Ken Ham's Blog, page 427

Public Schools Promoting a Religion

A newspaper report on Wednesday stated:

A pagan mother's challenge to the distribution of donated Bibles at a local school has prompted the Buncombe County Board of Education to reevaluate its policies regarding religious texts.  Ginger Strivelli, who practices Witchcraft, a form of Paganism, said she was upset when her 12-year-old son came home from North Windy Ridge intermediate school with a Bible. The Gideons International had delivered several boxes of the sacred books to the school office. The staff allowed interested students to stop by and pick them up.  "Schools should not be giving out one religion's materials and not others," Strivelli said.  According to Strivelli, the principal assured her the school would make available religious texts donated by any group. But when Strivelli showed up at the school with pagan spell books, she was turned away."

The report also stated:  "You can either open your public school up to all religious material, or you can say no religious material," Michael Broyde, a professor and senior fellow at Emory University's Center for the Study of Law and Religion said. "You can't say, 'You can distribute religious material, but only from the good mainstream faiths . . . "Our country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, not on Wiccan principles," Bobby Honeycutt, who attended public schools in Weaverville during the 1970s, said. "Our children have access to more non-Christian print material in the libraries and online than they really do Christian stuff," he said. While many Weaverville Christians see recent events as a threat to tradition, others see a purpose in enforcing church-state separation in public schools, because even the nation's traditional faiths have divisions."

I want to make some comments on this.

Public schools are already promoting a religion.  By and large they are teaching students a worldview of  evolution and millions of years—and as fact.  They are promoting the pagan religion of millions of years and evolution, the religion to explain life without God, in the guise of "science" to generations of kids (many of whom attend church).  Sadly, even most Christians don't understand the difference between observational science—the science that builds our technology—and historical science—dealing with history and beliefs about the past.
This woman who practices witchcraft obviously has no problem with evolution being taught at the school.  She is happy for that religion to be imposed on students.  It is important to understand there are ultimately only two religions in the world—one starts with God's Word and the other with man's word.  The bottom line here is that this woman does not want the Christian worldview taught to students; she wants the secular worldview taught.
It is interesting to note the comment about Christians who "see a purpose in enforcing church-state separation in public schools . . . ."  This is another major problem in the church.  Most Christians think there is a neutral position in such matters—but there is no such position as a neutral one.  One is either for Christ or against—one walks in light or darkness.  Christians need to understand that if a curriculum is not for Christ—it is against.  If the teacher's worldview is not for Christ—it is against Christ.  The false idea of neutrality has resulted in generations of kids from the church being taught the pagan religion of evolution—contributing to the Exodus of youth from the church we are seeing right now (and as Barna once again has publicized:  m.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/November/Mass-Exodus-How-the-Church-Is-Losing-the-Youth

The research for our book Already Gone clearly shows that the teaching of evolution and millions of years has a direct correlation on this exodus.

What we are seeing here is a conflict of two worldviews, and the consequence of the change of worldviews in the culture because of the change in foundation (i.e., a change in religion) from God's Word to man's Word.

Christians need to wake up to the fact that, by and large, public schools are churches of secular humanism and that sadly most of the teachers (even though there are some Christian missionaries in the system) are the high priests of this religion imposing an anti-God worldview on generations of students.  Yes, there are some students who have been equipped to defend the Christian faith and stand on the authority of God's Word, but they are a minority even from those who attend church.

You can read the entire news report at:

www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/18/pagan-mom-challenges-bibles-in-north-carolina-school

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Deadly Disclosures Goes Epub

Some time ago, I recommended a fiction book called Deadly Disclosures, by author Julie Cave. Here is what I said about it at the time:

Through the genre of a thrilling, "nail-biting" mystery book (that I think you won't be able to put down), talented fiction writer Julie Cave has written a great novel. It will help fiction fans everywhere engage with the foundational importance of the biblical authority message we give—and its impact on the culture.

If you haven't yet obtained a copy of this novel, featuring the character Dinah Harris, you can take advantage of a very special offer, running for a limited time. You can purchase Deadly Disclosures in the epub format, and it can be read on the iPhone, iPad, Nook, Kindle, and other epub or mobi compatible readers.

This digital book is now on special for only 99 cents. I encourage you to see for yourself how Dinah Harris discovers God's grace and redemption. You can also enjoy sharing the 99 cents opportunity with those who love Christian fiction and those who are seeking answers. This special is good through January 31, 2012. Don't miss this great opportunity!

Deadly Disclosures is the first of a trilogy written by Julie Cave. I found all three books captivating. They teach a very strong Christian message that is so applicable in today's world. The other two books are also available at a special epub price right now. See the following summaries of all three books:

Deadly Disclosures: A suspense-filled fiction mystery that answers an ominous question—how far will some go to silence an influential Christian voice? Set against the powerful backdrop of Washington, DC, Dinah Harris battles her own alcoholism and uncovers a vast conspiracy, determined to silence Christians once and for all.

The Shadowed Mind: From the shadows will emerge a cunning and terrifying killer, who carefully and methodically will decide whose life has value to society and whose does not.  While Dinah seeks the killer, can God's redemptive power overcome the devastating legacy of science without compassion?

Pieces of Light: Dinah Harris hunts down a serial bomber targeting religious icons and buildings. The bomber is on a mission to rid the city of religion and establish a "new world order." Can someone so intent on ridding the world of God experience redemption? What lies behind his hatred of God?

You purchase epub versions at the following links: Deadly Disclosures, The Shadowed Mind, and Pieces of Light.

California Here We Come

Dr. Gary Parker and I will be speaking at Calvary Chapel of Oceanside (north of San Diego) from Saturday through Monday this coming weekend. See the event page for details.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

I Agree with Peter Enns?

I have been reading the new book The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say About Human Origins by BioLogos writer Dr. Peter Enns, and for those of you who have read the quotes from the book I have pasted on my Facebook page, you might be perplexed or a little shocked at my statement that "I agree with Peter Enns."  Well, there were a couple of very important points in Peter Enns's new book that I do agree with, and these points are a good teaching lesson for us.

As I began to write the blog post about this new book, it became longer and longer, so we eventually decided to turn this piece into a preliminary review and feature it on the home page of the AiG website. (By the way, I could have written much more, and we'll have other comments to make in the future.) So today, I urge you to read my review of the book The Evolution of Adam by going to the feature article on the website.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Syndicated Radio Host Endorses Already Compromised Book

Janet Mefferd is the host of a radio program called (not too surprisingly) The Janet Mefferd Show. It's a nationally syndicated program on 100 stations that looks at news and events of our day through the lens of the Bible. Janet is a former reporter for a major newspaper, The Dallas Morning News.

Recently, Janet named her favorite books of 2011 and listed our book Already Compromised as one of them.

Already Compromised details research into what Christian college professors and their leaders are teaching concerning Genesis. The results were shocking and revealing. You can find out more about Already Compromised and order it from our online bookstore.

After we wrote and thanked her for including our book in the listing, Janet emailed us back.

Already Compromised is a great and very needed book. I'm so glad Ken wrote it! I really appreciate his commitment to the Word of God. I will be at NRB [National Religious Broadcasters convention next month], and I hope I can see anyone from AiG. You guys are great! Please pass along my thanks to Ken for writing such great books and for all he does to serve the Lord!

– Janet

Book Review Coming Soon

Be sure to come back to our website on Thursday to read a preliminary review of a shocking new book by a well-known academic who has considerable influence in Christian circles.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

AiG Resources in Uganda

It's always wonderful to host scientists here at the Creation Museum who have the highest credentials and who believe in the ministry of AiG, as we defend the Bible from its very first verse. Dr. Eric Norman (with a PhD in biochemistry) of Cincinnati is considered a world expert on Vitamin B-12 deficiency. He has been a friend of the ministry since we moved to the Cincinnati area almost 18 years ago, and he was kind enough to find a local church engagement for me when we arrived in 1994.

Dr. Norman came to visit us this time not to talk about science, but to speak at our staff chapel last week to share his passion to proclaim the gospel overseas, including countries like Uganda in Africa. As Dr. Norman shared with us Thursday morning, he uses AiG materials in his evangelism and discipleship work in Uganda (where he's ministered several times over the years). In fact, in this photo, you can see a copy of one of our "New Answers Books" in a bag next to Mr. Stephen Adundo (son of Pastor Alfred Adundo, Pastor of Nile Baptist Church in Jinja, Uganda).

Dr. Norman told us that he and his wife Claudia had "supported Stephen for two years of boarding school in high school and then four years until being graduated from a Christian university in Uganda. He is a very godly, dedicated young man and now is coordinator of the youth programs for about 2,000 Baptist churches in Uganda."

Dr. Norman added by email later: "I wanted to make sure he was well grounded in the Bible by giving him 'The New Answers Book' by Ken Ham."

Dr. Norman encouraged the AiG staff to sponsor a student (at only $15 a month) to attend school in Uganda. Now, while these students are technically enrolled in public schools, on Saturdays the sponsored children meet at a playground facility where they get Bible training, play games, and receive a nutritious meal (and they get a good lunch Monday–Friday at school, through sponsorships). Thus they receive schooling Monday–Friday and Christian training on Saturday, plus lunches throughout the week. Dr. Norman also shared with us that "the students receive a uniform, books, adequate nutrition, and medical care."

Dr. Norman added that he has personally "visited the schools. We talked to the headmasters and inspected the records, confirming that the school fees had been paid [out of the sponsorship money]."

To sponsor a student at $15 month, go to www.gatewayglobaloutreach.org,

click on "Ministries," and then see "Uganda"—"Macedonian Children's Outreach Project—Alfred Adundo."

Also, here is one of Dr. Norman's articles as it appears on our website—see "Science Teachers Hear About Creation from a Biochemist."

Here is a photo of Dr. Norman, his wife Claudia, daughter Laura, and grandson Sean when they were here on Thursday. Sean is sitting on top of our dinosaur model for kids, a photo op just outside the museum's exhibit halls.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Beware of What Is Not Said

Recently, a grandfather purchased a children's book on Noah's Ark for his grandchild. He thought the book could be trusted because the author is associated with a generally conservative Lutheran denomination. (In fact, we do have some great friends in this group. I and others at AiG have spoken at various of their conferences.)

The author is Rev. Paul L. Maier, Ph.D. He is, according to a bio., a theologian and historian specializing in correlating ancient world history with the Bible, and he currently serves as third vice president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). He is the author of numerous books and scholarly articles on the Bible and ancient history as well as several children's books dealing with Bible history.

His children's book I am referring to is titled The Real Story of the Flood and was published by Concordia Publishing House (CPH) in 2008. It is available through CPH and other Christian book stores.

The grandfather read through the book and thought there would be no problem giving this to his grandchild, as it seemed to summarize the account of Noah's Ark and the Flood as given in the Bible. But then he read the epilogue!

In particular, he was dismayed to read the following:

"Wait a minute," you might be thinking. "This is certainly an interesting story, but is it history? Did it really happen? Did all of those animals really crowd onto one ship? Wouldn't  dinosaurs crush Noah's ark if they tried to board it?"

The answer to these questions is… Yes. But Mr. and Mrs. Tyrannosaurus Rex missed the boat. They were not around at the time. Nor were their brontosaurus, triceratops, or stegosaurus relatives. All the gigantic citizens of Jurassic Park lived and dies long before the flood. Indeed, they roamed the earth during that early era described in the first half of Genesis, chapter one.

After reading this, he gave the book to AiG speaker/researcher, Dr. David Menton instead of giving it to his grandchild! Dr. Menton has written a review of this book for the Lutheran newspaper Christian News, and I have excerpted sections of his review below. After you read what Dr. Menton has written, I will share with you a practical application for us in regard to biblical authority in our churches.

Dr. Menton (himself a grandfather) wrote the following in his review:

If Maier had ended his book without the epilogue, I could recommend the book without reservation for the young reader, but sadly, the epilogue will raise troubling questions for many Christians. In his epilogue Maier

anticipates certain questions from the young reader such as "Did all those animals really crowd onto one ship" and "Wouldn't dinosaurs crush Noah's ark if they tried to board it?" Here, Maier should have pointed out that not all dinosaur kinds are large, that God may well have chosen smaller juveniles rather than large adults, and in any event, no dinosaur would have crushed a ship the size of Noah's ark. Instead, Maier assures the young questioner that dinosaurs were not even around at the time of the Flood! He declares that "all the gigantic citizens of Jurassic Park lived and died long before the flood." Maier doesn't tell us how long he has in mind, leaving the reader to wonder if perhaps he uncritically accepts the evolutionist's claim that the dinosaurs died off about 65 million years ago, long before the evolution of man.

To make matters even more confusing, Maier says that dinosaurs "roamed the earth during that early era described in the first half of Genesis, chapter one." But the Bible makes no mention of the creation or existence of animals of any kind in the first half of Genesis chapter one. Indeed it is not until after verse 20 of chapter one that we are told that God created all the animals and man on the fifth and sixth days of Creation. Where then are the dinosaurs (or any other animal) in the first half of Genesis chapter one? Moreover, all dinosaurs are land dwelling creatures and since all such creatures were created on the sixth day along with man, how can one insist from Scripture that dinosaurs existed only in the early days of the Creation week before the creation of man?

Maier's comments in his epilogue raise many questions with profound theological implications for the Bible-believing Christian. For example, does Maier accept the days of Creation as ordinary days having an evening and morning? Or does Maier perhaps consider the earth to be millions or billions of years old and if so, how does this fit into the first chapter of Genesis? Since most of what we know (or think we know) about dinosaurs is gleaned from the fossil record, is Maier suggesting that the water deposited sedimentary rock layers of the earth and their dinosaur fossils were already in place long before the flood? But if the flood were global, as Maier implies, and truly covered the highest mountains that then existed (as the Bible clearly states), it would have badly eroded and faulted any previously existing sedimentary layers and their fossils. Indeed such a Flood would globally deposit new sedimentary layers and fossils contemporary with the time of the Flood. This is why most Christians who accept the evolutionists millions of years for the age of the fossils in the geological column view Noah's flood as being regional and not global in nature. Finally, did the dinosaurs (along with nearly 90% of all creatures on the earth according to evolutionists) die off long before Adam fell into sin? This is important because it implies that there was suffering, carnivores and death before the fall.

Raising such questions at the end of a children's book that otherwise seems soundly Biblical is distressing. But it is even more distressing that there appears to be a jarring inconsistency between the books prologue and its epilogue, making it difficult for this reviewer to believe they were written by the same author. In the prologue Maier states that "God created a perfect paradise" and that "disease and death were not part of God's original plan" but all that changed when "man and woman fell into sin, and a general rot set in." But in the epilogue Maier says that dinosaurs and many other creatures lived and died in"that early era described in the first half of Genesis, chapter one" which would be before the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. Some clarification is certainly in order.

We should bear in mind that teaching children, writing books for children, and even giving books to children involve a great responsibility for all of us. We should take care lest we offend the little ones who come to Jesus.

Here are some lessons we can all learn from this book.

Whatever book you are considering purchasing for your children, make sure you check it out carefully. Don't just read the text before the kids read it; look at all statements the author has made in the book.
Just because a book is authored by a Christian academic with great credentials, this doesn't mean the author will be accurate as they should—particularly about origins.
Many times I've had people tell me they "think" their pastor would agree with AiG. After all, everything he has stated from the pulpit seems to agree with creation and the entrance of sin into the world, etc. However, on speaking with these people and asking specific questions, I find that the pastor has not dealt with certain topics that would show where he really stands on the age of the earth, evolution, etc. As these people have gone back and questioned their pastor in detail, they were shocked to find he believed in the gap theory or day age theory or believed dinosaurs died out millions of years ago, and so on. This pastor was not teaching creation apologetics to the church, and yet most of the young people were indoctrinated in millions of years and evolutionary ideas at public school. In fact, such a situation does lead to the "Already Gone" syndrome that is rife in our churches (see the book Already Gone detailing research into why 2/3rds of young people are leaving the church). What he wasn't preaching (i.e., about a literal Genesis and how to answer the skeptical questions of this age) was a serious problem!

The point I want to make is that it is not just what a book or Bible study states or what a pastor preaches. Look for what is not being said. That can be very revealing!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Ministering to Skeptics in the UK

AiG friend and colleague Dr. Andy McIntosh (who resides in England) sent us the report below of a recent meeting he had with skeptics in England. Like Jesus, he went to reach the skeptics where they meet! Here is a university professor, who is a scientist and has received awards for his work, reaching out to skeptics with the truth of creation and the gospel. Yes, a real award-winning scientist who is a creationist!

Well – quite remarkable! The organisers estimated about 130 packed into the pub room which is right in the centre of Birmingham near Birmingham New St station. About 60 – 70 stood all the way through at the back as there were not enough chairs, and some were lined up outside with the door open. Not a place I would particularly choose! But that's where the people are and that's where they have the Skeptics meeting…. And they listened… I said that Atheism has no coherent answer to the science which distinctly points to Design (Romans 1:20 argument), no answer to rationality (where does logical thinking come from – not from molecules and neurons! That's a more modern version of the argument that Schaeffer and C S Lewis used in their writings), and no answer to human corruption . Christianity properly joins the dots of human experience.

And then came the questions – loads of them. They would have gone on all night if they could….Questions on the science, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics etc etc and one question saying "…so this heaven – what are you going to do all the time?" After the expected smiles, I said when you get married you don't ask what you are going to do, you just want to 'be with the person you love', so Christianity is in essence a relationship with the God of the Universe.

Then one very thoughtful one concerning suffering, where a father spoke of the loss his wife had suffered of an unborn child which had an abnormality – so where is God in this? I used that question to end the evening and rounded up the evening on the sin that has ruined the world – our forefather and ourselves are the cause, but the creator God has amazingly come into the world to take our sins on the Cross.

I offered Prof. Verna Wright's booklet "The relevance of Christianity in a scientific age" asking them to come to me afterwards, thinking no one would take them in an audience like that – but they all went (15 or so) as person after person came up to have a discussion! None of these from what I could see were close to the Gospel itself – they were all near square one or zero. It was spade work turning over new ground, trying to get these people to see that there was no excuse to deny God's existence. They were courteous and not rude. Most of them didn't agree – I expected that, but they found the talk interesting. It was very much like the open air meetings a number of us do in city centres.

A Christian who was at the meeting wrote to me this morning and said "I think that the slight and pedantic nature of the questions that were asked was testimony to the force of your presentation. I thought that one question for me summed up the evening and I really hope that it did not go unnoticed- when the woman at the back started her question with the comment- 'the first thing I'd like to say is that there is only a physical world and that's that!' The philosophical commitment informs the position not the science, and I think you did a great job at exposing and challenging that philosophical commitment. Thank you."

And to cap it all – another person came up to say that he had become a believer….and he told me how…..through reading Dawkins "The God delusion"! He realised just how lacking in substance the opposition's arguments really are, and turned to Christ.

I am very grateful for your prayers – please ask that the Lord would use the booklet to lead some of the souls there to Himself.

Many of you may recall that I spoke with Dr. Andy McIntosh at the All-Asian Creation Conference in Malaysia recently (see previous blog post). AiG works closely with Andy as he often comes to the USA to speak.

Pray for Andy and the tremendous work he is involved in as he defends the Christian faith. He is a professor (the highest teaching/research rank in UK university hierarchy) in Combustion Theory at Leeds University, UK. His PhD was in aerodynamics. A number of his students later worked for Rolls Royce, designing aircraft engines.

You can read a lot more about Andy, his background, and the awards he has received as a scientist (and again, he is an ardent young earth creationist) at this link.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Bible Curriculum Will Soon Be a Reality

Our first major promotion of the new upcoming AiG Sunday school (entire Bible) curriculum entitled Answers Bible Curriculum is underway.

Answers in Genesis is announcing and talking with church workers about our new Sunday school/Bible curriculum (Answers Bible Curriculum) at numerous conferences this winter and into the summer. The "ABC" curriculum is a huge undertaking of AiG, but the lessons I've seen so far remind me that truly excellent teaching material requires a LOT of effort.

Here is a summary of the Answers Bible Curriculum that was sent to me by our curriculum department:

In the case of ABC, we have over a dozen writers, editors, artists, and others directly and heavily involved. Most of those are full-time or nearly full-time on just this one mammoth project. (In case Answers Bible Curriculum is new to you, it's being designed for all seven major age groups in the church—from pre-school all the way to "seasoned citizens"—and it covers the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation.)

We started this undertaking about two years ago, as a result of the great need that the Already Gone book research revealed, especially as it was so clear that most Sunday school materials today are loaded with fluff. In fact, the Already Gone research revealed that young people who get fed the material that's in the average Sunday school program are actually MORE likely to be in favor of abortion, more likely to accept "gay" marriage, and more likely to leave the church once they are out on their own!

ABC is non-denominational and will be suitable for Sunday school, Home School, Christian School, Bible studies, etc. etc .

Pray with us that the thousands of Sunday school teachers and other church leaders who are attending the national conference where we currently have our booth set up will be burdened by the Holy Spirit to seriously consider using this faith-strengthening, life-changing program in their own church! It is so very needed today.

The photo below was taken at the "Children's Pastors Conference" (going on this week in Orlando, Florida). Due to a mix-up in the delivery paperwork, the booth almost didn't get delivered to the convention hall in time, but when it finally did arrive, our people got it up with just minutes to spare! AiG's head of resource distribution, VP Dale Mason, reported to me  that he's very encouraged that hundreds have already come by the booth and many expressed great excitement that they will finally have a church-wide Bible curriculum that will bring the family closer together as it teaches foundational apologetics in age-appropriate ways.  You see, all ages study the same general topics at the same time, making it quite natural to discuss the material during the week. (Our web team is still developing the website that we will announce later for ABC, but for now we have a single web page plus some sample downloads you can look at. More info on this exciting subject as we head into the spring months!)

Part of the booth display. (There are sample lessons printed and available for attendees to take, plus a TV playing an informational video, and catalogs describing both Answers Bible Curriculum and our new VBS for this coming summer, IncrediWorld.)

You can find out about the Answers Bible Curriculum at this link that will soon be updated with much more information the closer we get to the official release:  www.answersingenesis.org/answers-bible-curriculum



Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

The Straw Man of Anti-intellectualism

AiG has published a few articles and a review of the new book The Anointed over the past few weeks. Because this book gained prominence with a review in the New York Times newspaper last Sunday, we decided it was important to revisit this publication. The book hits at Answers in Genesis and a number of theologically conservative Christian leaders. I am mentioned by name many times in the book as well as in a few places in the Times' review. AiG staff scientist/researcher/writer/speaker, Dr. Georgia Purdom, who has a PhD in molecular genetics from Ohio State University, wrote a blog item I thought you all should read.

As you read this item, keep in mind that The Anointed authors, Giberson and Stephens, and the Times' reviewer are all making pronouncements about theology which is not their area of formal training. Yet they cry foul when people like myself (a trained science teacher) discuss scientific and theological issues.

Dr. Georgia Purdom wrote the following:

A few months ago, I co-authored an article reviewing a new book entitled The Anointed. The book was a very anti-academic, tabloid-like look at several Christian leaders and ministries, including Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis. The New York Times recently published their review of the book, and not surprisingly, found it to be worthy reading material.

The review, much like the book, focused on the perception that ministries such as Answers in Genesis are anti-intellectual because their leaders do not have advanced degrees. Molly Worthen, author of the NY Times review, stated, "Why would anyone heed ersatz "experts" over trained authorities far more qualified to comment on the origins of life or the worldview of the founding fathers?" She also wrote, "Still, a reader of 'The Anointed' is likely to conclude that the average evangelical hates the academic establishment almost as much as he loves Jesus."

Ms. Worthen has not done her research and is blatantly ignoring the fact that AiG employs several speakers and scientists with advanced degrees from major universities. (She obviously accepted the authority of the book on this matter without question.) If AiG and Ken Ham "hate" the academic establishment, then why do they currently employ four people with PhDs in different areas of science and history and an MD? Ms. Worthen and the book's authors Karl Giberson and Randall Stephens have committed a straw man fallacy. This fallacy is committed "when a person misrepresents his opponent's position and then proceeds to refute that misrepresentation rather than what his opponent actually claims." [1] These authors claim we are anti-intellectual, even though we are not, and then argue against our supposed anti-intellectualism.

An outcome of this supposed anti-intellectualism is that the Bible is not correctly interpreted and understood. In other words, the Bible is not clear and only people with advanced degrees or professionals can tell others what it really means. Ms. Worthen wrote the following:

Stephens and Giberson note their subjects' zest [referring to Ken Ham and others] for "unmediated" truth, for bypassing professionals and presenting "evidence" directly to the Christian masses—just as Martin Luther, with his calls for sola Scriptura, bypassed Catholic priests.

This is a very chilling statement. The reformers (like Luther) believed in the perspicuity (clearness) of Scripture and fought and died to have the Bible in a common language that everyone could read. [2] It seems Giberson and Stephens want to take us back to a time before the Reformation and once again take the Bible out of hands of the "layman" and put themselves in a position of authority over it just like the priests did in Luther's day.

The conclusion of Ms. Worthen's review states the following:

Self-styled experts like Ham appear to be spokesmen of certitudes. But their promises to reconcile the Bible with modern thought do not conceal that this balancing act has forced evangelicals to live in a crisis of intellectual authority—a confusion so unabating that it has become the status quo.

She is right in the sense that this is an issue of authority—the authority of man versus the authority of God. We do not strive to "reconcile the Bible with modern thought," but rather we strive to help people understand that ideas such as evolution and millions of years are based on man's ideas about the past and not God's Word beginning in Genesis. We desire for Christians to understand there is a crisis concerning authority in our modern society but that the Bible is clear and is the ultimate authority.

You can follow Dr. Purdom on her blog.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

First Wedding in Legacy Hall

Over the years, there have been a number of weddings held at the Creation Museum—usually in the beautiful gardens. This past Saturday, it was thrilling to for me to be there for the first wedding in the Creation Museum's new beautiful auditorium/multi-purpose room called Legacy Hall.

AiG VP Dale Mason and his wife Karen praise the Lord for the wedding of their third daughter, Analisa, to Kyle.

Here are some photos taken during the wedding.

The Creation Museum's Noah's Café catered for this event. The mother of the bride wrote to the café staff.

First of all, thank you for your cheerful and efficient catering for our wedding this weekend. From my perspective everything went very well. The bridal party especially remarked on how delicious the sandwiches were which you provided in their set-up room. It was so much nicer to have you handle the food than to try to do it myself, as I have in the past. You did a great job! The meats and veggies were fresh and artfully displayed. Someone commented on how tasty the dip was, and anyone who lingered to help in the clean-up just couldn't stay away from the yummy food.

Legacy Hall is used for conferences, movie nights, dramas, dinners—and now weddings!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken