Thomas Carannante
Feb 03, 2014 10:38
Bill Nye “the science guy”, a childhood idol of many, will be participating in a creationism vs. evolution debate tomorrow night. His opponent is Ken Ham, who is one of the founders of a creationist ministry, Answers in Genesis. (Photo : Ed Schipul)
Bill Nye “the science guy”, a childhood idol of many, will be participating in a creationism vs. evolution debate tomorrow night. His opponent is Ken Ham, who is one of the founders of a creationist ministry, Answers in Genesis, located in the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky.
It’s estimated that over one million people will be watching the debate online, which will focus on the origins of humankind. Bill Nye has been a celebrity for years, dating back to his television show “Bill Nye the Science Guy” that aired from 1993-1998. His opponent, Ken Ham, is the president of the Answers in Genesis ministry in the Creation Museum that supports young Earth creationism and the literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis.
Since its inception seven years ago, “Answers in Genesis” has been subjected to widespread criticism for challenging the evolution of man with the interpretation of biblical story. But that hasn’t prevented hundreds of thousands of people from visiting the museum. They are also planning to build a Noah’s Ark theme park 40 miles from the museum, which is expected to cost $60 million.
Ham has expressed his nerves leading up to the debate, citing “a little fear, trepidation, and stress,” in this USA Today article. Perhaps there is more fuel on the side of Bill Nye, since scientists such as himself are insulted by the views of creationism believers such as Ham.
“I say to the grown-ups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, in your world that’s completely inconsistent with everything we observe in the universe, that’s fine,” Nye said in the same USA Today Article. “But don’t make your kids do it, because we need them.”
The debate at the Creation Museum is expected to draw 900 audience members and nearly 1 million online viewers; 800,000 were already registered for the debate’s online stream two weeks ago. And although each speaker isn’t likely to change anyone’s mind, it should certainly be an entertaining debate.
Exposing the Big Game 
I’m a little confused by this debate. It seems like we’re being told its either divine creationism or godless evolution. Why must it be “either . . . or”; why can’t it be “both . . . and”?
First, I don’t think it’s consistent with the literary styles used in the early chapters of Genesis (which are quite distinct from literary styles used elsewhere in the Bible) to interpret the creation accounts as literal, word-for-word, scientific facts, when these passages are written in the style of poetic imagery. I know many fundamentalist Christians are guilty of this, but the fact that many Christians make this error does not validate it.
To be a Christian, there are certain things I have to believe (e.g., the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection of Jesus), but a literal six-day (144 hours) creation timeline ain’t one of those things.
Second, there’s nothing inconsistent with saying that the physical component of human nature was the result of an evolutionary process, on the one hand, and saying that God is the author of human nature, on the other. Science observes physical things, not spiritual things. And if the claim is that humans are both physical and spiritual, we would have causes that are physical and causes that are spiritual. There’s no reason to think that science could give us any evidence of the spiritual causes, since that’s not what science is equipped to study.
See also, http://www.meditations-on-life.com/bible-vs-science/, which is an article that deals with the apparent conflicts between science and the Bible.