Interesting article in the Centre Daily Times from State College PA, "Noah's Ark theme park is impressive, but its ‘facts’ don’t hold water". It's from Tom Eblen, a Christian, and it shows a point of view not mentioned often enough in the news. There are hundreds, if not over a thousand different Christian denominations and they differ in many things, including doctrine and authority. Little kennie ham speaks for very few. What interested me the most is the Tom's description of kennie ham and his belief set [I added the underlines]:
"Answers in Genesis’ young-earth creationism is the product of a strain of evangelical Christianity only about a century old that now seems to thrive on authoritarianism, conservative politics and feelings of persecution."
Authoritarianism, conservative politics, and feelings of persecution! Wow, did he hit the nail on the head or what? Think about the authoritarian control kennie has on his followers. If you don't toe the line, you can't even be hired . . . and his line is absolute! Conservative politics . . . who pulled Kentucky out of the lawsuit over sales tax incentives? The new Republican Governor, tea-partier Matt Belvin. Who how many posts of kennie's do you need to read before you realize what a marketing point he's turned the perceived persecution of Christians into? It's a common theme of his! I do have to wonder if he really believe this persecution complex or is it just another tactics of his?
I did like his closing comment, and one I wish would make more news than it ever will.
I did like his closing comment, and one I wish would make more news than it ever will.
"Answers in Genesis has built an impressive ark, and those who believe its theology are welcome to it. For me, though, this pseudo-science doesn’t hold water."The Ark is news, but the simple fact that most Christians don't agree with kennie on anything he represents to be science gets little mention. Every tactic he uses is designed to confuse and obfuscate the fact that he has nothing but he own belief set without any supporting evidence at all.
Push him hard enough and he falls on "Were you there?" argument against actual science. Well, kennie, were you there when Jesus was born, died, or there in the hundreds of years the Bible was written and re-written? We all know the answer, but he will never admit it. You see to kennie, it doesn't matter that he wasn't there personally, after all God was there. But when it comes to science, the fact a person wasn't personally there mean it can't possible be true. Such a ridiculous rationalization, but one he uses . . . religiously.
What little kennie reminds me of, and this is also why I refer to him as little kennie, is a toddler throwing a tantrum. I once watching a toddler throw an absolute fit because Mom wouldn't buy him candy. She was very firm and them I watched this . . . probably about 4 to 5 year old . . . throw a fit and announce to the world how mean his mommy was and how unfair it was . . . he actually used the word 'unfair' which surprised me. Intelligently, Mom picked him up and took him out of the store. I don't know what happened after that, but if it had been one of my daughters . . . they might be sitting gingerly for a while and candy would not have been on the foreseeable horizon.
But in all seriousness, that's what little kennie reminds me of. Suggest public school shouldn't visit his church . . . and you get a tantrum with lots of name-calling. Withhold tax money because he reneged on his promise to uphold non-discriminatory hiring practices and you get a tantrum and a lawsuit . . . the list is endless. Anytime you disagree with kennie, you are anti-religious regardless of fact you might believe in a completely different religious tradition. Little kennie doesn't care, you are either supporting him or he claims you are some sort of atheist anti-religious zealot, he's a toddler who uses the concept of a deity to get his way.
What little kennie reminds me of, and this is also why I refer to him as little kennie, is a toddler throwing a tantrum. I once watching a toddler throw an absolute fit because Mom wouldn't buy him candy. She was very firm and them I watched this . . . probably about 4 to 5 year old . . . throw a fit and announce to the world how mean his mommy was and how unfair it was . . . he actually used the word 'unfair' which surprised me. Intelligently, Mom picked him up and took him out of the store. I don't know what happened after that, but if it had been one of my daughters . . . they might be sitting gingerly for a while and candy would not have been on the foreseeable horizon.
But in all seriousness, that's what little kennie reminds me of. Suggest public school shouldn't visit his church . . . and you get a tantrum with lots of name-calling. Withhold tax money because he reneged on his promise to uphold non-discriminatory hiring practices and you get a tantrum and a lawsuit . . . the list is endless. Anytime you disagree with kennie, you are anti-religious regardless of fact you might believe in a completely different religious tradition. Little kennie doesn't care, you are either supporting him or he claims you are some sort of atheist anti-religious zealot, he's a toddler who uses the concept of a deity to get his way.
If you disagree with my comment as to most Christians disagree with kennie, just look up the Clergy Letter Project and see the various denominations supporting it. Right there is one major area where kennie is way out of step with the clear majority of Christianity. As the author put it, it's their theology . . . I would add that they are welcome to it, because I sure don't want it . . . but their pseudo-science doesn't hold water, and neither will their ark 'replica'. [Quotes added because you cannot make a replica of something that never existed.]
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