Ken Ham's Blog, page 384

The Core Message of Answers in Genesis

Because people have been exposed to the many topics AiG covers (at seminars, on the radio, through our website and Creation Museum, etc.), it’s possible that many of them can forget what’s really at the heart of what we do at AiG. So I felt it was time to remind everyone of what the core message of the Answers in Genesis ministry really is.

Our culture is quickly abandoning the authority of God’s Word, including two-thirds of youth in the church by the time they reach college age! We can’t afford to forget the heart of the AiG message—it’s about teaching people that they can trust the Word of God, and ultimately, the gospel of Jesus Christ that is presented in that Word.

I’ve heard many Christian leaders claim AiG’s main message has to do with defending a young earth. But that’s not true. The main message of this ministry concerns biblical authority and the gospel. However, in this era, issues of evolution and the age of the earth/universe are an attack on the authority of the Word of God—so we do specialize in the biblical creation apologetics.

In today’s lead article on our website, I explain the heart of the message at Answers in Genesis. Below is an excerpt:

Every so often, I think it’s important to remind people of what the core message is at Answers in Genesis. In fact, our message can be found in a book I wrote 25 years ago and recently updated and revised, titled The Lie: Evolution/Millions of Years.

At AiG, we want to make Christians aware of the destructive effects that evolutionary ideas and a belief in millions of years have on the gospel, the church, and scriptural authority in the culture as a whole. Now, the “lie” is more than evolution or millions of years. It speaks to a deeper issue—one that has plagued humanity since Adam and Eve took that first bite of the forbidden fruit. It begins with the question, “Did God really say … ?” (Genesis 3:1). I like to call this the “Genesis 3 attack” of our age—one that causes people to question what God has revealed to us. We are warned in 2 Corinthians 11:3 that Satan will use this same Genesis 3 attack on us as he did to Eve—to make us disbelieve the Word of God.

When sinful human beings believe the lie that God’s Word is not authoritative, we put ourselves in a position of authority over God, disregarding and even rewriting His Word. Our culture is answering the question “Did God really say … ?” with a resounding “No!” Those who question His Word are denying the full authority and accuracy of the Bible from its very first verse. This has had devastating effects on our culture.

I encourage you to read the full article so that you will be better prepared to share the creation/gospel message with others. To read the entire article on the core message of AiG, go to this link.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Children’s Ministry Leaders’ Conference Success

Well, we just completed the second annual Children’s Ministry Leaders’ Conference here at the Creation Museum. This year, the speakers included Bodie Hodge, Dr. Georgia Purdom, Ruth Carter, and Stacia McKeever. I also spoke. The conference was attended by 250 children’s workers and leaders—representing 26 different states! They came from as far away as Oregon, California, Texas, Florida, and New York. It was great to see a group of leaders so passionate about ministering to children and rescuing our kids from this evil age.

Attendees obtained large numbers of resources that will Impact potentially thousands upon thousands of children and young people back home.

We were also privileged to have John Swomley of Jandy Ministries emcee the conference. John has often hosted special children’s sessions while our speakers have presented Answers Conferences at churches around the country.

Below are just a few photos from the weekend:

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Compromise Teaching in a Christian School in Alaska

Well, I recently read yet about another example of blatant evolutionary indoctrination in a biology course—but this time it’s happening in a Christian school! Eric Kretschmer, a church youth director in Alaska and a high school AP biology teacher in a Christian school, recently wrote an article for BioLogos explaining how he handles evolution in the classroom. It’s titled “A Tale of Two Worldviews: Being a Biology Teacher in a Christian School.”

The BioLogos website states that “Eric Kretschmer is Youth Director at Chapel By The Sea in Anchorage, Alaska, which encompasses teaching, planning and running retreats, and coordinating trips with groups of adults and teens into bush Alaska to minister in Alaska’s villages. He also teaches AP Biology at a local Christian high school in the mornings during the school year . . . .”

Now, Mr. Kretschmer earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and his master’s degree in theology. It’s important to note that AP biology courses do require students be taught evolution—but teachers can still educate students to think critically about evolution, including the underlying assumptions of evolutionary ideas. Kretschmer writes, “One of the reasons I agreed to teach at this particular Christian school was because they allowed the teaching of mainstream evolution in an open way in their biology courses.” Combining that with the opportunity to teach from a “secular biology book,” Kretschmer found “some of the most powerfully engaging teaching moments” of his teaching career.

So, what made these classes so engaging for this biology teacher? He discovered that the Bible department was teaching biblical creation—students were entering AP biology believing in a young earth and a literal Genesis—a position that Kretschmer doesn’t hold. He writes, “The first challenge for me at the beginning of each school year is to clarify the students’ understanding of evolution as it has been taught in their Bible and pre-requisite science courses.” Kretschmer’s goal was to convince his students that evolutionary ideas could be mixed with Scripture.

While he says at the outset that he believes students should be able to trust their Bibles, he also argues that students “must be careful how they interpret the Bible and which interpretations they adhere to.” The problem is, his students were being taught in their Bible classes that they could trust what the Bible says, from the very first verse. Biblical creation is an interpretation that is careful to honor the genre of the text of Genesis (i.e., as historical narrative) and is derived from a plain reading of God’s Word (using a historical grammatical hermeneutic).

But Kretschmer, because of his belief in evolution and millions of years, opts to leave behind the plain meaning of Scripture and creates a picture of young-earth creationists as “defensive” towards science. And the results of his work are evident in a quote from one of his former students, now working on a PhD in neuroscience:

I still remember in AP Bio when you said that you believed in evolution AND you were a Christian. . . . it has since been a topic that I am greatly interested in. Specifically why culture (secular and Christian) has created the mindset of ‘Creation vs. Evolution’ rather than God could have created the world through evolution.

Kretschmer writes, “I share this quote to show the benefit of dealing openly and honestly with science and theology in the classroom.”

Wow. So is the implication that biblical creationists don’t deal “honestly” with science? Actually, we’re very honest about science. We’re even willing to admit that there’s a difference between operational (observational) science and historical (origins) science, which is something that Kretschmer didn’t mention. Biblical creationists are not “defensive” about science. In fact, there are many highly educated scientists who are creationists in the world, and some of them are on staff here at Answers in Genesis.

Shaking the faith of students in the Word of God by portraying evolutionary ideas as proven, testable science is what’s dishonest. Kretschmer cites a Barna study, claiming that students struggle to reconcile “science” with Christianity. The solution is not to find a way to reconcile evolution and millions of years with God’s Word. Christian biology teachers like Kretschmer should be looking to deal honestly with the differences between operational and historical science, and they should desire to show students that, using the biblical worldview, all the evidence actually does confirm biblical creation and not support the evolutionary worldview. They should work to strengthen the foundation of God’s Word in the lives of their students, rather than tear it down because man’s ideas conflict with it.

I urge you to read my coauthored books Already Gone and Already Compromised (available in our online bookstore) to learn more about why students are leaving the church and what they’re being taught in Christian universities that have compromised with a secular worldview—and therefore have abandoned the authority of God’s Word.

Teachers like Kretschmer will be held accountable for the many students they lead astray with their compromise regarding biblical authority and undermining teaching.  How very sad.  And the board/administrators of such Christian schools will also be held accountable.  What they are doing in essence is helping the secularists capture the hearts and minds of generations of children!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Note: Steve Golden assisted in writing this blog post.

Trust Me?

At a souvenir store in Australia, I saw a T-shirt that had a picture of a crocodile with its mouth open and the words “trust me” on it. Well, in this fallen world, I wouldn’t trust a crocodile—they have been known to kill many people, including American tourists!

I thought of this when an item was brought to my attention titled “7 things that are older than Ken Ham’s universe.”

The blogger listed seven items that are supposedly dated at much older than the 6,000 years biblical creationists put on the age of the universe—based on the Bible’s recorded history. The blogger smugly presents this list as proven fact that shows biblical creationists, like me, are wrong.

The blogger, however, doesn’t even attempt to present the various (fallible) dating methods used to support each item—though there is a link to a news item about each. But even then, I noticed that (1) sometimes there is a vague reference to the dating method used such as “radioactive dating,” (2) the actual dating methods are not even mentioned at all, or (3) a passing reference to radiocarbon dating method is mentioned.

Really, this blogger is illustrating the fact that high school and college students today have not been taught critical-thinking skills and have not been taught the difference between historical (origins) science and observational (operational) science. Thus they are prone to be very gullible, and ignorance abounds—they seem to have no clue that all dating methods are based on assumptions about the past. None of the items on the list came with labels attached to them giving their dates! One would have to do a lot of research to find out what specific dating method or methods were used for each item and then research the assumptions behind each method to even begin to understand how the dates were obtained.

At AiG, our scientists have conducted many thousands of hours of research, enabling them to teach other people how to think correctly about dating methods. Our scientists’ research helps others not to be so gullible in trusting the secularists (who expect them just to take the word of fallible humans who are attempting to reconstruct the past, when they were not there).

Of course biblical creationists were not there either, but consider the following points:

We have a written record from the One who has always been there and has given us a record of history, enabling us to work out a date for the age of the universe (God’s Word).
Observational science confirms over and over that God’s Word is what it claims to be—the Word of the One who knows everything and who has always been there.
Our scientists admit the assumptions behind all dating methods, and they teach people to think critically about fallible dating methods.
Our scientists admit their starting point is the Word of God—secular scientists often refuse to admit their starting point that God’s Word cannot be trusted or that there is no God.
The majority of dating methods actually contradict the billions of years for the supposed age of the universe.

AiG has many articles on its website that discuss various dating methods in detail. I suggest you do a search on the AiG website. See this page, which is the start of many pages.

The secularist blog post referred to above can be found at this link.

Where do you put your faith and trust? Is it in the words of fallible humans who weren’t always there and don’t know everything (who, in fact, know hardly anything compared to what there is to know), or is it in the Word of the One who knows everything, who has always been there and has given us a record of the history of the universe?

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” (Job 38:4)

We all need to get to the same place Job did:

Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, “Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, “I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1–6)

“Trust me,” says the secularist?

It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. (Psalms 118:8)

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Creation Museum Free with Mega Conference Registration

Attend Our Family-Friendly Answers Mega Conference (with the Answers Research Summit)

The chilly days will be behind us soon and summer will be here before we know it—so now is a great time to make your summer plans! The Answers Mega Conference, designed for the whole family to attend, will once again be hosted in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Tennessee—about five hours south of our Creation Museum. Join us July 22–26, 2013, for a family event like no other!

At the 2013 Mega Conference, we will offer the following:

There will be a complete children’s program for ages 4–12, allowing your little ones to experience Kingdom Chronicles, AiG’s newest and already-popular VBS program.
We will also have special sessions in the evenings for teens.
The Answers Mega Conference will also will have a variety of optional events, such as a picnic, a geology field trip, and Stargazer’s astronomy nights.
Your conference registration also includes our first-ever Answers Research Summit—an in-depth scientific mini-conference, held on Thursday and Friday. It’s a unique opportunity to hear presentations from creation scientists.
Registration includes free admission to the Creation Museum. Stop by and visit the Creation Museum on your way to or from the Mega Conference. If the museum is not on your way, don’t worry: each registrant will receive a voucher for your family that may be redeemed any time before 12/31/13.

Special speakers include Todd Friel, Eric Hovind, Mark Coppenger, and Bill Jack—plus many popular AiG speakers. Session topics we will cover include creation apologetics, effective evangelism, biblical authority, and the sanctity of life, marriage, and family.

The Answers Research Summit, held at the end of the Mega Conference, is an in-depth technical conference similar to the Creation Colleges AiG has held in the past. The Answers Research Summit will cover issues central to the battle over origins, the age of the earth, and the authority of Scripture.

This mini-technical conference is included free with your registration to the Answers Mega Conference, or it can be registered for separately.

The Thursday evening session will focus on issues in creationist biology—in particular, the determining of the created kinds of Genesis 1 and the limits to biological changes, which conclusively demonstrate that molecules-to-man evolution cannot and has not happened. The Friday morning session will cover young-earth issues (specifically the supposed millions of years that are ruled out by Scripture), astronomy, and geology (the latter presentation being focused on radioactive dating methods).

The Answers Research Summit presentations will be aimed at providing updates on some of the latest creationist research in biology, biblical scholarship, astronomy, and geology. All presenters are specialists in their fields. Much of the content will be new, based on current and ongoing research. Though technical, every effort will be made to explain all details, so that all attendees (suggested ages 15 and up) will be well armed with the latest cutting-edge information on the topics being covered.

This is a not-to-be-missed event for families, plus serious students of science and Scripture!

You can register for the Answers Research Summit on the event page, or visit AnswersMega.org to register for the Answers Mega Conference, which includes the Answers Research Summit free.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Creation Museum Billboard Campaign Wins ADDY Award!

The Creation Museum began a new billboard campaign last year using dinosaurs to promote the museum. Of course, many secularists were outraged by the billboards, claiming that we only use dinosaurs to attract children. And really, that’s one of the reasons why we used them—dinosaurs are appealing to people of all ages, and the Creation Museum teaches visitors the truth about dinosaurs and man. (You can read more about this billboard controversy in my blog post titled Do Atheists Own the Dinosaurs?)

Just to refresh your memory, here are a few of the twenty different billboards that have been placed across the country:

The ADDY Awards, sponsored by the American Advertising Federation of east central Indiana, recognizes the best creative advertising talent in their region. Our museum’s dinosaur billboards appeared across the country, and they won a Gold ADDY Award.

We at the Creation Museum and Answers in Genesis are thrilled to have received this award, and we are thankful that our billboard campaign is attracting people to the Creation Museum, where we can teach them the truth of Scripture and reach them for Christ.

We also believe as Christians, in whatever we do, we should always do our best!  Whether it be the Creation Museum or the coming Ark Encounter, we attempt do everything with the highest quality and as professionally done as possible to the glory of God.  After all, we are doing the work the God of the universe has called us to do.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Intolerant Academic

James McGrath is an Associate Professor in the Religion and Philosophy department at Butler University, Indiana. He has written a number of scathing blog posts against me and Answers in Genesis.

Now, we are reminded time and time again by academics that a university is supposed to be a place for the free exchange of ideas. But McGrath can’t tolerate that view.

Recently the BSFM (Butler Staff and Faculty Ministry) sent an invitation to faculty, staff, and students to attend a brown bag lunch presentation by AiG researcher and writer Dr. Terry Mortenson.

James McGrath, who can’t tolerate anyone who holds an orthodox Christian position as we do at AiG, wrote to the BSFM stating:

I would like to express my dismay that BSFM has chosen to invite a representative of an organization opposed to not only the mission of Butler University, but also the historic Christian faith and respect for the Bible, to our campus. Answers in Genesis promotes views which are at odds with both the scientific evidence and what the Bible says.

I have blogged more than once about Terry Mortenson’s previous visit to campus. Here is a link to one example.

I wonder what motivates the invitation of someone who represents an organization that brings the Christian faith into disrepute. Those who make false claims, and who maintain that the making of such claims is what it means to be a Christian, do only harm to the faith. That is what Answers in Genesis does. They persuade many people that they have to choose between what science concludes and Christianity, and in a self-fulfilling prophecy, many people who then discover the weight and extent of the scientific evidence then leave their faith.

Of course, part of his intolerance is that he doesn’t even want students, faculty or staff to hear the things Dr. Mortenson will present because they may expose the utter bankruptcy of the anti-biblical position held by McGrath.

You can read his blog post expressing his intolerance at this link.

AiG Resources in Greenville

Starting today, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is hosting a theology conference, and the theme is the Doctrine of Man. The conference continues through Thursday and will deal with questions such as “Was there human death before the Fall?” Answers in Genesis is excited to be among the vendors at this conference, where we can offer those in attendance materials that are rooted in the Word of God. We pray that God will use our books and DVDs to change people’s hearts and minds when it comes to the authority of His Word, especially since there will surely be people in attendance who do not hold to a young earth or a literal Genesis.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Genesis and Compromise

Recently, a news item reported on a presentation I made at an AiG-sponsored dessert during the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Tennessee last week. The article on this presentation was taken up by many other Christian news sites, and it was even reported on some secular blogs.

A number of people have asked if the actual presentation I gave was recorded on video. It was not, but a similar talk I gave late last year was recorded and now is available through AiG. This DVD deals with the many positions of compromise on Genesis and includes many video clips and quotes from book and magazine by Christian leaders, both living and deceased. It’s very eye opening—and in many ways shocking.

You can obtain this video from the AiG online store.

Great Crowds in Utah

This past weekend Dr. Tommy Mitchell and I spoke at a homeschool conference in Salt Lake City, and then held a two-day AiG conference at Canyons Church.

The homeschool conference had about twice the number of registrants they normally get, and the AiG conference Sunday night at Canyons Church had an overflow crowd—they ran out of chairs. Here is a photo taken Sunday evening:

We do praise the Lord for the phenomenal responses at both conferences—and we also ran out of some of the AiG books.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Should Every Christian be a Young-Earth Creationist?

During a recent conference in Mobile, Alabama, I was interviewed by Eric Hovind and Paul Taylor. Now, Eric Hovind is the president of Creation Today, based in Pensacola, Florida. Paul Taylor is a speaker with Creation Today.

Eric also speaks on biblical creation and has a heart for creation ministry. He has spoken in front of the Answers in Genesis and Creation Museum staff members, and this year Eric will be one of our speakers at the Answers Mega Conference in Sevierville, Tennessee, in July. For more information on how to register for the Mega Conference, which is designed for the whole family and held in a beautiful part of America with plenty of attractions (right at the Great Smoky Mountains), visit the conference website.

I encourage you to watch my interview with Eric and Paul, which deals with the question, “Should every Christian be a young-earth creationist?”

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

BBC to Compare Homosexuality to the Crucifixion of Christ!

Yes, you read that title correctly: the British Broadcasting Company will be airing a radio Easter message that compares the treatment of practicing homosexuals to the Crucifixion of Christ. (Read more about the announcement at this link.) The host of the program will be Benjamin Cohen, the founder of the gay UK publisher PinkNews.

Now, Cohen has written an article titled “Like Jesus on the cross, the gay community know what it is to be abandoned.” He explains his view of the Crucifixion and how he believes it relates to the gay agenda. As you’ll see, his reasoning shows a complete lack of understanding of the Bible’s atonement message and why Christ came to earth as a man:

The story of Jesus is one that is inextricably tied up with the notion of him being an outcast and being both abandoned and rejected by his own people, the Jews. Jesus was abandoned because of something he said he couldn’t help, being born the son of God, the messianic figure for the redemption of the Jewish people and ultimately of mankind. Yet he was persecuted for it, treated as a traitor and ultimately executed.

One of the problems with Cohen’s statement is that the gospel accounts of Christ’s earthly ministry don’t center on rejection and abandonment. They are concerned with Christ’s purpose for coming to earth—to offer salvation to sinful man through living a perfect life, dying in our place, and rising again three days later.

What’s more, Christ and His disciples called people to repent and believe. You see, Scripture tells us that homosexual behavior is sinful—so Cohen’s comparison isn’t remotely valid. (For more on what the Bible says about homosexuality, read Pro-Gay Theology: Does the Bible Approve of Homosexuality?) Cohen continues:

Jesus in the Gospel is confronted by the Temple authorities because of his claims of being the son of God. In Mark, the High Priest asks Jesus: “Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”, a question from Jesus’s perspective he had to answer in the affirmative. This led to the acquisition [sic] of blasphemy, subject as it happens to the same punishment as homosexuality in Temple times, execution. How different a situation is this to the questions and ultimatums given by some parents and some faiths to young gay people? Could Jesus have escaped his crucifixion by denying who he believed he really was? In my view, religion should be about bringing families together, not tearing them apart. Families and faiths should accommodate gay people not rejecting them or trying to paint them as deviants.

You know, the irony in all of this is that just about the only time secularists are willing to give credence to Christ’s claims that He was the Son of God is when it serves their own agenda. Cohen completely misunderstands Jesus’s attitude toward the sacrifice He was about to make for man’s sin, as he seems to believe that Christ unwillingly went forward with His Crucifixion. However, Christ wanted what the Father wanted, as demonstrated in His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus Christ, speaking of laying down His life, said, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father” (John 10:18). Jesus Christ rejoiced that through suffering He would redeem us, as Hebrews 12:2 testifies that “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith . . . for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.”

Another problem with Cohen’s thinking is that none of it is based on the Bible—it’s all from his “view.” The changing opinions of people cannot be the basis for what we think. The Bible has to affect our thinking in every area. Sadly, Cohen is trying to use the Bible, specifically Christ’s atoning work on the Cross, to justify sin. That’s the work of an unbelieving, rebellious heart.

I sincerely urge you to pray that Cohen and others who hold his viewpoint repent of their error and believe the gospel of Christ before the day of judgment.

And pray for the potential millions of viewers who will watch this shocking program that they will not be led astray by those  who treat God’s Word like those in 2 Peter 3:16: “ . . . which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

I thank Steve Golden for his assistance in composing today’s blog post.