Answers in Genesis

[Autodidact]

I will now try to make some sense of this article, only because it happens to be on the top of their site today:

The “classical” model for regional metamorphic zones presupposes elevated temperatures and pressures due to deep burial and deformation/tectonic forces over large areas over millions of years—an apparent insurmountable hurdle for the creationist framework.

O.K. I have a problem with their terminology right there. It's so inaccurate as to verge on the dishonest. They say "the creationist framework." Why would the idea that garnets are formed after burial and millions of years of pressure be inconsistent with the idea that God created the world. Couldn't God have created garnets this way? Oh, I see, they don't really mean "the creationist framework" at all. They mean "our creationist framework." They are taking the whole idea of God as creator and changing it to mean their bizarre little Young Earth model, which contradicts all of science.

The people who should be screaming bloody murder about this are all the people who DO believe that God created the universe, but who accept modern science and therefore reject the silly, discredited 10,000 year old earth scenario. They're slandering you! They're saying you don't exist. It's either literal Genesis or atheism, apparently.

So right in the intro, they set up the whole idea that unless you buy every jot and tittle of their creation myth, you're an atheism. These are the people who set up the false dichotomy of creationist vs. atheist. It's not the atheists, it's the YECs. They want to monopolize Christianity. The rest of Christianity should be fighting them tooth and nail.

And it's false.

 

[Autodidact]

I glance at the author, one Andrew Snelling, Ph.d. A little time on Google brings me to this interesting article. It seems that Dr. Snelling is in the habit of publishing articles in Geological Journals that acknowledge and state that various rock formations are millions of years old. So he contradicts himself on a regular basis. Interesting.

 

[Engyo]

I glance at the author, one Andrew Snelling, Ph.d. A little time on Google brings me to this interesting article. It seems that Dr. Snelling is in the habit of publishing articles in Geological Journals that acknowledge and state that various rock formations are millions of years old. So he contradicts himself on a regular basis. Interesting.

Either that, or this website is a revenue generator of some sort.

 

[Skwim]

I think the motivation for AiG is quite obvious, and it has nothing to do with belief.

Better Business Bureau Report for Answers in Genesis of Kentucky Inc.(2008)

Governance

Chief Executive : Mr. Ken Ham, President & CEO
Compensation: $192,690
​

Financial

Source of Funds

Contributions________________$9,610,789
GP on sale of goods____________6,038,902
Museum Admission_____________5,218,886
Museum Membership_____________855,723
Seminars_______________________517,427
Other__________________________394,116
In-Kind Donations_________________11,769
Interest and Dividend Income________2,248
_______________________________________
Total Income_____________$22,649,860
​

Sorry, but I'm not yet allowed to post a link, but by copy/pasting "Better Business Bureau Report for Answers in Genesis of Kentucky" in Google you can bring up the report, which has a bit more information.

 

[Autodidact]

Hey, Skwim, my new best friend, is AIG a non-profit, or a business?

 

[RedOne77]

The people who should be screaming bloody murder about this are all the people who DO believe that God created the universe, but who accept modern science and therefore reject the silly, discredited 10,000 year old earth scenario. They're slandering you! They're saying you don't exist. It's either literal Genesis or atheism, apparently.

So right in the intro, they set up the whole idea that unless you buy every jot and tittle of their creation myth, you're an atheism. These are the people who set up the false dichotomy of creationist vs. atheist. It's not the atheists, it's the YECs. They want to monopolize Christianity. The rest of Christianity should be fighting them tooth and nail.

And it's false.

Excellent points. Unfortunately, most Christians don't know that much about theology and even less (if any) science. I also think that among those who do know at least some science (enough to know YEC/ID is bull) have a tendency to not voice their opinions among other Christians who blindly accept YEC. To many theistic evolutionists, whether you accept evolution or not is not a salvation issue, while to the YEC camp it is very much a salvation issue to a large extent. This ignorance in tandem with apathy paves the way for YEC to get very little resistance from the majority of non-creationist Christians. This silence poises the false dichotomy to then spread, and my guess is that unless you have at least some college education, you are most likely to go with God/YEC.

Lets not forget that some Christians do fight back. I think the Clergy Letter Project is the best example. With many Christian scientists, like Miller and Collins, trying to reach out to the public saying that you can be a scientist and an active theist. However, just interacting with people in my own church, I think the general Xian public needs a much better science education. It would be nice if we Christians could handle this internally, but I doubt it will happen anytime soon - I would say the status quo for TE is to avoid conversations about it.

 

[Skwim]

Hey, Skwim, my new best friend, is AIG a non-profit, or a business?

Thanks Autodidact.

From the site.

Tax Status
This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c) ( 3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.​

 

[Autodidact]

Would be fascinating to find out Mr. Ham's salary.

 

[Autodidact]

Excellent points. Unfortunately, most Christians don't know that much about theology and even less (if any) science. I also think that among those who do know at least some science (enough to know YEC/ID is bull) have a tendency to not voice their opinions among other Christians who blindly accept YEC. To many theistic evolutionists, whether you accept evolution or not is not a salvation issue, while to the YEC camp it is very much a salvation issue to a large extent. This ignorance in tandem with apathy paves the way for YEC to get very little resistance from the majority of non-creationist Christians. This silence poises the false dichotomy to then spread, and my guess is that unless you have at least some college education, you are most likely to go with God/YEC.

Lets not forget that some Christians do fight back. I think the Clergy Letter Project is the best example. With many Christian scientists, like Miller and Collins, trying to reach out to the public saying that you can be a scientist and an active theist. However, just interacting with people in my own church, I think the general Xian public needs a much better science education. It would be nice if we Christians could handle this internally, but I doubt it will happen anytime soon - I would say the status quo for TE is to avoid conversations about it.

It may not be a salvation issue for them, but it is the road to perdition for their religion. If Christianity depends on denying science, then Christianity is doomed. Fortunately the YECs are wrong, it doesn't. I guess the non-ridiculous Christians figure they're not concerned so much about Christianity as an institution (other than the Catholic Church) as they are about themselves. They've worked it out to their own satisfaction, so they don't care what the YECs are doing.

 

[DeitySlayer]

Would be fascinating to find out Mr. Ham's salary.

Governance

Chief Executive : Mr. Ken Ham, President & CEO
Compensation: $192,690

Damn. Nearly 200 grand for talking crap.


​

 

[Skwim]

It's listed in my post under Governance. $192,690

 

[Autodidact]

I wonder if he's at all worried about the difficulties inherent in passing a camel through the eye of a needle?

 

[Engyo]

I wonder if he's at all worried about the difficulties inherent in passing a camel through the eye of a needle?

That presupposes him to be a sincere believer, rather than a cynical businessman. I have my personal opinion, of course....

 

[Breathe]

Damn. Nearly 200 grand for talking crap.

200 grand a year to talk crap? Damn, I've been doing it for free.

 

[Autodidact]

I wonder how much NCSE pays Eugenie Scott? Skwim, will you work your magic?

 

[The Voice of Reason]

This thread is to discuss Answers in Genesis. Charlatans, liars, or psychotically deluded?

Or? You make it sound like they aren't all three.

I wouldn't limit their description to only of those three terms. I'd say it's a combination, with a few other terms thrown in there.

Oh - and for the record - I'm not "assuming" anything about them when I say that they are intentionally lying to people, in an effort to persuade weak minded individuals that their particular brand of religion is "right".

I know that they are intentionally lying.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Hmmmmmm. At least one Texas judge is bucking the trend............

Such a pity. I was hoping to buy a Master's Degree within the week. I guess this puts my plans for obtaining my Doctorate before the end of the month on hold ...

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Such a pity. I was hoping to buy a Master's Degree within the week. I guess this puts my plans for obtaining my Doctorate before the end of the month on hold ...

Meh, any degree you can't purchase over the internet, probably isn't worth having anyway.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Hey, Skwim, my new best friend, is AIG a non-profit, or a business?

Let us not confuse "non-profit" with "not for profit".

Two distinctly different business models.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Meh, any degree you can't purchase over the internet, probably isn't worth having anyway.

... but without it, how will I ever land that position teaching local schoolkids about the evils of evolution and atheism?

I mean, the kids NEED me. They DESERVE to have me. I would be doing God's work.

Without me in the driver's seat, some of these kids could be misled into thinking that their mind is capable of learning things outside of the Bible.

Perish the thought ...