Creationists Criticize Neil deGrasse Tyson’s ‘Cosmos,’ Want More Airtime For Religion On Science Series

Fox’s “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” hosted by American astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson, has come under fire from creationists who say the science series is biased against creationist theories about the origin of the universe. They say the hit show, a reboot of Carl Sagan’s popular 1980s documentary series, “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage,” should give more airtime to creationists.

During an interview with “The Janet Mefferd Show,” Danny Faulkner, a creationist and astronomy professor from the Christian non-profit organization Answers in Genesis, said the show is biased against creationist scientists and that there are plenty of scientists who consider creationism a valid theory for how Earth came to be.

“Creationists aren’t even on the radar screen for them, they wouldn’t even consider us plausible at all,” Faulkner told Janet Mefferd in response to her asking if “Cosmos” producers “ever give creationists some time.”

“Consideration of special creationism is definitely not open to discussion it would seem,” he continued.

Answers in Genesis is the same group that hosted the Ken Ham-Bill Nye debate in February. The organization promotes an origin-of-life theory based on a literal interpretation of the first book of the Bible. The group rejects modern evolutionary biology in favor of a worldview that includes life beginning 6,000 years ago.

Answers in Genesis also runs the Creation Museum, a 60,000-square-foot museum located in Petersburg, Ky., that was established to promote a young Earth creationist perspective.

Tyson has previously stated that he will not debate creationists on the issue of evolution. The astrophysicist said he’s not anti-religion, he just takes issue with people who don’t know how science works.

"Any time you have a doctrine where that is the truth that you assert, and that what you call the truth is unassailable, you've got doctrine, you've got dogma on your hands,” Tyson said in an interview, according to Mother Jones. “And so ‘Cosmos’ is…an offering of science, and a reminder that dogma does not advance science; it actually regresses it.”

Tyson has also directly rebuked science deniers.

“At its best, it’s showing you how and why science matters to us as a civilization and as a species,” Tyson said of the show. “If you don’t know science in the 21st century, just move back to the cave, because that’s where we’re going to leave you as we move forward.”

You can listen to a clip from Faulkner’s interview with “The Janet Mefferd Show” here, courtesy of Right Wing Watch:

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that Danny Faulkner's interview was with "Right Wing Watch." It was with "The Janet Mefferd Show," not "Right Wing Watch." The article has been changed to reflect this correction.