I first encountered Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis thirty years ago when I was working for Focus on the Family. Ken was a guest on the radio broadcast with Dr. Dobson and Focus was offering several Answers in Genesis products. My original take on Ken was, “Gee. This guy is a lean, mean Christian PR Machine.” But that didn’t have me unduly worried. Creation Science was just starting to get a foothold in the scientific community and Ken and his team of experts certainly were at the forefront. I thought it was wonderful.
Then Ken announced his intention to build a life sized replica of Noah’s ark which I also thought was wonderful. At that point Ken was everywhere promoting the idea, trying to get donations and looking for investors. He certainly seemed inspired and driven to turn his vision into a reality. And he did. On July 7, 2016 the “Ark Encounter” was opened with the date 7.7 to correspond with Genesis 7:7. “And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood."
The only thing I found strange was the location that the Ark was built. Why put it in a remote place in landlocked Northern Kentucky nowhere near a body of water? But when I looked at a map and realized it was right next to the Cincinnati airport where Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky meet I thought. “Oh. It’s just Ken Ham’s PR brain at work again.”
I watched the rise and enhancement of the Creation Museum as it continued to add exhibits, the beginning of Answers Academy and the launch of Answers TV (although I have never subscribed to it).
Then I started having issues with Ken, and his team of experts, on a scientific level. They take the evidence found in rocks and fossils and prove the Genesis account of God creating the world in six days is true. They also subscribe to a “young earth theory” that puts forth that the earth isn’t actually millions of years old but only about six thousand years old based primarily on the very precise genealogies recorded in the Bible. Both of which I wholeheartedly subscribe to and believe are accurate.
My issue is the level of veracity to which they put the geological evidence. They put it on the same level as the Bible. But our interpretation of the evidence we find is based on our human (therefore fallen) reasoning, deductions and assumptions all of which can be inaccurate. I have witnessed through the decades many scientific discoveries being made and Christians who were certain it was one way had to suddenly revamp their theories. The Bible is absolute and to put anything at its level is just asking for trouble.
Then I started having trouble with Ken on a theological level.
Firstly, something he refers to as “Ark-Tistic License”. The Bible remains silent about a lot of things revolving around the Genesis account of the flood and Noah building the ark. God gives us what He considers “need to know” information choosing to hold back certain specifics. Ken Ham and those who created the Ark Encounter had to do a lot of surmising and use a lot of imagination to bring the entire thing to fruition. They have seemingly good reasons for the conclusions they came to, however, so much of what they have on display at the Ark Encounter are merely their speculations. When you add up all these elements of their Ark-Tistic License you are left with a vast amount of information simply not in the Bible.
For example, they state that Noah “probably” didn’t build the ark just with his three sons but “probably” hired local people to help.
Recently I was watching a short YouTube video of a family on vacation to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. They had a solid knowledge of the story of the Flood and how Noah built the Ark but they weren’t Christians. (Which accounts for about ⅓ of the visitors.) At the end, the Dad summed up his take on the whole thing by saying, (and I am paraphrasing), “I had no idea that Noah subcontracted out. Can you imagine being one of the evil people hired to work on the ark for fifty years and then end up dead after all your hard work?”
His new-found “knowledge” of Noah, the Ark and the Flood is now based on Ken’s Ark-Tistic license, all of which is NOT in the Bible.
Also, AiG states that there were not that many different “kinds” of animals on board the ark which explains why all the air breathing animals in the world could fit on it. For instance, there were only a pair of male and female canines from which all the dogs of the earth came from. Again, a theory I think is completely plausible.
However, they have on display at the Ark Encounter strange hybrid animals which they surmise were an original “kind” from which we get current animals. (see image). The problem with this as a theory I can best explain with a comparison.
Suppose thousands of years ago you made a photocopy of a picture. Then through the years you made a photocopy of that photocopy. Then another photocopy of that second photocopy and so forth until you had thousands of photocopies down through the centuries. By the time it got to us it would be a pretty foggy version of the original picture, right?
Now suppose that somewhere along the line silly people down through the ages decided to tamper with the images when nobody was watching. One guy added a beard and mustache. Somebody else added a pair of glasses to the picture and somebody else added a pair of horns to the image and then kept it going on down the line. Except for those three, everyone else was unaware what those few jokesters had done because they hadn’t witnessed it. Then all the various photocopies land in our time to be mushed together in order for us to make a rendition of the original image. Enter Ken Ham’s version of what the original hybrid animals on the ark looked like.
Now, let’s get to point two of my theological issues with Ken Ham. He has stated MYRIADS of times that Genesis is the “foundation of the Christian faith”. But I take issue with that. It isn’t the “foundation” it is merely the first book of the Bible.
It is the same attitude I come up against when dealing with people who are “watchmen” and spend their days deep into End Times Bible prophecy. But at least that encompasses more than ¼ of all of the Bible and Genesis is only one book with just 50 chapters. My point is that they are EQUALLY important along with all the other books of the Bible. It’s only together that they form a whole picture of God’s character and His amazing plan of salvation.
Let’s use another example.
Suppose you had a teeter-totter (aka. See-Saw) and on one end was Genesis and the other end was Revelation. On the length of the board you lined up all the books of the Bible in between those two. Some would take on a special weight or emphasis at different times thus making the teeter-totter go up and down according to the weight distribution. But what I want to draw your attention to is the fulcrum. The thing that the teeter-totter is built on. In Christianity that fulcrum is Jesus Christ himself.
You know when I became a Christian in 1978 I had never read any part of Genesis and didn’t know anything about how the world was created, how mankind fell or the curse put upon us at the time. Somebody told me about Jesus and that was all I needed. The rest I learned afterward.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)
ALSO
“Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes”’?” (Matthew 21:42)
Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?”
“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’
Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades [Hell] will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:16-18)
And the Apostle Paul made it super simple for us when he wrote to the Corinthians,
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:2-5)
ALSO,
Now we have to ask ourselves if the Ark Encounter with its Ark-Tistic license, its photo ops at the altar outfront and the glowing cross door, its gift shop with its huge price markup, restaurants, and zip-line attraction accurately portrays our humble savior to people.
SELLING UMBRELLAS outside "Noah’s Coffee"
Now let’s turn back to Ken Ham specifically and my original idea about him and his ability to do promotions. I am now something I wasn’t thirty years ago. An experienced Behaviorist. And when I look at Ken now I see him through a professional lens and therefore must guard much of what I have noticed because of professional ethics.
However, he does show many signs of megalomania and profound narcissistic tendencies.Plus, he is (clinically) Obssessed with the first 11 chapters of Genesis, is a Hypocrite and practices Nepotism on a HUGE scale. (** See footnote)
KEN HAM promoting Coke at his blog and across his Social Media (Facebook and Twitter).
Ken used to be the co-Leader of Creation Ministries International (CMI)
In behavioral sciences it’s a build up of many pieces of a person’s profile that ultimately displays what a person is on the inside. Most of the time they themselves are completely unaware that they are exhibiting these things.
But KEN’s ArKENcounter is in KENtucky for a reason.
Let’s add one more addendum to my problems with Answers in Genesis on a Biblical, yet very simple level. If they value the Genesis version of Creation and the authority of the Bible SO much, then why are they open for business 7 DAYS A WEEK?!
In conclusion.
Answers in Genesis is a business and a very profitable one. It doesn’t merely have customers but also millionaire INVESTORS who expect to get returns on their investments. If you wish to go there on your holidays, fine. But I wish to caution anybody who is donating to this “ministry”. Trust me, Jesus does not require AiG in order to spread the Good News or the reality of the Genesis version of Creation. He will accomplish that through the Holy Spirit and oodles of just ordinary folk who live out their love for Jesus on a daily basis in knowledgeable and humble ways.
This has been a very long post, thirty years in the making, and I do appreciate you taking the time to read it all. I have held my tongue on these matters for decades because I loathe to point the finger at my fellow Christians, especially in a public venue. But AiG is about to go International in a big way and it has gotten to the point where people are donating their hard earned money to this organization and ultimately Answers in Genesis are misrepresenting the Bible and Jesus. And the Lord told me now is the time to say something. I do it for no other reason than that you may be warned and that I may continue to fulfill my commitment to bring you...
The Truth with Love,
Always Laura-Lee
Please Share this post if you think it has merit.
I also make you aware that I have sent Links to Answers in Genesis (America πΊπΈ, Canada π¨π¦ and Australia π¦πΊ) so I am not doing anything behind their backs and in order to give them the opportunity to refute the things I have said. They did not respond to me personally except to Shadow ban me from sending Personal Messages and making comments. That includes Facebook pages, Twitter, YouTube etc for Ken, Martyn Iles, Answers in Genesis (America πΊπΈ and Canadaπ¨π¦).
* Photos from the Ark Encounter were found on Google Maps.
August 14, 2023. Another UPDATE. (Oh dear.π₯Ίπ£)
from Ken Ham's blog "Where was the Garden of Eden?"
Ken tells us in his blog post that the Garden of Eden wasn't located in the Middle East. He actually doesn't know where it was located but definitely not in the Middle East.
"Many wrongly conclude that the Garden of Eden was somewhere in the Middle East based on the names of the rivers in Genesis 2.
In my native country of Australia, one will recognize many names that are also used in England (e.g., Newcastle)." ~ Ken Ham
Except Ken, there aren't any Tigris and Euphrates rivers anywhere else to name them after.
Let's take a look at the Scriptures Ken is referring to in Genesis 2.
"A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates." (Genesis 2:10-14)
Ken goes on and on in his blog post to justify his ideas, does a LOT of quoting John Calvin and then tells us,
"no one can logically suggest that the area where the present Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are today is the location of the Garden of Eden, for this area is sitting on Flood strata containing billions of dead things (fossils). The perfect Garden of Eden can’t be sitting on billions of dead things before sin entered the world!"
Just more of Ken's convoluted assumptions about the geological "evidence".
I don't see Cherubim with a flaming sword either, Ken. Does that mean they aren't there too? (sigh π£)
"After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:24)
Now let US look at those Bible verses again because it doesn’t just mention four river names but areas of land too.
HAVILAH
The land of Havilah is mentioned in Genesis 2:11, where it says this place was rich in gold and ΧְּΧֹΧΧ (possibly bdellium or pearls) and onyx stone.
Havilah, a district in Arabia
It is uncertain whether the tribe gave its name to this region or derived its name from it, and whether it was originally a Cushite (Genesis 10:7) or a Joktanite tribe (10:29; compare 25:18), or whether there were both a Cushite and a Joktanite Havilah. Havilah “in both instances designates the same country, extending at least from the Persian to the Arabian Gulf, and on account of its vast extent easily divided into two distinct parts.
CUSH
Known to the ancient Egyptians mainly as Kush, the territory of the ancient Cushites covered the northern and southern regions of present-day Sudan and Egypt.
ASHUR (Asher)
The Territory of Asher
Directly on the eastern banks of the Mediterranean Sea, Asher's territory included the cities of Sidon and Tyre. Today, this territory is part of the country of Lebanon in the Middle East.
(my sources are https://www.gotquestions.org/, https://study.com/, https://www.biblegateway.com/ , https://kingjamesbibledictionary.com/ , https://www.biblestudy.org/, and plain old Google Maps)
Another thing to note is that when Ken quotes the Bible verses from Genesis 2 on his blog he purposely omits all the parts that refer to land locations.
"The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden. . . . Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon . . . . The name of the second river is Gihon. . . . The name of the third river is Hiddekel [Tigris]. ;. . . The fourth river is the Euphrates." (from Ken's blog post)
This blog post was originally posted on August 20, 2013 and was RE posted on July 17, 2020.
Check it out for yourself.
https://answersingenesis.org/genesis/garden-of-eden/where-was-the-garden-of-eden-located/
He has been actively deceiving people and pushing his own unbiblical concepts for YEARS, yet nobody ever bothers to examine what he says or dispute him. Of course not. He is the "MIGHTY" Ken Ham, with his team of "experts" and who are we.
Well, I might just be simple folk, but I love God's Word, my Lord Jesus and I don't take kindly to anybody messing with either! I don't care who you are!π
Plus, I remain committed to bringing you…
The Truth with Love,
Always Laura-Lee π✝️π¨π¦
UPDATE. September 15, 2023 (ππ₯Ί)
Gee. Ken just NEVER lets a PR gimmick go untouched !❗️
From His September 6, 2023 blog post.
"NASCAR, the Ark Encounter, and an “American experience” for two Aussies—yes, a group of Answers in Genesis staff headed to Daytona, Florida, recently to support our friends at ForeverLawn who sponsor a NASCAR vehicle driven by Jeffrey Earnhardt (grandson of famous Dale Earnhardt). And they sponsor that NASCAR vehicle for the Ark Encounter!"
(Now Ken is not only doing promotions for AiG but for the landscaping (to the celebrities) company "Forever Lawn", who sell ARTIFICIAL GRASS! So much for the "Glories of God’s Creation". π€·♀️. LL)
"For the Xfinity Series race at the Daytona International Speedway, the sponsors wrapped the car to advertise the Ark Encounter. The owners of ForeverLawn want as many people as possible to know about the Ark and come to visit our two attractions, the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum.
"There were three crashes during the race, and Jeffrey was able to negotiate through them, even though he was bumped off the track at one stage. The Lord kept him safe, and he came in 11th."
(Yes. And one of those "crashes" involved 16 CARS! Apparently the Lord doesn't care about THOSE men. LL)
Check out Ken's post for yourselves. I can't bear to look anymore. π«£
https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2023/09/06/vehicle-wrapped-ark-encounter-logo-nascar/
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| Kenneth COPELAND and Ken HAM |
And yet doomed man’s path below
May bloom as Eden bloomed;
He did not, does not, will not know,
Or feel that he is doomed
He knows, he feels that all is well,
And every fear is calmed;
He lives, he dies, he wakes in hell,
Not only doomed, but damned.
Oh, where is this mysterious bourn
By which our path is crossed;
Beyond which God himself hath sworn,
That he who goes is lost.
How far may we go on in sin?
How long will God forbear?
Where does hope end, and where begin
The confines of despair?
An answer from the skies is sent,
"Ye that from God depart,
While it is called today, repent,
And harden not your heart."
- Joseph Addison Alexander -
I found a video that is simple enough for everyone to understand (including myself) that Jesus existed BEFORE the events of Creation in Genesis. He alone is worthy to be the FOUNDATION of our faith.π
LINK "Who Was Jesus Before Genesis 1:1" YouTube video
Please SHARE this if you think it has merit and NOTE that there is no Advertising on my blogs and no Store for me to "hock my merch".
UPDATE September 28, 2023
Link to blog post
"MARTYN ILES Publicly Defends Accused Rapist RUSSELL BRAND"
(** "Narcissistic")
To learn more about how Narcissists use money as a weapon follow the Link to my blog on the topic)
LINK "HOW NARCISSISTS USE MONEY AS a WEAPON" (Laura-Lee Was Here blog)
Also, FYI
LINK "Aliens, Dolphins and Ken, oh My" (I take a brief look at Ken Ham’s view of Aliens)
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