NYTimes.com: Challenged by Creationist, Museums Answer Back

*As they well should*

One of the basic premises of being a good tolerant Liberal who believes in free speech is that one must also seek as far as possible to correct ideas and put forward opposing viewpoints in order for the 'free-market of ideas' to work. To put it in mathematical terms for those so inclined amongst my readers, you need two intersecting lines to make a point.

So it's nice to see that museums are 'fighting back' in the sense that they are training their staff to respond to answers from Creationist, not quite unlike (now that I think about it), all those apologetic and evangelitical courses that one sees in certain religious groups.

At any rate, I think it's also time to start correcting misconceptions and facts about much conventional wisdom, starting with but not limited to, things like homosexuality and the appalling ignorance (wilfull or reckless) that many homophobes display when it comes to such discussions, not least with the hell load of psuedo-science that is sprouted.

Thus the following appeal I make, it's time to take a stand for truth and good rational discourse. The next time certain fundamentalist groups raised the sceptre of intolerance, we should go forth and meet it headon. This is a duty I feel that everyone, of whatever creed owes to themselves and to those who cannot speak for themselves.

Peace.