Thoughts in a Haystack

Creation Ministries International, the young-Earth creationist organization that broke away from Answers in Genesis while accusing Ken Ham of various financial irregularities, has come out with its "documentary" about Darwin's voyage on the Beagle. According to this article/press release:

CMI is a non-profit organization comprised of people who are both Christians and scientists committed to explaining that Christian belief is not divorced from scientific discovery. ...

There are period drama re-enactments and interviews with evolutionist experts, as well as with scientists from both creationist and Intelligent Design (ID) camps.

... showing that it is, at best, fantasy with a science and history veneer. Based on the trailer, it apparently includes a number of legitimate scientists and historians (including two of the best historians, Peter Bowler and Janet Browne) with their interviews edited to emphasize anything that sounds like doubt about evolutionary theory.



The objectivity of the whole enterprise can be gauged by the section of the website entitled "Digging Deeper." The "Evolution Resources" section is labeled: "The following are comprehensive and highly regarded pro-evolution sources, including two free books" and includes links to:

Science, Evolution and Creationism, US National Academy of Science (the eight page summary, not the complete book);
Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, US National Academy of Science (a Google Books preview, though there are links there to where you can read the book online); and
Evolution: Exhibition Notes, Museum Victoria (Australia)

While the NAS materials in particular are useful and legitimate resources, none of it is comprehensive and the list hardly gives an accurate impression of the weight of scientific evidence on the side of evolution. On the other hand, the only resource on the "Creation" side is CMI's own site and ID gets nothing.

Saddle up Sancho!
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