Evangelicals urge museum to hide man's ancestors

[icymist]

Evangelicals urge museum to hide man's ancestors
By Mike Pflanz in Nairobi

(Filed: 12/08/2006)

Powerful evangelical churches are pressing Kenya's national museum to sideline its world-famous collection of hominid bones pointing to man's evolution from ape to human.

Leaders of the country's six-million-strong Pentecostal congregation want Dr Richard Leakey's ground-breaking finds relegated to a back room instead of being given their usual prime billing.

The collection includes the most complete skeleton yet found of Homo erectus, the 1.7 million-year-old Turkana Boy unearthed by Dr Leakey's team in 1984 at Nariokotome, near Lake Turkana in northern Kenya.

<snip>
Church leaders aim to hijack that (EU survey) process. "The Christian community here is very uncomfortable that Leakey and his group want their theories presented as fact," said Bishop Bonifes Adoyo, the head of Christ is the Answer Ministries, the largest Pentecostal church in Kenya.

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[AX10]

1. In return, the Church must agree to hide all religious symbols.

[bluerum]

4. I am very uncomfortable that the church wants to hide science - again.

[Orrex]

19. Don't forget--evolution is just a theory and not a fact

:sarcasm:

:puke:

:mad:

[DRoseDARs]

2. Pathetic, sad, and (roughly) in the birthplace of Humankind no less. n/t

[Missy M]

3. In return the church leaders should provide the....

bones of Adam and Eve. I am very uncomfortable with the Christians theories being presented as fact.

[opihimoimoi]

9. The IGNORANCE is CONTAGIOUS

Lucy and Turkana Boy have evidence in their bones..the record speaks for itself. Humanity is 1.5 millions old...not 6,000 as the bible sez

The Church has no evidence at all.

[Missy M]

11. Of course Lucy and Turkana Boy have the evidence in their...

bones. I was being sarcastic and trying to show how ridiculous the Evangelicals are regarding evolution and science.

[opihimoimoi]

15. LOL, :o)

[Drum]

5. Makes me think of my mum:

Everyone else has to change so that she won't feel uncomfortable....makes me :mad:

(edit to capitalize Mum. sigh)

[Monkeyman]

6. This is like tell Jesus to hide his ID am I wrong here

[Vincardog]

7. Will the Evangelicals promise to quit presenting creationist theory as

fact? It is not even a theory they are designed to be tested. It is a MYTH.

[Skinner]

8. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

The bones are not "just a theory." They are a fact. Fundamentalist Christians cannot wish them out of existence by moving them into a back room.

[Solly Mack]

10. Must suck to be that fearful

Bishop Bonifes Adoyo is afraid of losing control over his flock...hide the evidence, keep'em ignorant, and maintain control by telling them what to think

Can't have people thinking for themselves...must hide any and all evidence that counters their religious beliefs.

Bishop Bonifes Adoyo doesn't have the courage of his convictions does he? LMAO

[icymist]

12. Fundies are a weird bunch.

I once worked in an in-store bakery where the manager got angry with me and scolded that I "had no right to prove to him that there are people who are different than me." This comment came about from a discussion of homosexuals, nature or nurture. It's amazing to see this attitude trying to be forced upon the whole world in an organized attack on one of the most significant archaeological finds.

[sakabatou]

13. Well, gravity is a theory, too...

[Dogmudgeon]

14. This isn't about evolution at all

It never is.

The Bible also says that insects have eight legs, but you don't see the Fundies trying to force the definition of "insect" to be changed.

Nope. It's about power. They covet what Satan has got (at least according to their philosophy). And they'll use anti-evolution as their rope, their rack, and their Rod Of Discipline.

Jesus may be their savio(u)r, but Power is their God.

--p!

[opihimoimoi]

16. Power, Control, Domination, Dictators, etc

The Fundies are EVIL PEEPS

[Cobalt-60]

17. This request needs to be DENIED

Give in to this one and in no time at all true believers will have the displays bare.
If they want to wallow in ignorance, the Kenya National Museum is not the place for it.

[htuttle]

18. I think it's time we stopped allowing religion to spread ignorance

If someone wants to spread their idea of 'faith', then that's a personal decision. But when they insist on spreading ignorance, preventing knowledge from being passed on and hiding evidence, then that is no longer a personal decision. That harms not just current humanity, but the future of humanity, and I think it's long past time to put a stop to it.

[Lithos]

20. Such ignorance

The bones are fact and not the result of man's tainted beliefs. While the Bible may or may not have divine inspiration, Man has certainly tainted it with ignorance, zealotry and extremism.

L-