Sep-01-93 11:09AM
Sun Pictures, George Jammal, and Noah's Ark
lippard@skyblu.ccit.arizona.edu (James J. Lippard)

The following article appears in the most recent (vol. 22,
no. 9, September 1993) issue of the Institute for Creation
Research's _Acts & Facts_, pp. 3-4.

NOAH'S ARK BACK IN THE NEWS
by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

_Acts & Facts_ readers may remember the nationally broadcast CBS Special,
"The Incredible Discovery of Noah's Ark," aired in late February 1993.
Immediately after it aired, humanists and evolutionists went into a
national frenzy, using anti-Biblical and anti-Christian rhetoric.
Anything is legitimate these days on TV except that which portrays
Christianity in a favorable light.  [For a contrary view, see Michael
Kinsley's "TRB From Washington" column titled "Martyr Complex," in
the September 13, 1993 issue of _The New Republic_. -jjl]  Many demanded
a retraction from CBS.
   The April _Acts & Facts_ contained an article about the special,
including the fact that certain statements were incorrect, while others
were overstated, but that most was essentially accurate.  Especially
powerful were interviews with several who claim to have seen the Ark.
One such "eyewitness" was George Jammal, known to ICR since 1985.
   Recently, a July 5 _Time_ magazine article and another similar
article carried by the Associated Press have branded Jammal as a fraud,
and therefore the entire special was invalid.  But, as with most
diatribes against the Bible, this charge has an interesting history.
   In the days prior to the article's appearance, a _Time_ investigative
reporter called me with the news that the charge of fraud had been made
against Jammal (initially through an anonymous tip), and that Jammal had
retracted his story.  The reporter had called Sun Pictures, producer of
the CBS special, for information, but they referred him to me, since I had
placed Sun in touch with Jammal.  I responded by sending _Time_ copies of
all relevant documents, including a transcript of my lengthy interview
with Jammal on November 14, 1986.  His story at that time was essentially
the same as on the CBS show.  A quick phone call to Jammal proved that he
had not retracted his testimony and had offered to take a lie-detector
test.  Furthermore, he had not benefited financially from his story,
except for a modest interview fee paid by Sun Pictures.
   _Time_ identified the source of the charges as Dr. Gerald LaRue,
professor emeritus of Biblical history and archaeology at the University
of Southern California, but didn't mention his long association with
humanistic and anti-Christian organizations.  LaRue is chairman of the
Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion, which is dedicated
to refuting Bible claims.  He is emeritus president of the National
Hemlock Society which promotes euthanasia.  Dr. LaRue is also senior
editor of _Free Inquiry_, a publication of the U.S. Council for
Democratic and Secular Humanism and is on the editorial board of _The
Humanist_, published by the American Humanist Association from whom he
received the "Humanist of the Year" award in 1989.  This is hardly the
resume of an objective critic.
   Incredibly, Dr. LaRue claims he helped Jammal concoct the story and
that LaRue's goal was to exact revenge on Sun Pictures for a former
slight.  He claims Jammal treated a piece of modern wood with juice and
heat to make it appear old, as if from the Ark.  Thus LaRue claims to be
the prime mover in the hoax he is now exposing.
   Psychiatric evaluation of Jammal's taped interview pronounced him
to be credible, especially since his story matched that in 1986 (which
_Time_ had prior to publishing).  His knowledge of the mountain and its
people could hardly have been coached by someone who had never been
there.  Jammal claims the charges are false, and LaRue has refused to
talk to CBS investigators.
   _Time_ charges that Sun used interviews with a bias toward creationism,
while in reality, almost all of those interviewed had personal experience
with the Ark search, the subject of the article.  Included also were
several of other persuasions, in a limited pro-con format.  [*Very*
limited--and with the con portions scripted by the pro side! -jjl]
By contrast the three that the _Time_ article used as sources were LaRue,
Frank Zindler, and Richard Fox, _all_ of whom are heavily involved in
either atheistic or anti-Christian sources, with _no_ voices in support.
The author of the article, Leon Jaroff, was the first managing editor
of the magazine _Discover_, a science news magazine known for its
anti-creationist stance.  So much for objective reporting!
   Don't hold your breath for a _Time_ magazine or Associated Press
retraction.  If it happens, it will be buried on an obscure page.
Don't look for LaRue's fellow humanists to insist on a higher standard
of integrity.  The damage has already been done; the goal has already been
accomplished.  Christianity and creation have been given another "black
eye" in public, with no recourse.

---end article---

Well, of Morris, Jammal, and LaRue, at least one of them must be lying.
I'd put my money on Jammal.  Morris's presentation in this article is
pretty biased, too.

=======================================================================
>Had such a flood occurred, we'd doubtless see some evidence of it,
>though.  Finding an Ark, or even *the* Ark, would no more prove the
>flood (or the veracity of the Bible) than finding the historical
>Illium proved the Greek myths.
> 
>That having been said, the CBS "documentary" was blatant and dishonest
>propaganda, and does not even demonstrate convincingly that *anything*
>at all, even a rowboat, was found up there, never mind the Ark.

You'll get no disagreement from me about that.  What I'm curious about
is which, if any, of the following are true:

1.  Jammal is a hoaxer from the skeptical side, who was working with
    LaRue.
2.  Jammal was making his Noah's Ark claims years before LaRue's run-in
    with Sun Pictures on "Ancient Secrets of the Bible" which prompted
    his desire to hoax them.
3.  Jammal is simply an attention-seeker, who makes whatever claims will
    get himself on TV or mentioned in publications of both creationists
    and skeptics.  (I've been told that he's going to be appearing at
    next month's Freedom From Religion Foundation conference.)
4.  Jammal told John Morris that he had not retracted his claims.
5.  John Morris lied about 2 and 3.
6.  Gerald LaRue lied about 1.

Right now, I think there is strong plausibility to 2, 3, and 4.

Jim Lippard              Lippard@CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU
Dept. of Philosophy      Lippard@ARIZVMS.BITNET
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721