Creation rules over evolution at museum
Pastor Dale Morgan
Creation rules over evolution at museum*
Biblical flood among displays near Innisfail
Paula Beauchamp, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Canada's first permanent creation museum --set to open in Alberta next
month -- will use fossil displays to support the Bible's explanation of
creation.
The controversial Big Valley Creation Science Museum, located east of
Innisfail, is billed as an alternative to the world view presented by
the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller and will open on June 5.
Owner Harry Nibourg said in a press release that the museum provides
compelling evidence for creation and refutes any unguided, "natural"
processes such as evolution.
He said the museum's "fossils and the flood" display, which teams a
giant model of Noah's ark with museum-quality fossils, is evidence the
biblical flood actually happened.
According to the museum's website, another display called "dinosaurs and
humans" disproves evolutionary theory that dinosaurs became extinct at
least 60 million years before humans evolved.
As expected, the museum has its detractors.
University of Calgary biology professor Anthony Russell said an honest
museum of creation would merely say this is our evidence and this is
what we believe it shows.
"I can't say it is a bad thing," he said.
"But it is not saying, 'Come in and make up your own mind.'
"It is a propaganda approach and I don't know society really needs that
sort of thing."
U of C's Dr. Marvin Fritzler, a professor of medicine and chair of the
Alberta Science Research Authority said if the museum "refutes evolution
lock, stock and barrel, I'd say it was a little head in the sand."
But he said there was no harm in people exposing themselves to opinions
and beliefs as long as they keep an open mind.
Inspired by the Bible, the museum's displays include a bacterial
flagellum and DNA stand, a terrible lizards display that references Job
40 & 41 and an "age of the Earth" display.
Creationists typically believe the Bible is the literal truth and that
God created the world in six days, less than 10,000 years ago.
Canada has two travelling creation museums.