Ken Ham
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Alfred Ham is the Australian President/CEO of Answers in Genesis USA
. He is a vocal advocate for a young Earth and a literal interpretation
of the Book of Genesis, and his cross-country speaking tours and many books make him one of the better known young-Earth creationists
.
(a graduate qualification necessary for Ken to begin his initial career as a science teacher in the public schools in Australia).
On 30 December 1972, he married Marilyn ("Mally"), whom he describes as a "very, very submissive, supportive wife" who has "always supported me five million percent." The Ham couple have five children—four are married and one lives with them in the Cincinnati area—and have seven grandchildren.
In 1979, Ham co-founded what was to be later known as the Creation Science Foundation (CSF) in Queensland, Australia with John Mackay.
Between 1987 and 1993, Ham worked for the Institute for Creation Research
(ICR), a leading young-Earth organisation. In 1994, with the assistance of what is now Creation Ministries International
(Australia), Ham and colleagues Mark Looy and Mike Zovath set up Creation Science Ministries, later renamed Answers in Genesis
. The Christian
ministry specialises in Young Earth Creationism
, and is primarily devoted to persuading people that the initial chapters in Genesis should be taken as literally true and historically accurate. He then began raising "tens of millions of dollars."
For his creationist efforts, he was awarded honorary degree
s: one in 1997 from Temple Baptist College in Cincinnati, Ohio
and another in 2004 from Liberty University
in Lynchburg, Virginia
.
On 28 May 2007 the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum
opened in Petersburg, Kentucky, a project which cost $27 million. The necessary funds were donated throughout the 1990s. It is about 70000 sq ft (6,503.2 m²)
Also in May 2007, Creation Ministries International
(CMI) filed a lawsuit against Ham and AiG
in the Supreme Court of Queensland
seeking damages and accusing him of deceptive conduct in his dealings with the Australian organization. Members of the ministry were "concern[ed] over Mr Ham's domination of the ministries, the amount of money being spent on his fellow executives and a shift away from delivering the creationist message to raising donations." According to the CMI website, this dispute was amicably settled in April 2009.
In 2008, Ham appeared in Bill Maher
's comedy Religulous
. In a press release AiG criticized the movie for what it called Maher's "dishonesty last year in gaining access to the Creation Museum
and AiG President Ken Ham."
During the 2008-2009 U.S. federal tax year, Ham received compensation and benefits of $176,018 from Answers in Genesis (up from $80,367 during the previous tax year) and also had three of his children and one son-in-law working on the Answers in Genesis payroll during the 2008-2009 federal tax year: Danielle Ham (staff member compensated at $27,170), Jeremy Ham (staff member compensated at $34,380), Renee Ham Hodge (staff member compensated at $31,395), and son-in-law David Hodge (staff member compensated at $51,978).
In March 2011, the Board of Great Homeschool Conventions, Inc. voted to "disinvite" Ham and AiG from "all future conventions" due to Ham's words about other Christians being "unnecessary, ungodly, and mean-spirited statements that are divisive at best and defamatory at worst." AiG responded: "It is sad that a speaker and ministry, which stand boldly and uncompromisingly on the authority of God’s Word, are eliminated from a homeschool convention."
Ham hosts Answers. . . with Ken Ham, a 90-second radio program broadcast daily on over six hundred radio stations worldwide and the internet featuring Ham's commentary on issues.
was created about 6,000
years ago and that Noah's flood occurred about 4,500 years ago. He believes that the small number of animals carried on Noah's ark produced the biological diversity
observed on Earth. Ham also believes that dinosaur
s co-existed with modern humans. He supports this view with biblical scripture.
Ham accepts that natural selection
can give rise to a number of species
from an original population, by Mendelian recombination
of already existing genes, but that new genes cannot arise from mutations, because this would be "adding information" (he claims that only intelligence
can cause a beneficial mutation); instead, mutations and natural selection can only "remove preexisting information." Furthermore, all of these species are of the same kind
and no new kind can arise from this process. Ham distrusts radiometric dating
, which is a technique used to date objects such as moonrocks, fossils, and human artifacts.
Since 1989, Ham has frequently made the comment, "Were you there?" regarding the origins of life and evolution, implying that knowledge of unwitnessed events is inferential
and not observational. talk.origins
responded that the evidence for evolution "was there", asserting the necessity to continue the task of scientific inquiry, though missing Ham's concern for "observational science" In 2005, The Daily Show
poked fun at Ham's question.
He claims that there is a difference between facts and interpretation of facts. "Creationists and evolutionists, Christians and non-Christians, all have the same evidence—the same facts. Think about it: we all have the same earth, the same fossil layers, the same animals and plants, the same stars—the facts are all the same. The difference is in the way we all interpret the facts. And why do we interpret facts differently? Because we start with different presuppositions; these are things that are assumed to be true without being able to prove them. These then become the basis for other conclusions. All reasoning is based on presuppositions (also called axioms). This becomes especially relevant when dealing with past events."
Ham's beliefs and tactics have been criticized by other Christians and Old earth creationists. Answers in Creation, an Old Earth creationist web site, has called Ham willfully ignorant of evidence for an old earth and said that he "deliberately misleads" his audiences on matters of both science and theology. Astronomer Hugh Ross
, a progressive creationist
, has publicly debated Ham and other Answers In Genesis staff regarding the compatibility of an old Earth with the Bible.
Answers in Genesis
Answers in Genesis is a non-profit Christian apologetics ministry with a particular focus on supporting Young Earth creationism and a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis. The organization has offices in the United Kingdom and the United States...
. He is a vocal advocate for a young Earth and a literal interpretation
Biblical literalism
Biblical literalism is the interpretation or translation of the explicit and primary sense of words in the Bible. A literal Biblical interpretation is associated with the fundamentalist and evangelical hermeneutical approach to Scripture, and is used almost exclusively by conservative Christians...
of the Book of Genesis, and his cross-country speaking tours and many books make him one of the better known young-Earth creationists
Young Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
.
Biography
Ken’s bachelor’s degree in applied science (with an emphasis on environmental biology) was awarded by the Queensland Institute of Technology in Australia. He also holds a diploma of education from the University of QueenslandUniversity of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
(a graduate qualification necessary for Ken to begin his initial career as a science teacher in the public schools in Australia).
On 30 December 1972, he married Marilyn ("Mally"), whom he describes as a "very, very submissive, supportive wife" who has "always supported me five million percent." The Ham couple have five children—four are married and one lives with them in the Cincinnati area—and have seven grandchildren.
In 1979, Ham co-founded what was to be later known as the Creation Science Foundation (CSF) in Queensland, Australia with John Mackay.
Between 1987 and 1993, Ham worked for the Institute for Creation Research
Institute for Creation Research
The Institute for Creation Research is a Christian institution in Dallas, Texas that specializes in education, research, and media promotion of Creation Science and Biblical creationism. The ICR adopts the Bible as an inerrant and literal documentary of scientific and historical fact as well as...
(ICR), a leading young-Earth organisation. In 1994, with the assistance of what is now Creation Ministries International
Creation Ministries International
Creation Ministries International is a non-profit young Earth creationist organisation of autonomous Christian apologetics ministries that promote a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis...
(Australia), Ham and colleagues Mark Looy and Mike Zovath set up Creation Science Ministries, later renamed Answers in Genesis
Answers in Genesis
Answers in Genesis is a non-profit Christian apologetics ministry with a particular focus on supporting Young Earth creationism and a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis. The organization has offices in the United Kingdom and the United States...
. The Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
ministry specialises in Young Earth Creationism
Young Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
, and is primarily devoted to persuading people that the initial chapters in Genesis should be taken as literally true and historically accurate. He then began raising "tens of millions of dollars."
For his creationist efforts, he was awarded honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
s: one in 1997 from Temple Baptist College in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and another in 2004 from Liberty University
Liberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
in Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
.
On 28 May 2007 the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum
Creation Museum
The Creation Museum is a museum near Petersburg, Kentucky that presents an account of the origins of the universe, life, mankind, and man's early history according to a literal reading of the Book of Genesis...
opened in Petersburg, Kentucky, a project which cost $27 million. The necessary funds were donated throughout the 1990s. It is about 70000 sq ft (6,503.2 m²)
Also in May 2007, Creation Ministries International
Creation Ministries International
Creation Ministries International is a non-profit young Earth creationist organisation of autonomous Christian apologetics ministries that promote a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis...
(CMI) filed a lawsuit against Ham and AiG
Legal controversy between Answers in Genesis and Creation Ministries International
Answers in Genesis is an organization promoting Young Earth creationism that was started from the merger of two Australian creationist organizations in 1980. However, in February 2006, Answers in Genesis-USA and the UK office "withdrew" from the AiG "family", retaining the brand name and the website...
in the Supreme Court of Queensland
Supreme Court of Queensland
The Supreme Court of Queensland, which is based at the Law Courts Complex, is the superior court for the Australian State of Queensland and sits around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy...
seeking damages and accusing him of deceptive conduct in his dealings with the Australian organization. Members of the ministry were "concern[ed] over Mr Ham's domination of the ministries, the amount of money being spent on his fellow executives and a shift away from delivering the creationist message to raising donations." According to the CMI website, this dispute was amicably settled in April 2009.
In 2008, Ham appeared in Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
's comedy Religulous
Religulous
Religulous is a 2008 American comic documentary film written by and starring comedian Bill Maher and directed by Larry Charles. The title of the film is a portmanteau derived from the words "religion" and "ridiculous"; the documentary examines and mocks organized religion and religious...
. In a press release AiG criticized the movie for what it called Maher's "dishonesty last year in gaining access to the Creation Museum
Creation Museum
The Creation Museum is a museum near Petersburg, Kentucky that presents an account of the origins of the universe, life, mankind, and man's early history according to a literal reading of the Book of Genesis...
and AiG President Ken Ham."
During the 2008-2009 U.S. federal tax year, Ham received compensation and benefits of $176,018 from Answers in Genesis (up from $80,367 during the previous tax year) and also had three of his children and one son-in-law working on the Answers in Genesis payroll during the 2008-2009 federal tax year: Danielle Ham (staff member compensated at $27,170), Jeremy Ham (staff member compensated at $34,380), Renee Ham Hodge (staff member compensated at $31,395), and son-in-law David Hodge (staff member compensated at $51,978).
In March 2011, the Board of Great Homeschool Conventions, Inc. voted to "disinvite" Ham and AiG from "all future conventions" due to Ham's words about other Christians being "unnecessary, ungodly, and mean-spirited statements that are divisive at best and defamatory at worst." AiG responded: "It is sad that a speaker and ministry, which stand boldly and uncompromisingly on the authority of God’s Word, are eliminated from a homeschool convention."
Ham hosts Answers. . . with Ken Ham, a 90-second radio program broadcast daily on over six hundred radio stations worldwide and the internet featuring Ham's commentary on issues.
Beliefs
As a young Earth creationist, Ham believes that the universeUniverse
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
was created about 6,000
Age of the universe
The age of the universe is the time elapsed since the Big Bang posited by the most widely accepted scientific model of cosmology. The best current estimate of the age of the universe is 13.75 ± 0.13 billion years within the Lambda-CDM concordance model...
years ago and that Noah's flood occurred about 4,500 years ago. He believes that the small number of animals carried on Noah's ark produced the biological diversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
observed on Earth. Ham also believes that dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s co-existed with modern humans. He supports this view with biblical scripture.
Ham accepts that natural selection
Natural selection
Natural selection is the nonrandom process by which biologic traits become either more or less common in a population as a function of differential reproduction of their bearers. It is a key mechanism of evolution....
can give rise to a number of species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
from an original population, by Mendelian recombination
Mendelian inheritance
Mendelian inheritance is a scientific description of how hereditary characteristics are passed from parent organisms to their offspring; it underlies much of genetics...
of already existing genes, but that new genes cannot arise from mutations, because this would be "adding information" (he claims that only intelligence
Intelligent designer
An intelligent designer, also referred to as an intelligent agent, is the hypothetical willed and self-aware entity that the intelligent design movement argues had some role in the origin and/or development of life...
can cause a beneficial mutation); instead, mutations and natural selection can only "remove preexisting information." Furthermore, all of these species are of the same kind
Baraminology
Baraminology is a creationist taxonomic system that classifies animals into groups called "created kinds" or "baramins" according to the account of creation in the book of Genesis and other parts of the Bible. It claims that kinds cannot interbreed and have no evolutionary relationship to one another...
and no new kind can arise from this process. Ham distrusts radiometric dating
Radiometric dating
Radiometric dating is a technique used to date materials such as rocks, usually based on a comparison between the observed abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope and its decay products, using known decay rates...
, which is a technique used to date objects such as moonrocks, fossils, and human artifacts.
Since 1989, Ham has frequently made the comment, "Were you there?" regarding the origins of life and evolution, implying that knowledge of unwitnessed events is inferential
Inference
Inference is the act or process of deriving logical conclusions from premises known or assumed to be true. The conclusion drawn is also called an idiomatic. The laws of valid inference are studied in the field of logic.Human inference Inference is the act or process of deriving logical conclusions...
and not observational. talk.origins
Talk.origins
talk.origins is a moderated Usenet discussion forum concerning the origins of life, and evolution...
responded that the evidence for evolution "was there", asserting the necessity to continue the task of scientific inquiry, though missing Ham's concern for "observational science" In 2005, The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
poked fun at Ham's question.
He claims that there is a difference between facts and interpretation of facts. "Creationists and evolutionists, Christians and non-Christians, all have the same evidence—the same facts. Think about it: we all have the same earth, the same fossil layers, the same animals and plants, the same stars—the facts are all the same. The difference is in the way we all interpret the facts. And why do we interpret facts differently? Because we start with different presuppositions; these are things that are assumed to be true without being able to prove them. These then become the basis for other conclusions. All reasoning is based on presuppositions (also called axioms). This becomes especially relevant when dealing with past events."
Ham's beliefs and tactics have been criticized by other Christians and Old earth creationists. Answers in Creation, an Old Earth creationist web site, has called Ham willfully ignorant of evidence for an old earth and said that he "deliberately misleads" his audiences on matters of both science and theology. Astronomer Hugh Ross
Hugh Ross (creationist)
Hugh Norman Ross is a Canadian-born astrophysicist and creationist Christian apologist.He has a PhD in astronomy and astrophysics, and later established his own ministry called Reasons To Believe, that promotes progressive and day-age forms of old Earth creationism...
, a progressive creationist
Progressive creationism
Progressive creationism is the religious belief that God created new forms of life gradually, over a period of hundreds of millions of years. As a form of Old Earth creationism, it accepts mainstream geological and cosmological estimates for the age of the Earth, but posits that the new "kinds" of...
, has publicly debated Ham and other Answers In Genesis staff regarding the compatibility of an old Earth with the Bible.
External links
- Ken Ham at Answers in Genesis