Even though I have written quite a bit on Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis this past year, even going so far as to say that young earth creationism is heretical, I feel the need to clarify just a few things, and then comment on the most recent “dust-up” in the world of Answers in Genesis that most illustrates my biggest problem with Ken Ham.
Some Clarifications
First off, believing the earth is only 6,000 years old is not a heresy. It’s just wrong. For that matter, I have no problem if someone doesn’t believe evolutionary theory is true—it’s an extremely complex concept. Like I’ve said before, there are parts to it that I’m not quite sold on, but after having done a lot of reading on the topic over the past couple of years, I’m convinced that (A) the earth is millions of years old, (B) the universe is billions of years old, and (C) genetically, all life is inter-connected in some way—modern species have evolved from earlier life forms. Even Ken Ham admits to this (even though he won’t use the word “evolution”).
The question has always been “To what extent does evolution happen?” For fear of being too simplistic, I don’t think it’s that much a stretch to see that human beings and modern apes share some sort of common ancestor; but I still don’t get how human beings could share a common ancestor from a pine tree. But it doesn’t really matter to me. My point though, is this: your opinion on the age of the earth or evolution is completely irrelevant to the Christian faith. It doesn’t matter. You can be a solid, faithful Christian either way.
Secondly, what makes young earth creationism a heresy isn’t its claims of a young earth. What makes young earth creationism a heresy is its insistence that belief in a young earth and a literal/historical reading of Genesis 1-11 is the foundation to the Gospel itself. When you make that claim, and when you, as Ken Ham routinely does, accuse Christians who aren’t young earth creationists of “speaking with the voice of the serpent,” “undermining the Word of God,” being “liberal, secular, leftist,” etc.—well, that kind of divisiveness is the fruit of heretical teaching. It is a clear demonstration of the “works of the flesh” that Paul describes in Galatians.
Thirdly, what further shocks me about Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis is the way they continually misrepresent science, the Bible, and Church history in order to “prove” their claims, and the way they routinely engage in manipulative speech. Just yesterday, TheNaturalHistorian wrote a blog post pointing out the misleading new advertisement Answers in Genesis has for their upcoming Ark Encounter. Both the poster and the TV commercial depict modern species of animals coming into and out of the Ark. The only thing is that Answers in Genesis makes it clear that modern species didn’t exist back then. The animals that came onto the Ark were “original kinds,” and the Ark Encounter is going to display on Ken Ham’s replica models of what they think these “original kinds” were like.
Therefore, TheNaturalHistorian made a legitimate observation: the animals Answers in Genesis is putting in their advertisements for the Ark Encounter aren’t the animals that are going to actually be on display at the Ark Encounter.
Well, just yesterday, Ken Ham wrote a post scouring the post by TheNaturalHistorian. Ham accused the post of just wanting to “mock” the Ark Encounter, and of just not understanding the way modern marketing campaigns work. Ham called it a “hit piece.” No, Ham said, they meant to do it that way, because it is “a quite brilliant marketing campaign.” He then proceeded to send out SIX TWEETS within a few hours, hailing how “brilliant” their marketing campaign was, and how critics just don’t understand marketing.
I’ll just say, I think the man protests too much. A simple response to just clarify what they were trying to do with their advertisements would be understandable. But to come out with charges of “mocking” and “being a hit piece” tells me one thing: the only thing Ken Ham knows how to do is conflict—or as Paul says, “the works of the flesh are obvious…enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, [and] divisions…” (Galatians 5:19-21).
Now for the Billboard Wars
And then there is the newest dust-up today…and with this one, I’m not going to just blame Ken Ham—both sides are equally guilty of junior high childish drama. A few months ago, in his campaign to promote the Ark Encounter, Ken Ham put up this billboard—passive-aggressive hostility on full display: “To all our intolerant liberal friends.” Let’s be clear, the billboard isn’t exactly Christ-like; the billboard is looking to agitate; the billboard is, quite frankly, looking for a fight.
And sure enough, it wasn’t too long before an atheist group called, “The Tri-State Free Thinkers,” responded in kind. In their attempt to protest Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter, they came up with a billboard campaign of their own.
Well, as it turned out, the company who the TSFthinkers were going to use in their campaign backed out. So they were going to use another company to do a mobile-billboard campaign, but that company backed out as well, claiming they had “personal safety concerns” for their driver. TSFthinkers then bemoaned the “double-standard” that was in play: the Ark Encounter got to put their billboards up, but alas, no company was willing to put up their billboards.
Well, Ken Ham jumped on this happy news of the demise of TSFthinkers’ billboard campaign in his most recent blog post entitled “Secularists Want to Hurt Kentucky!” Basically, Ham said, “The atheists tried to stop us, but they failed! Hurray!” He quoted Genesis 50:20, which says, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
Ham then pointed out that atheist groups tried everything they could to stop the Ark Encounter from getting tax incentives, but hurray! They failed in that too! And the thing is, Ham points out, is that these atheist groups were really hurting Kentucky, because the Creation Museum has brought revenue to the state, and the Ark Encounter will do the same. Ham’s point is simple: atheist groups like TSFthinkers don’t just hate Christians, they hate Kentucky, and they are against economic prosperity for the state.
Ham ended his post by quoting the TSFthinkers press release that said: “We secularists, agnostics and atheists are essentially like everyone else. We’re your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members. All we want is a place at the table for our ideas, too, and we are concerned that our voice and message is being denied in favor of religious messages.”
Ham’s response was predictable: “Well, what can you expect from hypocritical people who have no basis for absolute standards? Those who claim tolerance the loudest are some of the most intolerant people around! …There are secular museums and themed attractions across the world, yet this ‘Freethinkers’ group claims it is being ‘denied’ a place at the table for their ideas ‘in favor of religious messages’? And secular humanism dominates almost all government-run schools. The secularists’ claims are nonsense!”
When Can I Hand Out Detentions?
Hopefully, if you’re like me, you’re just shaking your head at the immaturity and persecution complex both sides have put on full display. Let me share a few quick observations:
- Yes, the Ark Encounter billboard is petty, passive-aggressive, and offensive—not Christ-like in the least.
- Yes the TSFthinkers’ billboard is equally petty and offensive. They’re displaying their own ignorance of the purpose of the story of Noah’s ark, and I can guarantee you that they don’t know the proper definition of ancient myth. The story of Noah’s ark is a myth, but that doesn’t mean “fairy tale,” or “untrue.” TSFthinkers is using the term as a pejorative to ridicule the story as untrue, but that just shows they don’t know what they’re talking about.
- Yes, Ham’s glee over their failure to get their stupid billboard campaign up and running is absolutely palpable. Calling them “evil” and equating himself with Joseph in Genesis 50:20 is not only further offensive, but also displays Ham’s own hubris. God used Joseph to save the lives of his family; who is the Ark Encounter “saving”? Ham will claim it will save souls. But how can souls be saved when you’re completely putting forth a misleading and false interpretation of the story of Noah’s flood, and mocking those very souls you claim to be trying to save?
- Here’s a shocker: I have no problem with the Ark Encounter getting the tax incentives from the state. The state is not endorsing any religion; it is just giving incentives to a project that probably will boost Kentucky’s economy. The vitriol against AiG on that issue is, in my opinion, misplaced. It is trying to do legal maneuvers to hurt a group with whom one doesn’t agree.
- That being said, Ham’s claim that “seculars want to hurt Kentucky”—come on, please. This is manipulation on full display. This is the kind of demonization that corrupt political parties engage in. You know, the whole, “We love America! They hate America!” So it needs to be asked, “Does AiG reflect more the politics of the Kingdom of God or the politics of Caesar?”
Let’s be clear, this whole thing is ridiculous. No, TSFthinkers, you’re not being discriminated against; you’re not being persecuted. Grow up, stop trying to put up billboards that are the equivalent of a junior high spat, and try to do something useful with your time.
And no, Ken Ham, you’re not being discriminated against; you’re not being persecuted. You catch a lot of flak because you ask for it. You intentionally antagonize and condemn, and you do it in the name of Christ—that’s what enrages people. Atheists don’t rail against you because you’re a Christian. They rail against you because you claim to be a Christian, yet do not reflect anything of Christ to the world.
This “Great Billboard War of May 11, 2016” is a perfect example of what the “works of the flesh” look like in day-to-day reality. Or, if you don’t want to “get all biblical,” we can just say, both sides are putting their stupidity on full display. Ken Ham has his persecution complex and the TSFthinkers have their persecution complex. Both sides think Genesis 1-11 is trying to convey scientific information, both sides think that evolution and Christianity are at odds with one another, and both sides have devoted themselves to going to war over a figment of their own imaginations.
Young earth creationist groups like Answers in Genesis and atheist groups like Tri-State Free Thinkers are each other’s doppelganger—that’s why they hate each other so. They’re looking into a mirror, and don’t like what they see.
Do yourself a favor and avoid them both. Your heart, soul, and mind will be grateful. You wouldn’t want to go back to junior high, would you? Why then would you want to identify with a group that routinely displays the mentality of a 12 year 7th grader?
