Ken Ham's Blog, page 372

Dawkins Continues to Suppress the Truth

Richard Dawkins, well-known atheist and author of The God Delusion, recently wrote a promotional letter for the skeptic magazine Free Inquiry. Now, I think it’s important that you see what these atheists are saying about Christianity and the Word of God. It’s clear that Dawkins doesn’t understand what the Bible teaches or the differences between operational (observational) and historical (origins) science. Frankly, he is quite ignorant of the issues of science and origins.

Below is a section from the promotional letter:

Dear Friend,

Just for a moment, imagine that there really is a supreme being who created all things, including the human race. Would he (or she or it) give you such a highly developed brain and then punish you for using it?

Would the most advanced life-form in the universe devise such grand concepts as DNA, nuclear fusion, and quantum mechanics and then spend all eternity fussing about whether you regularly sing to him, vote against gay marriage, or accept on faith that Earth is only 6,000 years old when there is a mountain of evidence to the contrary?

Frankly, I don’t believe in an all-knowing, all-powerful creator. But even if I did, I’m certain he would want us to think for ourselves and eschew such claptrap.

He would be committed to the application of reason and encourage scientific discovery and the cultivation of moral excellence. He would want us to be more concerned about living a valuable life than enforcing arbitrary rules to avoid a vindictive punishment in an afterlife.

Dr. Dawkins then continues his usual type of rant for a couple of paragraphs, promoting the magazine. Do you see how he distorts the character of God and confuses operational and historical science? God has indeed given us highly developed brains (they were created that way from the beginning!) and He doesn’t punish us for using them. It was us who, in Adam, committed high treason against the God of creation. Sadly, Dawkins believes that because biblical creationists don’t accept evolutionary ideas (namely that matter gave rise to life by natural processes, against what observational science clearly confirms), they are not using their brains.

Despite the assertion by Dr. Dawkins that God doesn’t care whether we worship Him or uphold biblical morality, to the contrary, God does care. The Bible is clear about these things: God desires followers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23–24), and God does have standards and laws that He wants us to obey (Matthew 28:19–20). And you know what? It’s reasonable that He should expect worship and that He should give us laws to obey. Sin is not a good thing: it leads only to death (James 1:15).

Now, Dawkins also claims there’s a “mountain of evidence” against biblical creation. But this is a clear confusion of operational and historical science. Operational science is repeatable, observable, and testable. It’s the kind of science that allows us to make advances in medicine, technology, and so on. Historical science, on the other hand, deals with the origin of the universe. But, clearly, no humans were there to witness this event, and it can’t be tested or repeated. Both evolutionary ideas and biblical creation are historical science—accounts concerning what happened in the past in regard to origins. In reality, they are starting points that attempt to interpret the evidence of the present in a way that fits well. I would submit that the evidence only makes sense from the biblical creation perspective: it’s the true account of historical science. (For more detailed definitions of operational and historical science, I encourage you to read this article and watch the video.)

Of course, Dr. Dawkins makes it no secret that he doesn’t believe God exists, so we certainly cannot expect him to respect God or His Word. And sadly, while Dr. Dawkins may believe Christianity provides only “arbitrary rules,” it’s actually his atheism that is arbitrary. Without God’s Word, Dawkins has no foundation for the “cultivation of moral excellence” that he claims to want.  This promotional letter of Dawkins is just another example of Richard Dawkins as he continues his campaign to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

I urge you to pray for Dr. Dawkins and for all those involved in writing Free Inquiry, that they would repent and believe the gospel of Christ.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

 

Note:  Steve Golden assisted in the writing of this blog post.

Godonomics

Today, I want to announce the release of a new book by Chad Hovind, a local pastor in the Cincinnati area and a friend of mine. Chad, a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, is a lead pastor of Horizon Community Church and the creator of the Fast Track Bible DVD series and now the Godonomics DVD curriculum series. For more information, I encourage you to visit godonomics.com and fasttrackbible.com.

Here is a short press release by Chad on his special new book Godonomics: How to Save Our Country—and Protect Your Wallet—Through Biblical Principles of Finance, which Answers in Genesis will be carrying:

Our special needs son, Quinn, loves the Creation Museum. We’ve spent hours chasing animals in the petting zoo. If you didn’t know his story, you wouldn’t realize that he was almost aborted, declared incurably blind, and has severe developmental delay. The Seven C’s are more than a road map for the museum; they have been a road map for my family as we chose to adopt this special child into our life four years ago.

We met Quinn’s mother during a time when I was teaching a series at our church called Godonomics, which is being released as a book by Random House today on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and www.godonomics.com. Godonomics teaches that capitalism is not just a good idea—it’s God’s idea. It’s a biblical book about the power of work, profit, and generosity to change lives. As my wife and I reflected on God’s generosity to us during this series, we were challenged to help a pregnant teenager who had literally cried her way out of an abortion clinic.

The First C is Creation, and a reminder that every child is made in God’s image at the moment of conception. Since my wife and I already had a ten and twelve year old, having an empty nest was within sight. The idea of starting over with a newborn, diapers, car seat, and preschool was daunting. God challenged us to see life through the C of Creation, not the C of Comfort. We befriended Jacci, an eighteen-year-old single mom, and named our new son together: “Quinn Jaxon Hovind.” His middle name was a way to remember her gift of generosity because he was “Jacci’s Son” or Jaxon.

Two months after Quinn was born, we worried as his eyes continued to dart back and forth. My wife returned from the doctor and told me that our son was incurably blind and would probably never live a normal life. The C of Corruption became a reality. We cried. Intellectually, we knew Quinn’s conditions were not caused by God but by the consequences of Adam’s sin and the resulting world that is out-of-sync with its Maker. Our hearts had just not caught up to our heads as we wondered why God would allow this to happen to us. We wondered if we had what it took to be parents to a special needs son. As I share in my new book Godonomics, my wife and I wrestled with God as He called us to an even higher level of love and rejection of a convenient life. We felt the C of Catastrophe as the floodwaters of doubts, fears, and “what if’s” flowed into our hearts. The C of Confusion was alive and well in our family.

Early Christians turned the Roman Empire upside down with their generosity and compassion toward the poor, handicapped, and unborn. The C of Christ was a reminder that Jesus adopted us when we were not perfect and “while we were yet sinners.” We found hope in the C of the Cross, knowing Christ is the master of making all things work together for good. God uses what was “intended for evil to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Our family was living out the story of Genesis as God deepened our faith.

Quinn’s contagious laugh fills our home daily. He has overcome many of his sight challenges despite the label of Autism added six months later. We don’t know if he will ever talk with more than one word, but we have joy and hope in Christ. We look forward to the C of Consummation when his eyes, mind, and body will be fully fixed at the return of Christ. In the meantime, we had no idea that God would use Godonomics to change our lives, deepen our faith, and create a ministry tool that would be shared with the world.

What a marvelous testimony of God’s grace!

While economics may not be a topic that Answers in Genesis normally addresses, it is important that we as believers seriously consider such an important subject and are willing to be challenged in how we handle the resources God has entrusted to each of us.

Don’t miss out on reading Godonomics. To order a copy, visit our online store.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Biggest and Best in the Midwest

Over the past two months, Answers in Genesis has placed a 100 billboards around six cities (Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Louisville, Lexington, and Indianapolis) advertising two of the new exhibits at the Creation Museum—Dragon Legends and Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium.

Today, another 50 billboards go up around these six cities advertising the incredible zip line course (27 zip lines over 2.5 miles) at the Creation Museum. There is no doubt this course is the biggest and best in the Midwest. Here are photos of two of the billboards:

New “Aerial Challenge” Course Opening Soon

The crew that installed our phenomenal zip line course comes from the Historic Banning Mills facility in Georgia, which holds records for their massive zip line course. And they’ve just put the finishing touches on the Creation Museum’s “Aerial Challenge” course. Now all that is left is to get it inspected and we will be opening yet another family-friendly adventure course.

This course is a good addition to our zip line course because zippers can zip in and do the challenges like “Postman’s Walk” and “Fencepost Walk” then continue on the zip line and canopy tour! From what we understand, this new course is as good as it gets—and as big as it gets! We have already had corporations checking us out for future team-building get-aways at the museum!

Here are some photos of just part of this new course:

Make sure you plan your trip to the Creation Museum creationmuseum.org.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Fires in the Sky—New Planetarium Show at the Creation Museum

At the Creation Museum, we recently introduced a brand-new planetarium show titled Fires in the Sky. This spectacular show, written by our astronomer Dr. Danny Faulkner, deals with the topic of sun-grazing comets. These are comets that pass very close to the sun, and as a result, they are incredibly bright.

What’s significant about our new Fires in the Sky show is that it’s preparing audiences to view a comet we’ll soon be able to see in the night sky. The comet is named Comet ISON. It was discovered by a Russian observatory that was part of the International Scientific Optical Network, and so the comet was named ISON. In December, Comet ISON will travel near the sun, and it should be a dazzling sight! Below are some instructions from Dr. Faulkner on how to view Comet ISON:

In early October, Comet ISON may be visible with a telescope. It will be in the east in the morning sky, passing through the constellation Leo. It will pass Leo’s brightest star, Regulus, and the planet Mars.

In November, it will pick up speed and brighten tremendously as it passes by Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, and then the planet Saturn.  On November 28, Comet ISON will reach its closest point to the sun, its perihelion. It will likely be brightest at this time and shortly thereafter. It may be visible during the day, but you must be careful if trying to look at it as it will appear very close to the sun. You should never look directly at the sun, as it can cause serious damage to your eyes. There is a possibility that the sun’s radiation and gravity will destroy the comet, but most astronomers believe it will survive.

In December, Comet ISON will be visible in both the east in the morning and the west in the evening. In January it will fade from naked-eye visibility; although those with binoculars or telescopes will be able to follow it for several months. To see Comet ISON, you will need clear weather and a good exposure toward the horizon, with few trees or buildings to block your view.  It’s best to be away from city lights too.  If you can manage this, what you see may be breathtaking.

Don’t miss out on this amazing experience—and don’t forget to come to the Creation Museum to see Fires in the Sky!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

 

Where Is the USA Heading?

Often in my public talks, I point to the United Kingdom as an example of where the U.S. could be headed as our increasingly secularized culture  gives up the authority of the Word of God. Well, a recent report in the UK’s Telegraph demonstrates once more the intolerance many people have toward Christianity—especially in a secular country like the UK.

According to the Telegraph article, U.S. citizen Tony Miano was preaching on a street in London when he was arrested. What was his crime? He supposedly violated “the controversial clause of the Public Order Act which bans ‘insulting’ words or “behavior.” Now, as you’ve probably guessed, this man was not actually trying to “insult” people. As the article reports, he was “delivering a sermon about ‘sexual immorality,’” and was arrested particularly for speaking out against homosexual behavior.

The reporter explained that this man, a former police officer in the U.S., was reported to UK authorities by a passer-by:

He was speaking from a passage from Thessalonians which mentions “sexual immorality” and listed homosexuality alongside “fornication” as examples [of] what he believed went against “God’s law”.

A woman out shopping called the police to complain that she was offended, prompting two officers to be dispatched to arrest him.

The London-based Christian Legal Centre reported that they are seeing such anti-Christian things like this more often. Of course, we can’t always rely on reporting to be accurate from newspapers for stories like this, so there’s always the possibility that we don’t know all the facts. But on the face of it, this UK incident appears to be a clear case of intolerance of Christianity in the UK.

Miano was released with no charges filed against him. But you know, with the continuing widespread acceptance of homosexual behavior in the U.S.—including ardent support from our own president—how long will it be before Christians will be arrested for saying it is sin?

This sort of treatment, however, should not surprise the Christian. Jesus Christ warns us in John’s Gospel that we will experience persecution because of the name of Christ:

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. (John 15:18–21)

What is clear in the UK and in the U.S. is that unbelievers are suppressing the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18) and are increasingly being intolerant of Christians and the Christian message.  Christians are being targeted for teaching what the Bible says. Regardless of the opposition, however, we must stand firmly on the Word of God and preach the gospel boldly, remembering what the Apostle Paul told us:

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:5–6)

Yes, I believe the U.S. is heading in the same direction as the UK in regard to an increasing intolerance of the Christian message.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Spectacular New Film—Evolution vs. God

Ray Comfort, president and CEO of the ministry Living Waters and a friend of AiG, is releasing an excellent new film titled Evolution vs. God. This controversial new film is challenging and faith affirming. Every family needs to watch it, as it will equip them to defend their faith! Below is a press release from Living Waters on this exciting new movie:

Evolutionary Scientists Speak Out on Movie That Disproves Evolution

Los Angeles, CA. Scientists are speaking publically about Ray Comfort’s Evolution vs. God, a controversial new movie the shows that Darwinian evolution isn’t scientific—using interviews with professors from UCLA and USC. (You can find the names and pictures of the professors in the film here: http://evolutionvsgod.com/photos.php.)

Comfort said, “I went to the experts with a camera and asked evolutionary scientists for scientific proof for Darwinian evolution, and the silence was deafening. They didn’t have any, and the reason that they didn’t have any is because there isn’t any. If you don’t believe it, watch the movie. If you are a believer in evolution, prepare to have your faith shaken.”

Three of the four professors have openly spoken about their appearance on the provocative movie.

Professor PZ Myers: “What actually happened is that I briefly discussed the evidence for evolution —genetics and molecular biology of fish, transitional fossils, known phylogenies relating extant groups, and experimental work done on bacterial evolution in the lab, and Ray Comfort simply denied it all — the bacteria were still bacteria, the fish were still fish. I suspect the other scientists did likewise: we provided the evidence, Ray Comfort simply closed his eyes and denied it all. Richard Dawkins will not be at all surprised that Ray Comfort is a dishonest fool.” http://bit.ly/1ajREuJ

Professor Peter Nonacs: “I am one of the evolutionary biologists interviewed by Ray Comfort for his new DVD. First, Ray is a charming fellow and I greatly enjoy interacting with him. I do not expect that my words will be edited out of context or that I’ll find myself somehow saying on camera that ‘All of evolutionary biology is a hoax perpetuated in order to justify atheism.’ In short, I expect that everything in the DVD will be an accurate reflection of my words.

ATHEIST RESPONSE TO HIS WORDS: “Peter, I don’t suppose you had the foresight to record your full interview with Ray? If so…would you please, please, please publish the full, unedited interview on YouTube the same day as the movie is released?” Ben Goren

Professor Nonacs: “No recording on my part. Ray actually interviewed me for about 2 hrs a couple of years ago on a project he was doing on Darwin. As far as I can tell nothing came of it. And he has lost that tape! This is why we did the quickie new interview. Again, I don’t think there would much on a transcript that would indict Ray for ‘lying’”. http://bit.ly/185BiF9

Professor Craig Stanford: “Ray Comfort’s new creationism video does the most un-Christian thing; uses misleading editing to take an immoral and frankly sleazy low road.” http://bit.ly/16m24CB

Christian Reviews:

 “Exciting and revealing.” Henry M. Morris III, CEO, Institute for Creation Research
 “We wholeheartedly endorse this succinct, hard-hitting film.” Answers in Genesis
 “The best Creation/Evolution movie ever!!!”Josh4Jesus
 “I downloaded my copy last night! And we’ve watched it 3 times today. My kids are inspired. Thanks!” Becky Wagner

Atheist Reviews:

 “I can’t believe I watched the whole thing.” Professor PZ Myers
 “Worst documentary ever.” Aaron Whitman
 “Your movie was horrible … sad and pathetic.” April Brumett
 “How about not including idiots in your video.” Philip Ware

Ray Comfort will be at our Answers Mega Conference in Sevierville, Tennessee, where Evolution vs. God will have its world premiere on Monday evening, July 22. For details and registration, visit the Answers Mega Conference site.

Now, the DVD will be released on August 7, but Living Waters is making a special prerelease of the video download available through AiG for just $19.99. I urge you to take advantage of this limited-time offer, which also helps Ray’s team to recoup their production costs. Don’t miss out on such a valuable resource for training in apologetics!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Award-Winning Answers Adds Even More Pages

While I’ve been away in the West, our Answers in Genesis and Creation Museum staff members were treated to an enthusiastic presentation about our award-winning Answers magazine. During our regular Tuesday staff meeting, Mike Matthews, editor-in-chief of the magazine, and Dale Mason, vice president of media distribution, led the presentation showing our staff the mission of Answers magazine: to share the gospel with every reader. And we also found out that Answers is adding even more pages. But before you read about that change, let me give you a summary of Answers magazine and its mission. No other magazine comes close to the world’s leading creation apologetics and Christian worldview magazine—Answers magazine.

Here are photos of editor Mike Matthews as he presented to the AiG staff:

Now, the current issue focuses on design in God’s creation. In the articles, the writers present solid content on both animal and human design—all with an emphasis on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mike and Dale shared some of the new article topics with the staff, demonstrating the variety of topics Answers covers. For instance, in this issue there are articles on homeschooling, the brain, caving, jungle animals, and more.

The above spread comes from an article series on how our brain remembers things and how our eyes work, written by Dr. David DeWitt, a neuroscientist at Liberty University. As you can see, Answers magazine has high-quality illustrations and an appealing layout. In fact, the magazine won a variety of awards for these aspects from the Evangelical Press Association. The EPA has twice awarded the magazine its top award, the Award of Excellence.

The magazine is also relevant and timely. Recently, Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man radio show, stated that he doesn’t believe there was a literal serpent in the Garden of Eden. He wrote in the Christian Research Journal (vol. 36, no. 2), “Eve was not deceived by a talking snake. Rather, Moses used the symbol of a snake to communicate the wiles of the Evil One who deceived Eve through mind-to-mind communication.” If the serpent was not actually in the garden tempting Eve, then what else in the Genesis account wasn’t actually there? Answers responds to this issue with great biblical teaching.

To deal with this and other issues surrounding the presence of Satan in the garden, the above article deals with the various theological views and interpretations on the serpent. But, of course, the conclusion is obvious: we must take the Bible at its Word. If it says there was a serpent, then we can believe there was a serpent, because we have a God who does not lie.

Mike also shared that the magazine is undergoing a bit of a change—the next issue will have 16 additional pages! This permanent change will include several additional articles in the next issue, as well as all the issues after that. Our hope is to provide you and your family with an even more fact-filled, fun, biblical resource that you can use in your home for learning and growing in the knowledge of God’s world and His Word.

I urge you to subscribe to Answers today! Just visit the Answers magazine website at AnswersMagazine.com. When you subscribe, you’ll be given access to the digital version of the magazine as well, with web-only exclusives and downloads for kids and subscribers. Don’t miss out on this valuable resource!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Evolutionists Already Trying to Do “Damage Control”

I encourage you to read the following press release about the new movie Evolution vs. God produced by Ray Comfort of the ministry Living Waters. AiG will host the world premiere of this movie at the AiG Mega Conference later this month near Knoxville, Tennessee.

Evolutionists are certainly aware that this movie is coming out. I’ve seen a number of their blogs that make all sorts of claims about the movie in their attempts to discredit it (even though they haven’t seen it yet)—it’s their attempt at “damage control.” Regardless of how well-done this movie is, the evolutionists will claim they were taken out of context, creationists don’t understand that evolution is happening, and it just requires time, etc.

As they usually do, the evolutionists in the film appeal to observable changes in living things as proof that evolution is happening. But these changes do not add brand-new information into the genes that is necessary to even begin proposing a molecules-to-man evolution. The bottom line is that molecules-to-man evolution is a lie and there is no observational scientific evidence that confirms it. On the contrary, observational science confirms the account of origins as given in Genesis.

I believe Evolution vs. God will do a lot of “damage” in the minds of many in the general public who have been indoctrinated to believe evolution is fact—which is why evolutionists are already scrambling to try to do “damage control.”

One of the unique aspects of this new movie is that no creationists were interviewed!

It will be very eye-opening for young people who have been brainwashed by their teachers to believe that evolution is fact. But see what happens when university students and professors are asked to defend this claim!

I encourage you to read this press release:

“Answers in Genesis to Host World Premiere of Movie that Exposes Evolution as Bogus Science”

A new movie that makes the bold claim that it debunks Darwinian evolution will be hosted by Answers in Genesis at their Answers Mega Conference on July 22 near Knoxville, Tennessee.

Ken Ham, Founder and CEO of AiG and the popular Creation Museum, said that the controversial movie “will rock the creation/evolution world!” And he’s not the only one to praise “Evolution vs. God.” Reviewers have responded similarly with statements such as, “Wow! Blew me away!!” (Randy Jones, Pres. Word of Truth, Dallas). Ron Fathauer (GospelCry Min) said, “Wow!!! I got goose bumps watching. Dawkins will have a cow.”

In a recent blog, Ham said, “I’ve seen the movie, and it’s excellent—it’s extremely well produced. In fact I’ve watched it a few times. Everyone needs to see it—every adult and every young person. This movie helps reveal like never before how millions of students are being conned into believing evolution by the ‘priests’ of the evolutionary religion. It will reveal just how bankrupt evolution is and that students and professors alike can’t defend their faith in evolution when challenged with simple but profound questions.”

Ray Comfort is the producer of Evolution vs. God.

Ray Comfort, the film’s executive producer added, “We love the people at Answers in Genesis, and we asked them to review ‘Evolution vs. God’ to make sure it was scientifically accurate. They loved it and only had a few minor suggestions. So having them host the world premiere is a great honor for us.”

Comfort added: “The movie is unique because we don’t interview any creationists. It shows that Darwinian evolution has no scientific basis, and it does so by going to the experts—to evolutionary scientists at UCLA and USC and holding their feet to the fire. If you believe in evolution, prepare to have your faith shaken.”

Ray Comfort’s award-winning “180” has had over four million YouTube views, but many believe that “Evolution vs. God” will be much bigger. Comfort will fly out from California to be at the Mega Conference in Sevierville (near Knoxville, TN), July 22, 2013.

Details on how to register for the Answers Mega Conference can be found at: http://www.answersingenesis.org/outreach/answers-mega/

A promo of the movie can be seen on: http://www.evolutionvsGod.com

We trust that this movie will shake “the foundations of faith” in evolution and confirm our faith in the truth and authority of God’s Word.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

The State of the Nation and the Genesis 3 Attack!

On August 9–11, I will be returning to speak at the beautiful Billy Graham Training Center at “The Cove” in the North Carolina mountains.

I will give four presentations, plus hold a question-and-answer session, that will cover a variety of topics touching on the state of our nation. Using God’s Word, I will shed some light on what is really happening spiritually in America—and what we as Christians can do about it.

One of my verses for this special time at the Cove will be 2 Corinthians 11:3:

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

As we look at the state of our nation today, we see godlessness and unbelief sweeping across the culture. “Gay” marriage and abortion are increasingly being accepted. Also, the atheists are growing in number and aggressiveness in this once very Christianized culture.

Something else is very sad in my adopted country of America. Statistics reveal that at least two-thirds of our young people are leaving the church by college age, and very few return. What is happening? What has caused this? What can we do about it?

God’s warning to us in 2 Corinthians 11:3 is that Satan is going to use the same method on us as he did on Eve to get us to a position of not believing the things of God. It behooves us to carefully find out what that method was and to understand how Satan’s strategy applies to our world today.

If we go back to Genesis 3, we read about the method Satan used on Eve:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)

That question, “Did God really say?” is the essence of his method to create doubt about Christianity’s validity. Note that Satan successfully attempted to get Eve (and Adam) to doubt God’s Word, and that doubt led to unbelief. Just look at the mess this rebellion caused in our now sin-cursed universe.

Note, however, that the very first attack by Satan was on the Word of God. I call that the “Genesis 3 attack.” There have been many types of Genesis 3 attacks over the six millennia since this first one in the garden. But even though these assaults manifest themselves in different ways in different eras, the attacks are essentially all the same: to get people to doubt and then disbelieve the Word of God. That attack from Satan has always been on the authority of the Word.

Because of this warning God has given us, we need to ask ourselves, “How does the Genesis 3 attack manifest itself today?” We certainly see the consequences of the attack in the increasing moral relativism and the rejection of biblical authority across the nation. But what more needs to be understood?

It is my contention that the atheistic, evolutionary beliefs taught through the education systems of the world, shown on TV, and presented as fact in most of the secular museums of the world are all a major part of the Genesis 3 attack of our day. This attack has undermined the authority of the Bible, beginning in Genesis, throughout the culture (and sadly a significant part of the church has also succumbed to doubting the full Word of God). As a result, generations of children from the church have been put on a slippery slope of unbelief.

Many people in the church today don’t know how to defend against this attack on God’s Word. Of course, they are concerned for their children and grandchildren, and so they ask, “How to do we counter and answer this Genesis 3 attack?”

Thankfully God has raised up Bible-upholding ministries like Answers in Genesis to help equip Christians to defend the Christian faith against the Genesis 3 attack of our day, and to challenge non-Christians concerning the truth of God’s Word and the gospel.

For more on the topic of biblical authority in the nation, consider purchasing our State of the Nation DVDs and my book The Lie: Evolution/Millions of Years.

I hope to see you at the Cove on August 9–11, as we discuss how we can deal with the Genesis 3 attack of our day.

For more information, including a schedule of my sessions, go to our event page. Online registration is available through the Cove.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

The Latest Creation Research

This year as a part of our Answers Mega Conference in Tennessee in a couple of weeks, a number of presentations will be given by creation scientists. This Research Summit will convene Thursday afternoon and evening (July 25) and Friday morning (July 26). Find out more about the Mega Conference and Research Summit on our conference website.

At Answers in Genesis, we understand the importance of backing up what we write and lecture about with high-quality scientific and theological research. That is why we have a research department headed up by Dr. Andrew Snelling, who has a PhD in geology. One of the many projects Dr. Snelling manages is the Answers Research Journal.

The Answers Research Journal (ARJ) is AiG’s professional, peer-reviewed technical journal for the publication of interdisciplinary scientific, theological, and other relevant research from the perspective of the recent Creation and the global Flood—all within a biblical framework. Dr. Snelling is assisted by other AiG scholars and an outside team of well-qualified scholars who review submitted papers before they are published.

When the ARJ was launched in January 2008, the Internet buzzed with controversy. Skeptics claimed the journal would never produce quality scientific research or discussion. Indeed, there were several attempts by skeptics to submit bogus papers, but these were readily detected as such. Over five years since our launch, we thank the Lord for His provision and blessing that has proved the skeptics wrong.

In fact, the quality of scholarship from such a wide range of creation researchers has surpassed our highest expectations. In the journal’s first five years, we have published over 1,200 pages of solid scientific and theological discussion in 82 papers. That is an average of around 16 papers per annual volume and an average of 240 pages per volume. That included 19 papers in 2011—our highest number per volume.

The journal is now into its sixth annual volume, and 2013 has seen the journal take off. By June 30, after only half a year, we have already published 17 papers in 264 pages—more than our average annual offering! With at least 13 more papers already prepared for publication or at an advanced stage of review, Volume 6 in 2013 will be our biggest yet, probably double the size of previous volumes. That represents at least one new paper published online every other week all through the year.

And the momentum looks like it will continue into the year ahead, as quality papers on relevant topics keep being submitted from a widening circle of creation scholars. Topics already discussed this year include the following:

“An Initial Estimate Toward Identifying and Numbering Amphibian Kinds within the Orders Caudata and Gymnophiona”
“A Further Examination of the “Gospel in the Stars”
“Comprehensive Analysis of Chimpanzee and Human Chromosomes Reveals Average DNA Similarity of 70% “
“Astronomical Distance Determination Methods and the Light Travel Time Problem”
“Stone Tools From the Early Tertiary in Europe—A Contradiction to any Evolutionary Theory About the Origin of Man and to Long Geological Periods of Time”

No wonder some past papers have had nearly 100,000 hits!

Topics of papers currently in the pipeline include:

“The Fear of the Lord and the Foundation of Christian Apologetics”
“A Proposal for a New Solution to the Light Travel Time Problem”
“The Human Beta-Globin Pseudogene is Non-Variable and Functional”
Does natural selection exist?
Avian Ark kinds
Amphibian (frog) Ark kinds
The second law of thermodynamics and the Curse

Dr. Snelling said the following about the journal:

Perhaps it’s the unique nature of the ARJ that has helped make it a success. Being completely online, we’ve removed many of the limitations inherent in bound ‘offline’ paper journals. Researchers aren’t limited by page counts, and they can include dozens of full-color images and tables to illustrate their results. And this has certainly enhanced the presentation of each paper. Authors are attracted to publish in the journal because online publishing offers significant advantages, such as a fast turnaround and papers available for free as PDFs in a 24/7 global reach.

Its credibility and reach firmly established, the ARJ is now building a solid future as a regular must-see resource for all serious creation researchers and those who want to be equipped with the latest creation research results and discussions. And for those who still like the feel of a paper journal in their hands or like having it on their bookshelves, future plans include reprinting selected papers collected into topical monographs. We trust that many of these ARJ papers will be relevant and read for years to come.

So if you haven’t been regularly visiting our Answers Research Journal, it’s time you did. We also feature newly published papers on the home page of AiG’s award-winning website.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken