ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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I don't really know enough about the AAM to say, but I think I'd be willing
to give them the benefit of the doubt; namely that they probably feel free
to announce an Arab American Museum without thinking "Oh no, we'd better put
in some Christian stuff, too! Otherwise the religious right will accuse us
of having a liberal bias!" I don't THINK that they roll like that.
It's a bit of a head-shaker, but I suppose it's good that they let people in
the field know that the creationists are starting up their own museum.
(Forewarned is eight-armed... er, something like that.) And this isn't new;
Duane Gish, one of the leading mouthpieces for creationism, already has such
a museum:
http://www.icr.org/museum/
I hope I won't start an(other) avalanche of postings with this: I don't mean
to write off Matthew's concerns, but I'm a lot less worried that the
creationists have their own museum, and a lot more worried that they've got
many a sympathetic advocate in very powerful positions in the U.S.
government.
Now, I've gone and done it,
Jonah Cohen
Outreach & Public Programs Manager
Science Center of Connecticut
"If you hear only one song this year, there's something terribly wrong with
you."
-They Might Be Giants
-----Original Message-----
From: Matthew White [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 3:05 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Creation museums
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
*
I was busy trying to meet an April 12th exhibit opening and missed
participating in most of the discussion sparked by the news report of
science centers who declined to screen a particular iMax movie because they
thought its Evolutionary content would make audiences feel uncomfortable. I
did get to read most of the posts, but never had the time or energy to
respond. You snooze you lose, I figured.
On Monday the latest issue of Museum News arrived and convinced me to post
a thought or two.
I may be beating a dead horse, here, but bear with me to the end, or skip
ahead, before you make that judgement.
Class, please turn to page 27 in the May/June edition of Museum News. Here
you will find the regular column entitled "Noteworthy." In this column they
highlight new museums, new buildings, new exhibitions etc. lately they seem
to focus just on large construction projects with high price tags. In an
inset at the bottom of page 27 (I'll get to the top of page 27 in a minute)
is a shorter list of new museums entitled "Museums of Biblical Proportions"
In that list is the Museum of Biblical Art, which features art inspired by
the Judeo-Christian tradition and includes historic bibles and scriptures,
The Biblical Resource Center and Museum, which seems to be about the
archaeology of "biblical times," and, are you ready for this, Answers in
Genesis Creation Museum, which, for those of you not aware is a museum
"will proclaim to the world that the Bible is the supreme authority in all
matters of faith and practice and in every area it touches on. This 'walk
through history' museum will be a wonderful alternative to the
evolutionary natural history museums that are turning countless minds
against the gospel of Christ and the authority of the Scripture. " from
their website (http://www.answersingenesis.org/museum/about.asp)
Is anyone else worried that AAM sees no distinction between museums with
intellectual and scholarly traditions and those created to espouse a
specific, narrow point of view that, at best, is a-scholarly?
If no one else is worried, I'll shut up and not quote the AAM's own
statement of ethics on scholarship and intellectual integrity nor will I
give voice to my musings on what might happen if the museum in question
tried to become a Governing Member of ASTC.
If no one else cares, I'll go away, but I for one am deeply troubled by
this.
BTW: On top of page 27 is an announcement of the new Arab American National
Museum in Dearborn Michigan. I am hoping against hope that this is just a
coincidence, and not Museum News' attempt to provide some sort of balance to
shield AAM from some sort of anti-Arab invective, accusations of being
Anti-American, or some other repercussion.
Matthew White
Director
Hands On Science Center
National Museum of American History
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