Ken Ham, the Grand Inquisitor of BioLogos and Tim Keller…

A little over a year ago, in a November 13, 2014 blog post entitled, “Brought Back to Christianity by Compromise?” Ken Ham attacked Brad Kramer, the content editor for BioLogos, who wrote on his own spiritual journey and how he came to accept theistic evolution.

You Thought This Through? You Clearly Weren’t Critically Thinking!
Now, Kramer said that it was when he was attending Tim Keller’s church that he came to realize that evolution did not contradict the Bible and that it was not an attack on the Bible or Christianity. He came to see that Genesis 1 was not, in fact, meant to be read as history, but rather more like a poem. He ended up going to seminary and now works at BioLogos. The way Ken Ham describes it, though, is somewhat different:

“Instead of critically examining the supposed evidence for evolution he was given in light of God’s Word, he chose instead to trust the fallible opinions of men over God’s Word. Now he spends his life telling people they can compromise the Bible with evolution.”

Evidently, Ken Ham doesn’t know what “critically examination” means. After all, Kramer was telling of how he critically examined and thought through the issue while at Tim Keller’s church, and how it was that critical examining that led him to his views. So what does Ken Ham mean by “critical examination”? I’d have to say he really means, “Believe what I tell you about Genesis 1—it’s history! End of story!”

In any case, Ham pondered what caused Kramer to abandon his faith in God’s Word. He noted that Kramer had read materials by Hugh Ross, a progressive creationist, and then bemoaned that Kramer would take Ross as an authority over God Word. Specifically, he said, “The fact that he was given Hugh Ross materials that compromise on the age of Earth and a global Flood suggests that the Bible was not seen as the ultimate authority in all areas for him.” No, Kramer should have read Ham’s materials—because, after all, the authority of God’s Word is contained in the writings of Ken Ham!

Here’s the thing that’s so ironic. Ham had just lamented that Kramer didn’t “critically examine the evidence,” and then he turned around and criticize Kramer for reading Ross’s material. I have to ask, even if Hugh Ross is wrong, and even if (for the sake of argument) evolutionary theory is wrong, how can one even come to the conclusion that they’re wrong unless one actually reads their material, and (you guessed it) critically examine what their arguments are?

This illustrates the stark deception of Ken Ham. When someone really does critically examine the evidence, and then comes to the conclusion that young earth creationism is not true, Ken Ham accuses them of not critically examining the evidence, and says that person should just “accept the authority of God’s Word,” no questions asked! Never mind the fact that Ham falsely equates his own assumptions and claims for God’s Word itself.

Let’s Send Some Condemnation Tim Keller’s Way, too!
Ham also laid into Tim Keller. Like with other Christian leaders who disagree with him, Ham began by feigning compliments on Keller, saying that Keller “is a well-known pastor whose church is known for setting a high standard of participation in the community. He’s a very evangelistic Bible teacher who’s eager to reach others with the gospel.” But nevertheless, Ken Ham must fulfill his role as the Grand Inquisitor and pronounce judgment: “Pastor Keller has chosen to accept man’s teaching over God’s clear words.”

That’s right, according to Ham, another great Christian leader is found to be working for the devil, leading people astray, and putting man’s fallible ideas above God’s Word…all because he doesn’t agree with Ken Ham’s claims.

As for Kramer, Ham actually said this: “[Although] Kramer’s becoming a professing Christian is certainly worthy of rejoicing, he is now spreading the lie of evolution and millions of years to others.” How in the world can any clear-thinking individual not see the complete incoherent (il)logic of such a statement? Ham does this all the time: “So and so may be a Christian, but he is (a) spreading Satan’s lies about evolution, (b) undermining God’s Word, and (c) speaking with the voice of the serpent. I’m sorry, if someone is spreading Satan’s lies, undermining God’s Word, and speaking with the voice of the serpent, then that person is not a follower of Christ.

Yet Ken Ham does this time and time again—why? The reason is obvious, he is passive-aggressive to the core. He doesn’t want to come across as judgmental, because that will make him look petty. But then he really feels it’s his right as someone who “takes God’s Word seriously” to judge others who disagree with him. And so, he engages is twisted double-speak: “He might be a Christian, and we should rejoice in that, but he’s leading others astray and is doing the devil’s work!”

Methinks Mr. Ham is the one speaking with a forked-tongue.

Who Does Ken Ham Really Think He Is?
The way Ken Ham sees it, the fundamental issue is one of compromise. According to Ham, theistic evolution and modern science are “man’s fallible ideas,” and his claim that Genesis 1-11 is a 21^st century scientific treatise on the origin of the natural world is “God’s Word.” We therefore must ask, who does Ken Ham really see himself as? By his own rhetoric, he clearly equates his arguments with the very Word of God itself. After all, he said, “if biblical creation is wrong and we are lying to children…then it is not we who are lying, but God.” Once again, Ham cannot see the difference between his own interpretation of Genesis 1-11 and the inspired Word of God itself. For Ham, his interpretation is God’s Word.

Ham ended with a very short, but very bizarre statement: “We can trust the gospel, because we can trust Genesis.” Think about what he is actually saying here: he is saying that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is dependent on a literal/historical interpretation of Genesis 1-11. Ham has effectively made his YEC interpretation of Genesis 1-11 the cornerstone of the Christian faith, but the cornerstone of the Christian faith is Christ, not Ken Ham’s claims about Genesis 1-11. And the building of which Christ is the cornerstone is the Church…

…and that leads us to a final question: “What building is Ken Ham really constructing?” It certainly isn’t the Church, for whatever Ken Ham is building has a different cornerstone.  We need to be clear: if Christ is not the cornerstone, then whatever you are building is not the Christian faith, and it is not part of Christ’s church. What Ken Ham is constructing his own idol and his own temple…and it is not the Temple of the Holy Spirit.