While Rosie O’Donnell uses ABC’s own airwaves to spout nonsense about 9/11 conspiracies and Rudy Giuliani supposedly shipping the World Trade Center off to China, ABC News is troubled that the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, tells visitors the Biblical story of God’s creation.
“Critics say it is harmful to schoolchildren,” co-host Robin Roberts teased at the top of Friday's Good Morning America. “Mainstream scientists worry that because this museum is so sophisticated it will be more effective at giving children a distorted view of science,” ABC reporter Dan Harris argued.
Back in 1999, a New York City art museum showcased an exhibit featuring a portrait of the Virgin Mary surrounded by elephant dung and cutouts from pornographic magazines. But then the media only saw a threat to free speech if the artist or museum were deprived of public funds. The New York Times then argued: “One man’s blasphemy is another man’s faith."
Now, the media are fretting about the menace of a museum illustrating the Bible story of creation.
Undoubtedly, ABC pounced on the museum story today because it was featured in the Arts section of the New York Times yesterday. Reviewer Edward Rothstein wrote of the “sheer weirdness” of the museum combining “displays of extraordinary nautilus shell fossils and biblical tableaus, celebrations of natural wonders and allusions to human sin. Evolution gets its continual comeuppance, while biblical revelations are treated as gospel.”
The Bible treated as gospel? Scandalous!
ABC did, however, report that most Americans (60% according to their own poll) say they believe that God created the world in six days. And that poll was conducted before this dangerous museum officially opens on May 28.
Here’s the transcript:
Robin Roberts, 7:01am EDT: “And there’s a new high-tech museum opening that’s, well, causing quite a stir. Critics say it is harmful to schoolchildren. Harmful? So why? Here’s a hint: It depicts a world where dinosaurs had company in the form of two of the most famous Biblical characters, so that always causes a bit of controversy.”
Robin Roberts, 7:16am EDT: “Now, to a question of faith. According to ABC News, an ABC News poll, 60% of Americans believe God created the world in six days. And this weekend, a new museum is opening its doors. High tech, high controversy — [it’s a] $27 million facility that depicts a story that’s a, well, a far cry from what many of us learned in science class. ABC’s Dan Harris joins us with a preview of the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. Good morning, Dan.”
Dan Harris standing in front of an exhibit showing dinosaurs: “Robin, good morning. At most museums, they’re going to teach you that dinosaurs roamed the Earth millions of years ago and died out long before humans arrived on the scene. But here at the Creation Museum, they say that God created dinosaurs and humans at the same time, roughly 6,000 years ago. It’s a $27 million, high tech, sensory experience, with animatronic dinosaurs, and a movie theater with seats that shake — all designed by the same man behind some of the attractions at Universal Studios in Florida.”
Museum visitors: “Incredible. It’s very cool, yeah.”
Harris: “It’s all aimed at convincing visitors that evolution is wrong, and that the Biblical story of life on earth, from Adam and Eve to Noah’s Ark, is scientifically verifiable.”
Harris walking through museum exhibit with executive: “You’ve got Adam living with a bunch of animals, including, right here, a dinosaur.”
Ken Ham, President of Answers in Genesis: “Including dinosaurs, yes, because all land animals were made on Day Six.”
Harris to Ham: “But again, scientists, a lot of scientist-”
Ham: “Secular scientists.”
Harris: “Secular scientists would say, that’s just not true.”
Ham: “Yeah, they can say that, but what’s their scientific proof?”
Young boy at museum: “I believe that God created them on the sixth day, on the same day.”
Harris: “Mainstream scientists worry that because this museum is so sophisticated it will be more effective at giving children a distorted view of science.”
Eugenie Scott, PhD, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education: “They’ll show up in classrooms and say, ‘Gee, Mrs. Brown, I went to this very spiffy museum last summer and they say that everything you’re teaching me is a lie.’”
Ham: “And I say, great, amen. That’s what this place is all about. It’s meant to challenge people.”
Exhibit movie showing a man dressed as angel talking to audience: “This folks, one of the great tragedies of your time.
Harris: “The stakes are high. The museum argues that evolution jeopardizes people’s belief in the Bible, and leads to social ills like pornography and abortion.”
Jason Lisle, PhD, Answers in Genesis: “Without an evolutionary worldview, why should you have things like absolute morality? Why would it be wrong to kill someone? I’m not saying that evolutionist aren’t moral, I’m saying they have no logical reason to be moral.”
Harris: “The people here at the museum say they have two primary audiences. Christians who need scientific evidence to bolster and defend their faith, and non-Christians who need to be saved. Diane.”
Diane Sawyer: “Alright, thanks to you, Dan.”
