An open thread on Pharyngula leads to this article about an outfit called “Biblically Correct Tours”, which seems to specialize in trying to squeeze scientific data through a very narrow view of the Christian bible.
For a minimum of a hundred bucks, they will take a group through a museum and put their own spin on history, science, art, et cetera. Because …
“Museums are the secular temples of our day,” founder Bill Jack says. “If you watch people walk in, especially in (Denver’s) Museum of Nature and Science, they fold their hands reverently, they speak in hushed tones, they don’t let kids touch.
“The kid says, `What’s this?’ Dad reads the sign and they say, `Ooh, ahh.’ They worship the creature rather than the creator.”
I went in a few museums during my childhood, and I certainly don’t recall worshipping dinosaurs, sharks, stars, or even electricity. I found all of those topics interesting, but I hardly think that qualifies as “worship”.
Another person from Biblically Correct Tours continues…
Carter, who has a degree in biblical studies, admits feeling somewhat intimidated when he first gave tours, knowing scientists were listening. “I used to think, `What are they thinking? Are they going to come out and correct me?'” he says.
This is an interesting admission. He’s basically saying that he knows he’s presenting things that are wrong. What kinds of things?
- Evolution promotes racism and abortion.
- Hitler’s racism was motivated by evolution.
- “Evolution kills people”
- “If you believe you came from slime there is no reason not to, if you can, get away with anything.”
Sad, isn’t it?
I’d say that a lack of knowledge about evolution can kill – since evolutionary theory has a lot to say about things like infectious diseases.
Biblically Correct Tours also has media for sale, which sheds more light on what sort of ideas kids get exposed to on these tours.
One video is called The Emperor’s New Clothes – Bill Jack exposes the naked truth behind “progressive” creationism (and theistic evolution). The description makes it appear that the video is a diatribe against rational Christians that accept modern science.
It gets better. Have a look at Jack Theist Meets Dr. Secular!
Plan 9 from Outer Space is a great film.
I’d also really love to see how “Jack Theist destroys Dr. Secular’s arguments with Biblical Truth”, as the description says. If it’s anything like Kent Hovind’s videos, it’ll be a laugh riot.
If only these people weren’t serious…
As a former prof in that state, I nearly fell off my chair reading the article – their reference to ‘black subhumans’ in dioramas at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science was enough to make me fire off a letter to the Rocky.
Boulder is the home of extremes, from the Naropa Institute to the offices of Soldier of Fortune mag. I have never seen such an incredible polarity of intelligence and stupidity co-exist anywhere else in the country.
I’ll just have to say that on second thought, I might not want to see the video after all.
I’m not sure I could take the psychological torture of a young-earth creationist staring at me for an hour.
(The quality of the cover might reflect the quality of the ideas presented in the video, I think.)
Dr. Secular looks suspiciously like Charles Xavier, founder of the X Men, with some sort of skull bone problem. I wonder if Marvel Comics would be interested in that.
Whooo boy! That’s gold that is! Starring Bill Jack!
How about co-starring Tom Cruise as Harun Yahya, Marc Dacascos as James Randi in the matrix and PZ Myers as a mob of tentacled scientist trying to burn houses of worship. To the Holy Mobile Billy!
Ah, I’ll come back later. The editor’s screaming for a splash page, wants gratuitous bikini femme all over it.