Skeptics’ websites and blogs have been abuzz for the past several days in defending a web commentary that slammed our Creation Museum. The LiveScience.com piece even claimed that many non-Christians who visit are afraid that if they are found out to be non-believers, the museum will throw them out! Overall, said the writer of the LiveScience.com commentary, the museum was an uncomfortable place for non-Christians to visit.
It was one of the most bizarre misrepresentations of the museum we have read since we opened the museum three years ago. You see, the museum is very evangelistic, and we want non-Christians to visit and hear the gospel message. That’s why we were thrilled when 285 atheists/agnostics visited on one day alone last year; though, some of them wrote on blogs ahead of time that they would be disruptive, and so we had to be on guard during their visit—see my blog post regarding their visit.
We have written two web articles to rebut the LiveScience commentary—see Live(ly) Science Debate and Feedback: Please Stop the Hate—and mentioned in both that we have heard several comments from non-Christian visitors who felt very comfortable during their time here. Here is one comment that came in yesterday from an atheist who spent two days at the Creation Museum last week.
Dear Mark,I would like to personally thank you and the rest of the staff at the Creationist Museum for a pleasant and enjoyable visit. Thank you for your accomodations and willingness to converse and be interviewed on these and other subjects. . . .
I find there's a lot of down talk and ridicule to creationism and this bothers me because they're missing a wonderful opurtunity to consider a host of relevant issues in the scholarly study of religion. I see plenty of news sources laugh at the idea of dinosaurs and man living together, but they never investigate exactly why someone as intelligent and distinguished of an intellectual as David Menton [one of AiG’s staff scientists] believes this, and what his arguments for it are. Being able to sit down with him and just pick his brain was the kind of oppurtunity my fellow religious studies majors would die for!
My friend John and I were very impressed with the facility, the high quality exhibits, as well as the price of food. On the first day, we stopped at the burrito bar on the lower level near the Dinosaur Den and enjoyed burritos the size of our heads for about 5 dollars! Everything was both top notch and affordable.
On the second day of our visit, I was sitting in the lobby near the planetarium and was approached by one of the staff at the ticket office. She came up and apologized for over charging myself and John for our second planetarium ticket and gave us our money back.
You're facility and staff are honest and generous, for that I thank you. Sincerely, Kevin (from Wisconsin)
The tremendous ministries of Answers in Genesis are a continual source of encouragements, inspiration and empowerment in our evangelistic and discipleship work. We praise the Lord for Ken Ham and for all involved in the Creation Museum.Even though AiG does not have any active involvement in South Africa, we praise the Lord that others are obtaining AiG resources and promoting the Creation Museum and our publications. We are reaching into to places because others have been given the burden to take the resources we produce and use them around the world. Praise the Lord.Since exploring the Creation Museum I have written a number of articles promoting AIG and the Museum. These have been sent out to all on our . . . e-mail list, published in the largest Christian magazine in South Africa. They gave six pages with photos. I have also produced a number of PowerPoint presentations on the Creation Museum and aspects of it which have been a dynamic part of our Leadership Training Programmes and Youth Summits. [The] magazine has also published a number of other articles of Ken Ham’s since then. . . . My whole family thoroughly enjoys the Answers magazine. We have also used numerous AIG DVDs for our mission Devotions and . . . meetings.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.