Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Night At The Museum Mentions Evolution: Answers In Genesis Issues Warning To Children

Ken Ham's group is nothing if not predictable. Now they have a beef with Ben Stiller's new movie Night At The Museum because of references to evolution. Mark Looy, Answer in Genesis CCO, watched the movie at the invitiation of his local U.S. Congressman who told him the move had some "evolutionary content". I saw the movie on New Year's eve with many of my relatives and noted the same evolution comments Looy and his congressman seem concerned with, although Looy is magnaminous at the end of the paragraph:

The evolutionary content in the movie includes: 1) stick- and stone-wielding brutish Neandertals, who come alive in their exhibit and, as clueless cavemen, try to make fire; 2) a declaration by Robin Williams, who portrays US President Teddy Roosevelt,3 that monkeys are our “primate brothers,” and that if we didn’t have the monkeys, “there’s no us”; 3) a night-guard (the film’s main actor, Ben Stiller) is chastised by Teddy after having a spat with a monkey and is asked the question: “Who has evolved? Who has evolved?” (i.e., you or the monkey?). But the evolutionary content is not very dominant in what, after all, is a film of fantasy-comedy. It shouldn’t be considered an evolutionary propaganda piece.

But Looy isn't satisfied that the film didn't exhibit overt evolutionary tones. The very fact that some references are made is enough to warrant AIG putting a "parental guidance" sticker on the film:

At the same time, this film demonstrates once again how evolutionary beliefs continue to permeate the Western culture...Accordingly, some caution should be offered for those parents who are thinking of taking their children to see Night at the Museum...Discerning parents should be aware of this, and if they still decide to see the movie with their children, they should offer the correct, biblical teaching of biological origins in order to counter the evolution presented in the movie.

Yes, make sure you shield your children from the fascinating and testable world of scientific discovery and instead indoctrinate them in Bronze Age mythology. Then they can be assured of accurately citing passges from ignorantly written text and justify thier comfort in a world devoid of useful knowledge. Everything AIG parents are advising their kids on biological origins is at the best misrepresented and at worse, absolutely false. It's no wonder such restricted education has been described as child abuse.

Looy does find a nugget within the film that fits his purpose:

I did find myself agreeing with one aspect of the movie. In a scene, a docent tells a group of young people that the more you know about the past, the better you’ll be prepared for the future. Indeed, as people examine the real history of the world according to the Bible (which is a main theme of AiG’s museum), we hope they will come to the realization that their future will only be secure if they place their trust in a historical Christ, and believe the Bible’s accounts of His death, burial, and resurrection 2,000 years ago—which He accomplished to save us from our sins so that our eternal future will be secure with Him in heaven.

So according to AIG, studying the past is valid only so long asit is accomplished according to the Bible - more to the point, AIG's particular version of biblical interpretation. What a travesty of education! Once again, Ken Ham and AIG can only get their distorted worldview across by preying on young, impressionable minds and ignorant parents. And they call atheism immoral.

1 comment:

الايفون said...

no i don't think this .. not that much