Creation Museum Mixes Christmas and Dinosaurs
The controversial Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., has brought out its special Christmas display, which will run until Jan. 4.
The centerpiece of the museum's "Bethlehem's Blessings" presentation is a live outdoor nativity scene featuring human actors in each of the Christmas story roles, as well as sheep, donkeys, and camels, which all come from the museum's own petting zoo.
Visitors to the museum grounds will also be treated to hayrides, seasonal lights and decorations, holiday food, and special events and activities for children. Special Christmas exhibits inside the museum include the Planetarium presentation, "The Bethlehem Star."
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"We find the two – Creation and Christmas – go very well together, and we invite our guests to experience each in light of the other at our special 'Bethlehem's Blessings – A Christmas Celebration' this December," expressed Creation Museum co-founder and spokesperson Mark Looy in an announcement.
The $27-million museum itself has been the center of a number of controversies, mostly involving its literal interpretation of the Bible. Packed with high-tech exhibits that include animatronic dinosaurs and a huge wooden ark, the 60,000-square foot museum attempts to align the Bible's literal account of creation with natural history. The museum's founder, like many other Young Earth creationists, believes dinosaurs appeared on the same day God created other land animals.
Earlier this month, hundreds of complaints led the Cincinnati Zoo to pull out of a special business partnership with the Creation Museum.
"Some of their comments on blogs reveal great intolerance for anything having to do with Christianity," reported the Creation Museum's founder, Ken Ham.
Despite whatever disagreements there may be, the staff at the Creation Museum are hoping to share the story of Christmas during the holiday season.
"Christmas is about hope and faith and love, and the fulfillment of God's plan for humanity," said Looy. "The created world is God's backdrop for this amazing story of redemption and relationship."
Located near the Cincinnati Airport, the Creation Museum 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 opening in May 2007, the museum has seen over 600,000 visitors.
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