Here is an email from our friend in Louisiana, the retired judge Darrell White. Judge White is a Creation Museum 'lifetime member' and is founder and president of the Retired Judges of America. He helped Dr. Terry Mortenson and Steven Fazekas of our staff last week in Louisiana at a booth that AiG had set up at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS).
Here is the report Judge White filed, which we are posting a few days after the ETS meeting. You see, November 24 is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species:
Many Americans are letting the anniversary go by without giving it a second thought. This month marks the 150th anniversary since the original publication of Darwin's Origin of Species in 1859. It is the book whose evolutionary theme concerning man's origin is'-at least for the present time'-dominant in America's science classrooms. And, undeniably, at this stage in history, Darwin's 'nothing-created-everything' fairy tale worldview is a source of confusion for many professing Christians.
I was privileged to spend that day with Dr. Terry Mortenson and Steven Fazekas helping staff AiG's booth at the Evangelical Theological Society's (ETS) annual meeting in New Orleans. Free copies of Ken Ham's insightful new book Already Gone were given away to conference participants, and many other helpful creation resources were distributed. Quite a few of those who visited the AiG booth confided with obvious sincerity: 'You creation ministry folks really do need to be at these meetings!'
Especially gratifying was the opportunity to observe close-up as Mortenson and Fazekas'-both knowledgeable creationists'-skillfully answered tough questions regarding science and the authority of Scripture. For example, to one inquisitive seminary student's question about age-dating methods, Dr. Mortenson used his wristwatch's chronometer feature to vividly illustrate the three assumptions invariably associated with all such methods used to date fossils:
1. Known initial boundary conditions; 2. Isolated system; and 3. Constant rate of process (see The Defenders' Bible by Henry Morris, appendix #5)
Illuminated by fresh insight, this conference participant eagerly sought additional creation resources to deepen her understanding.
Significantly, attendees were distributed a flyer listing twelve 'Affirmations and Denials Essential to a Consistent Christian (Biblical) Worldview' and an invitation to sign on. Time will tell how many support this important declaration. It reminded me of the challenge issued years ago by my own Sunday school teacher'-himself a judge'-to this impressionable youth: 'If you were arrested and put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?'
While Origin of Species month is ending, my own prayer is that AiG's presence within centers of influence such as ETS will grow such that, in the days ahead, we can expect many more believers to find the moral courage to uphold the authority of God's Word, beginning with the very first verse. Our children and grandchildren are counting on us!
'-Judge Darrell White (Retired)
For more about Charles Darwin, be sure to watch our new DVD called The Evolution of Darwin: His Impact. You can find it in our online store.
Special Speaking Engagement in Our Area
This coming December 10, I will be a guest speaker at the Sufficiency of Scripture 2009 conference right here in our Cincinnati area'-hosted by the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches. Other keynote speakers include my friends Doug Phillips and Voddie Baucham. The doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture truly is the foundation of our ministry and all we do here at AiG and the Creation Museum. (Of course, evolutionists say that Scripture cannot possibly be sufficient to explain where the world came from.) I will be giving one presentation on the Thursday evening at the beginning of the conference.
Whether you are a father, mother, child, church member, leader in a local church, or are looking for a church, there will be something for you. Topics include the accuracy of the entire Bible, biblical evangelism, women's ministry, raising godly children, etc.
One of the more unusual speaking engagements I've had recently was the opportunity this past week to speak to the weekly Bible study of the Cincinnati Bengals professional football team. Our AiG headquarters and Creation Museum are less than 20 miles away from the stadium where the Bengals play, and because a chaplain for the team (a former professional football player himself) is such a strong booster of our ministry, I was asked to speak to several of the team members (and some spouses were also there).
The Bengals, by the way, are having a very good season'-they are even undefeated in their division and have beaten the Super Bowl champions (the Pittsburgh Steelers) twice this year'-including about 24 hours before I spoke to team members.
My message was on this theme: If there is a God, why is there so much suffering and death in this world? I particularly related this question to the recent massacre at Ft. Hood in Texas. They were a very attentive bunch'-even though many of them must have still been very tired and bruised up from the game the day before.
In the photo, you can see the (very tall) Bengals tight ends Ben Utecht (he has his own music ministry'-go to his Facebook page for more info), Reggie Kelly, and then Ken Moyer, our host and Bengals' chaplain. Ken was an offensive lineman for the Bengals for many years and also played for the Philadelphia Eagles'-until he hurt his shoulder. Ken is such an avid Bible student himself, including in the area of apologetics, that he is trying to disciple as many players as possible'-especially some of the young Christians on the team (including some well-known names, which Ken prefers to keep low profile for the moment; Ken had no problem, though, with sharing the attached photo of Ben, Reggie, Ken Moyer, and me as we talked after the Bible study). These guys are BIG!
Ben, by the way, played on the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts a few years ago.
I have to admit: I am finally beginning to understand American football, including the concept of the 'first down'!
'We Had Just Been with Family'
Here is one of the many encouraging feedback items we received recently:
We are Lifetime Charter Members and are so pleased the Lord led us to this decision. When we decided, I do not think we knew what an awesome endeavor we had invested in. When we visited the museum for the first time in May, 2006 (behind the scenes tour), we could tell immediately what an excellent place this was going to be. When leaving the museum that very first time, I had such a sense, a 'feeling' (if I may use that word, even though we don't base our lives on feelings), that we had just been with family. It was a wonderful 'experience,' especially knowing that most everyone there, at that time, were believers in Jesus Christ.
We visited the museum again in June 2007 and were able to see the more completed museum. Again, we were impressed with the details put into EVERY sculpture, video, scene, animal, description, etc. Our most recent visit was on August 7 & 8. It has been exciting to see the additions each time we have come'-you have had to add additional parking and restrooms! What a blessing! Our five children (ages 2'"9) especially love the petting zoo, so much so we came back the second day to spend extra time there. And to our pleasant surprise, they wanted to see 'Men in White' a second time. Even our two year old sat quietly through the entire presentation, waiting for her chair to rumble again.
My husband has been witnessing on Facebook in regards to the age of the earth. He was anxious to get into your bookstore to find just the right video to help him grow in his scientific knowledge. He apparently found the right one (Dating Fossils and Rocks) because he watched the entire video the night we got home, woke me up, and told me he felt like a scientist now. . . . We cannot say enough about what an outstanding, God-honoring museum you have built. May you see many souls saved because of it! To God be the Glory!
Devotion
I called him alone
(Isaiah 51:2) Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
The Lord Jesus Christ calls each one of us alone (even apart from our dear spouses) to have our one-on-one, vital meeting with Him each day in our quiet times.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying, Ken
Item Category: My Journeys Item comments: http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/2009/11/23/speaking-at-the-cincinnati-bengals-bible-study/#comments
Allegations of 'child abuse' and 'terrorism' against AiG
In a report that is appearing today in our local Enquirer newspapers (Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky editions), an article reported on a meeting at Norwood Public Library in Ohio by a group of atheists associated with the organization called Free Inquiry Group. The report began by quoting one of the atheists addressing the group with, 'Good evening, sinners,' obviously mocking Christianity. This same atheist is also reported as claiming about the Creation Museum that it promotes 'child abuse' (because he thinks it teaches things that aren't true) and "terrorism" (because it is 'dumbing us down to a level not seen since the Dark Ages'). Note how these people are totally intolerant of Christians and use abusive language in attacks against us.
Imagine if this Free Inquiry Group were to mock the Islamic faith as they mock Christianity, or to outright accuse Moslems (just because they were a Moslem) of 'child abuse' or 'terrorism.' Of course that will never happen. However, sadly, it appears in our culture today that it is ok to mock Christians, mock the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (as this same person did a few months ago in conducting a mock 'Communion service' outside the Creation Museum gates with a group of atheists), and mock Christians who believe in a Creator God!
This Free Inquiry Group is the same organization that initiated the opposition to the Creation Museum many years ago. At first they began opposing our land rezoning with accusations regarding 'separation of church and state' (which was absolutely ridiculous!; we wanted to build on private property using private funds, and in America, what's wrong with that?), and other anti-Christian propaganda. Eventually they realized this was not the way to fight this issue so they began stirring up people against AiG using supposed land zoning issues. As a result, even though the Planning Commission at the time approved the rezoning, the Fiscal Court (i.e., the county commissioners), in what was outside the norm of what usually occurred, overruled, and we had to forgo that piece of property. However, what men meant for evil, God meant for good (as Joseph learned, as we read in Genesis). In looking for another piece of property, we found almost 50 acres (the current location of the Creation Museum), right on Interstate 275, at an interchange, just 10 minutes west of the Cincinnati International airport'-a FAR superior piece of property. The original piece was several minutes off the Interstate. So the Lord allowed the Free Inquiry Group to oppose us so we could end up in an exponentially better situation.
At their recent FIG meeting, it was also stated in the news account that, in recounting the group's history, one of the FIG leaders talked about protests against the Creation Museum, which he referred to as 'the great museum of nonsense '' Not only did this group oppose the Creation Museum in the 1990s, they also participated in a demonstration out of the front of the museum gates the day it was first opened to the public (2007). There weren't that many people in the demonstration (maybe 50-70 or so), and it was interesting to note that a number of the placards they held up made mockery of my name (e.g., calling us 'Hamites' and using the 'Ham' name in other ways). Imagine if they were to take the name of a prominent Moslem or black leader and mock their name'-it wouldn't be tolerated! All their demonstration did, though, was bring out more media and give the Creation Museum more publicity. It's interesting to note that they have opposed AiG and demonstrated against us (and attacked us personally in the media) many times'-but if anyone dares demonstrate against them or what they are doing they claim religious intolerance'-they certainly don't believe in 'free inquiry.' What free inquiry really means for them is that people should be free to oppose, mock, and denigrate Christians but no one should be 'free' to oppose atheists! They are some of the most intolerant people we have ever encountered'-but I guess that is because they are so insecure about their views and they just can't tolerate the suggestion they could be wrong!!
At the opening of the Creation Museum, a plane buzzed overhead for quite a long time, dragging a banner stating, 'Thou shalt not lie.' Many people even to this day tell me that they thought AiG rented the plane to make a statement to the atheists! But it was the atheists that rented the plane! These people that oppose the Ten Commandments in public places had one of the commandments displayed in public, but it back-fired on them!
Let's put all this in perspective:
1. At the opening of the Creation Museum, a small group of these atheists demonstrated outside the gates (maybe 50-70 or so).
2. At this recent meeting at the Norwood Library reported on by the Enquirer newspapers and Cincinnati.com, the Free Inquiry Group was so thrilled that, 'On Thursday night, about 30 people gathered for the Free Inquiry Group's monthly meeting. That's about 10 more than the normal crowd.'
3. The Creation Museum attendance since opening 2 years and five months ago has attracted over 900,000 visitors with the one million visitor number to be reached in March/April next year. Even on LOW days in the winter months , the Creation Museum typically has 300'"400 people on a weekday (with many more on Saturdays).
4. Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum receive similar web traffic to that of the very large ministry Focus on the Family (from 30,000'"50,000 visitors per day depending on circumstances/time of year, etc).
5. The Creation Museum has brought many millions of dollars (estimated by an outside group to be $65,000,000 per year into the community'-for hotels, restaurants, etc.) into the area and provided substantial tax dollars to the state.
6. AiG and the Creation Museum employ 275 people with an additional 100 casuals in peak times (e.g., summer).
Every time I hear about the Free Inquiry Group, I think of the verse from Genesis 50:20:
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.
Here is the press release sent out this week about our new Dinosaurs for Kids book:
New 'Dinosaurs for Kids' from Ken Ham Wows Kids and Parents Alike
PETERSBURG, Ky., Nov. 18, 2009 '" While there is no lack of colorfully illustrated books about dinosaurs for children, by and large these books talk about how many millions of years ago the dinosaurs lived, and how many billions of years old the Earth is. Many creationist parents have largely been stuck supplying these books for their dinosaur-loving children while cautioning them against the evolutionary teaching within.
Not any more, as Ken Ham, president and founder of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, has just released 'Dinosaurs for Kids' through Master Books, with all the great illustrations those other books have, but written from a biblical worldview.
'As a parent, and now as a grandparent, I saw my children's and grandchildren's fascination with dinosaurs and their desire to read every book about dinosaurs they could get their hands on,' Ham said. 'Inevitably, we were all disappointed by the teaching of millions and billions of years, the claim that dinosaurs evolved into birds, and the humanistic world view presented in them.
'I determined, as a writer of creationist and apologetics materials '" for both adults and children '" that I would help remedy the dinosaur book situation,' Ham continued. 'I couldn't be more pleased with how the book turned out. Wonderfully and powerfully illustrated by Bill Looney, this book will not disappoint Christian parents and their children.'
'Dinosaurs for Kids' will help to fill a void of creation-based science books for elementary age children, which has been a contributing factor to young people leaving the church as they get older. Research commissioned by Answers in Genesis and conducted recently by America's Research Group (ARG) showed that '" by and large '" children are 'already gone' from church in their minds by junior high and high school, because Sunday school could not answer their hard questions about origins and the trustworthiness of Scriptures.
The results from this survey were published in the book 'Already Gone,' co-written by Ken Ham and ARG Founder and President Britt Beemer. The book has been selling steadily since its release in late May, with more than 90,000 copies in print, and has inspired influential churches and church leaders across the nation to re-think how they are conducting church and Sunday school. Dr. Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Atlanta, has just written an endorsement of the book's next edition; last month he had Ken Ham give a message based on the book at the church's morning worship services.
The decay regarding young people often begins, Ham and Beemer discovered, with a lack of faith in the creation story of Genesis. Children tend to separate the 'stories' of the Bible from the 'hard facts' taught in almost all public schools about evolution and the age of the Earth. They look to their secular textbooks for answers, not the Bible.
Now, with the release of 'Dinosaurs for Kids,' parents and teachers alike will have a new resource for helping children understand their beliefs about origins in a scientific context. These kids can once again embrace their love of dinosaurs, and their teachers and parents can encourage those discussions in a biblical context.
'Dinosaurs for Kids' includes full-color illustrations throughout, with an easy-to-understand timeline of dinosaurs' true history from creation to the most recent discoveries'-and convincing evidence that they did not die out 65 million years ago. It explains how the Flood affected the dinosaurs, when and where dinosaurs existed, how fossils like dinosaur skeletons are made, and why they are found all over the Earth. A recurring theme is the difference between biblical history (God's revelation) and assumptions by fallible secular scientists.
Recommended for ages 7-12, the 64-page, hard cover, 8 by 11 book retails for $14.99. Published by Master Books, 'Dinosaurs for Kids' is available at Christian bookstores everywhere, or online www.answersingenesis.org.
Photo of the Week
The photo below was taken at Northland International University in Wisconsin this past Thursday after I had finished 3 major sessions (over 5 hours of presentations) to students, faculty and public.
From left to right: Dr. Bobby Wood, Chief Operating Officer; Dan Wooster, AiG supporter, friend, and BJU Prof; myself; Dr. Matt Olson, president of the university.
The reason I chose this as the 'photo of the week' is because it is so thrilling to me to see an academic institution so committed to the Word of God and taking a stand on a literal creation, as all Christian universities should.
If you are researching creationist Christian universities (and there are very few), I encourage you to check out Northland International University.
Over the last two days, I had the honor of speaking to all students and faculty at two extended chapels'-and also a public evening meeting'-at Northland International University in Dunbar, Wisconsin. To me it was very encouraging to be asked to speak at a Christian university that takes a stand on biblical authority, beginning in Genesis. There are so few such Christian universities in the world that uphold the book of Genesis as Answers in Genesis does. If you have never heard about Northland, then I encourage you to go to their website.
I was also thrilled to find that the school's president and faculty deemed the messages I presented were so important for their students that they allocated two hours for each chapel, Wednesday and Thursday. The students and faculty also turned out for the two presentations Wednesday evening for the public meeting, making it an overflow crowd. I was so impressed with the number of students and faculty who were so complimentary of AiG and stand totally behind this apologetics ministry that they see as raised up for this era of history.
The university has first-class facilities and is located in northern Wisconsin'-in one of the most beautiful areas you could imagine. It is somewhat isolated, but what a wonderful place to concentrate on studies. If you have never considered Northland for your student, check them out!
Here are some photographs of the various events:
1. The audiences at the various meetings
2. Speaking at a chapel
3. The Question and Answer time
4. The volunteers helping with the resources (When I speak at such Christian institutions, we offer students/faculty a very special (super) deal on resources to get these items into their hands.)
5. Students crowded around the resources
Sadly, even among what would be normally deemed conservative Chrstian colleges, there are only a few that will invite AiG to speak to their students/faculty. I trust the example Northland has set will stimulate other Christian colleges to consider doing likewise.
Devotion
I bring near
(Isaiah 46:13) I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
We never could have brought the Lord Jesus Christ down from heaven to save us; it was all His decision to bring near to us His righteousness for us to wear.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying, Ken
Item Category: My Journeys Item comments: http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/2009/11/20/one-of-the-few-creationist-christian-universities/#comments
As this unique scholarship involves a book written by AiG personnel, I thought it would be good to publicize this opportunity for students:
Master Books, an imprint of New Leaf Publishing Group [and publisher of many of our books], will award one $3000 scholarship for the 2010'"2011 academic school year. The 2010 Master Books Scholarship Essay Contest is open to any high school junior or senior or the equivalent thereof from any public, private, or homeschool venue. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or above.
This scholarship is a one-time award and may be used at any accredited two-year, four-year, or trade school within the contiguous United States. This award covers only tuition and university-provided room and board. The scholarship monies will be forwarded to the college, university, or trade school of the winner's choice in the winner's name upon receipt of a copy of the winner's confirmed admission to their chosen school.
Scholarship information and application can be downloaded online at www.masterbooks.net
High school transcript or the equivalent is required. Transcripts or the equivalent must be signed by the high school counselor, homeschool evaluator/supervisor, or principal. Scholarship submission name must be exactly as noted on the transcript in order to qualify for the scholarship.
Scholarship applicant information, essay and transcript must be submitted by mail to:
Master Books Scholarship Essay Program P.O. Box 726 Green Forest, AR 72638
Deadlines and other important dates:
Scholarship available online: Now
Scholarship due date: Applications, transcript, and essay are due February 28, 2010
Scholarship Announcement: Winner will be notified by student and parent email on or before May 1, 2010
Conditions of Scholarship Eligibility:
Must be a U.S. citizen
Must be a high school junior or senior or the equivalent
Must be enrolled or enrolling in a U.S. accredited two-year, four-year, or trade school for the fall of 2010 or the fall of 2011
Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 (or the equivalent)
The Essay:
Students planning to apply for this essay scholarship may download two free chapters of the AiG book The New Answers Book 2 at www.masterbooks.net. After reading these two chapters, students are invited to write a 500 to 1500 word essay with the following focus:
Describe the differing views concerning the beginning of life (according to Chapter 29) and your personal conclusions based on the information.
The essay will be judged on creativity, clarity of thought, accuracy, research, grammar, and spelling. The student's essay will be the property of Master Books and may be used as an example or to promote this scholarship in the future. The student winner and his/her parent or guardian will be notified by email of their winning status and then must submit a written acceptance of the scholarship award by no later than July 30, 2010. If the acceptance of the scholarship is not received by July 30, 2010, the monies will be awarded to the 1st runner-up.
The Master Books Scholarship will be submitted to the winner's accredited school upon receipt of a copy of their acceptance to that school. If the scholarship winner does not complete a full semester at the accredited school, the monies must be returned to Master Books to be awarded to the 1st runner-up. The winner agrees that all of his/her scholarship combined benefits do not exceed the cost of tuition, fees, and university-provided room and board as stated in the institution's cost of attendance.
Here is an item about a Christian college I will be speaking at next May: Tennessee Temple University. TTU professor Dr. Andrew Fabich, a biologist, sent this to us about a special campus event being held Thursday:
Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species on November 24, 1859. Atheists, agnostics, and skeptics are thus celebrating 150 years of its evolution teaching. In response to the 150th year of Darwin's publication, Tennessee Temple University will have a special Creation Chapel tomorrow (November 19th). For the Creation Chapel, TTU will not highlight Darwin's publication; instead, faculty, staff, and students will worship the Creator for His miraculous creation'-and as the sovereign Lord of everything (Romans 1:20'"21).
To honor our Creator, the Creation Chapel will include the video Six Days produced by Answers in Genesis. Furthermore, the song service will focus on God as Creator'-in addition to fostering a continual atmosphere that upholds truth of the Bible starting with the first verse. What mercy the Lord has extended to us in that we can observe anything beautiful in light of the Curse from Adam's Fall!
Tennessee Temple University is a distinctively Christian liberal arts institution of higher education that prepares students for lives of leadership and service. Each year, a biology class is taken to the Creation Museum.
Photo of the Week
Here are some children at the Creation Museum enjoying the amazing balloon creations that some of our young volunteers make for them. The young lady in the background, Chelsea Driver, made these balloon headpieces.
Devotion
Unto His habitation shall ye seek and thou shalt come
(Deuteronomy 12:5) But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall you seek, and there you shall come:
Love to the Lord Jesus Christ is when in the morning we say no to the many pressing urgencies that call out me first & instead seek first our private time with Him.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying, Ken
Item Category: Thoughts and Things Item comments: http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/2009/11/18/a-university-that-celebrates-the-creator/#comments
Well the pastor responded on his own blog, virtually ignoring the fact that we pointed out numerous false statements in his previous posting concerning AiG and its CEO. He admitted he was wrong about the publisher of the Already Gone book'-but tried to justify his mistake. However, he basically ignored everything else and used his next blog to attack us for answering his accusations that he put up publicly on the worldwide web!
Mark Looy, AiG's Chief Communications Officer, in a gracious but firm way, attempted to post a comment to the pastor's blog'-but the comment was not approved.
The ELCA pastor has now stated that he 'had to close all the comments on my personal blog due to hate filled comments from AiG supporters.' This included, we suppose, Mark's rebuttal to correct the many mistakes the pastor had made about our book Already Gone'-but was denied. Now, do Mark's comments below seem hateful to you? Here is what Mark tried to post'-word for word'-so that the pastor's blog comments will not go unchallenged.
Greetings, pastor, from Answers in Genesis.
Ken Ham did not make a personal attack on you as a person but on the content of your lengthy, error-filled commentary on our book Already Gone. Even though you said you did not read the book, you wrote so knowingly (and at length) about it, including the book's conclusions. You were wrong, though, on so many counts about the book's content:
'-You originally wrote that AiG has 'one goal and one goal only'-to teach Creationism.' That is a patently false statement. In so many of our articles, and even in our core values statement and our mission statement, we state clearly that our mission is to bring reformation to the church and to proclaim the gospel. As Ken wrote in his blog in countering your many false statements, 'we stand on the authority of God's Word, proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, to see people saved and be in Heaven! In fact, I often state in my talks that there is no purpose in converting people to creationism'-for creationists will end up in Hell just like an atheist if they don't believe and trust our Creator as Lord and Savior.'
'-You stated that our book was about 'only mainline' churches being in decline. An absolutely wrong comment. If you had read the book, you would have noticed that we summarized the contents of a poll taken of those who attended theologically conservative churches, NOT mainline (generally liberal) ones. You missed the intent of the whole survey: to see why so many young people leave conservative churches, and you said it was mainline churches.
'-You called us a 'fringe' ministry. Well, in recent Gallup polls, almost half of Americans agreed with the statement that humans today are the descendants of Adam and Eve from about 10,000 years ago. And many of the largest churches in America have hosted us in their pulpits this year, such as First Baptist Atlanta, Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, Thomas Road Baptist, etc. This is not 'fringe'. Plus, Dr. David Menton of our staff spoke at a Lutheran seminary last month. Our supporters come from all across the evangelical spectrum.
In addition, our website gets more traffic than almost all ministries, our radio program is on 800 stations in the U.S., over 900,000 guests have visited our Creation Museum in less than 2 1/2 years, etc., and yet you write that we are 'fringe'?
'-Another wrong statement you made: that we tie 'nuclear weapons' to creationism. Where have we ever made a bizarre statement like that?
'-You wrote that 'as society changed, the definition [of] marriage changed in the Bible. It wasn't just between a man and a woman . . . .' Well, how do you deal with what Jesus said about marriage in Matthew chapter 19? 'Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?" God made them male and female, and this is the 'cause' (i.e., reason) for marriage. Marriage is between a man and woman only.
'-No, we are not a rich ministry, however you have chosen to define 'rich'. Our biggest expense is staff salary (we have about 300 staff), and that's the biggest chunk of our expense (as we attempt to pay a 'workman worthy of his/her hire'). Also, had you done your research, you would have noticed that much of the excess we have on the books is money that has been set aside for the construction of a new auditorium (we are still collecting the funds and have not yet started to build). Plus, the salary figure you quoted for Ken includes benefits and expenses. I should mention that the executive directors of two similar-sized non-profit organizations in this area receive 2'"3 times the compensation. Lastly, most people would say that 'rich' describes a person earning at least $1 million a year.
You were concerned that 'the part that hurt me the most' about Ken's blog was that he mentioned your name and church name, adding that 'I am assuming there was a reason for this which I can guess is to encourage people who come and read his blog to spam my site, my twitter address, and possibly church with personal attacks.' No, we don't want people to attack you. But when we read of someone making so many false charges about our ministry and is also compromising the Bible's clear teachings in the foundational book of Genesis, we want to warn people. As you yourself stated in your original article, 'I write this not to only criticize, but also to warn.' You find it fine to warn people about us in a public way and yet we are not allowed to? Yes, it's not fun being corrected, but that is not an attack on your person.
You wrote a 'scathing' (your word) article about us and mentioned Ken by name, but why did you hide behind a pseudonym?
You apologized for mistakenly calling AiG the publisher of Already Gone. Thank you for that. But please retract the much more serious mistakes you made.
Pastor, please: next time you summarize the contents of a book and present a critique (a 'review'), read it first.
Regards,
Mark Looy CCO Answers in Genesis
The above certainly doesn't seem like one of the supposed 'hate filled comments' to me! I challenge this theologically liberal Lutheran pastor to admit where he was wrong'-he can certainly disagree with us, but to publicly make false statements against us and not allow us to present the other side for his followers to read? That needs to be dealt with! Sadly, the pastor dealt with it this way on his blog:
Attention Spammers from AiG November 16, 2009 at 12:23 am
In the past few days, I have been getting lots of spam/hate comments/comments telling me how horrible I am/telling me how I am going to hell/telling me I am wrong/telling me how much I hate the Bible/etc. I have also gotten phone calls at the church I am called to. This is exactly what I wrote would happen due to a negative blog from the president of Answers In Genesis. I am so glad that you are taking the time to check out my blog and then writing comments that are either hurtful or unkind about me or about my ministry. I have been forced to remove comments until this all blows over. I hope your zeal for insulting me is just as strong as it is for Christ. I will continue to hold onto the grace of God and the cross of Christ. I will continue to preach his word. Please use your time for this purpose as well. As you can see, I have removed the articles to help speed the process of healing and forgiveness. I challenge Ken Ham to do the same. Have an awesome Christ filled day!'
So, he can make false statements about me and AiG'-he can misrepresent us in various ways'-we correct him (NOT in a hateful way), and his response is the above? Again, I challenge the pastor to deal with the false accusations he made against us'-yes, we obviously disagree regarding marriage, creation, etc.'-but many of the previous statements he made about our ministry and us personally were simply not true (as Mark has gently but firmly demonstrated). That needs to be dealt with by the pastor, but he is apparently so embarrassed by what he has written, that he now does not want any further public embarrassment by being corrected on his blog by our posting'-and has shut down further comment. He has refused our efforts to give his readers the other (correct) side.
Also, we would never say that a person who does not believe in Genesis as written can't be a Christian'-it's faith in Christ that saves.
By the way, Mark would welcome a call from the pastor if he wants to discuss this further.
In Wisconsin
Today I am in Wisconsin to speak at Northland International University, Dunbar, Wisconsin. I will be speaking at three major sessions'-all are open to the public. Go to the AiG website for details.
Devotion
Everlasting salvation
(Isaiah 45:17) But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: you shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
As we win souls we never stop to marvel at how when a sinner from his heart calls on the name of the Lord to be saved that an everlasting salvation takes place.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying, Ken
Item Category: Thoughts and Things Item comments: http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/2009/11/17/what-the-pastor-would-not-post/#comments
AiG's award-winning curriculum for homeschoolers continues to receive some extremely high marks. Over the last couple of years our curriculum team has helped to bring the already excellent work of Diana Waring (history writer) and Debbie & Richard Lawrence (science writers) to a whole new level, as we've added extensive color, new graphics, even entirely new textbooks. These, plus our just-released Answers for Preschoolers curricula, are now in use by thousands of families.
I hear 'thank you' from grateful parents frequently as I'm out speaking, and now with the newest round of upgrades, we are also seeing Christian schools beginning to integrate these AiG publications'-with their strong Bible-affirming creationist worldview'-into their courses.
This week we received word that reviewer Cathy Duffy, for many years one of the most respected voices in homeschool curricula, has uploaded new reviews of our God's Design for Science and History Revealed materials to her website. Here are some highlights. I encourage you to click through to see her exhaustive full-length versions, too. They are probably the most substantial and well-researched of any reviewer articles we've seen thus far.
Popular convention speaker and storyteller extraordinaire Diana Waring is the author of Answers Genesis's history program. . . . More than just a history curriculum, each course might well serve as a unit study with its coverage of history, geography, cultures, Bible, Bible history, and the fine arts coupled with plenty of work in language arts and even some science. . . . Each course is presented in nine units with four, weeklong lessons or 'phases' per unit. Each of the four phases reflects one of four learning style preferences (based on Myers Briggs learning styles). . . . On top of learning styles, the curriculum incorporates methods that teach to the three learning modalities: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (movement or hands-on learning). . . . [This] isn't your typical program. It isn't about memorizing names, dates, and events. Rather, it's about seeing the hand of God through history, the shaping of cultures and people. The emphasis is on learning in ways that engage the student's interest so that they grasp the big picture and broad outlines of history. (Cathy Duffy, Curriculum Specialist; from her full review)
. . . the third editions (2008-2009) have been totally redesigned with significant content improvements, resulting in an outstanding program. . . . The books in this series all reflect a Christian worldview, including a young-earth view of creation. . . . Hands-on experiments and activities are built into every lesson. These are worthwhile and really relate to topics. The activities and experiments include step-by-step instructions and are designed to teach [the] scientific method as children observe, record information, discuss, and form conclusions. . . . Textbooks are printed in full-color with numerous, high-quality illustrations and excellent graphics. The publisher has also made good use of color to highlight different portions of the lesson, making it easy to spot sections to be used with different students. These features make this series a practical choice for Christian homeschooling families as well as for classroom teachers in Christian schools. . . . I like this combination of information with experiments and activities, plus questions to ensure understanding. The variety of activities effectively reaches children with different learning styles.' (Cathy Duffy, Curriculum Specialist, from her full review)
60 Minutes Misses Something
Make sure you don't miss our review of the 60 Minutes TV program that aired last night on dinosaur evolution'-and what was completely missed.
Video Conference Coordinator Testimony
We praise the Lord of our volunteer Video Conference Coordinators who run AiG video conferences across the nation. Here is a testimony from one of them:
Bob/Jan, I wanted to let you know about a praise that we found out about this last week. In March of 2007 we did an [AiG] Genesis'-Key to Reclaiming the Culture event at [a Baptist church] in Michigan. The event went well, but since then we haven't heard anything from that church.
This last week my family had a homeschool group dinner with several other families. One gentleman and I were speaking, and I inquired what church they were with, and he said [this same] Baptist [church]. I said that we had been there and had organized the AiG event. He said, 'That's where I recognize you from,' and he began to tell me about what has been happening in the church.
Apparently since that night, that church has undergone a significant revival. They started using AiG resources in training the kids, teen, and adult classes. They have been using Living Waters resources in motivating evangelism. The teens specifically have been moved from 'pure apathy' to being involved and even doing personal evangelism. Even the kids that didn't believe anything, or even care, are now witnessing and proclaiming the truth in the Bible. The wife of the man I was speaking with also mentioned that the event motivated them to start homeschooling their son after seeing what he was being taught in public school.
I just wanted to let you know that God is using AiG in great ways. He blessed us with finding out about this church and encouraged us that the work AiG, and the VCCs, are doing is well worth the effort.
'-Terry & Michelle Stearns, Video Conference Coordinators.
Devotion
I will go and make and break and cut
(Isaiah 45:2) I will go before you, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron
We have many crooked places in our path and many obstacles in preaching the gospel to the lost, but we have the promise of help from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying, Ken
Item Category: Around AiG Item comments: http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/2009/11/16/award-winning-curriculum/#comments
I have included some photographs of a new member of the Creation Museum'-his name is 'Tucker,' and he was a real hit yesterday with our 1800 visitors, including many children (plus our museum's operations director Dan Mangus, holding Tucker).
Very Special Talk at the Museum, on a Memorable Date'-December 7
Things are not static at the Creation Museum. Even our lecturers are constantly developing new talks for our museum attendees. Popular AiG speaker Mike Riddle is a former Marine (although he is quick to remind me that there really is no such thing as a 'former' Marine!), and with this military background, Mike has come up with a special patriotic talk that also incorporates our biblical authority message.
Why is the special talk being given on December 7? History buffs will recognize that date: the entrance of the U.S. into World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Here is how Mike summarizes the talk that he will give at noon on December 7 (a Monday) inside the museum (free for museum ticket holders):
America: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
This talk presents the history of America and her battles for freedom, including the War for Independence, Civil War, WW I and II, Korea, Vietnam, as well as the Cold War'-and now the war on terror. The talk then focuses on another and greater battle that will affect America's future: the importance of biblical foundations. The gospel message will also be presented. The talk is accompanied with memorable graphics and music that reflect this country's heritage.
Bring a friend to the museum on Monday, December 7'-someone who needs to hear the gospel message and appreciates learning about America's heritage. Again, the talk by Mike is free with museum admission.
As a relatively new citizen of America, this kind of presentation is of personal interest to me.
