Bones of Contention Missions Incompatible: New Creation Museum, Venerable Carnegie Museum a Stark Contrast
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SPECIALSPECIAL REPORTSREPORT Bones of Contention Missions Incompatible: New Creation Museum, Venerable Carnegie Museum a Stark Contrast EDWARD H. JONES ooey,” declares the man on the dinosaur and the museum was the In a similar vein in November of the phone from his office wealthy industrialist Andrew Carnegie, 2007, the Carnegie Museum unveiled “Hin the massive stone build- who in his day was said to be the richest its new exhibit called Dinosaurs in Their ing blackened by a century of industrial man in the world. In establishing the Time. The exhibit marked the 100th progress. “For them to say that there is museum in 1895, Carnegie sought to anniversary of the museum’s original scientific evidence for a biblical account help people improve their lives through Dinosaur Hall. “[It’s] about the biggest of the way the world was formed and educational and cultural experiences. thing we’ve done since Andrew Carnegie the way life on earth evolved through Three hundred miles to the southeast founded the museum,” says Beard by millions of years is complete and utter in Petersburg, Kentucky, a replica of phone. The Carnegie epitomizes the hooey.” The man making the dismissive a Saltasaurus stands guard in front of quintessential natural history museum: comment is Christopher Beard, curator the Creation Museum. According to the staid and traditional with a worldwide reputation. “We’re a global resource,” and section head of vertebrate paleontol- Creation Museum’s online brochure, Ken says Beard. In stark contrast, the Creation ogy at the Carnegie Museum of Natural Ham intends the museum to be a resource Museum is a recent phenomenon that is History in Pitts burgh. The “them” he for information and education to pave the refers to is the controversial new Creation not afraid to flout convention to reveal way to a greater understanding of the what it considers the biblical basis for the Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. The tenants of creation. Accordingly, both museum is so named because it presents origins of the earth. “There will be those the Creation Museum and the Carnegie who will sneer,” claims the Creation natural history and the origins of the Museum consider themselves legitimate Museum’s online brochure, “but some earth with a decidedly biblical, creationist museums of science, as evidenced by the will be challenged to think.” point of view. The modern facility, which long-necked, prehistoric behemoths dis- So how can these two seemingly opened on Memorial Day 2007, is the played in front of each. Their missions, dif ferent museums both profess to brainchild of Australian-born creationist as each makes perfectly clear, however, contribute to the advancement of sci- speaker and author Ken Ham. Ham sees are about as different as bibles and bones. entific thought? Perhaps the answer the Creation Museum as an instrument On July 4, 2007, the Creation ultimately lies in how each museum for proclaiming that the Bible is the Mu seum unveiled its newest exhibit, looks at science. supreme authority in all matters. Beard the Dinosaur Den. In a press release, The Creation Museum bills itself as a sees it as a disservice to the state and sur- the Creation Museum explained that $27 million walk-through-history museum rounding communities and as one cause over the past decade its staff has been “where visitors can see real dinosaur of scientific illiteracy in this country. collecting items such as dinosaur bones bones and exceptional fossils,” the kind An imposing replica of Diplodocus and eggs, many of which are now fea- that would typically be found in a carnegii stands guard in front of the tured at Dinosaur Den, along with first-class museum of natural history. equally imposing Carnegie Museum of sculpted dinosaur displays. “We are “They’ve got some awesome fossils, Natural History. The namesake for both hoping that people of all ages will enjoy and we’ve got some awesome fossils,” Edward H. Jones is a freelance writer. the dinosaur displays and learn that the says Creation Museum spokesperson E-mail: [email protected] science of paleontology supports biblical Georgia Purdom during a phone inter- creation,” said Ham in the release. view. Although the fossil collections 14 Volume 32, Issue 3 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER might suggest that these two museums are alike, their mission statements speak otherwise. It comes as no surprise to learn that as one of the world’s prestigious nat- ural history museums, the Carnegie’s mission includes conducting scientific in quiry that “creates knowledge and. builds strategic collections to preserve evidence of that knowledge.” As Beard explains over the phone, “the Carnegie has one of the best, if not the best, col- lections of late Jurassic dinosaurs in the world.” But as a traditional museum of natural history, the Carnegie also seeks to engage the public in “the excitement of scientific discovery about the evo- lutionary. .processes that shape the diversity of our world and its inhabi- tants.” The Carnegie’s new dinosaur exhibit is expected to do just that. “It’s going to be a huge impact, not just here in Pittsburgh, but around the country, and even internationally,” says Beard. By comparison, the Creation Museum contends it will “counter evolutionary natural history museums that turn minds against Scripture—and Jesus Christ, the Creator of the universe.” The Creation Museum’s mission includes equipping Christians “to better evangelize the lost Christopher Beard, head of vertebrate paleontology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. through a combination of exhibits, re- search, and educational presentations that history was either refuted decades ago by just a different starting point.” will uphold the inerrancy of the Bible.” science or doesn’t exist at all. “They’ve Beard thinks otherwise. “What kind “Our mission is obviously to see people made up their minds a long time ago of science starts by assuming that the come to a relationship with Jesus Christ,” before they actually evaluated the fossil Book of Genesis is accurate?” he says. “I adds Purdom, who holds a PhD in molec- record and what it tells us about the don’t assume that anything is accurate, ular genetics. According to the Web site history of life on earth,” he says. “They including Charles Darwin’s Origin of the of Ken Ham’s Bible-defending ministry present their forgone conclusion as if it Species,” he adds. “If you literally believe called Answers in Genesis, visitors to the were somehow supported by facts.” that every single word in the Bible is . Creation Museum will discover how sci- However, Purdom asserts that it isn’t infallible, then you’re out of the main- ence actually confirms biblical history and so much the data that’s at issue, it’s the stream . with most of Christianity in that the Book of Genesis is the true history starting point. She says that everybody the world today.” What science teaches book that details the origins of the earth. starts out with some kind of assumption, is the result of years, decades, and in Beard sees it differently. “It’s really some sort of understanding of how the some cases even centuries of observa- too bad that the people who opened this world works, whether you believe that tion, experimentation, and reassessment museum are putting out so much antisci- the Bible should be the starting point or of data, he contends. “We will continue entific propaganda and reinforcing ideas whether you believe that human reason- to fight the good fight against the that are out there that just contribute to ing should be that starting point. Every- forces that hold back scientific prog- the problem of lack of scientific literacy body’s going to approach evidence with ress,” Beard vows. “These people are in this country,” he explained by phone. assumptions. “We’re all looking at the not convincing any scientists,” he says. He says that the evidence that allegedly same evidence,” she says, “Whether you Instead, “they are convincing the unin- supports the biblical account of natural are a creationist or an evolutionist . it’s formed members of the public, and that SKEPTICAL INQUIRER May / June 2008 15.