Creation Museum Opens To Capacity Crowd, Large Media Turn-Out, And Small Protest Group
"The Creation Museum is spectacular! I've been a Christian for many years, but this museum has strengthened my faith. Visitors won't leave untouched after touring this museum." Zig Ziglar
Michael Ireland (June 1st, 2007)
The $27 million Creation Museum [a ministry outreach of Answers in Genesis (AiG)] opened to capacity crowds, a large worldwide media presence, and a small group of demonstrators on Memorial Day.
Answers in Genesis Founder Ken Ham welcomed visitors with a message that the museum will help Christians defend their faith in an increasingly hostile world.
Crowds began lining up more than an hour before the doors opened, with nearly 500 people in line by 10 a.m. At least 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces were represented by that time. By day's end, more than 4,000 individuals had toured the museum.
As had been threatened, two groups of protestors combined for a "Rally for Reason" outside the front gates of the museum, with about 50 participants present. The protest remained peaceful, with local church groups offering water and snacks to the protestors.
An ABC News poll released last week revealed that 60 percent of Americans essentially believe in the creation account. "At the museum, we want people to understand the problems with the theory of evolution, and see how science actually supports what the Bible teaches about the origins of the universe, the global flood, and ultimately why Christ came to earth 2,000 years ago," said Mark Looy, co-founder and chief communications officer of AIG.
The high-tech, 60,000 square-foot facility includes 55 animatronic and static figures (dinosaurs and humans), a 200-seat special-effects theater, and a 30-foot-tall depiction of a section of Noah's Ark. The museum features exhibits created by the man known for designing the "Jaws" and "King Kong" attractions at Universal Studios in Florida. Visitors can also see real dinosaur eggs and dinosaur bones, and enjoy a state-of-the-art 78-seat planetarium.
"Just as Dayton, Tennessee, was ground zero for the defense of evolution in 1925, so Petersburg, Kentucky, will become ground zero for the defense of creation in 2007," said Ken Ham. "The purpose of the museum is to use observational science to show that the Bible is true, its history is true and therefore the Gospel is true," Ham continued. "There are a lot of Ph.D. scientists who believe what the Bible teaches. Both creationists and evolutionists use the same science, and the same evidencedifference is our pre-existing beliefs [about origins]."
Those touring the museum seemed to share the ministry leaders' excitement. Motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar, a museum guest on opening day, commented, "The Creation Museum is spectacular! I've been a Christian for many years, but this museum has strengthened my faith. Visitors won't leave untouched after touring this museum."
The Creation Museum, located at 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road in Petersburg, Kentucky (west of the Cincinnati Airport), opened to the general public on Monday, Memorial Day. It will remain open seven days a week through the summer, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. It will be closed Sundays after Labor Day. More information may be found at www.creationmuseum.org.
To read this full report, follow the link provided.
Source: ASSIST News Service
"The Creation Museum is spectacular! I've been a Christian for many years, but this museum has strengthened my faith. Visitors won't leave untouched after touring this museum." Zig Ziglar
Michael Ireland (June 1st, 2007)
Answers in Genesis Founder Ken Ham welcomed visitors with a message that the museum will help Christians defend their faith in an increasingly hostile world.
Crowds began lining up more than an hour before the doors opened, with nearly 500 people in line by 10 a.m. At least 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces were represented by that time. By day's end, more than 4,000 individuals had toured the museum.
As had been threatened, two groups of protestors combined for a "Rally for Reason" outside the front gates of the museum, with about 50 participants present. The protest remained peaceful, with local church groups offering water and snacks to the protestors.
An ABC News poll released last week revealed that 60 percent of Americans essentially believe in the creation account. "At the museum, we want people to understand the problems with the theory of evolution, and see how science actually supports what the Bible teaches about the origins of the universe, the global flood, and ultimately why Christ came to earth 2,000 years ago," said Mark Looy, co-founder and chief communications officer of AIG.
The high-tech, 60,000 square-foot facility includes 55 animatronic and static figures (dinosaurs and humans), a 200-seat special-effects theater, and a 30-foot-tall depiction of a section of Noah's Ark. The museum features exhibits created by the man known for designing the "Jaws" and "King Kong" attractions at Universal Studios in Florida. Visitors can also see real dinosaur eggs and dinosaur bones, and enjoy a state-of-the-art 78-seat planetarium.
"Just as Dayton, Tennessee, was ground zero for the defense of evolution in 1925, so Petersburg, Kentucky, will become ground zero for the defense of creation in 2007," said Ken Ham. "The purpose of the museum is to use observational science to show that the Bible is true, its history is true and therefore the Gospel is true," Ham continued. "There are a lot of Ph.D. scientists who believe what the Bible teaches. Both creationists and evolutionists use the same science, and the same evidencedifference is our pre-existing beliefs [about origins]."
Those touring the museum seemed to share the ministry leaders' excitement. Motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar, a museum guest on opening day, commented, "The Creation Museum is spectacular! I've been a Christian for many years, but this museum has strengthened my faith. Visitors won't leave untouched after touring this museum."
The Creation Museum, located at 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road in Petersburg, Kentucky (west of the Cincinnati Airport), opened to the general public on Monday, Memorial Day. It will remain open seven days a week through the summer, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. It will be closed Sundays after Labor Day. More information may be found at www.creationmuseum.org.
To read this full report, follow the link provided.
Source: ASSIST News Service
