Creationist museum agrees to close for coronavirus -- after saying they're 'clean' enough to stay open

The creationist museum, Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky, denies the age of the Earth, thinks Jesus Christ existed with the dinosaurs and a slew of other false scientific narratives. But after announcing that they would stay open because they prize cleanliness, as cited in The Bible, there was a considerable response, Patheos' "The Friendly Atheist" wrote.

"Answers in Genesis and its biblical attractions, the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter, have always placed a very high standard on cleanliness and sanitation at all its facilities and offices, which assists in illness prevention," a statement from Ark Encounters said before ultimately changing their position. "In fact, in guest surveys, the cleanliness of our attractions is consistently rated as "excellent" by an overwhelming percentage of our guests."

"Due to the extensive publicity concerning the COVID-19 (coronavirus) and its effects, we have been taking additional steps and preventive measures, in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health agencies," the statement continued. "We use known disinfectants approved by the EPA to deal with this virus and others and routinely sanitize and clean throughout our facilities, including restrooms, kitchens, and transport vehicles such as our public shuttle buses. The sanitization and cleaning occur throughout the day during normal business operations as well as a very thorough cleaning in the evening by trained housekeeping professionals."

It's unclear what the magic disinfectants are, but no amount of disinfecting can stop a virus if someone sneezes or coughs near another person. The Ark Encounter didn't intend to test people for fever upon entering, but that wasn't a recommendation from Genesis.

"This is why so many people criticize Answers in Genesis," wrote The Friendly Atheist. "It's not just their rejection of evolution. That's philosophically and scientifically wrong, but that's not new. What's dangerous is developing the mindset that says scientists shouldn't be trusted."

See some of the responses to the Ark Encounter below:

Read the full report from Patheos.