National Trust responds to my complaint!

The National Trust has responded to my complaint in relation to the promotion of creationist theory at the new Giant's Causeway visitor centre in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

The National Trust drew my attention to a statement they have made in which it claims that they have acted in the interests of diversity and in recognition of the fact that "some people" hold different views.  It also had this to say:

"Hello Andrew, thanks for sharing your concerns. Just to reassure you, the exhibition showcases the science of how the stones were formed, the history of this special place and the stories of local characters. One of the exhibits tells the story of the part played by the Giant’s Causeway in the historic debate about how the earth’s rocks were formed and about the age of the earth. Of course we fully support the scientific explanation for the creation of the stones 60 million years ago." 


So, that's all right then.  Sadly, this didn't deal with the thrust of my complaint, which was as much about the naivity of the National Trust's decision-making and the unintended consequences of throwing a sop to creationists.  And so, I have replied:

"Many thanks for responding. Reading that statement only partially allays my concerns. Clearly the NT does not support the creationist view, but of course I did not for one moment believe that it did. The very best thing that can be said is that the NT has been incredibly naive about this, especially as the creationist group it has been in discussion with is already claiming this sets "a precedent to be applied elsewhere". 

"What I don't understand is the need to sit down and enter into discussions with organisations like the Caleb Foundation in the first instance; and, if diversity really is the issue, why were representatives of other religious groups and non-fundamentalist Christian churches not approached for their views? Also, if alternative views really do need to be given a wider airing on the basis that "some believe them", I'm imagining that bogus beliefs that aliens created the Pyramids should also - holding to that principle - feature alongside historical explanations at the appropriate sites. Would the NT approve of that? Of course not. 

"The NT has inadvertently sent out a signal to creationists that their opinions have been vindicated, and has been seized upon by creationists as such. The spokesperson for the group is correct - a precedent has indeed been set. The genie now needs to be put back into the bottle.

"You state that 'for some people the debate continues today'. Indeed, but what kind of people? Uninformed and often narrow-minded people. The NT really should have been careful not to be perceived as giving credence to the views of such individuals but, sadly, it failed to recognise the unintended consequences of its decision. I feel personally offended by this; not least that creationist groups have had far more input into plans for the Visitor Centre than have NT members."


I remain saddened that such a reputable organisation has seen fit to help the creationist cause, however well-meaning its reasons.  This is a setback to so much the National Trust professes to stand for.  I genuinely hope it reverses its unwise decision and, in future, thinks twice before sitting down with groups like the Caleb Foundation to solicit their opinions.