Yesterday, we were thrilled to host Pastor Michael Lewis, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Plant City in Florida. Pastor Lewis was accompanied by his wife Lilliana and his four delightful daughters Faith, Hope, Charity, and Joy.

Pastor Lewis spoke at an AiG staff chapel, and then I had the privilege of showing them through the Creation Museum, AiG offices, and our facility housing the Ark Encounter project staff. What a blessing to interact with this family. Their four daughters were such as blessing as they soaked in all they saw and heard, and shared their heart to witness to others for the Lord Jesus. Here is what Pastor Lewis wrote to us after the visit:

My wife, four daughters and I had an incredible visit at the Creation Museum this week in Petersburg, Kentucky. The morning began with a chapel service which I was privileged to share from Joshua Chapter 1. The staff was very receptive and appreciative for the preaching of God’s Word … Ken Ham, President/CEO of Answers in Genesis and The Creation Museum, guided our family on a tour of the faith enriching museum which he envisioned and designed.

Ken Ham with the Lewis family

Our hearts burned within us as the Bible was displayed in 3-D before our eyes from creation of the world to the corruption of sin, from corruption to the catastrophe of the worldwide flood, from the catastrophe to the confusion of the tower of Babel, from the  confusion to Christ and His cross. Ken Ham gave to us a behind the scenes tour of the Answers in Genesis studios and the new Ark Encounter. Dr. Ham has envisioned a full- size Noah’s Ark with a Biblical theme park which will be used evangelistically to engage a post-modern culture with the truth of the Gospel. Jason Nave, [AiG staff member] was a gracious host giving to our family … a V.I.P. treatment.

Here is a photograph of the Lewis family and me taken in front of the mock up of one of the exhibit sections that will be within the Ark (96 such exhibit sections will exist in the Ark):

Pastor Lewis continued, “The Creation Museum is a must see for anyone sincerely pursuing the truth of science, for it places you face to face with the reality of the Creator. Parents will want your children exposed to the amazing presentation of God’s Word which is absent in much of educational circles today.”

Pastor Lewis describe the Noah’s Ark project as a “captivating vision” and stated, “this amazing project … I believe will bring many to faith in the Lord Jesus.”

New Lucy Exhibit Open Saturday

The new high tech Lucy exhibit will be ready for Creation Museum visitors to see beginning this Saturday.  Installation is well under way. Here is an artist’s mock up of what part of the exhibit will look like:

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

The Voice is a dynamic equivalent translation that reads like a story with all of the truth and wisdom of God’s Word. Through compelling narratives, poetry, and teaching it invites readers to enter into the whole story of God with their heart, soul, and mind. This bold new translation engages readers like no other Bible. (http://www.hearthevoice.com/about-the-translation)

The Voice actually looks and reads like a script to a play, with short bits of commentary on how certain characters—including God—are reacting. Unfortunately, a literal translation of the words of Scripture does not always support these bits of commentary.

The team of writers and researchers on this translation included Tremper Longman, a Bible scholar who regularly voices doubts about the historical trustworthiness of Genesis. Longman has said that the creation account in Genesis does not conflict with evolutionary ideas (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Pk1vXL1WE).

A couple of our researchers examined just the first two chapters of the Bible (Genesis 1 and 2) in The Voice to see if the translation stayed true to the original text. They found some commendable parts of the translation, but they also found a number of areas of concern. It’s important to note that the following report contains only some of the problems with the translation.

1. Genesis 1:9 reads, “Let the waters below the heavens be collected into one place and congregate into one vast sea, so that dry land may appear.”

The italicized portion does not appear in the original Genesis manuscript. The problem with this addition is really one of logic: if the waters already cover the whole earth, they are already congregated into “one vast sea.”

2. “Evening gave way to morning.”

This phrase appears in place of the more common, “And there was evening and there was morning.” While we recognize that the phrasing chosen in The Voice was likely for literary reasons (i.e., making the text more readable), the wording is less than precise. If we’re being faithful with the text, then the language should clearly point to literal, 24-hour days. The Voice’s phrasing allows room for interpretation when it comes to the length of each day of creation.

3. Genesis 1:14–16 reads, “God: Lights, come out! Shine in the vast expanse of heavens’ sky dividing day from night to mark the seasons, days, and years. Lights, warm the earth with your light. It happened just as God said. God fashioned the two great lights … ”

While the verses following would imply that God went on to “fashion” the sun and the moon, the wording leaves open the possibility that the two great lights were already there and that God simply cultivated them. This would be consistent with the first verses of Genesis as The Voice renders them: “In the beginning, God created everything: the heavens above and the earth below. Here’s what happened: At first the earth lacked shape and was totally empty, and a dark fog draped over the deep … ”

The sun and the moon were created on Day Four. They were not simply brought out to shine. Those who compromise on Genesis by mixing the Big Bang and billions of years with the Bible claim that God somehow cultivated what was already in existence, rather than actually creating (for instance, see the writings of a well-known progressive creationist, Hugh Ross, who believes in a Big Bang, billions of years, local Flood instead of global Flood, and a race of soulless people before Adam and Eve).

4. Genesis 1:21, 25 reads, “So God created huge sea creatures, all the swarm of life in the waters, and every kind and species of flying birds … God made earth-creatures in a vast variety of species …”

The problem with these verses is that the authors are equivocating on the word species. What is an equivocation? An equivocation occurs when someone uses a word and then adjusts its meaning slightly in the course of the discussion. For example, if someone says, “Evolution is a scientific fact. The evolution of bacteria becoming resistant is well-documented.” Evolution in the first statement refers to molecules-to-man evolution, while evolution in the second statement refers to general “change.” These two definitions are very different and cannot be confused with one another in the course of a discussion. (Jason Lisle, Discerning Truth, Green Forest, Arkansas: Master Books, 2010.)

In the use of the words kind and species, the authors seem to be equivocating on the latter. They first imply that “kinds” and “species” are the same, and then they switch to using species. What’s the problem? Creationists are sometimes accused of promoting the fixity of species, meaning that God created every single possible variation of each animal during the Creation Week. But most creationists do not believe in the fixity of species; we believe that God created animal kinds and that these animal kinds had all the genetic material within them to reproduce into the many variations we see today. These variations would be closer to species than kinds.

The wording here also has bearing on the Ark. Scripture clearly says that Noah took animals aboard according to their “kinds” (Genesis 7:14). Noah probably could not have fit every single species of animal on the Ark. But creationist researchers have found that if Noah took animal kinds on the Ark, he would have had no problem fitting them all. Researcher John Woodmorappe, in Noah’s Ark: A Feasibility Study (Dallas, Texas: ICR Publications, 2009) found that, at most, there were approximately 8,000 animal kinds (or 16,000 individuals) on board. Researcher Arthur J. Jones, in “How Many Animals in the Ark?” (Creation Research Society Quarterly 10, no. 2, September 1973) found that, at minimum, there were 1,000 animal kinds (or 2,000–3000 individuals—there were seven of some kinds) on board the Ark. Remember, Noah did not need to bring insects or any of the water-dwelling creatures on board either, so that would significantly reduce the amount of required animals the skeptic usually mentions.

5. Genesis 1:31 reads, “Then God surveyed everything He had made, savoring its beauty and appreciating its goodness.”

Once again, we recognize that the wording in this verse is likely for literary reasons, but it is imprecise. Opponents of young earth creationism often try to argue that there was death in the world before the fall, and death is not a “good” or “beautiful” thing. This verse’s wording leaves open the possibility that there were bad things in the world at this point, but that God was simply “savoring” only the good parts. The more common rendering prevents this kind of reinterpretation: “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”

6. Genesis 2:4 reads, “This is the detailed story of the Eternal God’s singular work in creating all that exists.”

We were very happy to see the emphasis placed on the fact that Genesis 2 is simply a more detailed version of part of Genesis 1. But the problem with this verse lies in the next word: story. With so many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, trying to argue that the creation account in Genesis is a myth, the word story does not help make the case that Genesis is historical. Once again, this is an issue of precision with the translation, and the more common word, account, would have been the better choice here.

7. Genesis 2:4–5 reads, “On the day the heavens and earth were created, there were no plants or vegetation to cover the earth. The fields were barren and empty, because the Eternal God had not sent the rains to nourish the soil or anyone to tend it.”

These verses are one of the primary points of debate between young-earth creationists and those who disagree. Opponents of young-earth creationism will argue that there is a contradiction in Genesis 2 because the plants were created on Day Three in Genesis 1.

Several solutions to this apparent dilemma have been proposed. One view points out that the Hebrew words used for “plants” and “vegetation” are actually very specific words meaning “wild shrubs of the steppe” and “cultivated grain.” Tim Chaffey’s article “Planting Confusion” addresses these translation issues in more depth. Suffice it to say, there is no contradiction. The text indicates that only certain plants were not yet growing because man was not there to cultivate them. God still created the plants described in Genesis 1 on Day Three of the Creation Week.

8. In the additional commentary the authors added between Genesis 2:17 and 18, shortly after God commands Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the authors write, “After God gives man this directive, He realizes something is missing.” That something is Eve.

The simple answer to our problem with this passage is that it’s simply wrong. Our God is omniscient, or all knowing, so the possibility that He could “realize” something, as though He didn’t know it before is impossible (Psalm 147:5). The more likely explanation for God’s statement—“It is not good for the man to be alone”—in Genesis 2:18 is that He was making a statement of fact. Based on God’s omniscience, we can say that He intended to give Adam a companion from the beginning.

Sometimes Bible translations that have a high degree of dynamic equivalence can be useful to read in order to give an overview of what Scripture is saying, but to ensure one understands it correctly and does not misunderstand an  important doctrine, one needs to carefully study a literal translation. This particular translation appears to us to be written to allow for millions of years and evolution—but without saying so. Knowing that at least one of the researchers doesn’t see a conflict between Genesis and evolution certainly supports this.

The above seems to us to be another example of how evolutionary ideas and millions of years are influencing the church.

I want to acknowledge the research assistance of Steve Golden and others at AiG in the preparation of this blog post.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Tom and his wife Cheryl wanted to not only keep this museum going but also enhance and expand it. For instance,  AiG’s Dr. David Menton came out to California to help them with a special detailed anatomy exhibit that was opened recently:

Tom appointed Jayson Payne to be the full-time museum director. The biotech company funds the museum so it can be free to the public. Here is a photograph of Jayson and his wife Erika at the front of the museum:

Jayson and Erika came out to our Creation Museum in Kentucky recently so he could gain ideas and advice and to continue cementing the great relationship we have with those involved in this museum in southern California. While I was in San Diego for a few days of vacation, I was privileged to do a meet and greet/book signing at this facility. It was great to meet a stream of visitors who came for that special time this past Thursday afternoon:

As you walk to the front of the building you will see a T. rex:

And then you see this special dedication plaque:

Here are a few photos taken in various parts of the museum:

I know it is somewhat difficult for people in California to visit the Creation Museum (we are near Cincinnati), so until that time, I would encourage you to visit the Creation and Earth History Museum in Santee, California. And if you are visiting San Diego for any reason (it’s a great vacation spot, including in the winter), I encourage you to make this a place to visit.

Tom and Jayson continue to expand this museum; they are working on an “Age of Earth” exhibit and also a model of the Old Testament Tabernacle for the future.

You can do a virtual tour of the museum at this link.

The museum is open Monday to Saturday, 9 AM–6 PM.

You can find out more about this museum at http://creationsd.org/.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

My wife and I—and our daughter—spent part of Thursday at the San Diego Zoo.  As we were looking through the gift store just before we left, I came across this book they were selling:

I opened to the Introductory statement that said:

So then I went through the pages to see these “five kinds of great apes.”

First:

Then:

Next:

And then:

Then I was intrigued—so what will the fifth one be?

I opened the page and read:

So we humans are the fifth apes—and there are lots and lots of us.  The book then goes on to say:

I thought of a number of things (and there are many more I could discuss) as I pondered this:

1.  There are “lots and lots” of apes we call humans—I guess that’s why we can abort millions of babies—there are so many of us.  But there aren’t that many of the other apes, so we need to look after them.

2.  There were hundreds and hundreds of elementary age school kids at the San Diego Zoo the day we visited.  I wonder what the parents of these kids would think if the teachers started calling the kids  “apes.”  Something like: “Ok you apes, do what I tell you to do.”

3.  I wonder what would happen if kids took off their clothes and said, “We are only apes, and apes don’t have clothes, so why should we have clothes?”

4.  Maybe the teachers should tell these supposed “apes” (children) to sit on the ground and then throw food to them—as a person would do for an animal at a zoo.  But  we don’t do that because, as the book says, we are “smart apes” (i.e., we are more evolved!).  However, the book says that we are “probably smarter than any other animals,” so we may not really be that smart after all! Hard to believe a world-class zoo would sell such nonsense to parents and kids!

5.  It was interesting, as we were on the bus tour, the zoo tour guide kept telling the children to be quiet for the animals’ sake!  Wait a minute!  Didn’t she read this book that the zoo—the facility that employs her—sells?  Those kids are just apes—they are animals, too.  Why should she tell them to be different to the animals in the pens and cages?  I never saw her telling the chimps to be quiet when they were making a racket.

The mind boggles.  We could continue down this ape/people line in many ways covering topics of sex, old age, etc. etc.

But—this is where the world is at today.  And if the San Diego Zoo is selling this book, they must approve of its contents.  Shame on the San Diego Zoo (one of the world’s leading zoos) for promoting the false idea that we are just another ape—and we are “probably smarter than any other animals.”

It’s just another reason why you need to bring your family to the Creation Museum this summer.  We tell kids the truth—they are made in the Image of God—and thus they are very special.  And even though they sinned in Adam, their Creator God paid the penalty for their sin and offers them a free gift of Salvation!  What a different message we give them.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

I say this because most of the questions I get from the secular media concern the age of the earth or why we believe dinosaurs lived with people—not so much about evolution. I have found that if a Christian doesn’t believe in evolution, then the secularists will scoff a bit, but if a Christian rejects millions of years, then secularists really go ballistic. They will call you anti-academic, anti-science, anti-intellectual, etc. This happens because millions of years is really the religion of this age used to justify explaining life without God.

You see, without millions of years, the secularists can’t propose molecules-to-man evolution. As one Nobel prize-winner, George Wald, said, “Time is the hero of the plot.” The secularists put time and death together—time and death over millions of years to evolve the life forms we see today (including man). The Bible puts sin and death together—it was man’s sin that brought death into this world.

Sadly, because the secular world so intimidates people to believe in millions of years, many Christians have adopted this pagan religion of the day and compromised God’s Word, thus undermining the authority of Scripture.

I have noticed that in museums, zoos, documentaries on television, and many other places, people will see millions of years promoted much more than evolution. Millions of years just permeates the culture. No wonder so many people (including many Christians) think they have to believe in evolution.

I was reminded of this recently during a short vacation trip to southern California with one of our daughters.

For instance, at the Shark Encounter exhibit at Sea World in San Diego, one reads a sign stating millions of years:

At the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios, we see a timeline of the supposed millions of years for dinosaurs:

And we see this sign at Universal Studios outside the Jurassic Park ride gift store:

We need to be reminded that from a biblical perspective, there is no such thing as “prehistoric,” as history began from when it was recorded.

At California World (another park associated with Disneyland, California), in the 4D bug program (a very entertaining program), it begins with a bug stating, “We have been around for 300 million years.”

And then the train at Disneyland takes visitors on a ride through the supposed “age of dinosaurs”:

And then there is the subtle indoctrination of evolution and millions of years by the wording that just accepts these as fact without having to use the words “evolution” or “millions of years”—as illustrated in these examples from the world-famous San Diego Zoo:

Just more reasons why you need to bring your family to the Creation Museum near Cincinnati where you can trust what you see and read—a museum that honors God’s Word and teaches the truth concerning the history of the world.

Also, I encourage you to read the article I wrote titled “The Disease of Millions of Years.”  This article will be our feature article on the AiG website on Monday, but you can read this article from this blog post right now.

Also, I encourage you to read this article I wrote for the award-winning Answers magazine.

And, in the upcoming July-September issue of Answers magazine, I have written an article titled “Evolution or Millions of years—Which is the Greater Threat?” If you don’t subscribe to Answers magazine, I urge you to do that now.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

One of the evidences we see for a global Flood is the sediments that have been transported long distances and deposited in layers spread right across continents. For example, the sand for the Grand Canyon’s Coconino Sandstone was likely transported from as far away as Wyoming. In southern Utah, the sand for the 2,000-foot-thick Navajo Sandstone was likely transported from as far away as the Appalachians of Pennsylvania and New York. If what the Bible says is true—that there was a cataclysmic, global Flood—then this is exactly the sort of evidence we would expect to find!

There have been news reports recently that debris from last year’s tsunami in Japan (which occurred on March 11) is washing up on the shores of Alaska and Canada. So far they’ve found soccer balls and a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and there’s more on the way. The debris has been floating since the aftermath of the tsunami some 14 months ago, slowly making its way across the ocean. The tsunami, which resulted from a magnitude 8.9 earthquake, was an incredibly violent event. There is footage of it carrying vehicles and buildings along as it moved inland. And now, over a year later, debris is still being carried by ocean currents and being washed ashore on another continent.

As devastating as that one tsunami was, it was simply a fraction of what the global Flood would have been. Genesis 7 says that in the global Flood, all the high hills and the mountains were covered, and all flesh (all land animals and humans) was swept away and died. We know from Genesis 8:2 that the “fountains of the deep” broke up and spouted water, and then rain poured down from the sky. The global Flood was certainly a cataclysmic event of global proportions!

The tsunami that hit Japan was able to carry buildings, ships, and vehicles inland, and then move the debris out into the ocean currents to be carried to other places. The force behind that tsunami, though it was devastating and killed many people, was almost nothing compared to the force behind Noah’s Flood. There is no doubt from a young-earth creationist’s perspective about how the rapidly deposited layers of sediment that were clearly carried across the face of the earth got there—the force of a global Flood brought them there.

The evolutionary and millions of years view of the fossil record and rock layers is that these layers and fossils were laid down over millions of years, little by little. Charles Lyell (a contemporary of Charles Darwin) popularized the idea of uniformitarianism, which claims that “the present is the key to the past” (that processes acting today have basically always acted that way in the past). Unfortunately for Lyell and those who followed him, the present is not the key to the past—God’s Word is! And God’s Word tells us that there was a global Flood, for which we find evidences all over the world.

For a more detailed explanation of these evidences, see Dr. Andrew Snelling’s article series, “Geologic Evidences for a Global Flood,” and The New Answers Books, volumes 1 and 3, have chapters about the Flood of Noah. For information about our Ark Encounter project (the building of an evangelistic, full-size Noah’s Ark), go to www.ArkEncounter.com.

Even a tsunami can be a good reminder to us of what Noah’s Flood was really like.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

At lot has been happening at AiG while I have been away.

I have been gone for the past few days (I’m in California), but I was still able to participate at yesterday’s AiG staff chapel. We shared some great news with the staff, and rejoiced in the Lord, that for the second year in a row, our Answers magazine was given the top award for magazine excellence by the Evangelical Press Association. Seven other awards were received at the EPA conference in Colorado last Friday, including three first place honors (for best cover, original art/traditional, and two-page spread design).

During chapel, I shared a short congratulatory message over the phone to those involved in producing the magazine, while Dale Mason, Answers magazine publisher, talked about the different awards that were received. He also acknowledged the many staff members who are involved in the magazine’s production. There are only three full-time staff who are devoted to producing the magazine, but there are so many others who are involved, including Dr. Andrew Snelling (who reviews many of the very technical magazine articles) and theologians checking for biblical accuracy.

In the photo taken at the chapel service, Dale is seen with Answers senior editor Mike Matthews. In the photo on the screen behind them (left to right) are the following people: EPA president and senior online editor for Focus on the Family, Dean Ridings; Answers executive editor, Doug Rumminger; Answers designer, Dan Stelzer (holding the Award of Excellence for the General Magazine category); and EPA executive director, Doug Trouten.

Creative Begin Project

Later in the chapel meeting, my nephew David (my brother Steve’s son) was recognized for his very creative way of getting AiG’s new Begin books into the hands of those who need to hear the truth of the gospel. Begin is a walk through key Scriptures that new believers (and those who want to learn more about Christianity) would especially need to read. David, a student at Calvary Christian School in northern Kentucky, has a great talent for drawing and began sketching portraits for people. His goal was to raise money to purchase the Begin books for local Christian welfare organizations and for other ministry opportunities.

David’s efforts were not in vain. In just six months, he has raised enough money to purchase 160 copies of Begin. Dr. Bill Dickens, the administrator of Calvary Christian School, along with his wife Melody, presented David with the books and prayed that they would be used by God to reach people with the gospel. (See the photos below.)

Have you considered how you can be reaching others with books like Begin? God has gifted us all in many different ways, such as in art, music, speaking, and many more. If you have been getting Begin out to people in creative ways, we’d love to hear about it! Just submit your story on this page.

Leading Baseball Hitter Visits

Also while I am in California, I missed a well-known baseball player, Adam LaRoche, who toured our Creation Museum on the weekend. He’s the “clean-up” hitter for the Washington Nationals baseball team. He visited the museum after he went 2-4 and knocked in a couple of runs the night before as his team beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-3. His average after the game was an impressive .333 (in the top ten in hitting in the league, I was told), and the Nationals were in first place in the National League East division. This was his second visit to the museum, and this time he brought his wife, son, and daughter.

The Cincinnati Reds play baseball only about 20–25 minutes from our museum. Over the past two years, we’ve had some Reds players visit the Creation Museum and even a manager, but the largest group of players ever to tour represented the Arizona Diamondbacks—and Adam, a Diamondback at the time, was with the group. See the photo below of them taken inside the museum’s portico. Adam is third from the left, and Kentucky native Brandon Webb is third from the right. (A few years ago, Brandon earned the prestigious Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher in the league.)

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

When we noticed that he, his wife, and four children had settled in after moving from Louisville, we gave them a call and asked Pastor Abney to speak at one of our AiG chapel sessions in Legacy Hall. He did so last Thursday and gave a message from 1 Kings. After the message, I was privileged to lead Pastor Abney and his family on a brief tour through the museum (Dr. Abney had not yet visited the museum). Dr. Abney shared with us that he heard me speak at Cedarville University (Ohio) in the 1990s, and then he went on to attend Southern Seminary in Louisville where he earned his doctorate. He became a pastor at a Louisville-area church and then came to northern Kentucky area earlier this year.

Dr. Abney often used the word “amazing” to describe our high-tech Museum exhibits.

We look forward to getting to know this dynamic young pastor even better and are thankful that so many members of his congregation are supportive of AiG, the Creation Museum, and the future Ark Encounter (which is to be built about 25 minutes down I-75 from his church). Find out more about Florence Baptist Church at www.sharingtruth.com.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Last week, two of the magazine’s key staff members, executive editor Doug Rumminger and designer Dan Stelzer, attended workshops and other meetings at the annual EPA conference, held this year in Colorado on the beautiful campus of Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs.

Answers publisher Dale Mason reported the following:

Each year members of the association, which includes publishers from many doctrinal backgrounds representing publications of all types, from denominational newspapers to international glossy magazines, meet to network and learn from each other. Attendees also benefit from expert seminars in the different disciplines of publishing—writing, design, editing, increasing circulation, and so on. Answers sends representatives in order to keep abreast of the latest trends and participate in developing best practices with others on the cutting edge of Christian publishing.

On the final day of this year’s three-day event, the association presented awards for excellence in several categories. Even though Answers is one of the youngest periodicals in the EPA, it has already gained a reputation as one of the premier publications, competing with well-known magazines like Christianity Today and Focus on the Family’s own Thriving Family, among many others.

This year, Answers was recognized for the second year in a row with the “Award of Excellence” in the General Magazine category. The Award of Excellence is considered the “gold medal” of EPA awards. I’ve been told it is unusual to receive this high honor two years running. With the wide range of doctrinal positions represented in the EPA, it’s especially gratifying to see that Answers—a magazine that stands firmly for the absolute authority of God’s Word—has been recognized again and again for its high quality. According to Doug and Dan, a common response among EPA members there at Colorado Springs was a desire to see this magazine that has won so many awards.

In addition to winning the Award of Excellence, Answers picked up several other awards at the “Higher Goals” luncheon on Friday, including three first-place finishes: Best Cover, Best Two-Page Spread, and Best Original Art (Traditional).

Best Cover: Best of Five Years

Best Two-Page Spread: Chronology Wars

Best Original Art (Traditional): Least but not Last

Doug reported the following:

Dan Stelzer and I were sitting at a table with the staff of Focus on the Family’s main magazine, Thriving Family, during the awards luncheon. After Answers had been recognized seven times, including the three first place awards, several at the table wanted a copy to see what it was all about. They couldn’t wait to see for themselves this magazine that was winning so many awards. Through the whole conference, we heard compliments for the magazine’s content and excellent design.

The daily operations of Answers magazine are coordinated by editor-in-chief Mike Matthews, under the leadership of our VP of Media, publisher Dale Mason. Numerous AiG staff, such as PhD scientists like Dr. Andrew Snelling (who takes a very active part in reviewing articles for scientific accuracy) are involved in writing and fact-checking each new issue, and it was great to see the various writers and artists (both internal and external to AiG) recognized for their parts that result in such a great publication.

We were thrilled that AiG also won three first place awards. One was for original art for Jon Taylor’s dinosaur illustrations. (Jon was a main illustrator for our Creation Museum and now is working on some incredible designs for the upcoming Ark Encounter.) The two-page spread design that took first place was the “Chronology Wars” article, which used an illustration by museum sculptor Travis Wilson. Our final first place category was the striking cover, which was art done by an accomplished outside illustrator, Barton Damer, who worked under the direction of Dan Stelzer. That striking cover won two other awards as well!

The EPA is an effective way to get the message of Answers magazine before a larger audience well beyond AiG’s normal reach. Many of its members may not have had much contact with Answers in Genesis, and many would not be inclined to read the magazine because of disagreement with our strong stands on a literal Genesis and biblical authority.

This year’s eight awards are as follows:

• Award of Excellence (General)

Higher Goal Awards

• 1st Place: Cover (Best of Five Years cover)
• 1st Place: Original Art/Traditional (Jon Taylor’s Dinosaur for article “Least but Not Last”)
• 1st Place: Two Page Spread Design (“Chronology Wars” article)
• 2nd Place: Typography and Lettering (Best of Five Years cover)
• 2nd Place: Cartoon (Kids Section of Super Gross Heroes)
• 3rd Place: Original Art/Mixed Media (Best of Five Years cover)
• 5th Place: Department category (Created Creature, “Always on the Move” about bees)

2nd Place Cartoon: Super Gross Heroes

Left to right: EPA President and Senior online Editor for Focus on the Family, Dean Ridings; Answers executive editor, Doug Rumminger; Answers designer, Dan Stelzer (holding the Award of Excellence for the General Magazine category); and EPA Executive Director, Doug Trouten.

Answers magazine has its own website and also a special children’s magazine as an insert (which also has its own website).

If you have not already subscribed to Answers, I urge you to do so.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken Ham

I couldn’t help but smile when I saw this statement about secularists wanting to do “good deeds.” So how does an atheist or agnostic determine what is “good”?

I’m reminded of Luke 18 where the rich young ruler came to Jesus:

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Luke 18:18–19)

There is only one absolute standard by which anyone can determine what is “good,” and that is from the absolute authority who is all “good”—God! Outside of such an absolute standard, “good” is whatever you want to make it to be (if you can get away with it)—it is totally subjective. Some people think it is “good” to steal, for instance. When a culture abandons the absolute standard for what is “good” (as this culture is progressively doing in throwing out God’s Word), then we will see people doing what is right in their own eyes—as we are increasingly experiencing. The recent announcement by the president of the USA in support of “gay” marriage is just one such example—he abandoned the absolute standard for what is “good” and now is wanting to impose his subjective opinion on the nation. (See my Thursday blog post.)

One news item reported the following:

To that end, local groups of nontheists will hold blood drives (Groton, Conn.) training in lobbying politicians (Raleigh, N.C.) and voter registration drives (Flagstaff, Ariz.), as well as marches, rallies and social gatherings. One group in Putnam, Conn., is holding a “science for reason” book exchange — turn in a Bible and receive a free copy of Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of Species,” among other titles. (http://www.religionnews.com/politics/government-and-politics/secularists-counter-national-day-of-prayer-with-national-day-of-reason)

So, just turn in the Word of God—the only absolute standard for what is “good”—and replace it with Charles Darwin’s book that teaches people they are just animals in a survival of the fittest world, and thus morality (or what is “good”) is whatever you want to make it to be.

Actually, this drive to replace the Bible with Darwin’s book is really a picture of what is happening in America:  God’s Word is being replaced with man’s Word, as America continues down the road to change our national religion from Christianity to secular humanism.

Yesterday, in our special News to Note feature that is published each Saturday on the AiG website, AiG author and researcher Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell included an item about the atheists attempt at a National Day of Reason. I encourage you to read this item I have reprinted below.

“Come now, and let us reason together” says the Lord. . . .

That message from the Creator God urging people to acknowledge their rebellion against Him rings as true today as when He delivered it through the prophet Isaiah around 2,700 years ago. And with that call to reason came a message of hope through Jesus Christ, whose coming and crucifixion Isaiah was also privileged to prophesy. The verse continues, “. . . Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

From God’s point of view, it is reasonable for human beings to recognize their limitations and their sin. It is reasonable for humans to accept God’s grace and be reconciled with Him. God made humans in His image, and they are therefore able to reason. But ever since Adam reasoned that he could challenge His Creator and build a better world his own way, human reasoning has been severely corrupted and has continued along the same rebellious line.

The National Day of Reason (NDR), proclaimed by the American Humanist Association in protest of the National Day of Prayer, thus provides a picture of 6,000 years of human history. “Our day puts the focus back on people and what we can do for ourselves,” said spokesman Paul Fidalgo. “We are trying to make a better world on our own by emphasizing good works and good deeds on the day” (emphasis ours).

Those good works included blood drives, training sessions on how to lobby politicians, voter registration drives, and the “opportunity” to trade Bibles for copies of Darwin’s Origin of Species. We would note, however, the curious standards by which these “reasoning” skeptics determine what is “good.” In this case, “good works” included blood donation, which, while generous, philanthropic, and generally good for other people, is counterproductive to ultimate human evolution. After all, blood might be used to promote survival and subsequent procreation by “weaker” members of the human race. Lobbyist training and voter registration drives, while possibly open to all comers, would surely more freely benefit those of like-mind. Therefore, those “good works” are self-serving. And swapping out Bibles for Darwinian writ likewise promotes only the humanistic point of view.

Indeed, without a standard for “good” from beyond man, each person decides for himself what is “good.” God’s Word, however, says that even “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes” (Proverbs 12:15). God, as Creator of all, is the one with the authority to determine what is truly good. Furthermore, even the human ability to reason is a gift from our Creator, not an evolved attribute. And so is the freedom to use that reason to rebel against the God who created us.

The rich tradition of the National Day of Prayer echoes the call by Benjamin Franklin during the constitutional convention to pray for God’s help and a prior call by the 1775 Continental Congress asking people to pray for them to have God’s wisdom as they shaped this nation. The National Day of Prayer officially originated in 1952 when democratically elected officials chosen by the American people, led by President Harry S. Truman, declared it would be held annually. More elected officials later passed legislation ratifying that decision by designating the first Thursday of May to be the National Day of Prayer.³ President Obama issued his proclamation for May 3, saying,

On this National Day of Prayer, we give thanks for our democracy that respects the beliefs and protects the religious freedom of all people to pray, worship, or abstain according to the dictates of their conscience.

The National Day of Prayer, though briefly de-railed in 2010 when a judge declared it to be a violation of separation of church and state, was restored in 2011 when that ruling was overturned by a judiciary rightly recognizing that nothing about the law concerning the day compels anyone to participate and thus does not violate anybody’s First Amendment rights.

As part of the National Day of Prayer observance, Americans are encouraged by private groups such as the National Day of Prayer Task Force to pray for our government leaders. Scripture directs Christians to pray for “all who are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:2). As 40,000 groups gathered around the country to pray, many prayed for our leaders to have wisdom. Since the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10 ), it is appropriate that mega-church pastor Harry Jackson, during a gathering at Capitol Hill, after critiquing the present administration’s failure to defend existing federal laws restricting same-sex marriage, urged people to pray for the president to have “clarity of mission.” In light of the president’s three previous official proclamations for June 2009, ⁴ 2010,⁵ and 2011⁶ to be Gay Pride month and this week’s statement endorsing same-sex marriage,⁷ those prayers are even more urgently needed.

Historically, our Founding Fathers, operating on Christian principles and led by Christians such as James Madison, put in place a written guarantee that all Americans would have the freedom to choose how and whether to worship without compulsion by the federal government. So perhaps if those who choose not to gather in prayer don’t want to thank God for their freedom, they should at least consider being thankful for the Christian principles used by the Founding Father to support freedom of conscience that guarantee citizens’ rights to protest and reason as they choose.

– Dr. E. Mitchell

This nation needs prayer!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken