May 28th marked the opening of the long-awaited (6,000 years to be exact) Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. The $27 million venture—an achievement of the Answers in Genesis ministry—boasts 60,000 square feet of walk-through history featuring realistic scenery, exotic animals, fossils, life-size models, "computer-generated visual effects," and animatronic dinosaurs (made to graze amongst prehistoric boys and girls, and presumably board Noah’s Ark before the flood) designed by the same Universal Studios exhibit director who did Jaws and King Kong. These attractions and more were all created in the spirit of "bringing the pages of the bible to life" and proving the literal truth of Genesis. Finally the world as it really is, and was!
Also soon to emerge is "The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter" [Potter fans froth], a J.K. Rowling-approved theme park promising to be "the world's first immersive Harry Potter themed environment."
'Potter-world' may cream the Creation Museum in first-year attendance (an upset that should have biting significance for fundamentalists) but at least the CM concerns itself with historical 'truth.'
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(Potter fans, read: I may have used Hogwarts as a device here, the park isn't set to open til 2009. I'm sorry if I misled you. It's in Orlando, Florida, so you can start camping out now)
www.creationmuseum.org
Edward Rothstein, "Adam and Eve in the Land of the Dinosaurs" The New York Times May 24th, 2007
5 comments:
Creation…a topic that many people bring to the table when discussing religion. It is also one of the more debated issues even among believers. I wonder if the $27,000,000 spent on this museum will be put to use showcasing various approaches to creation. I think I’ll say it again TWENTY SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS!
Matt I really like your blog.
Most that know me are familiar with my beliefs in God, and people often ask me,"do you really think the world is only 10,000 years old? What about carbon dating, fossils, evolution? Seven Days…how is that possible?
My response I’m reluctant to say never seems to satisfy anyone,
"I'm not really sure, I haven’t put enough thought into it."
I have listened to some very smart people on both the creation science and evolutionary side of the fence make compelling arguments. But for right now I think I’m in an entirely different back yard where the fence isn’t in site…yet.
This puts me in an interesting situation…
On one hand, I feel irresponsible to my faith for not having mountains of evidence for defending the creator and his creation. Having blind faith is clearly something I hope to avoid participating in. Of course I’m not a scientist and haven’t done my geology hm wk in years but still, it is a uncomfortable feeling when asked for “proof”
On the other hand, my belief in the bible doesn’t really start at its first page.
I do believe the world was created, that man was created both in god’s image and with specific purposes in life.
However this isn’t solely because of something in Genesis
If I may briefly tangent into “Christ”endom with just a touch of apologetics.
The idea of “Trilemma” is (in part) where my faith begins.
Most people who have read C.S. Lewis are familiar with this idea.
Christ could not have been just a “wise teacher” because a wise teacher alone would never say the things Jesus said.
Either
1. Jesus was telling falsehoods and knew it, and so he was a liar.
2. Jesus was telling falsehoods but believed he was telling the truth, and so he was insane.
3. Jesus was telling the truth, and so he was divine.”
(C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)
If one decides that Christ was indeed divine. Then theoretically a number of other truths are accepted. For example, the countless times Christ references the old testament and it’s validity.
This is square one for many believers, a starting point in a journey for answers…many of which I don’t think we’ll find. However it provides a foundation for many people to build their case.
I think the beginning of the world would be a fascinating field of study, unfortunately for me, I won’t be going back to school anytime soon.
"When humans should have become as perfect in voluntary obedience as the inanimate creation is in its lifeless obedience, then they will put on its glory, or rather that greater glory of which Nature is only the first sketch." ~C.S. Lewis
Tucky T
Welcome Tuck! I did some reading up on the Trilemma (I used wikipedia, really. It's funny and scary to think about how familiar the average web citation may begin to sound in this greased-up, wiki-world of byte-sized information. I feel like we're trained in school to seek diversity in material, and to be skeptical of narrow, single-sourced accounts, and while Wiki is a single source, it is also an unprecedented concept because it is comprised of a vast diversity of sources. Maybe, in effect, it's just helping us all speak the same language??) Anyways, tangents begone! The Trilemma seems to me a perfect example of a logical equation that takes a characteristically human (or some may argue, divine) circumstance—including all those peculiarities that make human motivation one of the most vexing and elusive constructs—and imposes a very black or white filter to argue a vested point. In effect, I can't help but feel that C.S. Lewis's 'Trilemma,' is a slick argument based on some pretty serious assumptions about right vs. wrong, justice vs. injustice, nobility vs. dishonor. Imagine, for example, a mother who, out of the purest love for her daughter—lies to her about some despicable aspect of the world, to shield her from that cold reality. Is this mother wrong/unjust/dishonorable? Maybe. But I'm just meaning to illustrate what could be considered a grey area unallowed-for by the Trilemma, which gives us three options and assumes that we have cemented views of right, wrong ect. What if Jesus lied out of pure love, with the belief that only a lie could result in an optimal future for the objects of his affection?
wow.... i'll say it again.... WOW. i can't believe $27 million was invested in this place. i just don't understand it's purpose other than to service as an amusement park for the Christian community. if this is an attempt to win over the non-believing population, i agree with tucker, the creation debate is one that's entirely too arguable. most people have already determined in their own minds what they believe about the origins of the earth and will not be easily persuaded.
even being a Christian, i've grown more disenchanted with the Church, and Christians in general, particularly as they proceed on this evangelical war path. in my opinion, the $27 million would have been better off used in the mission field. instead of bringing gensis to life, why not demonstrate Christ's love (isn't that what Christianity is supposed to be about anyway?) maybe i'm misreading the purpose of this place though....
anyway, your blog is really thought provoking matt. it's been enjoyable to read.
Hey Alexis- I don't think you're misreading what this blog is about. It's meant to be an open forum, at least so far as you can comment on my posts and share your opinions and not expect to be ridiculed. But ideally, this would be a place where we could challenge one another's ideas in a respectful way.
Why are you disenchanted with the Church and Christians in general? As a Christian aren't you excited about your belief? Do you want to share your message with others?
Good to hear from you!
for the past couple years, i've struggled with what it means to be a Christian and how that translates into the choices i make and lifestyle i lead.
to kind of paraphrase, i grew up in a very conservative Christian home and accepted Christ when i was four. i never really questioned my faith until college when i started experiencing some of the judgmental, elitist, hypocrital, "holier than thou" attitude among Christians that i heard people outside the Church complain about. some Christians are so caught up in acheiving perfection, that they lose sight of the mercy and grace Christ demonstrated and wants us to show others. herein lies my problem.
i wrote a blog on myspace about this recently, but for me, there's a difference between faith and religion. i don't believe you have to be of a particular religion, follow a certain code of conduct, or attend a specific church in order to be right with God. what's important is the relationship you have with Him. Christians try to make the world black and white when it's not. they try to take portions of the Bible and manipulate them into a lifestyle standard as to be "good enough" for God. i don't believe that's the relationship God intended to have with us. i believe we were created out of love, and we should live life demonstratively so. granted, i've met several Christians that do, and i don't mean to discount, it's just a frustration near to me because of both direct and indirect personal experience.
one of the questions you posed to me "aren't you excited about your faith?" really made me think. i wish i were more passionate about what i believe. i love that i have a relationship with a God that cares about me, but i don't tell people enough how awesome i really think that is. anyway, enough rambling. i hope that all made sense.... thanks for being so open and willing to talk about this highly sensitized subject.
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