Thoughts in a Haystack

And it gets funnier!

Robert Crowther is at the Discovery Institute's Ministry of Misinformation further kvetching about the cancellation by the California Science Center of a screening of the Darwin's Dilemma: The Mystery of the Cambrian Explosion. It's the usual PR spin not worth much attention.

However, Crowther ends his rant with this:

Rather than debate the science, Darwinists try to suppress it. They simply can't stand to let people know the truth about the shoddy case for Darwinian evolution.

Now back when they did get to show Darwin's Dilemma at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, the museum's response was to issue a statement that read, in part:

Although the museum does not support unscientific views masquerading as science, such as those espoused by the Discovery Institute, the museum does respect the religious beliefs of all people. ... The museum does not discriminate against recognized campus organizations based on their religious beliefs, political philosophy, scientific literacy, or any other factors.

It also scheduled a lecture addressing the actual science about the Cambrian Explosion and kept the museum open for free before and after the showing of the Discovery Institute's film.

When discussing the museum's reaction to the screening at Sam Noble, Jonathan Wells of the DI quoted with approval Oklahoma Daily columnist Jelani Sims to the effect:

Rather than hijacking the night of the documentary presentation with an opposing seminar and free extra hours of operation, it should have let the event stand on its own. And, rather than releasing a statement of vehement opposition, thinly veiled in tolerance, it should have said nothing.

In short, the DI wants the right to rent scientific institutions, and assume the seeming legitimacy that comes with the location, but, if those institutions want to counter the pseudoscience being peddled by the DI in the best way possible (instead of holding phony "debates"), by presenting detailed explanations and showing the public the very evidence that the DI is claiming isn't there, that's somehow unfair. They are demanding access to these institutions in order to call the very scientific work done by them "shoddy" and the institutions should say nothing in response!

And then people like Rhology wonder why we call them dishonest!
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