Ken Ham

Ham in September 2012

Kenneth Alfred Ham (born 20 October 1951) is an Australian young-Earth creationist. He is the president of Answers in Genesis (AiG). Ham is also the founder of the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, United States.^[1] He is a former high school science teacher.^[2]

Career

Ham was born on 20 October 1951 in Cairns, Queensland. His father was a Christian educator who settled his family in Brisbane, working as a school principal. Ham earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from Queensland Institute of Technology.^[3] He also earned a diploma in Education from the University of Queensland.^[3]

Bill Nye debate

See the main article: Bill Nye–Ken Ham debate

On 4 February 2014, at the Creation Museum, Ham debated Bill Nye (also known as "Bill Nye the Science Guy"). The topic was the question "Is Creation A Viable Model of Origins?". The televised event drew over three million viewers.^[3] Ham's position was the world was created about 6,000 years ago. He also defended his position that all animals alive today descend from those aboard Noah's Ark.^[3] Nye argued that radioisotopic and ice core data shows that Earth has existed for much longer than 6,000 years.^[3] He also added that using the Bible's description of the Ark it could not float.^[3] A number of experts were critical of the debate saying that it did not discuss important areas. At least one said neither did very well.^[3] An informal viewer's poll showed 92% thought Nye won the debate.^[3] However, "Debate is a tool for showing who's a better orator, not necessarily who's right.^[3] And Ken Ham is no mean orator, usually," noted the National Center for Science Education, a not-for-profit membership organization that defends the teaching of evolution and climate science."^[3]

Quote

Ham said of his father:

“

He was always very adamant about one thing – if you can't trust the Book of Genesis as literal history, then you can't trust the rest of the Bible. After all, every single doctrine of biblical theology is founded in the history of Genesis 1:11. My father had not developed his thinking in this area as much as we have today at Answers in Genesis, but he clearly understood that if Adam wasn't created from dust, and that if he didn't fall into sin as Genesis states, then the gospel message of the New Testament can't be true either."[4]

”

Personal life

He married Marylin "Mally" on 30 December 1972. They have five children together. The Ham couple live in unincorporated Boone County, Kentucky.^[5]

References

1. Jeffrey Goldberg (October 2014). "Were There Dinosaurs on Noah's Ark?". The Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
2. Jason Cohen, 'In Genesis They Trust', Cincinnati Magazine (Jun 2005), p. 136
3. Sudeshna Chowdhury (5 February 2014). "Bill Nye versus Ken Ham: Who won?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
4. Ken Ham; Steve Ham, Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World: Leaving a Lasting Legacy (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2006), p. 19
5. "Ken Ham's journey from Australia to Petersburg". Cincinnati.com/Gannett. Archived from the original on 29 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.

Other websites

• Ken Ham on IMDb