Ken Ham's Blog, page 362

Warning All Churches

Over this year, there have been a number of news reports on another movement in the church advocating for the acceptance of homosexual behavior and same-sex relationships. Matthew Vines, an openly homosexual 23-year-old student at Harvard University, posted a video on YouTube of a speech he gave on homosexuality and the Bible. In the talk, he claims repeatedly that God’s Word does not condemn monogamous same-sex relationships.

Now, a recent report from the Christian Post highlighted the amount of compromise happening within the church on this issue. The headline of the article explains, “50 ‘Hand-Picked’ Christians Trained To Convince Churches To Re-Interpret Scripture’s Gay Boundaries.” Vines apparently hosted a training conference recently in his home state of Kansas for Christians who want to convince their churches to accept same-sex relationships.

Vines explained, “The goal of the conference was to be training Christians who are in churches that don’t currently support LGBT people and to give them the biblical tools and knowledge that they need to go back to their churches and have constructive, persuasive conversations with other believers on these issues.” Sadly, all this training and effort these Christians are going through is based on a false interpretation of Scripture. Vines’s ideas are founded on eisegesis (reading man’s preconceived ideas into Scripture) rather than exegesis (starting with the Bible to understand what it says about something).

In another article, Vines said he was looking for a single resource that would address all his concerns about homosexuality—so he created his own, first in the form of his talk, and in the form of a forthcoming book. Sadly, in his research he turned to many other resources and arguments (likely from pro-gay Bible scholars). But he didn’t turn for answers to the single resource given to us directly by the God who created the universe—the Bible. It’s the Bible that has the answers to life’s big questions.

You see, Scripture is very clear on the issue of homosexual behavior. In that single resource, man’s fallen nature and sinful desires are addressed, and there’s no mistaking the conclusions God’s Word comes to about gender and sexuality. Many of the key verses Vines attempts to refute in his talk are addressed on our website. Steve Golden (AiG–U.S.) explains the arguments made by homosexual advocates in his article “Pro-Gay Theology: Does the Bible Approve of Homosexuality?”

Vines has started an organization called the Reformation Project, intended to teach people that the Bible “never addresses the issues of same-sex orientation or loving same-sex relationships” and “to reform church teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity through the teaching of the Bible.” But this mission of the Reformation Project is fundamentally misguided—and churches need to be warned about it. The Bible does address the idea of sexual orientation and gender identity—from the beginning, God made humans male and female, and He intended marriage to be between one man and one woman for life (Genesis 1:27; 2:24; Matthew 19:4–7).

I urge you to pray for Matthew Vines and all the other professing Christians involved in this conference, that their hearts would be turned back to the authority of Scripture in the area of sexuality and gender. And I urge you to lovingly share the gospel with unbelievers dealing with sexual sin, that they might repent and believe the good news of the gospel of Christ.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Steve Golden assisted in the writing of today’s blog post.

Ranting, Intolerant Psychology Professor . . . Again—Our Tax Dollars at Work

On the USnews.com site, we read:

Public colleges and universities are typically operated under the supervision of state governments and are funded, in part, by tax dollars and subsidies from the state. As a result, these universities often offer free or discounted tuition to students considered residents of the state. Public schools run the gamut from small liberal arts colleges to large research institutions. These are the highest ranked public colleges and universities in the 2014 Best Colleges rankings, listed according to their ranking category. (colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com)

One of the universities on the list  is Murray State University in Kentucky, about a five-hour drive west of our Creation Museum.

One professor at this college, William Zingrone, associate professor of psychology, has been ranting against Answers in Genesis (using ad hominem arguments, as  secularists often do) and our various outreaches for some time. And he is at it once more.  And again, his tirade (remember, this man is a psychologist, yet he can’t seem to control his emotions) against Christians reveals his utter intolerance for those who have differing views.  By the way, this intolerant man calls himself a freethinker.

Zingrone is one of the leaders of two secular groups on his campus, and is active in promoting atheism.

Here is his position on atheism:

The News [the university’s student newspaper] has graciously given me a column dedicated to all things secular, scientific and humanist . . . The new movement intends to continue to replace supernaturalism and authority in human affairs with naturalistic science based in reason and tolerance . . . It is as much about promoting science, reason and tolerance as engaging in critical analysis of supernatural and religious claims . . . The nonbelievers of today promoting the New Enlightenment ideas of skepticism for all ideologies, religious or political, and championing reason and tolerance to guide all human interactions . . .  (thenews.org)

So a person who rants against anything to do with the supernatural, and wants to promote atheism, is somehow promoting tolerance?  Actually, I find such people to be some of the most intolerant people on the planet.

We wrote about this professor earlier this year when he called me a “clown” and made absurd accusations against AiG. For instance, he commented about the full-size Ark we are building in northern Kentucky and declared that “the state of Kentucky is giving this clown [me] millions of dollars in tax breaks at a time when real education is being cut by millions in this state to turn his lies into a water park.” Putting aside the fact that the Ark Encounter is no water park, but a historically themed attraction, we point out that no state monies will be used to construct the facility.  Actually, the Ark Encounter will bring in tax dollars to the state of Kentucky—some of which will no doubt go to Murray University, where this professor is free to rant against Christians and make whatever false accusations he wants to.  Actually, tax dollars in essence are being used to promote the intolerance of Christianity and to promote the religion of atheism! I encourage you to read the article at www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2013/03/15/psychologist-couldnt-control-himself.

Now Zigrone, in a new intolerant rant against me and AiG, our AiG scientists, and ministry friend Ray Comfort (Living Waters Ministry), has posted a commentary.  Here are some excerpts:

Throw your geology textbook away, biology ones too, your organic chemistry textbook, your smoke alarms, don’t bother to get a PET scan or thyroid scan if you have cancer, unplug your electronic devices from the wall if your electrical power is generated by a nuclear plant.  None of the textbooks are right, and all those devices can’t possibly work because Ken Ham and Ray Comfort and other knowledge deniers claim the earth is only 6,000-10,000 years old . . .

We should be outraged at this insane denial of reality, this infantile rejection of science, this dishonest attempt to make an extreme, ridiculous and idiosyncratic interpretation of the Bible look plausible by denying or deliberately hiding information as if it didn’t exist. We should be outraged . . .

Their ludicrous claim is exceeded only by its sheer bombast.  This is not a clash of world views; this is reality versus absurd delusional claims based on a perverted interpretation of Biblical scripture.  It is knowledge versus complete [EXPLETIVE DELETED]. Creationism is pseudoscience and Kentucky shouldn’t be funding a dime of it. Ham and Comfort and others demand you do Christianity their way or you are not a real Christian . . .

Evidence is demanded in every other human endeavor, but you can make up whatever you want in religion and hide behind the banner of faith to promote your preposterous ideas.  We need to be strident: vociferous and loud and constant in ridicule and refutation of such Creationist drivel.  We should be outraged.

Actually, Christians should be outraged that tax dollars are going to such a school where a professor is allowed to rant against Christians like ourselves and promote total intolerance of views that don’t fit this man’s atheism!  He is on a rant because he wants to get rid of God—because he essentially wants to be his own god.

You can read his latest rant at thenews.org.

Obviously, he totally misunderstands historical science and observational science—showing his utter ignorance of what science is.

I believe any thinking person can see through his tirade and understand his secular motives: he wants people to be intolerant of Bible-believing Christians.

But why should we be surprised, after all? You see:

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10–18)

Pray for this professor who is on a path of destruction—his own destruction. He needs the Lord.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

College Expo 2013—Still Time to Register

Do you have children preparing to enter college? Do you want to find a Christian university that holds to the authority of God’s Word? Well, I encourage you to attend the College Expo right here at the Creation Museum! We will be hosting our next College Expo on November 15–16 in our very own Legacy Hall.

This year, 29 Christian colleges and universities—each one telling us they hold to a young earth and a literal interpretation of Genesis—will be at the Expo, ready to talk to your students about their school.

Here is the list of schools that will be participating with exhibitor booths this year:

Appalachian Bible College
Baptist Bible College & Seminary
Bob Jones University
Boyce College
Calvary Bible College
Cedarville University
Clear Creek Baptist Bible College
Dayspring Bible College & Seminary
Emmaus Bible College
Fairhaven Baptist College
Faith Baptist Bible College
Jackson Hole Bible College
Kentucky Mountain Bible College
Liberty University
Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary
New Tribes Bible Institute
Northland International University
Ohio Christian University
Ohio Mid-Western College
Patrick Henry College
Pensacola Christian College
San Diego Christian College
The Crown College of the Bible
The Master’s College
Truett McConnell College
Verity Institute
Welch College
Word of Life Bible Institute

Students and parents will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from these schools to help them in their decisions regarding their choice of which university to attend.

As I have seen and reported on my blog several times, many people in the academic world want to discredit, compromise, or totally discount the Bible as the ultimate authority—even in so-called “Christian” institutions. It’s wise for parents and students to seek colleges that will not have the potential to destroy a student’s faith in God or His Word.

The College Expo is absolutely free to the student and includes free admission to the Creation Museum for students. Visit the event page for complete details and how to register. I urge you to sign up through our online registration form. Online registration ends November 10, but you may still register at the door.

Parents attending with their student will also receive a special offer of a $10 ticket price to the museum.

Of course, we always state that we cannot guarantee what every professor at these colleges teach regarding Genesis, so parents still need to exercise due diligence. But this is a great starting lineup for people looking for a God-honoring Christian college or university for their child.

Make sure you check out our College Expo event page for more details.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

A CRC Congregation That Defends a Literal Genesis

Recently, I wrote a blog post about an article that appeared in The Banner, the official magazine of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC). Edwin Walhout, a retired Christian Reformed Church minister, wrote an article titled “Tomorrow’s Theology” in which he makes an interesting claim:

I suspect that a thousand years from now Christians will look back at the 21st century and say, “How could Christians have let themselves think that?” They’d have in mind our theology—some of the doctrines that are so precious to us and that we consider to be the backbone of Christianity.

Unfortunately, Walhout used his article as a platform to promote the mixing of evolution and millions of years with Scripture. (You can read my full blog post on Walhout’s article.)

Now, shortly after the publication of this article in The Banner, one of our researchers was contacted by a pastor in a Christian Reformed Church in Iowa. Pastor Aaron Gunsaulus is an AiG supporter, and he had actually published a blog and preached a sermon in response to Walhout—using AiG materials to do it!

I urge you to read Pastor Gunsaulus’s excellent blog post about the article and to listen to his full sermon, titled “Tomorrow’s Heresy” (given June 2, 2013).

Part of our mission at Answers in Genesis is to equip churches to answer the skeptical questions of the day with solid, biblically based apologetics. So I’m always encouraged to hear from church leaders who are doing just that. We’re thrilled with how Pastor Gunsaulus is standing firmly on the authority of the Word of God, from the very first verse. And we pray that many more leaders in the Christian Reformed Church will take the same stand.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

A Special Anniversary

One year after they married, Melody and Kevin of Dayton, Ohio, paid a return visit to the Creation Museum. Why is the museum such a special place for the couple? I’ll let Kevin, who has only been a Christian for two years and already has a passion for creation apologetics, tell you why and then I’ll show you a photo of them:

On May 12 last year, we spent the morning at Newport on the Levee [a shopping area in northern Kentucky and across the Ohio River from Cincinnati]. Then we headed over to the Creation Museum that afternoon. We watched two planetarium shows, and then I took Melody to the outdoor garden.

We walked around the garden for a while before sitting down under the pergola, where I proposed to her. I chose this location not just for the beautiful setting, but also for symbolic meaning. I wanted to symbolize my desire for our marriage to have a firm foundation in God’s Word and His will; the Creation Museum certainly is symbolic of that firm foundation.

Well, Melody was able to catch on to everything. I failed to surprise her. However, she joyfully said yes, and we have been happily married since October 20, 2012.

Here is a photograph of Melody and me right after I proposed on May 12, 2012:

Happy anniversary, Melody and Kevin!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Don’t Let the Mud Stick

I’m sure you’ve heard the adage, “Throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick.” According to Wiktionary.org, the origin of this saying is the following:

Possibly based on a technique of building wattle and daub walls by throwing daub (mud mixed with straw) at the wattle throwing hard enough that some obtained a good key and remained in place, (compare slapdash, a pebbledash effect produced by throwing pebbles at a rendered wall). Sense 2 is probably influenced by throw dirt enough, and some will stick.

The Wiktionary.org explanation continues by describing how this proverb is applied today:

1. Try the same thing (or similar things) often enough, and, even if the general standard is poor, sometimes one will be successful.

2. If enough (perhaps false or reckless) accusations are made against a person (or organisation), his reputation will suffer, whether or not this is deserved.

Throwing “mud” is a tactic often used by many of the opponents of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum. One way that mud is thrown at AiG in the hope that some of it sticks is when certain evolutionists claim that creationists can’t be real scientists or that AiG and the Creation Museum don’t do any scientific research.

Last week the Creation Museum announced that another exceptional exhibit is being added to the museum. A world-class fossilized skeleton of an allosaur, recently donated to the museum, will join our spectacular array of exhibits on Memorial Day 2014. But, as with most of the things we do at Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, regardless of how well researched the content is or what qualifications our scientists and researchers have, the secular world fires back with criticisms.

In a news article discussing our new allosaur skeleton, Dan Phelps, president of the Kentucky Paleontological Society and a regular critic of the Creation Museum, made some very negative comments about the quality of research performed here:

“The Creation Museum has asserted the specimen to be evidence of Noah’s flood without any actual research,” said Dan Phelps, president of the Kentucky Paleontological Society, said in an email Friday.

“Real vertebrate paleontologists study the surrounding sediments and the geological context of their finds,” he added. “Of course since the Creation Museum doesn’t do scientific research, all (it) really has done is obtain a nice display trophy.”

These are bold and, quite frankly, absolutely false assertions. Our full-time creation scientists as well as the ones who work with our ministry from time to time are experts in their fields and are accomplished among both creation scientists and secular scientists. It is important that the world realizes that a belief in evolution or millions of years is not a prerequisite to performing solid scientific research.

Our lead article on the AiG website today is a description of the work conducted by the creation scientists who work full-time at Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, plus others associated with our ministry. The article also includes their credentials and achievements in their fields.

Don’t let the mud that Dan Phelps and others like him throw at AiG deceive you. In 2008, Phelps called those of us who work at AiG “morons.” You can read my blog post about that comment.

I encourage you to read today’s web article and then to pass it on to others so they will make sure the mud thrown at our scientists—who were called “morons”—will not stick.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

“The Same Quality You Expect from Disney World”

Dr. Robby Gallaty is the senior pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is also president of replicateministries.org, a ministry that educates, equips, and empowers disciples to make disciples. His new book Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples comes out November 11.

He and his wife Kandi visited our Creation Museum recently, and he spoke to our staff. Later, Pastor Gallaty wrote a summary of his museum visit (slightly revised here):

Our trip to the Creation Museum was long overdue. Our fifth-graders make a trip every year before being promoted to our student ministry. Our senior adults, college students, single adults, and various Sunday Bible study classes have even made the trip. My wife asked repeatedly for me to take her, but I responded with the normal pastoral excuse, “I would love to go, but it’s impossible with my schedule.”

The opportunity finally presented itself for Kandi and me to make the trip. Was it worth our time? My first comment to her on the plane home was, “Why did I wait so long to visit the museum?”

Immediately, I realized that Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis ministries, shared the same passion I do for making disciples. If we, particularly the fathers, do not disciple our families, who will? God has appointed us to be the priests of our home. The museum brings to life the creation, the Fall, redemption, and restoration at the end of time. Your questions about dinosaurs, Cain marrying his sister, different species and kinds of animals, evolution, the big bang, planets, stars, and our solar system, to name a few, will be answered from a biblical perspective.

The name of the ministry, Answers in Genesis, explains it all. According to Ken, the first 11 chapters of Genesis, a portion that many people look over and overlook, contain crucial information that explains everything that comes after it. The attention to detail that Ken gives to these chapters—a section most gloss over— is unsurpassed. His affection for the Word of God is contagious, causing me to re-read and study afresh this section of Scripture.

What’s at stake is the future of our young people. Ken highlights staggering statistics about young people in his book Already Gone. George Barna, basing his interview on 22,000 adults and over 2,000 teenagers in 25 separate, albeit thorough, surveys, suggested that “six out of ten twenty-somethings who were involved in a church during their teen years are already gone” (Barna Research Online, “Teenagers Embrace Religion but Are Not Excited About Christianity,” January 10, 2000, www.Barna.org).

If we keep doing what we are doing, we will keep getting the same of what we’ve been getting. Something has to change, and it begins in the home. Parental discipleship begins prior to formal education. During the formative years, a child is deciding whether he or she will accept God’s Word as authoritative or man’s word as interpretive.

The same quality you expect from Disney World can be expected from the Creation Museum, but the existing museum is only phase one. An all-star team is about to begin construction on another project. The ministry is raising funds to construct an exact replica of Noah’s Ark. You heard me right! The Ark of deliverance that sailed for months carrying two animals of every kind is about to be built. Additionally, a first-century Jerusalem city, a petting zoo, and the Tower of Babel will complement the Ark.

Here are the “Five Takeaways” from our time with Ken Ham at the Creation Museum:

The first 11 chapters of Genesis are crucial for understanding the story of redemption and our place in human history.
Our approach to studying Scripture must be proportioned. Ken made a statement that I’ve pondered since I left: “Why do we apply a different hermeneutic to Genesis 1–11 than we use on Genesis 12 to Revelation?” He went on to say, “We would never interpret the New Testament the way we do creation, the Flood, or the Tower of Babel.”
Ken is unapologetic about what he believes. It’s refreshing to be around a man who is absolutely certain about the reliability, infallibility, and sufficiency of the Scriptures.
You can’t take the museum in during one trip, which is why single admission is for two days. Do yourself a favor and plan on staying for two days.
The ministry is selling Charter Lifetime Boarding Passes, which allows a family to board the future Ark for life. I forgot to ask if this entitles a family to board in the midst of a real catastrophe!

This past Saturday, a group from Pastor Gallaty’s church visited the Creation Museum. Here I am in a photograph taken with the group at our Foto FX booth:

Pastor Gallaty’s book Growing Up has been called a “manual for making disciples.” It answers the what, why, where, and how of discipleship. Now, you will not be learning this information just for yourself—it’s to help you disciple others—although you will definitely benefit from it. The foreword is by David Platt, author of Radical and Follow Me.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Answers Ambassadors

AiG gets involved in all kinds of outreaches to non-Christians, but we also have a large emphasis on reaching Christians who need to know how to defend the authority of the Bible in our secularized culture. Some of these outreaches to believers take us to surprising places, which gives us an opportunity to distribute faith-building AiG resources to so many people and also invite them to visit our Creation Museum for more teaching. It’s all part of disseminating information in an increasingly secularized culture and, in many ways, a lukewarm church. (Though, of course, there are many exceptions, with many churches that stand with AiG and are on fire for the Lord to reach people with the truth of God’s Word and the gospel).

Well, last month AiG was given the opportunity to be at the Christian Music Broadcasters (CMB) convention in Florida. We made some great radio contacts (our radio program is heard on about 700 stations), as well as getting to talk to some of the Christian musicians about the Creation Museum and inviting them to visit. Many of the musicians met with John Eytchison of AiG, including MIKESCHAIR, Kutless, Jamie Grace, Mandisa, Michael Tate (Newsboys), Colton Dixon (American Idol TV winner), and Ryan Stevenson.

Here are photos of some of the musicians (taken on a cell phone, so the picture quality isn’t great):

Kutless

Jamie Grace

Mandisa

Colton Dixon

We have found that as some of these musicians come to the Creation Museum, they tell others about it and their effort helps bring in all sorts of people to the museum who would probably not have come otherwise. We try hard to influence those Christians who have great opportunities to influence others.

Of course, there are different viewpoints in the church about music. We praise the Lord that we can find ways to get information to young people in a variety of settings—especially with so many of them leaving the church (see my book Already Gone)—to see them equipped with apologetics teaching.

Immediately following CMB was the National Quartet Convention in Louisville, where John was able to make some great connections. We also met with the regional marketing representative from Compassion International, a ministry which helps sponsor children in third world nations.

AiG has had exhibits at many other special events. Several days ago, we participated at the 16th anniversary of Potter’s Ranch in northern Kentucky. It’s located about 20 miles south of the Creation Museum and is operated by some great friends of ours. We were there to promote the museum and the new zip lines. Here is a photo of our booth at this outdoor event:

AiG booth at Potter’s Ranch

A few days later, we headed to Atlanta to participate in an employee event at the Chick-fil-A restaurant headquarters. During any one year, AiG has staff that will man booths at church conventions, homeschool fairs, concerts, and many other places. We are working hard to ensure that people know they can get a wealth of information from AiG concerning the truth of God’s Word and how to defend the Christian faith.

Better Than Imagined

Last month when I was out of town, the museum welcomed the Aldredge family all the way from Rockport, Texas. Their journey to the Midwest was primarily due to their desire to visit our Creation Museum and also to thank our staff for the Answers Bible Curriculum we had produced—which has been a great blessing to their family. They wrote to us later:

We all love the Answers Bible Curriculum and eagerly look forward to each weekend to use it. We have wanted to come to the Creation Museum even before it was open! I had really built it up in my head, but it was still even better than I imagined. We stayed all day at the museum. We are so thankful for AiG!!

Here is a photo of the family at Noah’s Café inside the museum:

Aldredge family visiting the Creation Museum

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Who Is Dan Phelps?

Dan Phelps is the evolutionist who was quoted in an Associated Press article (printed in many newspapers around America, including in today’s edition of our hometown newspaper, the Kentucky Enquirer), responding to the news that the Creation Museum was donated a world-class dinosaur fossil.

According to the AP article on our new allosaur and its impressive skull and other bones, Dan Phelps is quoted as saying, “Of course since the Creation Museum doesn’t do scientific research, all (it) really has done is obtain a nice display trophy.”

Well, why should we be surprised at such a statement, when a very pro-evolution website, Panda’s Thumb, stated the following about Dan Phelps:

Daniel J. Phelps is President of the Kentucky Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists and Chairman of the Geology Section of the Kentucky Academy of Science. He is also founder and President of the Kentucky Paleontological Society, a well-respected amateur paleontological organization.

Dan is also among the most active scientists in debunking Answers in Genesis’ Creationism Museum, to the point that AIG whines about it. Dan has been tireless in critiquing the museum and the faux “science” it promotes.

It’s interesting.  When the Creation Museum first opened, there were evolutionist scientists who claimed we didn’t have real fossils so we couldn’t be a real museum.  Actually we do have an outstanding collection of real fossils.  But now that the news is public that we’ve been donated a world-class dinosaur fossil, the claim is made that we don’t do any scientific research!

Well it would be interesting to line up Dan Phelps’ qualifications, field research projects, and publications against those of the director of research at Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, Dr. Andrew Snelling, who is quoted in the AP article about the allosaur.

For instance, compare the following bios:

Dan Phelps graduated from Lafayette High School in 1980. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1984 with a BS in Geology, and in 1990 with an MS in Geology. His MS thesis was on the stratigraphy and paleoecology of the Silurian Louisville Limestone. While in graduate school he consulted for various oil companies and sometimes taught introductory labs and was occasionally a substitute lecturer. Upon graduation he moved to Plano, Texas to work for ARCO Oil and Gas’s Plano Research Center. In 1994 he returned to Kentucky and worked for the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet as a coal geologist. In late 1994 he was hired by Kentucky Environmental Protection and has since worked in the Hazardous Waste, Underground Storage Tank, and Superfund branches. From 1994 to 2000 he was a part-time assistant to Dr. Nicholas Rast, the North American Editor of The Journal of Geodynamics, and completed the peer review process for papers received before the unfortunate death of Dr. Rast. Beginning in 1998, he was hired as a part-time professor at Lexington Community College (now Bluegrass Community College) to teach Physical Geology, and Dinosaurs and Disasters (a class on the history of the earth and life, with an emphasis on dinosaurs). Presently (2007), Dan is President of the Kentucky Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists. He is also Chairman of the Geology Section for the Kentucky Academy of Sciences. He is founder and President of the Kentucky Paleontological Society (http://www.kyps.org); one of the most respected amateur paleontological organizations in the United States. In 2004 the Kentucky Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists, awarded Dan its “Geologist of the Year” award for his efforts in educating the public about geology and paleontology. Additionally, Dan is well known for his efforts in organizing Kentucky’s scientific community to oppose teaching creationism and intelligent design creationism in public school science classes. He has written numerous letters to the editor and op-eds on this subject. (http://www.kyacademyofscience.org/members/awards.php?page=superlative&year=2008, emphasis mine)

Dr. Andrew Snelling is a geologist, research scientist, and technical editor. He completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Geology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, graduating with First Class Honors in 1975. His Doctor of Philosophy (in geology) was awarded by The University of Sydney, Australia, in 1982 for his research thesis titled “A geochemical study of the Koongarra uranium deposit, Northern Territory, Australia.” Between studies and since Andrew worked for six years in the exploration and mining industries in Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory variously as a field, mine, and research geologist.  Dr. Snelling has had papers published in a variety of publications, including a number of secular journals such as Journal of Geochemical Exploration, Applied Geochemistry, Mineralium Deposita, Uranium, and Proceedings of the Pine Creek Geosyncline Symposium.  He was a consultant to Alligator Rivers analog project—an international collaborative project funded by the USA Department of Energy—involved British, Japanese, Swedish, USA, and Australian scientists.  It was an Australian project initiated by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Association and also a consultant for an International Mining Company (Denison).  Dr. Snelling (while employed by Answers in Genesis) is currently involved in active field research, including radioisotope dating of meteorites, radiohalos in granites and metamorphic rocks including in the Grand Canyon, fossil stromatolites in the fossil record, and a general study of radioisotope dating. He has also conducted extensive field research at the Grand Canyon, Mt. St. Helens, on New Zealand lava flows, on uranium deposits in Australia, on carbon dating, and many other dating methods.  Andrew is also the editor of the Answers Research Journal, which is available through the www.answersingenesis.org website.  (See Dr. Andrew Snelling’s bio for more information.)

For Dan Phelps to say, “Of course since the Creation Museum doesn’t do scientific research, all (it) really has done is obtain a nice display trophy,” is simply wrong, and he needs to acknowledge his error.

Not only does Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum (which is owned by AiG) have a research division, it is a very active research department headed by an experienced and published scientist. AiG has other scientists on its staff who also have published in secular and Christian publications and are involved in active research, such as Dr. Danny Faulkner (astronomy), Dr. Georgia Purdom (molecular genetics), and many others on our full-time faculty. The Creation Museum also works with many experienced and published scientists in various parts of America and around the world.

It should be pointed out that Dan Phelps is known for his regular attacks on the Answers in Genesis ministry and the Creation Museum.  Really, it wouldn’t matter how qualified our scientists are, how many articles they’ve published, or what active research they are involved in, Dan Phelps would dismiss it all because he has already determined that if they believe in creation, they can’t be considered scientists. His emotional attachment to his evolutionary beliefs is why he makes the irrational statements he does.

Even with the credentialed scientists at the Creation Museum, and the high quality exhibits and specimens we possess, evolutionists like Dan Phelps will continue to “suppress the truth” as Romans 1 tells us, unless their hearts are opened to the truth of God’s Word. We need to pray that the light of God’s eternal truth will shine on Dan Phelps’ heart.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

World-Class Dinosaur Fossil Donated to Creation Museum

It’s an answer to prayer!

For years I’ve really wanted to see the Creation Museum display a world-class dinosaur fossil. The Creation Museum already displays some high-quality fossil dinosaur eggs and footprints (and some fossil bones)—and, of course, we also have impressive dinosaur sculptures meticulously sculpted by our own Buddy Davis. The Creation Museum also exhibits some classy animatronic dinosaurs that move realistically. Now next year, the Creation Museum will display the fossil remains of a remarkable specimen—an allosaur. Given to us by the Peroutka Foundation, it is believed to have one of the four best-preserved Allosaurus skulls ever discovered.

The new allosaur, as today’s news release states, “probably stood 10-feet high and 30-feet long. It stands out for a few reasons. It was found with its bones arranged in their correct anatomical positions relative to each other rather than in a scattered assortment of bones as is often the case. Also, much of the spine and 97% of the skull were found. Lastly, the skull is much larger than the famous ‘Big Al’ dinosaur at the Museum of the Rockies in Montana.”

Our geologist and research director Dr. Andrew Snelling states in the news release that “unlike the way most of the Morrison Formation dinosaur bones had been found scattered and mixed, the intact skeleton of this allosaur is testimony to extremely rapid burial, which is a confirmation of the global catastrophe of a Flood a few thousand years ago.”

Many secularists will be dismayed that the Creation Museum was given such a wonderful fossil specimen that will be used to teach the truth of God’s Word beginning in Genesis. But once again, God is specially blessing a facility that honors His Word!

The Creation Museum’s very talented designers are working on a spectacular exhibit we hope to open by Memorial Day weekend 2014!

To find out more about this spectacular addition to the Creation Museum, I encourage you to read the press release AiG sent out to media outlets today.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken