> Mr Kremer, and Smithsonian, have you no shame!
It is, indeed, troubling when as prestigious a symbol of science and reason as the National Museum of Natural History appears not to have the slightest understanding of why it shouldn't screen this movie.
If a stand against anti-science is not taken there, then where? That the museum would accept money, with strings attached, from the Discovery Institute is mind-boggling. I hope it was just someone asleep at the wheel, and I hope they own up to this stupid mistake...
Stephen Nowlin
Director, Williamson Gallery
Art Center College of Design
http://www.williamsongallery.net
-------------------------------------------------
May 28, 2005
Smithsonian to Screen a Movie That Makes a Case Against Evolution
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Fossils at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural
History have been used to prove the theory of evolution. Next month
the museum will play host to a film intended to undercut evolution.
The Discovery Institute, a group in Seattle that supports an
alternative theory, "intelligent design," is announcing on its Web
site that it and the director of the museum "are happy to announce
the national premiere and private evening reception" on June 23 for
the movie, "The Privileged Planet: The Search for Purpose in the
Universe."
The film is a documentary based on a 2004 book by Guillermo Gonzalez,
an assistant professor of astronomy at Iowa State University, and Jay
W. Richards, a vice president of the Discovery Institute, that makes
the case for the hand of a creator in the design of Earth and the
universe.
News of the Discovery Institute's announcement appeared on a blog
maintained by Denyse O'Leary, a proponent of the intelligent design
theory, who called it "a stunning development." But a museum
spokesman, Randall Kremer, said the event should not be taken as
support for the views expressed in the film. "It is incorrect for
anyone to infer that we are somehow endorsing the video or the
content of the video," he said.
The museum, he said, offers its Baird Auditorium to many
organizations and corporations in return for contributions - in the
case of the Discovery Institute, $16,000.
When the language of the Discovery Institute's Web site was read to
him, with its suggestion of support, Mr. Kremer said, "We'll have to
look into that."
He added, "We're happy to receive this contribution from the
Discovery Institute to further our scientific research."
The president of the Discovery Institute, Bruce Chapman, said his
organization approached the museum through its public relations
company and the museum staff asked to see the film. "They said that
they liked it very much - and not only would they have the event at
the museum, but they said they would co-sponsor it," he recalled.
"That was their suggestion. Of course we're delighted."
Mr. Kremer said he heard about the event only on Thursday. He added
that staff members viewed the film before approving the event to make
sure that it complied with the museum's policy, which states that
"events of a religious or partisan political nature" are not
permitted, along with personal events such as weddings, or
fund-raisers, raffles and cash bars. It also states that "all events
at the National Museum of Natural History are co-sponsored by the
museum."
Evolution has become a major battleground in the culture wars, with
bitter debates in legislatures and school boards, national parks and
museums. Although Charles Darwin's theory is widely viewed as having
been proved by fossil records and modern biological phenomena, it is
challenged by those who say that it is flawed and that alternatives
need to be taught.
When asked whether the announcement on the Discovery Institute's Web
site meant to imply that the museum supports the film and the event,
Mr. Chapman replied:
"We are not implying in any sense that they endorsed the content, but
they are co-sponsoring it, and we are delighted. We're not claiming
anything more than that. They certainly didn't say, 'We're really
warming up to intelligent design, and therefore we're going to
sponsor this.' "
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