Creation and Earth Museum President Says Council Membership Denial Is 'Prejudice Against God'
Tom Cantor, the president of the Museum of Creation and Earth in Santee, Calif., has complained of "prejudice against God" after the San Diego Museum Council voted against allowing the Creationist museum to join its organization.
"I'm afraid we are being opposed for nothing more than the old prejudice against God," Cantor said, according to KPBS.
"It's like we're in Selma, Alabama in the 1950s and I want to have a museum on black Americans. Do you think I'll be accepted by the council of museums in Selma, Alabama?"
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The Council, which currently has 39 members, narrowly voted against allowing the Museum of Creation and Earth Museum to join its ranks, with 19 "yes" votes, just two short of the 21 required.
San Diego Museum Council President Danielle Susalla Deery insisted, however, that there was no bigotry involved in the vote that went against the creationist museum, and said that other factors were to blame for the rejection.
"Like their animal care and the protocol and care of their exhibitions and storage. They had a lot of areas that were not in line with membership guidelines. They have a staff member on the board of directors and that's not good governance," Deery explained.
Cantor has said that the museum will try to make the recommended improvements and apply for membership again next year.
The creationist museum was launched by the Institute of Creation Research in 1992, according to the official website, and describes its mission as to "provide scriptural and scientific evidence that reinforces the biblical account of creation and support the body of Christ in fulfilling its commission in offering educational and evangelistic opportunities through interactive museum experiences and activities."
Some of the promoted features include a 10,000 sq. ft. showcase for a literal six-day creation and young earth, including a human anatomy exhibit, life-size tabernacle display, age of the earth cave.
The San Diego Museum Council, on the other hand, says that its mission is to "increase awareness of and attendance at the diverse museums in the region" by providing support to the museum industry in management, resource networking, advocacy, education, and promotional opportunities.
According to a July 2013 YouGov poll, the question of human origins and the age of the Earth remains a debatable topic among Americans.
The poll results of the 1,000 participants indicated that 62 percent believe God had a hand in human creation, with 55 percent saying that God created humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years.
