Considering some of the outrageous comments from local and national atheists about the Creation Museum, which they have not yet seen, it’s perhaps fitting to give Martha Heil, Media Coordinator for the American Institute of Physics, a new job title: Martha Heil, Chief Propaganda Officer for the National Atheist Party. You see, Martha claims to have been at the Creation Museum ribbon-cutting ceremony. But, was Martha really at the Creation Museum on Saturday, May 27? Or did she just leave her glasses in the car?
The Panda’s Thumb posted a cleaned up version of Martha’s report. Like much of what Panda’s Thumbers write, they couldn’t even get Martha’s employer correct: it’s the American Institute of Physics, not the American Physical Society. (Martha recently corrected the PD’ers.) Red State Rabble is also happy to perpetuate the error in addition to gushing over her report. The Obligatory Readings of the Day blog claims this is “…the only (so far) on-the-scene report by Martha Heil.” He links to the sillier version posted on Martha’s blog, Intelligent Design Watch. And somehow, Coturnix can’t spell “Ken Ham” correctly even though he claims to follow Ken’s blog…
Let’s take a look at some of the claims about what she ‘saw’ at the ribbon-cutting ceremony…
Martha opens her article with a snarky comment about AiG’s K-9 unit. She refers to Kayla, a Dutch Shepherd, as “The shaggy K-9 unit–also known as a police dog…” She forgot to include Jack, a Belgian Malinois and Handy, a German Shepherd, which make up the rest of AiG’s K-9 unit. Jack, Kayla, and Handy would be highly offended if called ‘shaggy’ considering they are short hairs! Martha also took a swipe at AiG’s security officers referring to them as ‘…burly men in uniform…’ I suspect she intended this as a snide comment considering her “shaggy” dog remark. At least one dictionary defines “burly” as: “Heavy, strong, and muscular; husky.” Strong, muscular, husky? I’m going to apply for an AiG security officer job!
I guess this is all supposed to be funny, but she’s not nearly as hilarious as Bruno Maddox’s Discover magazine article about the Creation Museum. Maddox refers to the “vile comfort” of the Marriott, the “filthy light” of his surroundings, northern Kentucky as having “been designed by chimpanzees”, and other inanities. Pop science Discover magazine (now owned by the son of a famous mainstream pornographer) and the American Institute of Physics need to raise their hiring standards. They’ve both set the bar way too low…
She next states that the event at the Creation Museum was “…a local advance opening…” I’m not sure what that means. Of course it was local. It was also a private ribbon-cutting ceremony. By invitation only. Visitors and reporters came not just from the local area but from throughout the United States and the world. Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Switzerland, Thailand, and even Miami, Ohio to name a few. Come on Martha, admit you fell asleep during the press conference and announcements. Apparently she was upset because “They also would not let scientists in their gates today.” Martha, it was invitation only. Either that or press credentials. Next time the Field Museum or the American Natural History Museum have a pre-opening private ribbon-cutting for a new exhibit, can I whine about not getting in without an invitation?
She then grumbles a bit about the emphasis on the Bible as history. Most of these comments are the standard cut-and-paste complaints typically made by atheists and pajama bloggers. No place in the article does she list or describe anything, that she found offensive, which could not have been gleaned from AiG’s website or newspaper accounts.
In the middle of her complaint about the Christian nature of the museum exhibits, she makes this observation:
“It’s an educational attraction, carrying in this morning at least one schoolbus in through a long line of cars waiting at the iron gates.”
Martha, Martha, Martha! The school bus stopped next to the event tent…and AiG employees got off the school (shuttle) bus. Next time, remember to bring your glasses.
Ms. Heil next veers off the road with this interesting observation:
“Down the road from the creationism displays, there is a roadside attraction that scientists aren’t worried about. The Living Word Outdoor Drama promises plays from biblical times, staged for religious education and information. It has live animals in its shows, invites concert performers to sing–and causes no ire in the scientific community. Why? Because it’s honest. It aims to renew or inspire your faith, but it doesn’t try to deliberately mislead people using scientific terms that many people find confusing even while they’re in school and have the job of learning those terms.”
Let’s see…the Living Word Outdoor Drama is “down the road from the creationism displays”? I don’t consider 203 miles away “down the road.” Especially since the Living Word is in another state. Shame on you Martha. Pretending as if you actual “saw” the Living Word Outdoor Drama. Of course it “causes no ire in the scientific community”, they haven’t found or seen it yet. Oh! Wait a minute. That’s never stopped them from criticizing something…
I would once again question whether Martha was even in Kentucky except for her next comment:
“Down the road also – and the place where I spent most of my day – is Big Bone Lick State Park, with campgrounds, a lake, live bison, and a small paleonotological [sic] museum.”
Gee, if you would have spent any time at the AiG ribbon-cutting ceremony, may be, you could have said something of substance, much less try to get more than a few things correct. There’s more than a bit of irony in her lament about the under funding of Big Bone Lick State Park. Rally for Reason atheist organizer Ed Kagin and his fellow atheists ‘won’ their fight to keep AiG from building the Creation Museum near Big Bone Lick State Park. As Ken Ham said Saturday:
“When we first started to research property in 1996, they caused all sorts of problems, and they stirred up trouble, and there were all sorts of things that went on.
“Anyway, as a result of all that, we lost that piece of property – it was 20 minutes off the freeway, and we were going to build a 30,000-square-foot building.
…”The Lord directed us to this piece of property, right on a major freeway at a major interchange. And we decided to build a far bigger building (nearly 60,000 square feet), and a far bigger vision and a far bigger impact around the world – and I just want to thank, sincerely, the local secular humanist group.”
By the way, AiG is promoting regional attractions: Great American Ball Park & Reds Hall of Fame, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (something the Rally for Reason protesters need to visit), Newport Aquarium, Cincinnati Museum Center (where Eugenie Scott spoke recently), Krohn Conservatory, Cincinnati Zoo, and more. If not for Kagin and friends, Big Bone Lick State Park would have seen a huge influx of visitors thanks to AiG being right down the road…
Most of the remaining report is a mish-mash of moaning and wondering about who really funded AiG and how, by her definition, AiG scientists aren’t real scientists.
Amazing. Martha Heil, Panda’s Thumb, Lawrence “It’s a lie!” Krauss, Rally for Reason, DefCon, and all the other anti-Christian activitists wail on about how the Creation Museum is a lie, a fabrication, will send us back to the Dark Ages, and cause our teeth to decay, and yet they can’t even get the simple stuff correct.
But, I can agree with Martha on her concluding sentence:
“Please don’t be confused.”
CP
