What a Contrast!

For whatever reason, many anti-Creation Museum reviews have been popping up on the web in recent weeks. As you know, you can’t always believe what you read on the Internet—although with our website, we try to make sure it’s as accurate (scientifically and scripturally) as possible. (Of course, we all have feet of clay, and we can make mistakes.)

Tremendous Praise

With my blog post today, I am highlighting a museum review written by a person whose family was tremendously blessed by their experience here. In her review, Tanya wrote that she was aware that there was much controversy surrounding the Creation Museum being built. Here are some of her thoughts as she looked back on her family’s experiences at the museum:

I wondered why on earth the construction of one museum was stirring up so much trouble . . . I couldn’t understand what was so horrible and so threatening about ONE museum that would offer a differing viewpoint . . .

I’ve come to understand better how much of the secular scientific community has absolutely no tolerance for differing viewpoints . . . but now that I’ve also visited the museum for myself, I think I see more clearly why so many are enraged by its existence.

Because it is good. REALLY good. In fact, I’ve never visited a museum that was more beautifully designed or more state-of-the-art . . . it is awfully hard to take it so lightly when it’s so unbelievably well-done . . .

I was awestruck by the beautiful displays and interactive exhibits. . . .

Later we strolled through the botanical gardens . . . . I was thoroughly impressed . . . . I think I could have spent the entire day just wandering through them.

Tanya closed with this observation:

The museum is not merely creation-centered, but gospel-centered; aimed at not only offering evidence in support of the Genesis account, but in sharing the salvation message of Jesus Christ. I’m sure it’s something that makes evolutionary scientists very uncomfortable; this blending of science and faith. . . .

It was so refreshing to finally be able to walk through a science museum with our children and not have to offer constant disclaimers for the things we saw and heard. There is remarkable evidence for a young earth, a worldwide flood, and intelligent design . . . .

Museums promoting faith in evolution are a dime a dozen. What a pleasure to finally visit one promoting faith in something far greater!

Yes, that’s what we’re all about—Presenting the gospel message!

Unfounded Criticism

Now, contrast this positive museum review with what is being said by others about the Creation Museum from both secularists and Christians who don’t accept Genesis as history.

One atheist, a former theology student, wrote a recent review about his visit to our museum. I wrote about this atheist last week. He came to the museum and told a staff member that he didn’t have the money in his budget to enter, so one of our staff members was nice enough to give him a complimentary pass. He then wrote a very nasty, mocking review of a museum that he was allowed to tour through our generosity.

One of our supporters read his negative museum review and responded with a couple of posts. The atheist had made a number of troubling comments, including the false assertion that our ministry had been given money from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The atheist, for example, wrote that “it doesn’t hurt that they were given state funds.” Well, our AiG supporter challenged that wrong claim with a posting in the site’s comment section:

I can state without being contradicted that you are absolutely wrong to say that the organization has been “given state funds.” It has not. No tax money has been used by the group, and it won’t even be used to build its future Ark Encounter. What is the whole truth? The finished Ark Encounter may get a rebate from the state on the sales tax that will be collected from visitors at the finished Ark park—if there is strong attendance and if tourists bring lots of dollars into the state.

Contrary to what you said, no funds will be used from the state’s budget (and thus be taken away from programs like schools, social programs, etc.) to help build or operate the Ark Encounter. The revenue generated for the state through the sales tax the state will keep, the payroll taxes and property taxes collected from the thousands of people who will be hired at the Ark over the years, etc. will be huge. There will be a net gain for the state treasury with the Ark being built in the state. Revenue will also come to the state from the sales taxes collected from the hotels, restaurants, etc. that will pop up in response to tourists visiting the Ark.

Sadly, this lie about receiving money from the state budget to build the Ark keeps circulating.

Also in the comments section of this atheist’s blog, a Christian—who does not support us—wrote:

I understand from other articles that the Creation Museum is having difficulties financially and trying to come up with a long-term marketing strategy to draw return visitors to displays and explanations that will likely never change with any increased information. I wasn't aware that things had come to the place where one $29 admission fee was so crucial.

Now, the whole point of my blog post last week was to point out how atheists can cheat. It was not over the fact that we lost an admission fee—from just one person out of perhaps the 1,000 visitors who were here the day the atheist visited. Also, the museum is not struggling financially at all. Each year, we have far exceeded our attendance and revenue projections when we set them before the museum opened six years ago. Museums that struggle don’t open new exhibits, as we have done this year.

It’s sad that a person who calls himself a Christian would misrepresent our museum in such a way, and is so trusting of secular sources that claim that the museum is struggling. I don’t really want to even bring up these accusations, but they are all over the Internet that it has gotten to the point that we have to counter these false assertions.

In the same comment section of the atheist blog, a museum critic stated that with Christians visiting the museum and paying admission, we are stealing their money! This person’s reasoning was this: “By taking their money, isn’t he [i.e., me] stealing money that should go to their church?” Bizarre. This is an economic fallacy and assumes that we are coercing people to attend our museum. Of course, people who pay to go to the Creation Museum don’t see themselves as victims of any theft or coercion! This again shows how irrational and illogical some people can be in their opposition to biblical truths.

Then we have those secularists who gloat about a lightning strike near the Creation Museum that could have been a tragedy and take the opportunity to blaspheme God and mock the museum. For example, read the excerpt below from an atheist blog where he shows a kind of gloating, depraved way of thinking—often displayed by people who shake their fists at God (even though they claim not to believe in Him). While the atheist expresses some sympathy for the man who was involved with the incident, look at what the mocking atheist blogger dwells on. It starts with his headline, referencing a local news article:

God Must Be Sending a Message: Creation Museum Visitor Struck by Lightning

The headline pretty much says it all, doesn’t it?

Contrary to initial news reports which were reflected in the blogger’s post, the person slightly injured was actually not a visitor to the museum but an employee of the company that operates the zip lines on the museum campus. In addition, he was not struck by a lightning bolt: he was standing on the ground and the jolt he received came from the energy of a nearby lightning strike that came down a zip line.

For what happened at the Creation Museum on Wednesday, and to praise God that the zip line worker is fine, read our brief article on the AiG website.

In tomorrow's blog post I'll write about another of the many misrepresentations made by people in their efforts to denigrate the Creation Museum, Ark Encounter, and Answers in Genesis ministry.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken