Where Darwin Got It Right
Creation
Museum’s New ‘Natural Selection’ Exhibit
Examines
Where Creationists Agree with Evolutionists
By Jim Day
While creationists strongly disagree with Charles Darwin’s ideas about
all of life evolving from a single organism (macro-evolution), his theory
of natural selection meets with more widespread acceptance regarding how species
adapt and change over time (but, as
we observe, only within their own kind). Such
changes, though, are not evolution in the “molecules-to-man” sense. Answers in Genesis’ Creation Museum near Cincinnati
opened a new exhibit on March 15th to help explain what natural selection
can
and cannot do, and how this is supported biblically and scientifically.
“Evolutionists
use natural selection as evidence for evolution, believing that given enough
time (millions of years), natural selection could account for the larger
changes required for molecules-to-man evolution,” founder and president Ken Ham
explains. “Our new exhibit will clear up the differences between natural
selection and what would be required for evolution to occur in the
molecules-to-man sense – for example, reptiles to birds – as one kind of animal
turns into a totally different kind.”
The
exhibit, entitled “Natural Selection is Not Evolution,” includes an aquarium
that resembles a real cave. The cave
aquarium features live blind cavefish, showing how natural selection allows
organisms to possess characteristics most favorable for a given environment –
but again, it is not an example of evolution in the molecules-to-man sense.
There
is also a series of wall displays with professionally produced models that
examine, among many things, antibiotic resistant bacteria (which is commonly
cited as an example of “evolution in action”).
Instead, the Creation Museum’s exhibit points out how antibiotic
resistance in bacteria points away from macro-evolution, rather than toward it. The new display also contrasts evolution’s
“tree of life,” showing that all organisms have descended from one single-celled
creature, with the “Creation Orchard,” which illustrates the family tree of
each original kind of created plant or animal life of Genesis chapter 1.
A
display entitled “Three Blind Mice” shows the devastating effects of mutation
and how natural selection works to preserve animal kinds. A dog skull display demonstrates how natural
and artificial selection has led to variation within the dog kind. The exhibit also includes a mounted display
of Darwin’s finches based on Darwin’s own studies and observations from the
Galápagos Islands.
The
new exhibit is located near the museum’s popular presentation regarding
geologic evidence for a global flood.
It’s proximity to the flood geology room in the museum was deliberate,
as this exhibit also lays the groundwork to understand how Noah could fit
representatives of all the animal kinds (not species) on the Ark.
“I
think one of the reasons evolutionists give creationists such a hard time is
that they don’t think we believe in good science, which we absolutely do. In fact, we have several full-time staff with
earned doctorates. I’ve read and heard
many news reports and columns stating that creationists don’t believe in
natural selection and that is simply not true,” Ham said. “Our new exhibit will help to explain these
valid theories and show that we agree with the proven science of these
processes. Most people don’t realize
that speciation is not evolution – it has nothing to do with changing one kind
of animal (e.g., fish) into a totally different kind of animal (e.g.,
amphibian).
“Our
area of disagreement with the evolutionists comes when they start using bad
science to state that natural selection could eventually lead from one plant or
animal kind changing into another, finally making the leap to humanity,” Ham
continued. “Not only is this in direct
contradiction with the Bible, which
states that God created all the various kinds of plant and animal life,
including humans, but it also has no scientific validity.
“Many
Christians are surprised when they learn that valid observational science
confirms the biblical accounts of creation and Noah’s Flood,” Ham added. “Our mission at Answers in Genesis and the
Creation Museum is to spread that message in order to uphold all of Scripture
and therefore reach non-believers with the gospel, which is based in this
history in Genesis.”
Answers
in Genesis just concluded two national seminars, “Answers for Darwin,” which
were attended by several thousand individuals on both the East and West Coasts. The ministry’s worldview magazine, Answers, has published a special issue
that examines Darwin’s place in science and society, with articles available
for download from the ministry’s highly trafficked website at
www.answersingenesis.org/get-answers/features/year-of-darwin.
The
Creation Museum, located near the Cincinnati Airport, is a ministry of Answers
in Genesis, a nonprofit Christian organization dedicated to confirming the
validity of the Bible from the very
first verse. Since its grand opening on May 28, 2007, the museum has seen more
than 645,000 visitors, way above anticipated crowds.
For more information
regarding the
