Showing posts with label intelligent design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label intelligent design. Show all posts

2.23.2012

Ken Ham: The Battle Over Genesis, Literal Adam & Eve, Really Heating Up

Ken Ham claims there's a war on Adam & Eve. As the founder of Answers In Genesis and the man behind the Creation Museum, you kind of expect him to say that. His livelihood, after all, depends on it.

Ken Ham: founder, house of cards
Ham spoke to the Christian Post:
"One of the things that we see happening in the Christian culture is that the battle over Genesis – the literal Adam and Eve, the literal fall – is really heating up," said Ham, who leads what is considered the largest biblical apologetics ministry in the United States. "Not just the battle over the age of the earth, between creationists and evolutionists, but now it's gone onto a battle over literal Adam and Eve, their literal fall."

The opponents are "getting much more involved, and really challenging the Church to take a stand on God's way to Genesis," which he stressed as "the foundation for the rest of the Bible."

"That history is the foundation for every doctrine."

If there is no literal Adam and Eve, then why are men sinners, Ham asks. Where did sin come from? Why did Jesus die? "Once we reject Adam and Eve, the rest of the scriptures fall like dominoes," he added.

They sure do, Ken.

Well, they do if they read the Bible as a scientific and historical document, something that most people do not do. (Three in 10 Americans take the Bible literally -- still an unfortunate number of people.)

Ham believes that too many churches are teaching that Bible stories are just that -- stories.

When I teach children I tell them: 'The Bible is a very special book. It's the history book of the universe,'" he explained. "This is history, it's not just stories." Ham also sees the churches approach to teaching the Bible as stories as the reason for young people leaving church. They are being taught that church is not the "real stuff."

he outspoken apologist is a controversial figure, even within the Christian community. He has attracted criticism from other apologists for what many view as more extreme views. For example, Ham believes that the universe is relatively new and that it was created about 6,000 years ago. He also believes that dinosaurs co-existed with modern humans, which is illustrated at AiG's Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky.

Ham is also convinced that the animals carried on Noah's ark produced the biological diversity observed on Earth. To spread that idea he has embarked on a grand project of building a life-size ark in Williamstown, Ky., to serve a similar purpose as the museum – attracting visitors from across the nation and the world.
Ham's concern is certainly good news for rational people everywhere, for it shows us evolution in action. One day, if we want to hear about a literal Adam and Eve and a literal Noah's Ark, we won't be able to hear about it in a church. We'll have to visit a theme park or a tacky tourist trap instead.


1.01.2012

Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) On God's Design Of Baby Teeth

In case you missed it, Los Angeles Laker Ron Artest has changed his name to Metta World Peace.

For real.

Anyway, Metta, who wears the number 37 in honor of Michael Jackson, has become quite spiritual (duh).

Here is World Peace, discussing the beauty of God's design, which allows us to lose our baby teeth when we're young, rather than later in life:


While Ron/Metta has a lot to learn about the evolutionary reasons for deciduous teeth, I can at least appreciate the name change.


9.12.2011

Are You A Young Earth Creationist? Take The Quiz!

Are you a Young Earth Creationist? In case you're unsure, you may want to answer the 9 questions below, which Creation Ministries International put together to help "ascertain whether your future pastor, youth group leader or Bible College principal takes a straightforward view of Genesis."

You wouldn't want your child to learn actual facts would you? Heavens, no.

From the introduction to the quiz:
CMI periodically receives requests for us to identify Bible colleges/seminaries that believe/teach a straightforward reading of Genesis. We also know of pastoral search committees lamenting that they would not have selected certain candidates if only they had known in advance of their compromise (long-age, or theistic evolutionary) stance on Genesis.

For a number of reasons, CMI does not provide a list of ‘young-earth’ theological colleges, nor do we get involved in church staffing matters. However, in response to such enquiries we have prepared the following questionnaire to meet an evident need.

Please feel free to reference CMI's explanatory notes for each question.

Good luck!


1. SIX DAYS 
Do you believe that God created the earth and universe in six ordinary-length (earth-rotation) days?
☐  Yes
☐  No
_____________________________________________________________________


2. AGE OF THE WORLD 
Do you believe that the earth and universe are only thousands (not millions or billions) of years old, as measured by Earth time?
☐  Yes
☐  No
___________________________________________________________________


3. THE FIRST HUMANS 

Do you believe that Adam and his wife Eve were the literal, historic ancestors of all (other) people who have ever lived?
☐  Yes
☐  No
_____________________________________________________________________

4. ADAM AND EVE’S ORIGINS 
Do you believe that Adam and Eve had no physical parents, but were created directly by God; Adam from the actual dust, and Eve from the actual flesh and bone of Adam’s side?
☐  Yes
☐  No
_____________________________________________________________________

5. HUMAN DEATH 
Do you believe that human physical death began only after Adam sinned?
☐  Yes
☐  No
_____________________________________________________________________

6. CARNIVORY 
Do you believe that all animals were originally created vegetarian?
☐  Yes
☐  No
_____________________________________________________________________

7. SUFFERING IN THE FOSSIL RECORD 
Do you believe that fossils showing evidence of bloodshed and suffering (e.g. half-eaten prey, dinosaur cancers,) could not have been formed before Adam’s Fall led to the Curse?
☐  Yes
☐  No
_____________________________________________________________________

8. GLOBAL FLOOD
Do you believe that the Flood of Noah covered the whole globe? 
☐  Yes
☐  No
_____________________________________________________________________

9. THE SUPERNATURAL POWER OF JESUS
Do you believe that after Lazarus was physically dead for days, Jesus miraculously caused him to regain physical life? 
☐  Yes
☐  No


If you answered 'No' to any of the above questions, you have nothing to worry about. Wait -- I mean, you failed.