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A Different Kind of Museum

by Jason Lisle, Ph.D. *Evidence for Creation

hat !ould you e"#ect to $nd in a

science museum% ould you

antici#ate dis#lays that #raise &od for

'is marvelous in(enuity% ould you

envision scienti$c e"hibits that

illustrate s#eci$c biblical #rinci#les

and refute naturalism% ould you

e"#ect to $nd the scienti$c method

e"#lained in terms of Christian

theolo(y% Many #eo#le !ould say, )f

course not+ hose

are reli(ious conce#ts. A science

museum should be about science.-

Science Is Not Secularism

ne of the (reatest myths of our time is that evolution and other secular ideas are someho!

)scienti$c.- o bolster this claim, most science museums are actually evolution museums that mi" real

science !ith evolutionary stories about the #ast. Many #eo#le have been fooled by such claims and

have dismissed the ible as a collection of $ctional stories.

/n our culture it is fashionable to believe that science is o##osed to the ible. 0u##osedly, throu(h

ob1ective scienti$c analysis !e no! 2no! that the ori(in of the universe !as far different from !hat

the ible describes. herefore, a ible3believin( Christian is considered to be anti3science. /n #ublic

classrooms, te"tboo2s, and media !e $nd biblical claims #itted a(ainst )scienti$c- claims4 )he ible

says one thin(, but science says somethin( entirely different.-

Many #eo#le mi(ht be shoc2ed to

learn that science o!es its very

e"istence to the Christian !orldvie!.

0cience is not a s#eci$c #osition onori(ins or on the #ro#erties of the

universe. 5ather, science is a method

by !hich !e can test certain ty#es of

truth claims. y desi(n, science

enables us to discover #atterns in

nature throu(h re#eated observation

and controlled e"#erimentation. ut

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!hy should !e e"#ect to $nd such #atterns in a chance universe%

6rom the very $rst verse of the ible, !e learn that the universe did not ori(inate by chance at all7 it is

a creation from the mind of &od. he 0cri#tures teach that &od controls and u#holds the universe

8Matthe! 94:97 'ebre!s ;4<= in a consistent !ay !ith #atterns and cycles 8&enesis >4??7 Jeremiah

<;4<97 Psalm @:4;3;@=. &od made humanity in 'is ima(e 8&enesis ;4?@=, able to reason 8/saiah ;4;>=,

and !ith sensory or(ans that reliably inform us of our surroundin(s 8Proverbs ?B4;?=. All of these areessential #rereuisites to the scienti$c method. et there is no basis for any of these thin(s a#art from

the Christian !orldvie!.

/f the universe !ere not desi(ned or u#held by the mind of an omniscient, all3#o!erful ein(, then !hy

e"#ect it to obey la!s of nature% hy su##ose that such la!s !ould be consistent over time and

s#ace% hy !ould the universe obey sim#le mathematical relationshi#s such as 6ma%; /f the human

brain !ere the chance #roduct of mutations, !hy e"#ect it to be able to reason rationally% /f our

sensory or(ans !ere merely the result of mindless evolution, !hy #resume that they are reliable% et,

science reuires all these thin(s to be true. /f the secular vie! of the universe !ere true, then there

!ould be no reason to trust in the methods of science.

/n li(ht of these considerations, it is remar2ably ironic that secularists claim their vie! is the

)scienti$c- one !hen such a vie! !ould ma2e science im#ossible. Even so, the #sycholo(ical force of

such rhetoric is #o!erful. /f you !ant #eo#le to acce#t your secular belief system as truth, sim#ly

relabel it )science.- After all, science has allo!ed us to construct remar2able thin(s, from com#uters

and roc2ets to electric cars and smart #hones. e ri(htly have some de(ree of con$dence in the

method of science. 'o!ever, science is notsecularism.

he cam#ai(n to convince #eo#le to believe in secularism by falsely euatin( it !ith science has been

uite successful. Most science museums therefore contain a mi" of truth and error. &enuine facts

discovered by scienti$c #rocedures and un#roven secular storiesFli2e #articles3to3#eo#le evolution,dee# time, and the i( an(Fare #resented to(ether !ith no differentiation. hese museums teach

either im#licitly or often e"#licitly that the ible sim#ly does not mesh !ith the $ndin(s of modern

science, #articularly in the area of ori(ins. ut ma2e no mista2e4 Got only is science com#atible !ith

the biblical !orldvie!, it is com#atible !ith nothin( else.

ICR Museum of Science and Earth History

ouldnHt it be nice to have a museum that sho!s ho! science con$rms the ibleFone that

demonstrates that the methods of science reuire the truth of 0cri#ture% Just ima(ine dis#lays that

hi(hli(ht the (lory of &od throu(h !hat 'e has made and interactive e"hibits that demonstrate ho!

the evidence con$rms biblical creation. At /C5, !e are desi(nin( 1ust such a museum. y &odHs (race, it

is our #lan that the /C5 Museum of 0cience and Earth 'istory !ill sho! visitors ho! (eolo(y,

astronomy, #hysics, and biolo(y all con$rm the history recorded in the boo2 of &enesis.

ut ho! do !e #resent the truth of creation in a !ay that !ill en(a(e the minds of youn( students%

/nteractive dis#lays !ill ca#tivate their ima(ination. ne of our #ro#osed e"hibits !ill simulate a visit

to any #lanet or moon in the solar system in ultra3realistic detail obtained from actual GA0A data.

6rom the breathta2in( landsca#e of PlutoHs ice mountains to the stunnin( beauty of 0aturnHs rin(s,

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students can virtually travel !herever they !ish. hey !ill see ho! the internal heat of 0aturnHs moon

Enceladus and the s#iral structure of (ala"ies cannot last billions of years. Each 1ourney !ill reveal

somethin( amaIin( about &odHs creation, #uttin( another nail in secularismHs cof$n.

/ma(ine an interactive dis#lay !here a student can e"#lore the inner !or2in(s of a livin( cell and

actively e"#erience the astonishin( com#le"ity of the molecule3siIed machines !ithin it. 'e or she !ill

see ho! each of these machines #erforms a function necessary for the survival of the cell. here !illbe no doubt that such an intricate creation is the handi!or2 of a truly a!esome mindFnot the #roduct

of chance. hese molecular machines could not have come about in a (radual evolutionary fashion

because they de#end u#on one another. /t is one thin( to read about this but ho! much more

com#ellin( to e"#erience it $rsthand+ Go rational #erson could !al2 a!ay from such an e"hibit

thin2in( that evolution is true.

Every e"hibit !ill be desi(ned to teach some as#ect of the biblical !orldvie! in a !ay that is

ca#tivatin(. isitors can #lay !ith a (enetic recombination machine in !hich they see ho! sections of

DGA from t!o #arents combine to #roduce a child !ith uniue DGA. 0tudents can #lay this (ame

a(ain and a(ain to see ho! many different traits 8hair color, eye color, s2in tone, and so on= can comefrom 1ust t!o #eo#le. o students, this is 1ust fun. et all the !hile, they are learnin( that (enetics

con$rms !hat &enesis teachesFthat all #eo#le descended from Adam and Eve. es, there is (reat

variety in the traits that human bein(s #ossess. ut the student uic2ly realiIes that #eo#le can only

be(et #eo#le. 'uman bein(s lac2 the (enetic instructions to #roduce anythin( else.

hat about dinosaurs% he /C5 Museum of 0cience and Earth 'istory !ill have those as !ell. And

visitors !ill see ho! dinosaurs con$rm biblical history. hey !ill learn that soft tissue has been found

in dinosaur bones, indicatin( that dinosaurs lived in the recent #astFnot millions of years a(o. hey

!ill see ancient de#ictions of dinosaurs #roduced by historical $(ures !ho a##arently sa! the livin(

animals.

hat about an ice a(e% 'o! does it $t into biblical history% isitors !ill learn ho! the (lobal 6lood of

&enesis > tri((ered a #ost36lood ice a(e. 'o!ever, they !ill not 1ust read about this on a si(n. he

/ce A(e theater !ill virtually carry (uests into the #ast and sho! them ho! the environment may have

actually a##eared durin( the /ce A(e. &uests !ill see a de#iction of the o!er of abel, the confusion

of lan(ua(es, and the formation of ethnic #eo#le (rou#s that follo!ed. hey !ill hear le(ends of the

(lobal 6lood from many different cultures, con$rmin( the real historicity of this event.

A state3of3the3art <3D di(ital #lanetarium !ill trans#ort (uests into the cosmos, !here they !ill

e"#lore the !orlds of the solar system and far beyond. hey !ill e"#erience the bendin( of li(ht by a

blac2 hole or see the various !ays in !hich distant starli(ht could reach Earth !ithin the biblicaltimescale. he di(ital nature of the #lanetarium !ill also allo! for #ro(rams that are not astronomy3

related. &uests may be treated to a virtual <3D tri# do!n the &rand Canyon to see ho! the (lobal

6lood de#osited the surroundin( roc2 layers. r they mi(ht e"#lore the inner !or2in(s of an atom. he

#ossibilities are endless.

Most im#ortantly, visitors of the /C5 Museum of 0cience and Earth 'istory !ill see ho! all of creation

con$rms that our Creator is also our 0avior. he Lord Jesus Christ !ho made heaven and Earth, the

very &od !e rebelled a(ainst in our sin, has ta2en our #lace on the cross and #aid our #enalty. 'e is

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!illin( to for(ive and save all !ho !ill trust in 'im. he museum !ill be masterfully desi(ned and

stunnin(ly beautiful. And !e #ray that it !ill attract non3Christians !ho !ill see for the $rst time ho!

science con$rms 0cri#ture. ith the realiIation that the ible is trust!orthy, someone cannot i(nore

the (os#el messa(e. e #ray that many !ill come to 2no! Christ as their Lord and 0avior.

he !orld needs a science museum that refutes the evolutionary myth and teaches the truth about

science, all to the (lory of the Lord. ill you #artner !ith us to hel# ma2e this museum a reality%

Reference

;.his is the mathematical euation for Ge!tonHs second la! of motion, !hich e"#resses the relationshi# bet!een force, mass, and acceleration. 6or

e"am#le, the more mass an ob1ect has, the more force is reuired to move it.

* Dr. Lisle is Director of Physical 0ciences at the /nstitute for Creation 5esearch and received his

Ph.D. in astro#hysics from the niversity of Colorado.

Cite this article4 Jason Lisle, Ph.D. ?B;. A Different Kind of Museum. Acts 6acts. :9 8<=.