Writer John Scalzi recently visited the Creation Museum. He has written his report, assessed his impressions, and concluded…well, you should read his conclusions for yourself, here.
I do not have Mr. Scalzi’s flare for describing expensive nonsense in such finely satirical, subversive, and somewhat detached a manner. There is also a FlickR show attached worth a look—go through the images separately, though, rather than as a slide show, as he has added comments also worth a look.
The capacity of human beings to deceive themselves and ignore evidence that things really aren’t the way they wish them to be might in itself be proof of god’s existence. How else does one explain it? The fact that money was spent to put this elaborate Rube-Goldberg explanation on exhibit, that people who are otherwise perfectly reasonable and intelligent seem totally unwilling to use that intelligence and reason when it comes to a pet obsession, is proof of something.
Surely it is. But what?
I am not at all sure.
But they are.
It reminds me of of the stiry "Sail On! Sail On!" by Philip Jose Farmer, in which "Friar Sparks" describes the theology behind the ships radio.
"a thousand cherubim line up and shake hands". Unfortunately, he is on one of Christopher Columbus' ships and they sail off the edge of the world. 🙂
The fifth slide says it all for me. Essentially, it says thinking is bad. That's a rule followed religiously throughout this museum.
One can honor the mysteries of the universe by contemplating them as freethinkers do, or one can blasphemy the mysteries of the universe by (as Scalzi might say) by letting others convince you of a lot of horseshit.
All of this silliness is possible because so many people people are only willing to think things through one step (to the Bible) and they are afraid to consider the many reasons for concluding that the Bible is not literal inerrant truth. Is it fear or weak mindedness or fatigue or intimidation or lifetimes of propaganda (often at the knee of one's own parents)?
For more on our craving for shallow, one-step explanations, see here. http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=1615
Conservative Columnist speaks against Intelligent Design: This post gives me hope.
Basically, his point is that the loud and minuscule demographic of Creationist boneheads leading the candidates by the nose are bad for the conservative movement. But very well put.