July 4th in New Jersey

This weekend, Mally and I are in New Jersey where I am speaking at a conference hosted primarily for people from India. However, there are quite a number of others who have also come to the conference (near New York City). So we are celebrating the 4th of July by teaching people the truth concerning God’s authoritative Word—what better way to remind people of where this nation and India need to be founded—in the Word of God!

Over 2,000

About 2,300 people visited the Creation Museum yesterday—visitors continue to pour in from across the country and around the world! Praise the Lord.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying.

Ken

Attendees at this year’s annual meeting of the National Education Association in San Diego this week will be the unlikely recipients of thousands of dollars worth of Bibles and creationist materials, offered by members of the Creation Science Educators Caucus. This caucus endeavors to help public school teachers better understand the massive problems with the evolutionary belief system that is taught as fact in most science classrooms.

The NEA meets each year to discuss legislation and policy within the assembly. The group supports a distinctly liberal perspective on many issues. For the past 14 years, the NEA has allowed a consortium of creation proponents to have a presence at the convention, and engage in friendly dialogue with the attendees. As part of the outreach by the Creation Science Educators Caucus, Answers in Genesis has donated thousands of free DVDs and books.

“We are pleased to be invited by the Caucus to join this unique outreach to the nation’s leading educators,” said Ken Ham, Founder and President of Answers in Genesis and the highly acclaimed Creation Museum. “We are honored to be able to provide materials and volunteers for this educational endeavor.”

In addition to the usual Answers in Genesis creation DVDs and literature that are being distributed by the thousands at no charge, volunteers from the ministry and other creationist colleagues have flown to San Diego at their own expense to engage convention attendees in conversation, hoping to introduce NEA members not only to the faults in evolutionary thought, but also to faith in Christ. In fact, a large banner at the Caucus booth states: “For by Jesus Christ all things were created.”

“Our goal this week is not to create controversy or hold a revival. We simply want to balance the representation of views presented at the conference,” said Ham. “I hope that participants will take the time to watch a DVD or read a book that the Caucus is handing out, and that they will see how the Bible is confirmed by observational science. Also, we always welcome a friendly debate with evolutionists!”

In the photo, you can see convention delegates engaging AiG staff and other volunteers (you can spot Dan Breeding, Dr. Jobe Martin, Dr. Cherian John, and Mike Riddle) in conversation.

There’s a Mastodon in the Main Hall

The cast of the mastodon skeleton I have talked about in a previous blog is now in its permanent location in the Main Hall of the Creation Museum. Here are a series of photographs showing AiG staff assembling this impressive creature, and then one of the finished mastodon in its permanent home:

Devotion

New vs Familiar

(Exodus 17:4) And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

We turn around corners of life & face surprising new problems, but we still have our familiar, trustworthy helper for each challenge, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying

Ken

Many media outlets reprinted various versions of the AP article—others wrote different articles—and there have been numerous bloggers writing about it. And, of course, as is usual, the majority mock AiG’s stand on the Word of God. To them, Darwinian evolution can’t be questioned, and they don’t understand why we can believe the account in Genesis. They think we are going against proven scientific fact!

As is usual, most of them don’t understand that there is a big difference between observation in the present (e.g., observing the properties of metals or looking at the structure of a cell through a microscope) and interpreting the facts of the present in relation to the past. And really, when their starting point is that the Bible’s account of origins is not true or there is no God or we have to accept man’s interpretation of the past over God’s Word, then no amount of “facts” will convince them.

A columnist for a Kentucky news source out of Ashland wrote a column on the Creation Museum. He admits he has never visited the Creation Museum, but he knows we are wrong anyway. His starting point determines that no matter what he saw, we would be wrong because we take God’s Word in Genesis over the words of fallible man. The columnist tries the usual ridicule that we’ve seen many times before: to align us with people who supposedly believe in a flat earth (though, I have never met any such people).

However, I wanted you to consider his statement:

You never knew God was such a trickster, did you? Well, I don’t think so. I respect Him far too much to believe He would stoop to such a ruse.

So, which god is he talking about that he seems to imply he believes in? Well, it cannot be the God of the Bible. After all, the omniscient God, who doesn’t tell a lie (God is not a man that He should lie, states the Scriptures), tells us clearly how He created. Not only that, but the Creator Himself quotes from his own Word in Genesis in many places (e.g., Mathew 19), showing clearly it is real history.

The point I want to make is that those who say they believe in God as this writer does, but mock God’s Word in Genesis—are they talking about the same God? The God of the Bible is not the god of evolution that many talk about. Now, it is true that there are many Christians who hold to evolution and are truly saved—but they are being completely inconsistent, as the God of the Bible did not use evolution, but created as He Himself told us.

It all comes down to our starting points. Do we start with the revealed Word of God, or do we start with man’s fallible word? That is the basic battle. Here is the excerpt from the columnist:

I’ve not visited the museum, but I have to admit I’m impressed anyway. Not that I’m persuaded to buy into the young-Earth theory, just astonished at the scale of the exhibits based on sham science, the sophistry of the creationist apologists.

By the way, if the Flat-Earth Society ever opened a museum, I would not feel obliged to go there before stating unequivocally that we are living on a globe.

Scientists overwhelmingly subscribe to the evolutionary theory, of course. It’s not a belief, not a creed, but an understanding of a body of knowledge gathered and analyzed over the years.

To believe the young-Earth model, you have to believe God not only worked his six-day wonder while planting overwhelming evidence in favor of evolution.

In other words, if He did do the entire job in six days, he crafted his creation in such a way as to persuade the careful observer that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old. And when he created dinosaurs and people within days of each other he made it appear that the saurians preceded humans by 65 million years.

You never knew God was such a trickster, did you? Well, I don’t think so. I respect Him far too much to believe He would stoop to such a ruse.

You can read the entire article at:

http://www.dailyindependent.com/local/local_story_176214537.html

Furman Family Visits

Three generations of the Furman family of Pennsylvania were with us last week at the Creation Museum: Bill, Corey, and Elijah. Here is a photo of the four of us in the bookstore of the Creation Museum.

Bill, the grandfather, went on one of the very first tours of Australia that I conducted (about 20 years ago). His son Corey has served in Iraq, which we acknowledge today as we come upon another patriotic holiday in America–the 4th of July. They also had lunch with CCO Mark Looy on the patio of the museum café (see photo)–Mark visited Bill several years ago at his home in Pennsylvania and enjoyed catching up with him this week.

Quartet Visits Creation Museum

A singing group came to the Creation Museum yesterday and sang for us in the main hall. They are the Revival Quartet from West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, California. They are in the area to sing for the Ludlow Hills Baptist Church and were brought to the museum by their hosting pastor, Murray Douglas, a huge fan of the museum.

The group has 100 concerts scheduled for this summer, including 6–7 weeks of camps. Last night they sang in Indianapolis. Here is the photo of the group taken at the museum yesterday with our newly displayed mastodon in the background.:

Hate Mail

As well as the overwhelmingly positive comments (great testimonies, salvation testimonies, etc.) we often receive, we do get hate comments on almost a daily basis, but they represent a small minority of people in this country.

Here is one that tries to link us to the Taliban!!!

. . . you people are ruining religion for the rest of us with your idiocy. how can you not see parallels with how the taliban think and operate and how you the religious right do. Scary.

Devotion

Tag

(2 Corinthians 4:18) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

All we see, we tag as temporary, but what we see in the Bible—heaven, redemption, the power of the Cross and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ—we tag them eternal.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

The first paragraph of the article entitled “Paleontology and Creationism Meet but Don’t Mesh” states:

Tamaki Sato was confused by the dinosaur exhibit. The placards described the various dinosaurs as originating from different geological periods—the stegosaurus from the Upper Jurassic, the heterodontosaurus from the Lower Jurassic, the velociraptor from the Upper Cretaceous—yet in each case, the date of demise was the same: around 2348 B.C.

There is no doubt that someone thoroughly indoctrinated in billions of years and evolutionary ideas would react this way. Even most PhD scientists I find don’t truly understand the difference between observational (operational) science and historical (origins) science (the word science basically means “knowledge”). They also are not aware of—or don’t admit—their starting assumptions (as our Starting Points Room at the museum points out).

Think about this quote above:

1. Young-earth creationists do agree that the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest at the top, but the time difference is where the disagreement lies.
2. Young-earth creationists do agree that layers of sedimentary rock can be named according to dominant fossil types/sediment type etc. (one can use the same names the secularists do). The disagreement is not in what is observed, but the interpretation in regard to how long it took for the layers to be laid down (something no one did observe).
3. Creationists and evolutionists have the same rock layers—the difference is in how we interpret those layers in regard to the past (historical science)
4. Young-earth creationists believe most (not all) sedimentary layers (such as the ones listed in the quote above) were laid down at some time during the global Flood of Noah’s day
5. So, we have different interpretations because we have different starting points. The real battle is between the two starting points—God’s Word or autonomous human reasoning.

You can read the entire New York Times article here.

Ordaining Atheist Ministers

One of our supporters sent us information on a website that claims they are part of a church of atheism—and ordain atheist ministers. The site states:

With the First Church of Atheism you can become ordained quickly, easily, and at no cost.

As a legally ordained minister, you will be able to perform weddings, funerals, commitment ceremonies, and other functions that are reserved for members of clergy. Since its inception, the First Church of Atheism has amassed quite a following around the world. FCA ministers come from all walks of life. They are every race, ethnicity, age, and creed. The one thing binding every FCA minister is his or her belief in science, reason, and reality.

The First Church of Atheism wants you to pursue and cherish your realistic beliefs without interference from any outside agency, including government or church authority. We provide our service for free, as we believe it is every atheists right to perform these clergy functions.

You may become a legally ordained minister for life, without cost, and without question.

The link is http://firstchurchofatheism.com/

Congratulations

AiG staff members Cecil and Vicki Eggert were thrilled to announce the birth of a granddaughter. Cecil and Vicki wrote:

We praise the Lord for the arrival of Eva Nichole McNeill—daughter of Joe and Lindsey McNeill. Eva made her grand entrance into this world at 2:18 p.m., Sunday, June 28. She weighed 7 lbs 11.8 oz. and was 21 inches in length. After much trial and tribulation, both parents and grandparents are glad she is finally here.

Devotion

Choice Trainer

(Exodus 16:4) Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

The Lord Jesus Christ is our choice trainer, as He constantly puts choices before us between the right and wrong to see if we will rely on Him and choose correctly.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

Richard Dawkins Launches Children’s Summer Camp for Atheists

So what is the hypocrisy in regard to this?

After the group of around 70–80 secular paleontologists visited the Creation Museum recently, some comments were made to the press (several media outlets were here that day) concerning the Creation Museum attracting so many children and how terrible this was—that we were educating children this way. Recently I wrote a blog item about a person who was complaining about the new Creation Museum billboards, stating:

I hate that the Creation Museum has dinosaurs ripping at their billboards, an obvious ploy to attract more kids to brainwash to Christianity.

Yesterday we came across a blog entry by an associate professor of mathematics in Harrisonburg, Virginia,who visited with the group of paleontologists. He blogged:

I have made several visits to the museum, and it has been crowded each time. But even I was taken aback by the mob scene that greeted us. Things were so clogged it was sometimes hard to work your way through the labyrinth of exhibits. Very depressing. Even more depressing was the ubiquity of small children from various camps and schools: Well isn’t that charming. Getting ‘em while their young is a big thing with creationists.

Of course, what he means is that Christians shouldn’t be teaching children—that it needs to be left up to the atheists/evolutionists. If this professor agreed with what we teach, it would be okay to teach children—but he doesn’t agree; so, it is not okay for us to teach children.

The utter hypocrisy of such a position (which we hear from these very emotional and religious zealot secularists) can be seen so clearly in what is reported about Richard Dawkins and the summer camp on atheism for children. The Mail Online report continues:

The author of controversial book The God Delusion is helping to launch Britain’s first summer retreat for non-believers.

Richard Dawkins is subsidising the camp which will offer children aged eight to 17 the chance to sing along to John Lennon’s Imagine [sic] and have lessons in evolution.

The five-day camp, based in Somerset, promises to be ‘beyond belief’—the event’s motto—and will rival traditional faith-based breaks run by the Scouts and church groups.

. . . And instead of finishing up the day with a toasted marshmallow and round of Kim-bi-ya budding atheists will belt out ‘Imagine there’s no heaven . . . and no religion too.’ Dawkins said the camp was designed to ‘encourage children to think for themselves sceptically and rationally.’

The camp will enable “children to think for themselves skeptically and rationally.” In other words, these children will be trained to think the way Richard Dawkins wants them to—to think his atheistic way! Talk about brainwashing children in atheism!

The report continues:

The event has been held in America for 13 years

Oh, yes—this event has been happening in America for years—the country where secularists slam Christians for teaching children because they disagree with Christianity. They want to teach all children atheism, as they do at such camps. Their hypocrisy is astounding—but not surprising of course.

The Mail report continues:

There will also be philosophical and scientific discussion for children who will be taught about evolution and that ethical behaviour is not dependent on religious belief and doctrines.

This certainly sounds like teaching children to think for themselves, now doesn’t it?!

You can read the entire report at this link. There are also a number of other media reports on this children’s atheist camp event.

Just as I had finished drafting this blog item, I learned that a major New York Times article about our museum is to appear in today’s edition, which has a comment about an evolutionist lamenting the fact that so many young people are coming to our Creation Museum. This evolutionist, head of a science museum at Yale University, stated:

But you worry about the youngsters [who tour the museum].

Well, I worry about the young people who tour his secular, evolutionist museum that undermines biblical authority! See the Times article and photo (you may need to register first) here.

In tomorrow’s blog, I will offer some commentary on the largely well-done Times article. The paper sent a reporter here to tour the Creation Museum with a large group of paleontologists.

Already Gone Review

The Christian Post published an article on our new book Already Gone. The article begins:

“The next generation of believers is draining from the churches, and it causes me great personal and professional concern,” said Ken Ham, founder and president of Answers in Genesis and a Young Earth creationist [sic].

Hoping to shed light on what he believes is a monumental problem, Ham enlisted the services of America’s Research Group to study why young people were leaving. The results, published in Already Gone, will shake many churches to their very core, Ham states in the new book.

While previous surveys have shown that Christian students tend to quit church during their college years, the data collected by ARG found that most of them were already gone in middle school and high school.

According to ARG’s survey, 95 percent of 20- to 29-year-old evangelicals attended church regularly during their elementary and middle school years. Only 55 percent went to church during high school. And by college, only 11 percent were still attending church.

“They’re sitting in our churches right now . . . and they’re already gone,” Ham said during a “State of the Nation” address last week.

Delving deeper into some of the reasons for the exodus, the research group found that nearly 40 percent of the surveyed twentysomethings first had doubts about the Bible in middle school. Another 43.7 percent said they first doubted that all of the accounts and stories in the Bible are true during their high school years. Only around 10 percent said they first became doubtful about the Bible accounts during college.

Among those who said they do not believe all the biblical accounts are true, the top reasons they gave for doubting the scriptures were: “it was written by men” (24 percent), “it was not translated correctly” (18 percent), “the Bible contradicts itself” (15 percent), and “science shows the world is old” (14 percent).

In an even more alarming finding, attending Sunday school proved to be of no help in strengthening a young person’s faith. In fact, the survey revealed that Sunday school is actually more likely to be detrimental to the spiritual and moral health of children.

You can read the rest of the article at the link given above. You can order Already Gone in single copies or bulk discounted copies from the AiG online bookstore.

Devotion

Personal Creation

(Job 33:4) The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty has given me life.

The knowledge of creation encouraged us to repent of our sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, as we saw ourselves as His lost personal creation.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

There is rejoicing in heaven when this happens—and we rejoice. Each life is a precious soul who is going to live for ever—with God or separated from God.

Also, over the years, and to my wonderful surprise, I have had parents of children who suffer from some form of autism tell me they were never able to get their child to learn the alphabet—but when they used A is for Adam (and/or the accompanying video—even though it is older animation technology), to their delight, they found their child being able to learn the alphabet.

I have had parents tell me they believe because the book honors God and His Word, that God specially uses this in the lives of these children who are hard to reach. If you know anything about autistic children (and those with a milder form called Asperger syndrome), they are very difficult to reach with biblical truths. As a family, my wife and I are very familiar with this situation, as my wife’s two sisters each have a son with Asperger syndrome.

Here is just another testimony received this past week that I just had to pass on to you:

. . . I wanted to send you a note with some encouraging news!! First off, I met the nicest couple . . . at the AiG booth at the . . . conference. . . . I told them about one of the books that I bought written by you A is for Adam.

I had sensed God was working in my older daughter’s heart . . . age 7, since around Christmas time. What you need to understand is that [she] has aspergers [a type of autism]. Her two main weaknesses are social skills and emotional understanding.

I had been praying to God that she wouldn’t have just the “head knowledge” about Him that is so prevalent with aspergers, but a relationship with him. I saw a HUGE emotional wall in her, and she didn’t have the expressive skills to understand/communicate it. I started praying for the Holy Spirit to tear down that wall.

I kept telling God that He made her and that He is the only one that can reach her. In March, [she] started asking questions all the time; every day a little bit of the wall crumbled, and I kept praying. . . . I gave her your book A is for Adam on Easter, and later that night we read a few pages of it and [she] told me that she wanted to ask God into her heart too!!!!

I couldn’t believe it—I was thrilled, of course!!! We talked and I questioned her repeatedly to make sure she understood and was doing this for the right reasons. So, on Easter, April 12, she prayed to ask Jesus into her heart!!

So, thank you for writing the book; thank you for persevering through all the negative commentaries. [She] has been developing a hunger for God’s Word in all sort of ways—books, music, and videos.

Her body might have aspergers, but her spirit doesn’t!! It’s filled with the Holy Spirit!!! It’s been beautiful to see. So again, thank you very, very much!!!! God sure is using you in a mighty way!!

You can find out more information on A is for Adam from the AiG website.

Reaching Another “Unreachable” Person

Recently, AiG’s Buddy Davis was ministering in Wisconsin. He sent another of those thrilling testimonies concerning AiG resources reaching an “unreachable” person:

I ran into a guy in Wisconsin that I hadn’t seen in 45 years. He is a chaplain in a motorcycle ministry. He told me of a pastor friend of his that has a jail ministry. The pastor uses Answers in Genesis material.

He related a story that there was one man in jail that he could never reach. In fact, he was very disruptive and argumentative. One evening they watched some of the AiG videos, and that man received Christ after watching them. Since then, that man has led three other inmates to Christ.

Buddy also related the following about his visit to Wisconsin:

I traveled to Wisconsin this past weekend to do a concert for a 25th-wedding-anniversary party. Darrel and Heidi Klessig were the couple who were celebrating their anniversary. I am sending you a photo of me with Darrell. He was once a bouncer for the Johnny Cash show!

They have been to the Creation Museum and Creation College and were at the AiG Defending the Faith conference in Branson last year. They are coming sometime this fall to the museum again.

Experience the Book Signing

Most of you, of course, could not come to the book signing I did at the Family Christian Store (Florence, Kentucky) this past Saturday morning–but I thought that by including a series of photographs, it would help you “experience” this event:

Devotion

Resort to silent faith

(Exodus 14:14) The LORD shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

When surrounded by a myriad of devastating troubles and we are tempted to speak complaints, it is better to close the mouth hatch and resort to silent faith.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

This person, in commenting on one of our new museum billboards (pictured below), stated:

I hate that the Creation Museum has dinosaurs ripping at their billboards, an obvious ploy to attract more kids to brainwash to Christianity.

One just has to shake one’s head when you see absurd comments like this. What this person (I presume he is a secularist) is saying is basically something like this:

You Christians can’t be teaching children—that’s our job as secularists! We want to train (brainwash) them in secular philosophy. You have no right to train children in Christian things. How dare you.

The interesting thing is that at the Creation Museum, people actually learn about both creation and evolution. However, I don’t see secular museums teaching people about both. Also, science curricula we publish teaches children about both creation and evolution. Public schools won’t even let students hear about the problems with evolution, let alone teach them about creation. So who is really doing the brainwashing?

Unique Book Signing

Last Thursday, well-known market researcher Britt Beemer, who co-authored the best seller Already Gone with me, visited AiG. We both spoke at two sessions to museum visitors and then conducted a book signing in the Dragon Hall bookstore. This is the first time Britt and I have spoken together. Visitors that day had the unique opportunity of having both authors sign their copies of Already Gone.

You can purchase single and discounted bulk copies of Already Gone from the AiG Online bookstore. Here are two photographs taken of Britt and me as we talked to museum visitors and signed their books:

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying

Ken

How we praise the Lord for all the people that continue to pour into the Creation Museum day after day. A praise point for us, but for some of the secular paleontologists who visited this past week, they were annoyed and worried by the crowds!

They Pour in from All over the World

Yesterday I spoke twice to a full theater of museum visitors (we use our special effects theater each day for what we call our “speaker series”). At the first session, I asked if there were people from outside the USA. It was thrilling to have people tell me they were from:

• Bulgaria
• Canada
• France
• India
• Ukraine
• United Kindgom

I have included a photograph of Darin and Vesy Ivanov—who pastor in Bulgaria. Darin also has an evangelistic and apologetics ministry in Bulgaria and works with pastors.

He has translated four AiG booklets:

• “Dinosaurs in the Bible”
• “Is there really a God?”
• “Where did the races come from?”
• “Who was Cain’s wife?”

He made a statement that, because of the booklets, when the people of Bulgaria think of creation groups, they think of AiG. He has also done some translation work for Terry Mortenson of our staff. He will be holding a pastors conference beginning 8 July and wants to translate and distribute more AiG materials. I had a photograph taken of myself with Darin and Vesy in the Dragon Hall Bookstore.

Book Signing this Morning

This morning I will be doing a book signing for the new release (already a bestseller) Already Gone at Family Christian Stores in Florence, Kentucky. All those who purchase a book will also receive a coupon for “buy one and get one free” entrance to the Creation Museum (about 15 miles away). You can purchase single copies of Already Gone and discounted packs of 10 and case lots from the Answers Bookstore.

View the “State of the Nation” on Website

The “State of the Nation” address I gave Thursday night inside the museum can now be viewed on the AiG website. You can also preorder the DVD and it will soon be available for download as well.

Here is a press release we sent out about the address:

CREATION MUSEUM FOUNDER QUESTIONS PRESIDENT OBAMA’S COMMENTS

Ken Ham Claims Attack on Christianity in Recent Statement ‘We are No Longer Just a Christian Nation’

PETERSBURG, Ky., June 26, 2009 – The world-renowned Creation Museum hosted its first-ever live video Web cast Thursday evening, featuring a presentation by Founder and President Ken Ham on “The State of the Nation.” Watched by tens of thousands of people on the Web and heard by a huge radio audience around the country, via American Family Radio, the Web cast featured Ham discussing the status of Christianity in the U.S., following President Obama’s recent comment that “whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation.”

While Ham acknowledged that America is no longer the great Christian nation it once was, he saw the president’s comments as an outright attack on Christianity. Ham especially noted that the president has subsequently issued statements in support of equal rights for the homosexual community and has gone so far as to proclaim June 2009 “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.”

The issue of whether or not we are a Christian nation is more than a culture war and a clash of worldviews, but comes back to the very foundation of the Bible, Ham said. Issues like abortion and homosexual behavior are merely symptoms of the real problem, and churches have wasted millions of dollars fighting these symptoms rather than getting to the heart of the matter – the Word of God.

Ham explained that for too long, Christians have been looking for a political solution to a spiritual problem. “In order to change the culture,” he said, “we need to see hearts and minds changed.”

As part of the solution, Ham presented the results of a recent study commissioned by the museum’s parent ministry, Answers in Genesis, on why young people leave the evangelical church. The study was conducted by America’s Research Group, under the leadership of Britt Beemer, who co-authored a book with Ham on the study, “Already Gone.”

Ham calls for a new Reformation – this one in Christian churches across America, which have stopped teaching the Bible as real history and have only been presenting Bible stories and telling children to “trust Jesus.” Ninety percent of children from evangelical homes attend public schools, where they are almost always taught evolutionary thought. “What they are learning at school and on television is blotting out what the Bible teaches,” Ham said.

If Christian churches can get back the foundation of the Word of God and teach future generations to trust and defend it, then we can indeed reclaim our nation for Christ. “In a real sense, it’s not that we want to get back to what our Founding Fathers believed,” Ham said, “but we need to get back to the foundation of the Word of God.”

Ham and Beemer conducted a question-and-answer session following “The State of the Nation” to address issues, including those in the America’s Research Group study.

Answers in Genesis estimates that well over 100,000 people attempted to watch the “The State of the Nation” Web cast last night on either the Answers in Genesis Web site or the American Family Radio site, but the large number overwhelmed the technology. Answers in Genesis’ hosting service crashed twice due to the incredible number of attempts to log in. However, those listening on the 300-station AFR network were not affected. Because of the login problems, this afternoon Ham’s full “The State of the Nation” address will be available to view directly from www.AnswersInGenesis.org. Answers in Genesis’ video crew filmed the presentation using high-quality, digital equipment encoded the video presentation for public viewing. Later, the Web cast will be offered for purchase as a download or as a DVD.

Answers in Genesis is a biblical apologetics ministry and a nonprofit Christian organization dedicated to confirming the validity of the Bible from the very first verse. In addition to the Creation Museum, which had its 750,000th visitor this morning (since its grand opening in May 2007), Answers in Genesis outreaches include more than 300 teaching meetings each year, an award-winning Web site and magazine, and the “Answers” radio program heard on more than 800 stations throughout the United States.

We are already receiving some very positive comments about this address and many preorders for the DVD—and we expect many thousands to view the video online. We will also be putting it on YouTube.

Here is one comment we received:

We have just heard the presentation given by you and Mr. Beemer. We are overjoyed at hearing everything we have seen and encountered in the culture, over the last several years, printed through your new book and verbalized in this webcast. At so many churches we have seen all across the nation, there has been such an incredible amount of apathy and utter abandonment of Biblical authority and a loss of reality in the faith. We have also seen the increasing hostility towards Christians, even by our extended family members because of our faith.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

The Bad News: So many people tried to log on it overwhelmed the technology!

The Good News: Those listening on AFR radio heard the address very clearly.

The Bad News: Thousands of those trying to watch/listen via the web either couldn’t get on or had difficulties viewing. AiG’s hosting service reported our server crashed twice—the problems with technology. Now, for the many people who logged in very early, they were able to watch most of the webcast.

More Good News: Later today (perhaps as early as 2:00 p.m. this afternoon Eastern Time), the “State of the Nation” address will available to view direct from the AiG website (and later today it will also be available on the American Family Association website). AiG’s video crew filmed the presentation using high quality digital cameras.

We do apologize for the web problems last night—actually, it is a good problem to have when so many people want to view such an address. Obviously, hosting live webcasts still has limitations in regard to our technology, but this first-ever broadcast attempt will enable us to work out many of the bugs for next time. Our live studio audience gave rave reviews of the evening.

Check the AiG website throughout the day—as soon as our tech team has encoded the video presentation, it will be available for you to view. We will also be making a way for you to purchase a download and eventually buy a DVD of the presentation.

By the way, this “State of the Nation” webcast was held inside our Creation Museum, and today we will be welcoming our 750,000th museum visitor since we opened 25 months ago!

Two AiG Books in Short List for Awards

We found out this week to two of our books (Kids Answers Book 1 and Noah’s Ark: Thinking Outside The Box) published by Master Books are on the short list for a possible award.

On the Association for Christian Retailing website, we read:

Christian retailers have chosen the finalists in the 2009 Retailers Choice Awards, sponsored by Christian Retailing magazine (Strang). The finalists among the 250-plus products nominated in 30 categories are listed below. Winners will be announced during the International Christian Retail Show in Denver.

You can view the finalists here.

Churches Responding to Already Gone

Our book Already Gone has quickly become a bestseller. A typical response we are seeing from pastors is similar to what this pastor wrote to the leaders in his church:

Recently several of us have read Already Gone, a powerful and challenging book by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer. The subject is “Why our kids are quitting church and how we can get them back.” Soon a copy of this book will be made available to our Sunday school teachers and deacons without charge, and I believe it will be a tremendous help to all of us in understanding why so many young people brought up in church eventually leave it behind, and what we, as leaders, can do to prevent it.

This book has the potential, if the Lord so allows and blesses, to have a tremendous impact on the church (and the church of course to have an impact on the culture).

You can purchase this book in single copies or discounted in packs of 10 or case lots of 48 from AiG’s online bookstore.

Devotion

Vast superiority

(2 Corinthians 3:12) Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

The vast superiority of the hope that is in the gospel of the Lord Jesus impels us to make it crystal clear and plain for both toddler and 100-year-old to understand.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

We realized that many of their responses (and quotes in various media) would not be complimentary towards the message of the museum (that the Bible’s history in Genesis is true). But we certainly did hear complimentary comments from some of them concerning the quality of the museum itself.

The Associated Press report has already appeared in many news sources—you can read the article at this link.

When I read the article on a couple of news sources, I found an interesting couple of sentences at the end—but when I went back to copy them, I found they were deleted from certain sites. However, I was able to find the original ending on the AP site itself. It stated:

Christine Janis, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Brown University, said most of the arguments addressed at the museum she’s heard countless times before. What she found most troubling was the crowd. More than 750,000 people have visited in two years, and Janis is concerned the Creation Museum’s version of human history is the only one they’re getting.

“They’re out-breeding us, that’s for sure,” Janis said.

Seems they are worried about the museum crowds (a worry for the secularists, a praise for us as Christians)—and, yes, crowds do pour in. Around 1400 visitors yesterday, and today will probably be considerably larger. They keep coming!

Christians see it as a rallying place, and more and more non-church people are also coming. Many are challenged by the message (though I doubt any of yesterday’s secular scientist visitors would have been seriously challenged—their careers are built on believing millions of years and Darwinian evolution—but let’s pray that God will use their visit in some way).

You can also read our local Cincinnati Enquirer article here.

Don’t Miss “The State Of The Nation” Live Webcast At 8:00 PM EST Today

Tonight (Thursday) at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, I will be presenting a lecture at the Creation Museum to be broadcast live (over the internet and Christian radio) entitled “The State of the Nation.” This presentation will not only deal with the contents of our new book Already Gone: Why Your Kids Will Quit Church and What You Can Do to Stop It, based on the research conducted by Britt Beemer of America’s Research Group, but will also deal with the spiritual problems America is facing. Too many people are only trying to invoke a political situation to a spiritual problem—which requires a spiritual solution.

After the presentation, Britt Beemer and I will then answer questions via a live chat through the web for 30 minutes.

The presentation will be streamed through the AiG website after the event and will also be made available on DVD.

Here are the details:

• “The State of the Nation; The Collapse of Christian America” with Ken Ham and Britt Beemer Thursday, June 25, 2009
• Live, 8:00 PM–9:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time (plus via FREE web streaming video immediately after the event airs live) with a preshow beginning at 7:30 PM EDT.
• access live and after the event at www.AnswersinGenesis.org and www.CreationMuseum.org, or join the live chatroom at www.CreationMuseum.org/live
  
• also streaming live at www.OneNewsNow.com and www.afr.net
• live on the AFR national radio network of 300 stations (see this link)
• program will also be available for purchase on DVD and downloadable media from www.AnswersBookstore.com
• SkyAngel subscribers can also access the event live on The Homeschool Channel
• schedule is for the first hour to be mainly Ken’s special presentation, then the last 30-minutes as a question/answer time also featuring Britt Beemer (for the AFR radio network, there will also be a live “pre-show” discussion with AiG’s Carl Kerby beginning at 7:30 PM EDT)

Anniversary at the Creation Museum

A couple who came to the Creation Museum sent us the following exciting letter—what a testimony as to how the Lord uses AiG and the Creation Museum to reach lives for Him:

Thank you so much for what you did for my wife and me last week during our visit to the Creation Museum. You really made our anniversary a very special one! The Creation Museum and AiG ministry is very special to us. If it were not for my wife (fiancée at the time) a year and half ago getting me to go on the AiG website to try and bring me back to God, I wouldn’t be a Christian today. I lost my faith a few years ago because of all the secular things I read, watched and learned at school.

To tell you the truth, I watched the news channels broadcasting about the Creation Museum the day it opened (they were mocking the museum as unscientific) and I was angry. I thought that it was a bunch of religious people ignoring science and lying to children.

Today I know very differently, and I am very very sorry to you, my wife (because she proved me wrong thankfully), and all the people at the Creation Museum. . . . Today I am a very different person.

Since I changed and let Jesus back into my life and now believe the entire Bible, I am happy again. I care very much for people like you and the rest of the people at AiG. My wife first mentioned visiting the museum a while back, and I told her I would take her there for our anniversary. I must tell you that we enjoyed it very much! We had hoped to listen to one of Mr. Ham’s speeches and we were even more grateful to meet him. You couldn’t have made us any happier!

The museum was more than we hoped for. Thank you very much! If we lived closer and I had the right education, I would love to work there with you all because it is a very special place. We hope to come back soon, and we will keep everyone at the museum and ministry in our prayers.

Devotion

The ability

(2 Corinthians 3:6) Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.

The ability to teach, preach, evangelize and exhort that brings about life change in others has one source: the Holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken