From the article on ChallengerNKY.com:
Since breaking ground in March 2001, construction [of Ken Ham's muesum about Creationism] has been almost non-stop as money comes in; with roughly $300,000 received each month.
Every item, from the office chairs to the life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex model, was bought with donations. But large corporations aren't bankrolling the project, it's regular people.
"The surprising thing is that this facility hasn't been built by a lot of large donations," said Mark Looy, [Answers In Genesis'] vice president of outreach. "The average donation is about $70. People from all over the country donate, even Alaska."
Those small donations have added up over the years, now totaling $16 million.
(Photograph of the museum as seen from its nature tail. Source.)
Wow, $16 million.
Meanwhile, children starve.
And the point of this museum is...?
Posted by: RIngsabre | July 20, 2005 at 02:10 PM
the point is...
good question
especially in light of matthew 25 (see the "least jesus asks" post from last week) it seems this is an odd emphasis if (*if*) the stated purpose of the museum is a christian/religious one; but, whatever its stated purpose is, there's a political agenda attached
Posted by: bernie | July 20, 2005 at 04:25 PM
It's amazing to me how very few people couldn't care less about the creationism/evolution debate. The only people I know who care about it are the creationists themselves -- others get concerned, but only in response to the political activity of creationist groups. I find it hard to believe that there are potential Christians out there who'd choose to follow Jesus but are derailed by the theory of evolution.
This struggle between creationism and evolution is really about fundamentalists' zeal for biblical literalism -- it is their belief in an "inerrant" Bible that is threatened by modern science. Why they are so concerned about the public realm on this matter, rather than just keeping it in their churches and homeschool rooms, is a larger question, that I suspect eventually touches on theocracy.
Posted by: RIngsabre | July 20, 2005 at 06:02 PM
It's not only fundamentalists who believe the Bible to be inerrant. It's just that they take the most literal view of interpretation.
Posted by: dorsey | July 21, 2005 at 08:02 AM
Well, folks, it would seem to be a free country. I am amazed that without corporations this amount of money was raised. If people want to put their money into a museum celebrating creation, that is their right. Should we admonish people for putting money into an art museum or car museum or sex museum or ....
You have probably guessed that I fall on the side of believing in creation rather than pure evolution. Plants and animals evolve, yes, but not from some primordial soup, from other plants and animals due to environmental needs. Adaptation, yes, pure evolution, no.
But that is my belief, and you have yours. Carry on, please, but let's pick worthy topics.
More on the coming theocracy can be found at:
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/cor/manifesto.html
TheocracyWatch, already linked from this site, is also a good source of info.
The Fundamentalist Right scares the crap out of me, and I'm a Christian. What must non-Christians be thinking to not be actively working against such a group!
Let's get the word out to those that don't vote, those that don't think it important, those that have given up. Preaching to the choir isn't going to win anything in '06 or '08
Rich Hall
www.ChristianDemocrat.us
Posted by: Rich Hall | July 22, 2005 at 10:38 AM