I’m currently at Edwin and Helen Kagin’s house, 15 minutes from the Creation “Museum” — we’ll be heading off to the event around 9am, but first we have to be fed, and the Kagins are infamous for stuffing their guests. I may have to waddle through the theme park.

We have 285 people signed up so far. There is some concern that we’ll strain their parking, especially if mobs of creationists try to tie up spots early. If there is a problem, people can legally park along the county road leading to Ham’s Folly, as long as you don’t block access. We also have an agreement with a local farm 2 miles away to let people park there; if worst comes to worst, we’ll let people know where to go and will shuttle them back and forth.

For a little crowd control, the Creation Theme Park has also told us they are setting up a table and tent — it’s nice of them, but I suspect they are more concerned about making sure chaotic milling crowds of atheists don’t choke up parking or the entrance. Congregate there, please. If Kool-Aid is served, however, I recommend that you don’t drink it.

I have heard from a lot of people that they want to get a photo of the dinosaur with a saddle. I should mention that last I heard, it was no longer there — it was out for maintenance. However, in an amusing coincidence, a van full of godless atheists on its way to Kentucky last night passed a trailer carrying…you guessed it.

It’s an omen. My correspondent tells me the entire van erupted in laughter, which is precisely the response we’re looking for. If you’re coming, remember: don’t get angry, laugh instead. We are going to be a merry, cheerful band of atheists.

I won’t be hauling my laptop through the museum, so I won’t be live-blogging it, unfortunately. I will be using my iPhone to twitter now and then, so feel free to follow along on my account, or better yet, I’ve suggested that everyone twittering this should use the hashtag #CreoZerg. That link should give you a growing kaleidoscope of short reactions to our visit.

I will be posting photos on Twitter. They won’t be the greatest — just stuff shot with my iPhone camera — but it’ll give you all a taste.

I’ll also be putting together a summary post this wekend.

The big field trip to Ken Ham’s amusement park is on Friday morning — we’ll be meeting at 10am at the parking lot, just look for the mob.

Be ready. This is exactly what you can expect if any of the creationists engage with you.

Expect them to be smug in their ignorance, and recite the same old tripe they always do. But remember: don’t get angry, just be amused. We are not going there for a rumble, this is a reconnaissance mission, in which we will harvest many stories.

I have another request: anyone who is joining us for this event who is also a biologist, please email me. I’d like to coordinate a little bit and make sure we’re well distributed in the group — there are a lot of people going, and we won’t be able to troop through in one big mass.

If you aren’t going, I will be twittering away on my iPhone as we go through, so you can follow along vicariously. I’ll use the hashtag #CreoZerg, and welcome any other twittering attendees to use it, too.

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People are worried that there won’t be pictures. I just charged up FOUR batteries for my Nikon D50; I’m bringing my iPhone with its camera; I will have my Flip camera; and I’m thinking about bringing my digital video camera (although I may not, since it’s feeling like overkill so far). I’m sure others will be doing likewise. The press will be there. There will be photos, do not fear.

If you’ve been following the comment threads lately, you already know that we’ve had a new arrival who has been inspiring much hilarity, Pastor Tom Estes. He seems to be much dismayed at us atheists, and is promising to meet us at the Creation “Museum” on Friday, to discuss matters. He also has a blog where he has been fulminating about the event and wallowing in his own incomprehension. It’s funny stuff — he doesn’t understand why we would care about the Creation “Museum”, and at the same time claims that the myth of Genesis is supported by science. Now if only he would realize that those two claims answer each other: we care because people like Pastor Tom and Ken Ham are misrepresenting the science.

Getting back to the hatred of Ham and the Creation Museum, why? Why do you all care? Especially when you consider that you have the truth? Why not leave us goofy Christians alone on this one? I cannot help but believe that atheists are threatened by Ken Ham because he doesn’t need the Bible to disprove evolution, he uses science.

That’s right, sacred science.

And not only that, he doesn’t care what the scientic community’s lemmings think of him. And then, on top of that, he has the nerve to educate as many as possible about the truths of science, which is what the Creation Museum is all about. Thus, he needs to be brought down.

But how? What is Myers going to do? I ask because I’ve been to the Creation Museum, and it’s all science. There’s not going to be any Bible-thumping going on. Ken Ham shows how science proves the Bible, and not the other way around, so Myers will have his hands full. (I know atheists are chuckling, but I assure you, it’s true.)

Something stands out in that little wail: Ken Ham “doesn’t need the Bible to disprove evolution”? “There’s not going to be any Bible-thumping going on”?

Pastor Tom doesn’t know his hero very well. All you have to do is look at the Answers in Genesis mission statement:

Goal: To support the church in fulfilling its commission

Vision: Answers in Genesis is a catalyst to bring reformation by reclaiming the foundations of our faith which are found in the Bible, from the very first verse.

Mission:

• We proclaim the absolute truth and authority of the Bible with boldness.
• We relate the relevance of a literal Genesis to the church and the world today with creativity.
• We obey God’s call to deliver the message of the gospel, individually and collectively.

Bible-thumping is right there at the heart of the organization. That’s their whole premise, that the Bible is literally true and all science must conform to it. The Creation “Museum” isn’t about science at all, but is entirely about a peculiar, quirky, very specific interpretation of the Bible.

I’ve also read Jason Lisle’s book, The Ultimate Proof of Creation, which isn’t the ultimate anything, contains no proofs, but does boldly proclaim the absolute truth and authority of the Bible. Right at the beginning, it asserts that the Bible is a central tool in their proselytizing, and that the good creationist should reject the blandishments of secular tempters who demand evidence other than the Bible. (It really is an awful book, too — long, preachy, and whining non-stop about logical fallacies — with the author commits freely — and nowhere does it provide a scrap of reason why we should accept the literal account of the Bible).

But don’t just take my word for it. I recently and fortuitously received a copy in the mail of the closest thing to a scientific publication ever authored by Ken Ham, thanks to a generous reader. Even better, it’s a double-whammy: it’s authored by two of the biggest names in creationism, Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis and John Morris of the Institute for Creation research. These are authorities in their little wacky subdomain of pseudoscience.

Here is that science text:

[Read more…]

It’s a very charitable review of a creationist movie, the latest bit of dishonest propaganda since Expelled. It is apparently very professionally made, which means less and less nowadays as digital video gear gets cheaper and easier to get, but I was surprised at one thing: it’s not really a movie. It’s only 52 minutes long! This looks like something they’re aiming at the television market, so look for it sometime soon on TBN or maybe even the History Channel.

Among the usual mangled creationist nonsense, it seems to be arguing for some revisionist history, claiming that science only advocates gradual change, but the evidence supports catastrophism, which is a biblical view. This is ridiculous, of course; the Bible is not a science textbook and provides no supporting body of evidence for anything, while science strives for an accurate model of the history of the earth that includes both gradual events and sporadic major changes.

No surprises. Bad science and bad history, but polished to a nice shiny gloss. If it comes on TV, I’ll probably watch it and take notes, but I’m not going to go out of my way looking for it.

Various bits of red tape have been cleared, and the feds are about to seize the bulk of Dino Adventure Land in Pensacola, Florida, so that it can be sold off to cover the Hovind’s pending debts and penalties. You might just be able to pick up some plywood dinosaurs for cheap!

Here is a piece of text from a textbook used by fundamentalist Christians in a biology class.

Have you heard of the ‘Loch Ness Monster’ in Scotland? ‘Nessie,’ for short has been recorded on sonar from a small submarine, described by eyewitnesses, and photographed by others. Nessie appears to be a plesiosaur.

Could a fish have developed into a dinosaur? As astonishing as it may seem, many evolutionists theorize that fish evolved into amphibians and amphibians into reptiles. This gradual change from fish to reptiles has no scientific basis. No transitional fossils have been or ever will be discovered because God created each type of fish, amphibian, and reptile as separate, unique animals. Any similarities that exist among them are due to the fact that one Master Craftsmen fashioned them all.

Oy, that’s familiar tripe — creationists repeat this kind of nonsense over and over again. The cryptozoology angle is also drearily common: many creationists think dinosaurs and humans coexisted recently, and that dinosaurs even still exist in exotic locations like the Congo and Canada. The existence of modern dinosaurs is considered evidence against evolution.

So that book is unsurprisingly stupid. There is something surprising about it, though: a UK government agency has just decided that such garbage is legitimate education, and has declared the fundamentalist young-earth creationist curriculum to be equivalent to their international A-levels. This agency, the National Recognition Information Centre (Naric), is blithely advising employers and universities that students who have gone through the creationist indoctrination and propaganda program have received a respectable education in science.

Well, you now know how much to trust a Naric recommendation. Not at all.

The Creation “Museum” is experiencing some dread and trepidation about our visit, and they have sent a letter to me and to the SSA expressing their concerns. These are some reasonable worries, given that there will be a huge number of us (240 and counting) showing up in one mass. Here’s what they have to say, and my comment to all of you.

Dr. Paul Myers (and the Secular Student Alliance)
Biology Dept.
University of Minnesota-Morris
600 East 4th Street
Morris, MN 56267

Re: Creation Museum Visit – Notice of Policies

Dear Dr. Paul (“P.Z.”) Myers and the SSA:

As the Security Manager for the Department of Public Safety at the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum, I am writing in regard to your planned visit to the museum, along with those associated with the group called the Secular Student Alliance, scheduled for August 7, 2009.

The purpose of this letter is to advise you of our standard policies and requirements concerning guest behavior.

Succinctly stated, and posted on signs at a number of locations at the museum premises, is the following notice:

The Creation Museum is private property, an outreach of Answers in Genesis. Guests at the museum are expected to conduct themselves in a polite, respectful manner at all times. Loud, disrespectful, destructive, obscene, or abusive behavior will not be tolerated, and may result in your removal from the premises. Please be courteous to other guests, security personnel, and our staff while you are here. Thank you!

Also, please be advised that vehicles and all packages, bags, and articles may be subject to inspection when on the premises or when entering or leaving the premises.

In reviewing your blog and website at http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula, we have observed a number of hostile, crude, and profane comments that suggest that some in the SSA group may be using your visit as an opportunity to engage in demonstrations, mocking behavior, wearing offensive clothing, or in other conduct that would be offensive to our staff and to other guests. We note, for example, that you have written that you urge the group to wear “godless clothing.”

We understand that your group (which you have described as a “horde” or “mob”) will consist of over 200 persons, many of whom have posted comments on your Pharyngula blog ridiculing Ken Ham and the Creation Museum, using profane language, and some are indicating that it is their intent to conduct themselves in a manner that is provocative, overtly homosexual in behavior, or otherwise socially unacceptable for guests of this privately owned Christian facility. As I’m sure you’re aware, some of those statements reference intentions to be “loud” and also to wear “armbands” and T-shirts or other clothing with images or wording that would be considered offensive to our staff and others at the museum. Such conduct will not be tolerated.

The Creation Museum is a privately owned facility; there is no legal right to engage in demonstrations, to harass or insult other guests, staff members, or speakers, or to otherwise engage in conduct that would be disruptive or rude. Again, such actions will not be permitted.

So long as you and the SSA group are willing to abide by our policies requiring civil behavior at all times, to include being respectful of others and of our facilities, then you will be welcome as our guests; but if you do not intend to abide by these policies, then please cancel your visit to the Creation Museum.

We request your acknowledgment of receipt of this letter and your agreement to abide by these policies.

We note that, unlike the exchanges posted on the Pharyngula site, communications from Lyz Laddell of the Secular Student Alliance have generally been polite and respectful, which we appreciate.

We remain willing to host you and the SSA group, provided you assure us that your party will remain civil and abide by our policies and that you have addressed those who have expressed contrary intentions for their visit. We request the courtesy of receiving your written response prior to your arrival. If we do not receive your written assurance that your party will abide by our policies, we will have no choice but to turn your group away at the entrance.

Sincerely,

David Blaylock
Security Manager
Department of Public Safety

cc: John Pence, Esq.

Here’s what I expect: EVERYONE in our group will be firm, rational, and will not shy away from asking hard questions. You will feel free to wear some distinguishing clothing — a scarlet A, a Darwin fish, a t-shirt, something so that we can tell we are members of the same group. You will discuss the material on display with your peers, but with other visitors to the “museum” if and only if they invite it.

There are a number of things you will not do, however.

Do not show up wearing obscenities or particularly abusive articles of clothing. Dress casual, but look good — you are setting an example. Pro-science t-shirts are excellent, t-shirts with naked lesbians masturbating with bibles will give them an excuse to throw you out, so don’t do it. The SSA won’t even give you a ticket if you show up looking like you want to brawl.

You will not be disruptive. This is an information gathering mission that will make you a better informed individual to criticize bad ideas. Do not interfere with other visitors’ ability to examine the place. Ask questions only where appropriate. Collect questions that you can ask of any of the real scientists who will be in our group. Do not get into loud arguments. If a discussion starts getting angry on either side I want you to be the ones to back off.

Remember, if you are calm, civil, and well-behaved, and you tour the “museum”, we win. If you are calm, civil, and well-behaved, and the security guards throw you out because they don’t like the fact that you’re an atheist, we win. If you are angry, rude, and cause trouble that gives them a reasonable excuse to throw you out, we lose, and I will be very pissed off at you.

Before you go into the “museum”, you will have to get a ticket from the SSA staff. You will be expected to sign an agreement promising your good behavior before you get one, and we’ll lay down a few rules for good behavior. We’ll probably have several designated counselors who will be charged with keeping everyone in line, too — we will police our own (another reason we’d like to be able to tell you are one of our godless horde on site), and if you’re causing a scene that might lead to SSA’s disrepute, we’d like to ask you to leave before their security does.

After we leave their private property, it will be time to laugh and mock and vent, and we will: this trip will produce over 200 experienced people who know exactly what kind of lunacy the Creation “Museum” represents, and we will express ourselves in opinion pieces, on blogs, at school board meetings, and in gatherings with our friends. That’s where we get our payoff, not in rudeness during our visit that gets us evicted.

Our model for this visit will be my infamous expulsion from a movie theater. Remember, what made that work is that I did absolutely nothing to justify getting thrown out: I followed all of their procedures for getting tickets, I used my full name, I was respectably dressed, and I was behaving myself in line, having a quiet conversation with friends and family. That left no doubt that my ejection was arbitrary and personal and an attempt to silence me. It would not have been effective if I’d been capering about, rudely accosting people, or essentially making myself a target for justifiable removal. It’s the same situation at this event. Do not hide who you are, but also don’t give them any excuse to mistreat you, other than your identity as an atheist.

If you really want to vent about the abomination in Kentucky, register for the SSA conference. Lots of attendees will be there to talk, and I’ll be giving the keynote speech at the meeting…and my topic will be atheist activism, and I’ll be including material I’ll be gathering that Friday at the Creation “Museum”, including giving some formal rebuttals.

Everyone was so impressed with this clear-thinking Romanian woman whose video I posted last week — from that alone you might get the impression that Romania is a very rational place, full of level-headed smart people who have little truck with religious silliness.

To correct that, you should read the web page of the Romanian Humanist Association, which is fighting a tide of state-sanctioned nonsense rising in their educational system.

They have posted a brief education of some of the educational standards endorsed by the ministry of education. They are teaching creationism in the classroom and in their textbooks! For instance, one of their textbooks has a section that presents a day-age version of Genesis, illustrating each of the ‘days’ of Genesis and pretending to correlate them with the scientific evidence (they don’t line up, no matter how hard you try; the sloppy folk taxonomy of the Bible cannot be made to correspond to any pattern of evolutionary ancestry or the evidence of the fossil record).

They have two exercises described. One is to regurgitate the Genesis sequence alongside the scientific evidence, as if they have parity. The other is to have a classroom debate, splitting the class in two with one side taking the scientific view and the other the theological position.

This is very bad pedagogy. In a science class, you have to approach everything from the perspective of the material evidence, the observations and experiments that lead to a reasonable conclusion. The theologians have none, so this exercise has only two possible results: you either put half your class into the position of being humiliating failures for an hour, or you have to cripple the scientific side so much in order to give both an equal chance that you’ve compromised on the scientific instruction.

Both are bad. I’d never do such a thing to my students; my struggle has always been to give the creationist students enough shelter that they can freely express their ideas (where they can then be examined and corrected) without being eaten alive by the majority of students in the class. You do not ever elevate wrong ideas to equal status with good ones, and you also do nothing to turn students in your class into punching bags!

This is what the religious influence on the Romanian government has done, though: the theologians are cheerfully pushing superstition into the science classes, and no doubt expecting that these bad ideas will be treated deferentially. It’s good to see the Romanian Humanist Association fighting back, at least.

It’s annoying. Garbage is thriving: the Discovery Channel is running ads for the Creation “Museum”, and our very own scienceblogs is intermittently running an ad for creationist literature. There are a couple of things to know about this. One is that the economy sucks, and the media, in particular are struggling. Science media especially are suffering, so everyone is scrambling to scrape up whatever revenues they can. The other thing to notice is that in a down economy, faith-based lies and wishful thinking are cheap to produce and continue to sell, so that’s what’s happening. There isn’t much we can do other than to grab every penny we can from them.

With that in mind, here’s something I’d like you all to do. Go to that obnoxious creationist ad that keeps appearing here, and take them up on their offer of a FREE booklet. Order it, I did, and it really is free — they don’t ask for a credit card number, there are no hidden shipping fees, but they probably will stick your name and address on a mailing list of the gullible (don’t worry, though, you aren’t, so you are contaminating their list).

It says it takes two to four weeks to ship. As soon as I get mine, I’ll open up a thread here with the same title as the book, and we shall all join in a gleeful public evisceration of their crappy little booklet. If you’ve got a blog, put a critical dissection of the book there and send me the link, and I’ll add it to the post. We’ll give them publicity, all right, but it will be the harshest, nastiest, meanest publicity possible — we will do everything we can to make sure that when someone googles their organization or their booklet, all that comes back is a mountain of snarling contempt.

It’ll be fun.

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Hang on, some of you are getting this completely wrong. DO NOT HAVE THE BOOKLET SENT TO A FAKE ADDRESS. This is not a campaign to make creationists waste lots of money and generate lots of garbage in landfills—it is an exercise in informed analysis. You are supposed to have the booklet sent to yourself, so you can read it, and you can critique it. We’ll then have a discussion about its failures. You won’t be able to participate if you haven’t read the silly thing, now will you?

Also do not have it sent to random people you don’t like. They won’t bother to criticize it here, either.