I’m convinced that Bible literalism, creationism, and Evangelical belief, when merged together in the mind of a Christian render them unable to rationally think. Harsh, you say? Let me give readers an example of what I am talking about. Recently, Danny Faulkner, a frequent contributor to Ken Ham’s Answers in Genesis website, wrote a post about the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. While Faulkner was quick to say, yes the moon landing actually happened, his reasons for believing so left a lot to be desired. After giving a historical account of the moon landing, Faulkner ended his post with this:
The Apollo moon landing theory has gained some traction among Christians too. Since so many scientists are wrong about the origin and age of the world, it may be that many Christians assume that the same scientists are wrong about landing on the moon too. Sometimes it seems that scientists want to stamp out any dissent on certain issues, such as evolution. This heavy-handed approach can look a bit conspiratorial, so Christians may be justified in being at least a bit skeptical about many things. How should we respond? It is tempting to give a detailed rebuttal of many of the claims made by those who support the idea that the Apollo moon landings were a hoax. However, that has been done many times already.
There is a much more straightforward approach. Two of the twelve men who walked on the moon later were born again Christians, Charlie Duke, and the late Jim Irwin. Both of these dedicated Christians wrote books in which they shared their testimonies and their experiences as astronauts. To doubt the Apollo moon landings amounts to accusing two Christian brothers of lying about the biggest thing that ever happened to them, of course apart from their salvation. The biblical standard for establishing such a matter is two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6; Matthew 18:15–17; 2 Corinthians 13:1). These two Christian astronauts certainly suffice as reliable witnesses, so we can be assured that the Apollo astronauts indeed walked on the moon.
That’s right. Danny Faulkner told Answers in Genesis readers that he completely understands why they might have doubts about the Apollo 11 moon landing. After all, “Since so many scientists are wrong about the origin and age of the world, it may be that many Christians assume that the same scientists are wrong about landing on the moon too. ”
Faulkner’s answer for those who understandably doubt the truth of the moon landing is to remind them of moon walkers Jim Irwin (Apollo 15) and Charlie Duke (Apollo 16). Both of these men are born again Christians, and according to Faulkner this means their testimony of what happened on the moon should be accepted without question. Evidently, being a Christian grants a person special powers that enable them to always tell the truth. According to Faulkner, to not believe the testimony of these moon walkers is to say that they are lying, and no Christian should call a brother or sister in the Lord a liar (even though Ken Ham spends considerable time calling all sorts of people liars).
Ken Ham, the CEO of Answers in Genesis, the Creation Museum, and Noah’s Bathtub Adventure, posted Faulkner’s article to his Facebook page. After Ham posted the article, outraged Evangelicals let Ham know what they thought about it:
I respect Ken Ham and his work but I have a hard time believing the moon landings were real based on the word of two christian astronauts. Most of the astronauts were high level Freemasons including Buzz Aldrin and John Glenn and that is a red flag for me as far as credibility goes. Hillary and President Obama also call themselves Christians. So do we believe everything they say also? Sorry, not buying it.
I’m not sure about the moon landing. But hopefully it’s true!
I have always questioned if we did, Glory PTL
When I read these comments, I am so discouraged. No one knows how to make a sound argument. “the landings weren’t faked, cause we are told they weren’t faked and we watched it on TV and my grandfather was in the program and so on and so on… literally no proof. Again, we could have done it, but and null the arguments made are so terrible and have no business being acknowledged but to simply make my point. No one can think anymore. Many are uncomfortable with questioning things of this magnitude. It opens the door for the possibility that many other things could be deceiving them as well. We don’t like feeling deceived, therfore we accept what we are told. Talks of science being compromised in the fields of biology and geology, still thinks astronomy and physics are 100% legit. Revelation states the devil deceives the whole world but Ken doesn’t want to acknowledge an elitist globalized agenda to deceive the whole world… [face palm]
Sorry … One of your Astronauts was a MASON.
How can you land on a light? It is better to trust God than man. Every man is a lier.
The entire world had really been brainwashed the this B.S. moon landIng Matthew 24:24 “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” The bible is right
It’s so sad that many Christian still believe this greatest lie in human history. They blindly believe anything just because they heard it in the radio and watched in the TV. Just because they read a bible verse doesn’t mean they’re telling the truth. Matthew 7:21 (ASV) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
I’m not sure which side I take on the issue. As a professional photographer for many many years – photos don’t lie. Let’s not forget, we’re dealing with photography back in its earlier stages… not like we have today. Perfect photos in a harsh lighted realm by amateur photographs – not likely. And that is only a tiny piece of the many problems.
My question is, if we did really go there soooooo many years ago, why haven’t we went to the moon a thousand more times since then? It just doesn’t make any sense…
We never landed on the moon. NASA is a sham. It’s embarrassing anyone still hasn’t looked at the so called evidences, especially if you consider yourself an intellectually honest seeker of truth. What, you mean the stuff NASA puts out who doesn’t allow anyone else to verify their stuff? They are a self verifying agency. Wake up! Look at the many fakes and frauds they put out from photos to videos. Why fake anything at all? Fact is, they faked it all
I love what you do Ken, but it’s kinda disappointing to see AiG supporting this hoax. Getting to the Moon would have been impossible 50 years ago with the technology available, which isn’t even close to what we have now. And there’s a pretty obvious reason for why we haven’t been there a single time since then.
My question is why can’t you see any stars in the background? When we look up from earth you can see a million stars but not from th moon. And who took the pics of the first steps of man on the moon was someone already there waiting?
I have a question. Who took the video of it leaving the moon surface to return home? Saw this as a child and no one could answer that question.
The truth must be our guide, not any other things. People question the technological feasibility of landing on the moon with 1969 technology. It’s a legitimate question. They question the authenticity by asking, “Why haven’t any governments sent men back with modern tools and technology in the 40 years hence?” It’s a legitimate question. “Why were the moon mission files classified until 2026?” It’s a legitimate question. “What about the Van Allen radiation belts and lethal radiation exposure?” It’s a legitimate question. “Why did Neil Armstrong ration interviews? And why his wording about ”truth’s protective layers” in a brief White House speech?” They are legitimate questions. And there are 50 more legitimate questions. Christians must seek the truth. God gave us faculties to utilize, and a Christian must purpose all his faculties upon the truth. And there remain unsatisfactory answers to questions. An honest Christian, born again, seeking the truth, can question the claims, in pursuit of the truth. It is fundamental.
I know we left some junk on the moon when we left. They know where the Luner landers landed. Can’t we point one of the orbiting telescopes at the moon to locate some of the debris. Or one of the flags we left.
I am ambivalent. They haven’t been to the moon in over 40 years but what did they do on the moon? They are trying to go to Mars but they haven’t done anything with the moon yet. That’s partly why I’m skeptical. The other part is the photos that don’t cast a silhouette with the only light source behind them. Just make me go hmmm.
I’m uncertain how to feel about Ham, and this latest foolishness.
On the one hand he does, as you say, seem to accept the truth of the moon landings, but only because a couple of astronauts happened to subscribe to a philosophy of which he approves. That’s ridiculous reasoning, and also very insulting to all the other very fine people involved, whose testimony he, effectively, dismissed.
The positive evidence for the moon landings is strong, compelling, and every objection (eg, why flag appears to ‘fly’) have been addressed. The negative evidence, however, is also overwhelming, not least the sheer number of people who would have to have been involved in the conspiracy, yet not one has ever come forward. Most compelling may be the fact that Russia, against whom the race into space and the moon became obsessive, never once suggested that they had any doubts. Nor have they once expressed any doubts since.
https://xkcd.com/966/
“I’m convinced that Bible literalism, creationism, and Evangelical belief, when merged together in the mind of a Christian render them unable to rationally think.”
Is it that, or is it t’other way ’round? That being unable to think rationally allows things like Biblical literalism, creationism and Evangelical belief (amongst other things) to take hold?
If I allowed myself to believe something for which there was no evidence, how then could I logically refuse to believe *anything* for which there was no evidence? On what logical basis could I allow myself to believe in the Christian God but then refuse to believe in Zeus or Odin or Quetzalcoatl? How do I allow myself to believe that homoeopathy is worth believing in but that reiki or reflexology are not? How do I accept astrology but reject the reading of entrails?
It comes down to a matter of methodology: how does one determine whether or not something is true? I’ve asked that particular question of many creationists/fundamentalists/evangelicals and I have *never* received an answer.
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? 🙂
Many Evangelicals are cradle to grave Christians. Crippling their reasoning skills starts at a very young age. Evangelical church leaders know that if they can successfully indoctrinate people when they are young they are more likely to keep their ass in the pew and their money in the offering plate. Rational inquiry, doubts, or questions are rarely encouraged. Blind faith in God, the Bible, and the church supplants skepticism, reason, and rational inquiry.
I have a notion that you are on the right track, August Rode… The system of belief is based on the delusional life of the early brain in the development of our species. The harmful delusions are passed down through the generations of delusion and if you get those babies early, many never get away. The loss of rational thinking lays the foundation for highway to heaven at the end of things. One must be prepared to admire the king’s new clothes as he parades his nakedness. If one queries, even frowns, punitive action soon corrects the natural ability to see the obvious lie. You must punish until the spirit of a child is broken, until they truly know that their only hope is a fantasy; it is all they have of love.
I like this one the best:
“Who took the video of it leaving the moon surface to return home? Saw this as a child and no one could answer that question.”
Pretty obvious, they set up the camera to broadcast before they left. The first steps were recorded with a camera mounted on the LEM.
“How can you land on a light”
They stole the sarcastic coment I left on the Sensuous Curmudgeon blog. A true Biblical literalist will in fact believe that celestial objects are mere lights in the sky for the sole purpose of marking time and the seasons on Earth.
Good thing there’s one born every minute, eh Ham? Gotta pay back the bank loan on that ark.
Most the other questions have easy to find answers on bad astronomy or the like.
I am dumbfounded, How can one uncritically accept a book as divine on flimsy evidence yet reject recent historical events that are supported by abundant evidence?
It seems a clear case of prejudice overriding common sense and sound judgement. I just hope none of these folk have jobs that require them to think critically or to make decisions after evaluating evidence.
For accuracy’s sake, the blog post at AIG isn’t by Ken Ham but by Dr. Danny Faulkner. Ken Ham did post it to Facebook, however. My lack of God, his followers are quite a collection, aren’t they? They’re so… so… surreal.
Thanks for catching that. I will correct my post.
Perhaps this post is an excellent time to say if aliens do exist, maybe this is why they don’t visit us? On a more serious note, I hope America does not spiral down the drain of anti-science into becoming a future third-world country. I have thought half seriously about moving to another country. Maybe I should before I die, while I still can.
Hi Bruce,
These followers of Ham that you mention are crackpots. A couple of years ago, a painter whom I knew was painting my house. He attends the local Anglican church. When I mentioned that creation science was crazy stuff, he agreed and said: “Those’ born agains’ are getting crazier every day. They have a bible verse for everything.”
His statement reminded me of a lady who, in 1969, told me that men will never land on the moon. God will stop them building their ‘Tower of Babel’. A few months later, we had the moon landing, but she conveniently forgot that she ever made the statement.
Without scientific method, where would we be? I hope, not with Ken Ham’s bible crazies.
Shalom,
John Arthur
I took physics in high school, before I had ever learned calculus. Now, a lot of physics is properly expressed using the language of calculus, so we were kind of hobbled in high school; we could explore phenomena, but not express them with proper math. I took lots more physics in college, this time alongside calculus classes, and stuff that hadn’t made sense before suddenly became reasonable. I wondered how I’d managed to learn anything at all in the high school class.
Rational thinking is similar. You have to learn it, It does not come naturally to most people. And when you do learn it, and discover how useful it is for interpreting reality, your thinking prior to learning it becomes vague and fuzzy to you, like my high school physics was to me.
But what if you never learn it? If you’re raised from the cradle in a religious tradition that strongly discourages it, how do you know what you’re missing? If your head is stuffed full of nonsense and you have no other measure of reality, how do you sort out that your head is in fact full of nonsense? Obviously some people do; they learn rational thinking as they go along, and eventually start questioning the nonsense. Others can learn to apply rational thinking to some aspects of life, but not the foundational nonsense; that’s too scary.
But it seems to me that the key is being manipulated into believing that thinking rationally is a dangerous thing, either in general or with respect to all things religious (and for Evangelical Christians, that’s an awful lot of life!)