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	Memorial Day Saturday is a slow news day but Mr Kremer, and 
Smithsonian, have you no shame!

Martin



May 28, 2005
Smithsonian to Screen a Movie That Makes a Case Against Evolution
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Fossils at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural 
History have been used to prove the theory of evolution. Next month 
the museum will play host to a film intended to undercut evolution.
The Discovery Institute, a group in Seattle that supports an 
alternative theory, "intelligent design," is announcing on its Web 
site that it and the director of the museum "are happy to announce 
the national premiere and private evening reception" on June 23 for 
the movie, "The Privileged Planet: The Search for Purpose in the 
Universe."
The film is a documentary based on a 2004 book by Guillermo Gonzalez, 
an assistant professor of astronomy at Iowa State University, and Jay 
W. Richards, a vice president of the Discovery Institute, that makes 
the case for the hand of a creator in the design of Earth and the 
universe.
News of the Discovery Institute's announcement appeared on a blog 
maintained by Denyse O'Leary, a proponent of the intelligent design 
theory, who called it "a stunning development." But a museum 
spokesman, Randall Kremer, said the event should not be taken as 
support for the views expressed in the film. "It is incorrect for 
anyone to infer that we are somehow endorsing the video or the 
content of the video," he said.
The museum, he said, offers its Baird Auditorium to many 
organizations and corporations in return for contributions - in the 
case of the Discovery Institute, $16,000.
When the language of the Discovery Institute's Web site was read to 
him, with its suggestion of support, Mr. Kremer said, "We'll have to 
look into that."
He added, "We're happy to receive this contribution from the 
Discovery Institute to further our scientific research."
The president of the Discovery Institute, Bruce Chapman, said his 
organization approached the museum through its public relations 
company and the museum staff asked to see the film. "They said that 
they liked it very much - and not only would they have the event at 
the museum, but they said they would co-sponsor it," he recalled. 
"That was their suggestion. Of course we're delighted."
Mr. Kremer said he heard about the event only on Thursday. He added 
that staff members viewed the film before approving the event to make 
sure that it complied with the museum's policy, which states that 
"events of a religious or partisan political nature" are not 
permitted, along with personal events such as weddings, or 
fund-raisers, raffles and cash bars. It also states that "all events 
at the National Museum of Natural History are co-sponsored by the 
museum."
Evolution has become a major battleground in the culture wars, with 
bitter debates in legislatures and school boards, national parks and 
museums. Although Charles Darwin's theory is widely viewed as having 
been proved by fossil records and modern biological phenomena, it is 
challenged by those who say that it is flawed and that alternatives 
need to be taught.
When asked whether the announcement on the Discovery Institute's Web 
site meant to imply that the museum supports the film and the event, 
Mr. Chapman replied:
"We are not implying in any sense that they endorsed the content, but 
they are co-sponsoring it, and we are delighted. We're not claiming 
anything more than that. They certainly didn't say, 'We're really 
warming up to intelligent design, and therefore we're going to 
sponsor this.' "

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Martin Weiss, Ph.D
Vice President, Science
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