Now Open

The Creation Museum.

If you don’t want to subscribe for free to the New York Times online, you can read about it here, here, here, etc.

One thing that seems to be missing from all these “reviews” and news articles is any sense of outrage or contempt. There’s no good reason that a publication of fact should report on this museum with tact or delicacy. It’s an assault on science and reason, and it’s bad for humanity.

One or two of the articles actually get an opinion from a source other than at the “museum” itself, but more commonly, they just quote the liars and hucksters who stand to gain from its success.

They let some born-again Christian equate Dawkins’ beliefs, in this case, not believing in God (due to lack of any evidence) with believing in the literal truth of the Bible. They’re both the same! He doesn’t believe, but I do! It’s the same!

But that’s inane, and a newspaper shouldn’t let it stand. At the very least, they should get an opposing viewpoint, since the opposing one (not believing in the literal truth of the Bible) is agreed to by well over 99% of the science community. But they could also just point out that NOT believing something due to lack of evidence isn’t the same as believing in something without evidence.

It’s ok with me if you believe, but don’t tell me it’s scientific.

This is part of what’s wrong with science (and political) reporting across the board. If there’s someone saying something different, then it’s reported as a debate. Fair coverage. But it’s also fair to report how many scientists believe proposition A vs. proposition B. Or that papers on proposition A keep cropping up in peer-reviewed science journals and repeatable experiements, whereas proposition B never does.

I’m annoyed.

4 Responses to Now Open

  1. BruceS May 29, 2007 at 5:57 pm #

    They should throw those frauds in jail.
    TW, your blog site would be improved by a last-date indicator on each thread.

  2. Shane May 30, 2007 at 11:37 pm #

    This is great. Is it wrong that I really really want to go?

    I wonder what percentage of their visitors will be visiting ironically. I’m thinking about 30%.

  3. weeklyrob May 31, 2007 at 3:28 pm #

    I’m torn. I wouldn’t want to give them my money, but I would want to see what it’s like. It’d be good to be a reporter in this case.

    Luckily, I’m nowhere near the place.

  4. Kevin June 8, 2007 at 1:33 pm #

    Adam has been busy.
    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/07/national/a175033D34.DTL
    Apparently this is after the fall.

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