A letter to the Editor of the Defiance Crescent-News, submitted July 11, 2016
Dear Editor,
Four or so hours away from Defiance, a man by the name of Ken Ham has built a $100 million monument to human ignorance — The Ark Encounter. This monument is a life-sized replica of Noah’s Ark. As one who was raised in the Evangelical church and pastored churches for 25 years, I heard and preached countless sermons about Noah and the Ark. Regrettably, I was in my forties before I learned that this story and many others were myths, having no basis in historical or scientific fact.
According to Ham and his fellow Evangelicals, the universe is 6,021 years old. Everything we see, both on earth and in the skies, was created by God in six literal 24-hour days. According to creationists, the book of Genesis is a science textbook, one that emphatically teaches young earth creationism. Indeed, the entire Bible is infallible and without error, and should be, with rare exception, interpreted literally.
I am sure, just as Muslims who make a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Mecca, Evangelicals will flock to Kentucky to Ham’s monument to scientific ignorance. Adults will pay $40 for the privilege of touring Ham’s Ark, children $26. While there, Evangelicals will be taught “truths” about the historicity and reliability of the Bible and young earth creationism. I am sure most visitors will be awed by Ham’s Ark, ignoring that much of what Ham has constructed is built upon speculation. If Ham built a boat according to Biblical specifications, I highly doubt Kentucky officials would grant it an occupancy permit, and it is doubtful such a boat would safely float.
Ken Ham also operates the Creation Museum, another monument to ignorance. When it first opened, Evangelicals flocked to Kentucky to witness the wonders of the young earth creationism lie. Once witnessed, Evangelicals moved on to other entertainments, resulting in decreasing revenues for Answers in Genesis. Following the script of Field of Dreams, Ham built his Ark believing Evangelicals would visit if he did. And they will, for a time. The problem for Ham lies in the fact that Evangelicals easily bore. Once Evangelicals have seen the Ark, will they return? Probably not, especially if Ham continues to charge King’s Island-like admission prices. Perhaps Ham knows this, and this is why he is already planning a new entertainment venture — a replica of the Tower of Babel. Those who love reason and science can only shake their heads.
Bruce Gerencser
Ney, Ohio
Ham is a magician! His sleight of hand is the ark. While the gullible line up to see the big magic trick, his trickster fingers count the cash, all of it profit for God!
Can’t wait for the tower!
Lets see, in 4000 years some fundagelical wackjob “archæologist” will find this monument to ignorance and in his own ignorance believe he found the real deal. I can only imagine the headlines?
This ark was build at a cost of millions of dollars, using modern machines, under the guidance of modern engineers and is still not sea worthy.
So how did Noah manage it?
I think Ham has inadvertently shown the story to be myth.
You beat me to the punch. I was going to say that very thing. Well-done!
I also note that Mr. Ham, when questioned about using glue-laminated wood and hydraulic cranes and such said something along the lines of that because the “flood” destroyed everything, we have no way of knowing what the technology was before said flood, and that Noah might have had access to much higher technology than we imagine. Apparently, all archaeology is fake, and high technology existed 4,000 years ago. Also, everything we’ve discovered about the Han, the Egyptian and Sumerian empires, the Aztecs, the Olmec, and is all wrong. In fact, everything, our biology, our history, our physics, all wrong… and Mr. Ham is right. Wow.
One thing for sure, Mr. Ham has an ego that would choke a hippo.
JR, you are quite right.
The Noah story can be dismissed as pure myth for so many reasons that it isn’t worth bothering even starting a serious discussion on the subject, though if I were a Kentucky resident I’d be extremely angry at the thought that my hard earned tax dollars had gone into this colossal exhibition of human stupidity.
Even so, just to add a couple of random reasons the story couldn’t possibiy be true. If Noah lived in the desert how did he know how to build any boat, never mind one on this scale? Secondly, if Noah lived for another few hundred years how come his knowledge gained in building the Ark didn’t feed through into boat building technology, which developed and evolved at a rate consistent with there having been no Ark and no Noah.
Can we send Mr. Ham back to Australia? Preferably, to the outback, with no internet connection. Just sayin’……..
Ken Ham has been bragging about the sheer number of architects, designers, sculptors and other professionals that he has had working on this Ark of his. He’s repeated over and over how so many of his beloved donors have given the hundreds of millions of dollars that it took to build this boat-shaped building.
How does he not realize that this shows how absolutely idiotic it would be to think that a 600 year old man built this same fucking thing by himself, with the most primitive of tools?? How is it that fundies don’t see this???
Well-spotted.
Of course, Mr. Ham claims that the technology must have been much higher than actual archaeology accepts, and, of course, he believes life-spans were much, much longer – for some unexplained reason. (600 year old people, as an example.) I’ve heard apologists say that the Arc must have taken over 100 years to build… so, surely, if Mr. Ham really wants to prove his case, he should have refused his donors, his tax-breaks, not employed any professionals, and simply made this a multi-generational project. His whole extended family could have labored for a hundred years or so, and we then could see what they came up with. It would have been at least an honest attempt to verify his beliefs. But, then, he wouldn’t have his new exhibit up and running, wouldn’t have gotten his taxpayer funded subsidy, and wouldn’t be cashing in now.
I guess we know what he really worships, don’t we?
Spot on Bruce!! I smh at the stupidity out there 🙁
Hi Bruce,
YEC’s don’t look closely at the numerous problems of a literal interpretation of the story. e.g if two of every kind boarded the ark, how did the Australian kangaroos, koalas, emus, etc. reach the ancient near east about 4,000 years ago? Did Noah visit Australia on a boat (no evidence)? Did the they swim and then reach land (impossible)? Did God teleport them (beam me up Scotty)? (against physics, so no evidence )
Once all the “kinds” boarded the ark, how did 8 people remove all the dung? There are numerous other problems with a literal account. The story is clearly an ancient myth.
Shalom,
John Arthur
Where are the (non-human) animals? Ken Ham could go a long way toward proving his claims by putting two of every kind of animal except those that live in salt water on his boat. That would really attract the visitors. Oh, and rainbows… LOTS of rainbows!
On behalf of 99.9999999% of Australians I would like to thank everyone in the US for getting Ken Ham out of Australia. Unfortunately there is a no return policy on Ken, so sorry but no we can’t take him back… Lol