Christian Apologist Ken Ham: Battle Over Genesis Is Heating Up
NASHVILLE – Christian apologists like Ken Ham, president and founder of Answers in Genesis, might see more opposition to their literal way of reading the Bible. That includes believing in a literal Adam and Eve and the fall of man, Ham told The Christian Post Sunday.
His belief that the Bible is the history book of the universe is increasingly under attack, he said.
"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."
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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.
Ham expressed his concerns while attending the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville, Tenn., where he is picking up an award for the best ministry website.
In Ham's opinion, too many churches are teaching the Bible as "stories," Ham told CP. And stories are often associated with fables in today's culture. The Bible should be taught as history, the controversial minister asserted.
"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."
The 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.
His beliefs and tactics have been criticized by other Christians and "old earth creationists," who do not believe the Earth could be this young. Still, AiG has now become the world's largest apologetics organization, according to the ministry's website.
Ham has won the NRB best ministry website award for the second time in six years. The convention jury said in a statement that the ministry's website is "Not only ... attractive and easy-to-use, but its true hallmark is that AiG posts several new items to its site every day and they all relate to proclaiming the Bible's accuracy and authority."
In June, the ministry will launch their own three-year Bible study curriculum available for Christian schools. It is apologetic, evangelistic and chronological, Ham told CP. It is also going to be an interactive program connected to the Web.
"Nobody has ever done anything like this before," Ham said.
