
> 
>  
-- 
Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum
University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX  79968-0915
[log in to unmask]   http://museum.utep.edu/
http://museum.utep.edu/chih/chihdes.htm

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