Providence and perspective

"In spite of failures which I lament, of errors which I now see and acknowledge, or of the present aspect of affairs, do I despair the future? The truth is this, the march of Providence is so slow, our desires so impatient, the work of progress is so immense, and our means of aiding it so feeble, the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged. It is history that teaches us to hope."

Robert E. Lee

The Creation Museum: A Review

The Creation Museum is situated right off Cincinnati’s “beltway,” but the first thing that strikes you is that there are no other commercial properties around. One day some smart entrepreneur will build a gas station or a McDonald’s across the street, but for now it’s only surrounded by small farms.

The admission fee was a little steep ($22 for adults), especially considering the whole complex was built by wheedling donations from the very families who patronize it. But it was in keeping with the prevailing doctrine of Professional Christians: “never proclaim God’s truth for free when you can overcharge for it.”

The museum itself had some memorable displays. There are plenty of dinosaurs for the kids and some impressive animatronics, including Methuselah talking to you inside his tent and Noah’s crew building the ark.

The general flow of the museum seems disjointed at first—a diorama of archeologists, a smattering of small fossils, some texts on the wall of an otherwise empty room, random posters depicting sin (drug addicts, war, starving children). Later it seems to find its rhythm as you proceed through chronological dioramas of the early chapters of Genesis.

There are some decent short films along the way and, at the end of the tour, a longer theatrical film called “The Last Adam” that presents the gospel message. Before you head to the gift shop, you’re encouraged to pick up a card, recite the cheesy “Salvation Poem” on it, and then sign and date it—thereby signifying that you are born again. This, of course, is the most shallow and fruitless type of evangelism and was the most disappointing part of the whole experience: kind of like hearing your pastor say, “Nod your head if you love Jesus. Now welcome to the club.” Maybe they will see fit one day to trash those cards.

Outside they have set up a new petting zoo which is a good addition. There is also a large, scenic garden by the adjacent pond with plenty of walking trails.

In short, the kids loved it; the adults thought it was okay. There is plenty of Ham and cheese, but it is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. If you understand ahead of time that this is not really a “Creation Museum”—as in a Christian alternative to the usual natural history museums—you won’t be disappointed. It does not really address in any meaningful way the science of the creation/evolution debate, but rather assumes that you already believe the creation model. A more proper name, then, would be “Bible Museum” or “Sunday School Museum” and it is definitely geared toward the “church youth group” crowd. Still, I admire the effort put into it and hope other museums with a Christian worldview are on the horizon.