The Creation Museum, located in Portland, Kentucky, is a $27million museum dedicated to the Creationist theory. Creationism, which opposes the concept of evolution, is based on the Christian Genesis story that God created heaven and earth. Spectacular multimedia displays that use Hollywood technology depict the story of Genesis at the Creation Museum. Tens of thousands of people from all over the US pay regular visits to the place dedicated to God and how he created our world. One visitor proclaims, “I finally realized today that God made time. He made the dates, He made the 24 hours, He gave this to us.”
According to the Creationist theory, the world has not been evolving for millions of years (as stated by the theory of evolution), but was created only 6,000 years ago. Calling scientific experiments and proofs as ‘based on a ton of assumptions’, the videos played at the museum’s auditorium state that it is better to “start with the word of someone who has seen everything from the beginning and told us exactly what happened.” That someone, they say, is God. Some of the other attractions at the museum include life-size models of Noah and his Ark, Adam, Eve, and other characters from the Bible. Also on display are a few fragments of Torah scrolls that were supposedly saved from the clutches of Saddam, in Iraq.
The founder of the museum, Australian Ken Ham, has a degree in applied science. This is highly surprising, but I suppose the word of God has been more powerful than scientific principles in his case. “If you don’t believe in God, you are without excuse,” he quotes from the Bible. He also says that it is very “obvious that there is a designer behind life.” What is not surprising is the fact that Ken Ham’s museum has met with a lot of criticism around the world. Many say that it is not a museum in the true spirit at all, but merely a ‘propaganda place’. The creationists, however, are unfazed by all the debate and criticism. Ken Ham is a popular local figure, signing autographs and running a radio station that spreads the Creationist theory.
I’m not sure about who is right and who is wrong here, but the irony behind a picture of an empty space in the museum with this sign did make me smile: “This Space is Still Evolving.” You have to admit, that’s pretty funny. Check the video at the bottom, for a tour of the Creation Museum and more insights on this place.
If you’re a fan of unique religion-themed tourist attractions, you might want to check out The Holy Land Experience, an Orlando theme park where you can experience people and locations from the Bible, first hand.
