How to Ruin Halloween!

Little kennie ham, the purveyor of multiple pseudo-Christian ministries (Answers in Genesis, the Ark Park, and the Creation 'museum') is trying to take any fun out of Halloween. In a post over on his blog, "Sharing Christ with Trick-or-Treaters" and offers his view on how 'trick or treating' should happen. He wants you to:

• Buy one of his booklets to hand out instead of candy (A Biblical and Historical Look at Halloween)
• Or try "reverse-trick-or-treating" when you bring a basket of goodies to bless your neighbors. Include a gospel booklet with your home-baked or store-bought treats. 
• Have a family discussion about this day with a DVD (Halloween, Paganism, and the Bible), it's by the same guy who wrote the booklet 
• Get kennie's “Halloween Learn and Share Kit”, which includes the previously mentioned booklet and DVD and also two different kinds of dollar-bill sized tracts.

Yes, each and every one of his alternatives to costumes and candy involve purchasing something from his store.  He's not just after having others do his preaching, he wants you to pay him for the privilege!

I enjoy Halloween, I always have.  It's one of my favorite holidays.  The best part is all the kids coming to the front door.  The costumes are terrific and it's just plain fun!  When my daughters were younger, trick or treating was usually limited to 2 hours.  For the first hour they would go trick or treating and for the second hour they would help us give out candy to the other kids.  They loved both parts and, to this day, still love it as much as I do.

My local town has a Halloween Parade and several stores filled with Halloween accompaniments.  We decorate inside and out, in fact this weekend we'll be putting up some lights, spiders and webbing, and corn stalks.  The evening before trick or treating my daughter, granddaughter, and I will be hand carving several pumpkins.  The next evening we will thoroughly enjoy giving out candy and seeing the incredible costumes and cutest kids!

I choose not to preach to those kids and their families.  I have no idea what religion they might be, so assuming they would even welcome preaching is hubris personified.  But we know why kennie wants us all to preach his party line -- he doesn't accept any religion but his own.  Remember his 'World Religion Conference'?  He advertised it as:

"Join us for the World Religions Conference July 24-27 and please share this with friends and family members who might be interested.More than ever, Christians need to know what other religions believe and then learn how to reach the lost souls mired in them." (World Religion Conference)

Did you note the phrase 'how to reach lost souls mired in them [religions other than his own].  So he doesn't even recognize that people coming to his door might not appreciate preaching his narrow viewpoint.  I pretty much can picture what will happen next year, if I did as kennie wants -- very few kids coming to the door!  The kids might not remember, but I am pretty sure the parents will.  Having a light on won't make much difference, the neighborhood kids will avoid my house!  Following kennie's suggestions would only ruin a perfectly fun holiday.  Little kennie's not going to ruin this holiday!

I am sorta curious if anyone bothers to go to kennie's house for Halloween?   I wonder what his house looks like, probably something more on the order of a mansion, like many other Evangelical preacher's homes.  So I bet you don't even get past the gate.

In closing I have to post this.  It has nothing to do with kennie and his whining.  It's just cute.

Division along Racial Lines is Bad, but Division along Religious Lines is OK! Really?

The Gospel Herald has an article about one of my favorite targets, little kennie ham of the Answers in Genesis, Creation 'museum' and Ark Park fame. In it they quote little kennie talking about racism:

"There aren't 'white' or 'black' people-we're all the same color," Ham wrote in a Facebook post. "All humans have the same basic color of skin (which comes from the pigment melanin) just different shades--there are no 'white' or 'black' people. Using terms like 'white' and 'black' promotes division, racism, and prejudice--all are brown." ()

My issue doesn't address race, but division and prejudice.  Yes there are specific terms are divide people in many ways.  In recent years we've seen huge examples of divisiveness due to politics, more so than I can ever remember.  But there is another set of divisive terms and for some reason kennie not only doesn't address them, but promotes them.  They have to do with religion.

This is the same man who is hosting a 'World Religions Conference' next month and the stated purpose of that conference:

""Join us for the World Religions Conference July 24-27 and please share this with friends and family members who might be interested.More than ever, Christians need to know what other religions believe and then learn how to reach the lost souls mired in them." (World Religion Conference)"

Let me repeat the last part of that: "reach the lost souls mired in them".  So we are expected to believe this is a person whose wants to end divisiveness and prejudice?  And yet shows absolutely no tolerance for any religious beliefs other than his own!  What makes his belief set any better than any other?  Absolutely nothing!  In my opinion, the fact that kennie believes it, should be a huge warning flag to anyone with a functioning brain!

He preaches that we are all one people, but it only works for kennie if we all share one religion, his religion.  It's not even mainstream Christianity any more, but a narrow version of Christianity based on his personal beliefs.  It may have started with Christianity once upon a time, but it's evolved into something much more divisive and prejudicial.  How can someone claim to against divisiveness when he clearly demonstrate s prejudice against anyone who fails to share his narrow viewpoint.

You can't even work for ham unless you share that view.  Here is a copy from the AiG Employment Website for the requirements for a Plumber:

Remember, this is for a Plumber, not a minister, a plumber.  But to work for kennie at any of his ministries, you have to share his narrow religious viewpoint. I can understand the first three, but what do the last three have to do with your ability as a plumber?  Although, you might ask why kennie would need a plumber, won't prayer handle any problems?

One of the things you can expect if you visit one of kennie ham's monuments to his own ego, is the lack of any sort of freedom of expression.  Back in 2009 the Secular Students of America visited the place and there was a number of email exchanges pretty much guaranteeing that free speech is not allowed, particularly any attire the Creation Museum staff decided was 'godless'.  Here is one example.

I was in attendance that day as well and found the SSA folks to be quiet and reserved.  I didn't notice any 'godless' clothing, but I did listen to a guy who was told to turn his shirt inside out because it said "There probably is no God".  A valid opinion, but not if you are kennie's place.  See what I mean, how divisive is an arbitrary limit on freedom of expression.

This is also the man who was dis-invited from two homeschool conferences back in 2011 for what was described by the organizers for:

"The Board believes that Ken's public criticism of the convention itself and other speakers at our convention require him to surrender the spiritual privilege of addressing our homeschool audience," read the email, posted on the AiG website."Our Board believes Ken's comments to be unnecessary, ungodly, and mean-spirited statements that are divisive at best and defamatory at worst," the homeschooling group wrote, however, that it is "100% young earth" in its scientific stance."

Look at the words:  "divisive at best and defamatory at worst"!  Little kennie, and his 'Hamians', are among the most divisive people on the planet.  They believe so strongly in their particular religious strain, that they are perfectly OK with discriminating against the rest of the world, the overwhelming majority of which don't share his views.  We don't even have to get into his views on the LGBT community to realize how divisive and prejudicial Ham and Co. is.  So take his post about racial divisiveness with a large bag of salt.  He doesn't care about it, he's just using it to market his religion. 

Little Kennie Ham is Disappointed! Yeah!

I am a Whovian, I've enjoyed the show through its constant evolution of main characters.  Just last year I got to meet David Tennant and Billie Piper at a Comic Convention in St. Louis.  Even saying that I have to admit  I haven't been too impressed with the current Doctor, but I am still a fan of the show.

Before getting into little kennie's problem, I do want to address something related and something that I think put's little kennie's issues in perspective.  The Doctor is an alien and while there has been a little romantic tension between at least one doctor and companion, there hasn't been any romantic entanglements.  In fact several of his companions have been involved with others.  The relationship between the Doctor and the companions has been nearly always familial, more brother/sisterly than romantic.  So why is that important?  Well, as reported by the Christian Post little kennie isn't a fan of the show any more because one of the main characters is gay.

So how do I know little kennie is disappointed in Doctor Who?  Take a look at his own words -- which seem very discouraging:

"While it is sad -- but not surprising from the world -- this reminds me that we need to teach our kids not to be in love with the world, because we will be disappointed at some point."

What a thing to say, especially to kids.  What this tells me is the world changes, and you have to learn to deal with the changes -- obviously kennie can't handle change.  You can't hide your head in the sand, or stuck in the pages of a book written a long time ago.  How limited his world view is, no wonder he's incapable of love in the world -- a world he claims his version of a deity created! 

I really think this is also very  hypocritical of little kennie.  Doctor Who has featured:

• A time-traveling alien with two hearts and who knows what other physical differences.
• Traveling in a device often exceeds kennie's idea of a 6,000 year old Earth.
• Discusses concepts like evolution.
• Having a child through cloning.
• Santa Claus
• Homosexuality and Bisexuality, anyone else remember Captain Jack Harkness?

Why this sudden change?  After all the  . . . from little kennie's point of view, . . . objectionable things Doctor Who has presented, why now?  It is just because it's a main character?  No, I think it's simpler than that.  I think he's bleating now because the idea of a main character being gay is getting press, and we know how little kennie likes attention.  That's why I see him as more than a little hypocritical.

This isn't the first time kennie has had various things to say about gay people.  Recently he was also whining about a movie that portrayed a gay character in a very matter-of-fact way.  I mean how dare Hollywood see a gay character as in any way . . . normal.  Here is what he said about that:

The directors and actor are using an aspect of their film for good by showing that those with autism are just regular people and can do amazing things, but sadly they are also using their film in a negative way—to promote sinful behavior as acceptable, which undermines the entire movie. (Power Rangers Movie: It’s OK to Be That Way)

I haven't seen Power Rangers, for me,

 it's a wait until cable movie.  But this past weekend my wife, both daughters, and my granddaughter saw it.  Not only did they enjoy it, but they made absolutely no mention of any gay characters -- which tells me two things.  That it was portrayed as being nothing special and that is exactly what pissed kennie off.  What I find funny is that he sorta dropped a couple of Bible Quotes:

"Treating everyone, regardless of differences, with dignity and respect actually stems out of a biblical worldview. Because all human beings are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), everyone has inherent worth and value. We are all “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14)."

He used those quotes when discussing how an autistic character is portrayed, but apparently if you are gay, you have no inherent worth and value!  He goes on and rationalizes it because he considers homosexuality 'sinful'.  But do all Christian sects view homosexuality that way?  Not at all!  I do recall knowing many gay Christians.  I bet that aggravates kennie even more!  Do you see why I no longer refer to kennie as a Christian, and I refer to him and his cult members as 'hamians'.  They don't worship the ideas of Christianity, he worships his interpretation of a book.  This does lead me to have to ask just how are gay characters supposed to be portrayed?

Little kennie, and his hamians, do not like gay people, that's pretty obvious.  Oh they might say things like 'gay people are fine, as long as they don't behave in a sinful way'.  To me that is just a rationalization, declaring the act sinful and expecting gay folks not to act is an excuse.  But the reality is they don't like them, they won't hire them, they don't even want them in their ministry.  But . . . gay people exist in the real world, so how should they be portrayed?  Since not everyone, nor every religion, holds homosexuality in the same way little kennie does, gay people will continue to exist, much to his displeasure.  So we have two choices, either they are never portrayed in film or television or they are portrayed as . . . something else?  I'm having a problem here figuring out how kennie would like to see them portrayed, or maybe 'expect to see them portrayed' is a better way to put it. Since a realistic portrayal of gays isn't allowed, I would hate to see what portrayal he would approve.

In my opinion they should be portrayed as . . . people . . . after all, aren't they?  Gay folks are in this world and will continue to exist, so should they be represented in our entertainment media?  How about exactly how they live in the real world, just like everyone else.  Folks like kennie not only do not want them to exist, but don't even want anyone to even know they exist.  How realistic is that?

Gay folks aren't the only targets for the little, narrow-minded, hypocritical kennie.  Check out this announcement:

"Join us for the World Religions Conference July 24-27 and please share this with friends and family members who might be interested.More than ever, Christians need to know what other religions believe and then learn how to reach the lost souls mired in them." (World Religion Conference)

Don't you just love the last line?  Not even an effort at co-existing, or recognizing the many ways people believe in one deity or another might be just as valid as his way.  No, he and his ilk call them 'lost souls'.  But it gets worse . . . kennie appears to be hosting this 'conference'.  It's not obvious at first glance, but the contact number is the same and the website is one of AiG's. .  Here look at this:

Here's the link

Is he really asking for people of other religions to come to Kentucky and sit there politely while he tells them how mistaken they are and do his utmost to save their 'lost souls'?  Let us not forget, he's also asking them to pay for the privilege.  As one of my neighbors would say 'That takes chutzpah!'  

 If you've been reading my posts you know how I feel.  If you don't like the idea of homosexuality, don't be homosexual.  If you disagree with a religion, don't become a member of that religion.  If you think abortion is wrong, then never do anything that would lead to an abortion.  But you do not have the right to tell everyone else how they are supposed to live.  Your religious beliefs, or non-beliefs, are your own.  Don't ask me to support them and certainly don't demand that they be taught in schools.  Little kennie ham and his hamians are incredibly close-minded, as evidenced by his own words!