My Further Response to Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis
I recently posted a Facebook comment about this man (me), with the title, “Atheist debunking—or an advertisement for the Creation Museum?” Like most atheists who write negatively about their museum experience, he simply described some of the exhibits and, with lots of hand-waving, just said we were wrong. His lengthy piece really offered no real rebuttals of the scientific displays. He mocked the exhibits more than anything.First off, I went to Ken Ham's Facebook page and posted a link to my first response. Guess what? It was deleted within a couple of hours. Looks like he won't stand for a free debate and/or discussion. So much for him having the evidence on his side such that he can allow it to win in the marketplace of ideas. He can do what he wants there, of course. But that should be the first clue he is not being intellectually honest. Secondly, I want to show why his views are ignorant and delusional, not just tell what I saw at the museum. So here goes.
Ken Ham asserts "time and time again" that "science confirms the Bible...Nobody can say that we don’t present scientific evidence. Most of all, though, we point people to the Bible. And we do believe in using reason... LINK. Really? Let me give him an education. I want to recommend a limited number of books and a few links that might help him and his followers to come out of the Dark Ages.
Let's start with what other Christians have written, people Ken Ham can trust more than us lying cheating atheists. ;-) When it comes to the relationship of faith and reason there is no better position from the Christian perspective than the one Arthur Holmes wrote about in his now classic 1977 book, All Truth Is God's Truth.
Probably the first card-carrying evangelical to express doubts about the literal creation and Flood stories in Genesis was Bernard Ramm, in his classic 1954 book, The Christian View of Science and Scripture.
Probably the three earliest evangelical books destroying Ken Ham's creationism are Conrad Hyers's 1984 book, The Meaning of Creation: Genesis and Modern Science,
Present-day Evangelical orthodoxy on Genesis chapter one is probably best defended in John H. Walton's small but excellent 2009 book, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate.
The controversial evangelical book by Peter Enns, The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human Origins,
If you would rather read debates where young earth creationists have a voice (but get slaughtered) then read these three books:
The above reading list isn't long at all. You can do this people. Do it.
So far I've recommended nothing but Christian books. None of them are to be found in Ken Ham's bookstore or seen in his online resources. Why not? Again, he doesn't think his views can win in the marketplace of ideas. He has a vested interest in keeping people from becoming informed. He's not an educator. He's an indoctrinator, a snake oil salesman.
Now it's time for the facts!
--Books and a PBS video on where the universe came from:
Watch the PBS Nova program The Fabric of the Cosmos: Universe or Multiverse?
--Books regarding science, astronomy and the earth sciences:
--Regarding the evidence for evolution and why it matters:
--Regarding dinosaurs co-existing with human beings:
Top 10: Dinosaur Myths. Click on the "Dinosaur" tag for several articles about them.
Dinosaurs And Humans -- Together? Not A Chance!
--Regarding the mythical story of Noah's Flood:
The Impossible Voyage of Noah's Ark.
Read Richard Freidman's excellent book, Who Wrote the Bible?
--Or, read just one book to get a primer on the facts:
For one scholarly but fairly easy-to-read book on the facts and why Christianity cannot handle them, get Robert Price and Edwin Suominen's one-of-a-kind wonderful book, Evolving out of Eden.
There. I've provided the resources that show why Ken Ham's young earth creationism is ignorant, false and delusional. There are many other books I would like to recommend but these are a start if someone wants to become educated. Of course, he or she would have to know how to read and be willing to do so, but if not I cannot help the. ;-)