20070529

Ken Ham - Answer In Genesis - Creationism

Recently, while travelling down the road, I was treated to some preaching, via a religious radio station, from Ken Ham.

If you are unfamiliar with Ken Ham, you can (see here) a Wikipedia description of him and some of his activities.

Ken Ham is quite a speaker. He argues that the Bible should be taken literally and that when the Book of Genesis says that God created the world in six days (resting on the seventh) that the human understanding of "days" (a period of 24 hours) is what is meant. His argument is that if the Bible is to be taken literally, then the Book of Genesis must be taken just as literally.

As I said, he is quite a speaker. He is extremely entertaining in his arguments. I will say that if you are a Bible Literalist, you probably will walk away, after hearing him speak, convinced that God did indeed create the world in a mere six 24 hour periods of time.

Ken Ham seems to concentrate solely on Genesis in his preachings, which I think is a shame. This preacher apparently describes himself as a Christian, and as a Christian preacher, I wish one as brilliant as he occasionally attempted to preach the Gospels.

I offer a challenge to Ken Ham. How about applying your reasoning's to the Gospels. If every word of the Old Testament Book of Genesis is to be taken so literally, how about applying this point of view to the Gospels?

I could come up quite a few examples from the Gospels for this so called Christian preacher to preach about, but will settle for just one example which I challenge him to preach about.

Matthew 19:16 "The Rich Young Man" (all quotes are taken from the NIV - New International Version). Quoting:
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
Now Jesus starts by saying the man should obey the commandments, however the young man was not satisfied with this answer and in Matthew 19:20 he asks
:"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
How did Jesus reply? In Matthew 19:21 we find:
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Now if Ken Ham is going to insist that there are "Answers In Genesis" then I expect that, as a Christian, we must also even give equal weight that there are "Answers in the Gospels". So what does Ken Ham have to preach about this which is contained in the Gospel of Matthew?

Does Ken Ham even have so much as a wrist watch on his arm? (I have noted a picture which shows he does.) Should the Gospels be taken so literally that "sell your possessions" means if I am going to be perfect that it includes selling the clothes you wear (because they are possessions) and following Jesus naked?

If Genesis is to be taken so literally that "days" means a 24 hour period, shouldn't "possessions" in the Gospel of Matthew then be taken literally to include the clothes on your back because you own them? Perhaps Jesus did not mean for us to run around naked following him (because there is no indication Jesus went around naked) however if we take it literally, "possessions" means possessions in Matthew just like "days" means days in Genesis.

If Genesis must be taken so literally that days must mean a 24 hour period then Matthew must be taken just as literally to include the clothing one owns.

Perhaps Ken Ham can be forgiven for not running around naked while he preaches (I certainly hope so) but what excuse does he have for having a wrist watch on his arm? Does he "possess" an automobile? (Jesus had to borrow a donkey when he could not walk.) Does he "possess" a home? (Apparently Jesus never owned real estate and counted on others to provide him with a place to rest his head at night.)

I'm waiting to hear this so called Christian preacher to apply his logic to the Good News contained in the Gospels. If he just as faithfully uses his reasoning in application to the Gospels as he applies it to the Old Testament, well now, then we are going to hear some fine preaching. Of course, then he is going to have to deal with "Practice what you preach" coming from the congregation.

My challenge is that Ken Ham close the Book of Genesis and open the Gospels for inspiration. I want to hear this preacher preach the Good News. I do not think I am asking for too much. He claims to be a Christian doesn't he?

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