Evolution vs. IMAX

Today's New York Times Editorial "Censorship in the Science Museums" talks about a number of IMAX theaters mostly in the southern US that have refused to play a few science documentaries, including:

'"Cosmic Voyage," a journey through the far-flung universe, and "Galápagos," about the islands where Charles Darwin made observations that played a crucial role in his theory of evolution. "Volcanoes of the Deep Sea," depicting the bizarre creatures that flourish near hot, sulfurous vents in the ocean floor...'

The Times' editorial staff asserts that these theaters:

"...have been shying away from science documentaries that might offend Christian fundamentalists. Worse yet, some of those theaters are located in science centers or museums, the supposed expositors of scientific truth for public education."

The editorial staff further states:

"No one can object if IMAX theaters, whether commercial or located in museums, turned down the deep sea film in the belief that it was too boring to draw much of an audience, as some managers indicated. But it is surely unacceptable for science museums to reject the film in part because some people in test audiences complained that the material was blasphemous. "

There are a few things which drew my attention to this article, the first being the Times' unfair generalization that the only people who oppose scientific films highlighting the theory of evolution are "Christian fundamentalists." Of course, the Times' makes this statement to drive home the point that anyone who disagrees with evolution is a religious fanatic, which is clearly untrue.

The other irrational statement stuck in this editorial is that although theaters can turn down movies that are too boring to draw an audience, they are not allowed to turn down a movie that states an unpopular scientific theory which will cause the theater to not draw an audience. What?

What the editorial meant to say was that anyone who disagrees with the theory of evolution is immensely foolish, and although a theater can refuse a movie that will not draw a crowd, it cannot refuse a movie whose paramount scientific theory the Times' editorial board agrees with, even though it will also fail to draw a crowd.