Creation Museum -

     The day for the opening of the Creation Museum has arrived.  In what is sure to become one of the biggest theological mistakes of our time, the museum (“museum” is a term used very loosely here), tells the interpretation of history from a six 24-hour day creation story standpoint, which has absolutely no support from science.  As such, this museum does not really deserve the title of “museum,” and would more appropriately be called “CreationLand,” after other fantasy parks such as Disneyland.

    In contrast to real museums, the new creation museum has no artifacts from history.  Instead, they tell a tale of a different interpretation of the earth’s history, with no actual artifacts presented to support their cause.   Visitors are expected to take the words of the experts at Answers in Genesis, even though there is not one bit of evidence to support their position. 

     For newcomers to the creation science debate, this is typical of young earth creationism (YEC).  In the culture of young earth creationism, pastors, and young earth experts at ministries such as Answers in Genesis (AiG), ICR, and the worldwide leader of the creation science movement, CMI, are seen as experts.  Their words are to be accepted as the truth.  Their positions of authority demand unquestioning belief in their statements.  Children of young earth creationists are taught this position from an early age.  One of the hopes of Answers in Genesis is that the museum will have a great impact upon the young people.  This is because of the great erosion of young earth creationism that is occurring in the church today. 

     For example, when many young people go to college, they learn about real science, and because they were taught that you either have to believe in a young earth, or reject God, they choose to reject God.  Answers in Genesis hopes to stop this erosion with the museum. 

     The museum is also being heralded as an evangelism tool.  Mark Looy of Answers in Genesis claims that “A lot of non-Christians will come.  You couldn’t blow them into church with a stick of dynamite, but they’ll come to this.”  Yes, a few will come, but due to the price of admission ($19.95 for adults), most non-Christians will stay away.  For comparison, many museums in the United States do not charge for admission.  Even very large museums, such as the Field Museum in Chicago, are more reasonably priced ($12.00), and present a much larger collection of actual artifacts from history.   If Answers in Genesis is truly trying to use this as an evangelism tool, charging people almost $20.00 to hear the message of salvation is a strange way to evangelize.  Would you go to church if they charged you admission at the door?

     For the church, the damage that is already being done by this museum will take many years to correct.  Eventually, young earth creationism will be a belief of the past, and the creation museum will be a monument to a dark period in the church's history, brought on not by the church itself, but by organizations outside the church.  Even today, a demonstration by many people is underway outside the gates of Answers in Genesis.  Because of the museum, AiG has no chance of reaching these demonstrators with the gospel.   The museum is driving those outside the church further away from the saving message of Jesus Christ.  (Note: Not all these demonstrators need reached with the Gospel.  Many are Christians already).

   Despite these words that I write against the museum, I firmly believe in the creation story, and the story of Noah and the Flood.  Creation, the Flood, and belief in God, are all items that require faith.  If there were actual evidence to support these items, then faith would not be required, and people would have no choice but to believe (see Plausible Deniability for more on this line of reasoning).

     While Christians can accept the stories of Genesis, there is no need to buy into this fairytale land that Answers in Genesis has created.  Fortunately, one can believe in both the stories of the Bible, and in the ancient, 4.5 billion year history of the earth.  The purpose of Old Earth Ministries is to provide  rebuttals to the false claims of young earth ministries, and to restore a sense of dignity and respect to the church.  Feel free to check out more of this website (over 1,300 articles), and see for yourself how easy it is to discredit the false claims of young earth creationism, from both a scientific and theological perspective. 

     Yes, young earth creationism is a fairy tale, but people can rest assured that they can believe in God, and the events portrayed in Genesis, from an old earth creationism perspective.

     If you are not a Christian, and you have been holding out on making a decision for Christ because the Church always preached a message that was contrary to what you saw in the scientific world, then rest assured that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and you can believe in Christ and receive salvation, while still believing in an old earth.  Click here for more.

    Are you a Christian who believes in young earth creationism?  Now that we have shown the many difficulties of the young earth creation science model in this and many other articles, how does this impact your Christian life?  If you are a young-earth creationism believer, click here.

Other Relevant Old Earth Ministries Articles

Creation Museum - A Preliminary Review