Sunday 22 June 2008

An open letter to Ken Ham

Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis, the creation museum and all-around nutter. Anyone who has come across Answers in Genesis will attest to what I'm talking about. The ministry itself is a joke, they actually believe that the world is 6,000 years old, that Adam and Eve walked with dinosaurs and that a global flood caused fossils! Now I'm one to think he can believe whatever he wants, but when he fills the heads of little innocent precious children with that garbage, then I start to have a problem. It's sad that thousands of children are going to walk through the doors of his "museum" and now think that science backs their faith. It'll be very disappointing in 20 years time when these children will be parents telling their kids of the flood as if it actually happened. That dinosaurs walked the earth with humans despite there not being a shred of evidence to support it. That science is something that should be shunned, despite all it gives up simply because it doesn't support the bible. And we'll have another generation, possibly in greater numbers than we have now.

Recently Mr Ham was asked to lead prayer at the pentagon. Now he's batshit insane so he can't see how maybe having fundamentalists Christians who preach the rapture in the building where the largest military on earth operates may be a little disconcerting to non-religious folk? Personally I feel very uneasy with the idea of those who believe in the 2nd coming and the apocalypse having their fingers on the button to launch global annihilation. It would be very nice if those folk would say as far away as possible from any position of military dominance, but because of fucks like Ken Ham indoctrinating children it has become not only the norm but a requirement for leaders of the "free world" to believe that nonsense themselves. We saw Bush get elected twice on the back of this notion of working for God. Now as a non-believer my opinions on the parameters of a deity are automatically invalid because I don't believe and therefore I'm wrong (according to anyone who ever has debated with me) but surely an omnipotent and omniscience entity should have no trouble at all doing things for itself. Working through humans? It's almost challenging us to say it's a load of crap. But when we do, it's faith. (again according to anyone who has ever debated me)

It came as a surprise that Ken Ham not only read PZ Myers blog on the topic, but found it apt to respond. Of course he missed the point entirely, and it's odd that he took such issue with wackaloon when there are many more nasty (yet accurate) terms to use. From this is where my letter stems:

Dear Mr Ham,

you are a despicable excuse for a human being that your accent fills me with shame that my country could have produced something as horrible as you. You have absolutely no clue about, well, anything at all. Your lack of scientific knowledge should be a sin on it's own, and your evangelising of biblical scripture as science should worry you as it breaks the 9th commandment.

But Mr Ham. As you know, you are already saved. So you can lie and lie away for Jesus without a ping of guilt. But back in the real world where what we say matters being dishonest is morally wrong, no matter the circumstances. So if I were to state that humans lived with dinosaurs, I'd be a liar. Because it's not a point of view, it's science. And in science we go with the evidence. Using a bible as evidence shows
1) your ignorance of the scientific process
and
2) your gullibility

Sorry Mr Ham, but in all due respect you aren't due any at all. You make a living out of lying and hoping that others are deceived by your lies. You push bronze aged myth as being more scientifically accurate than the last 400 years of empirical research where the only currency is being truthful; not trying to control others. It's sad that you think it's okay to brainwash children, that it's okay to lie about science in order to fuel your agenda. What you say contradicts every little thing we know about human history and the history of the world. You couldn't be more wrong if you tried.

Maybe if you actually decided to do some research, say, on the very land the museum is built on, maybe you could learn about fossils and inform yourself. Or go to a real museum and ask the guides how certain processes work. Ask about how the grand canyon was formed by expert geologists instead of thinking you know better. Ask about what empiricism means in science. Ask about the historicity of the bible, about how it was written, about what the archaeology and geology say about it. Being all bronze-age about it may win you support and it will definitely bring in the tithes, but all it does is highlight your ignorance.

So the word wackaloon is getting off lightly... if all you can do is claim intolerance, then your position is flawed. Maybe it would have been best to do some scientific research before opening a museum that has as much scientific truth as this months copy of The Watchtower. Maybe all those suckers who paid you to reinforce their delusions deserve a refund, or at least a disclaimer "warning the following is fiction, and any resemblance to anything living or dead is purely coincidental". That way you can still have your museum, you can still take the money of gullible fools, but at least they won't walk away with your crackpot idea that it's science. Wackaloon? 9th commandment-breaking child abuser is a much more accurate way to say it. You got off lightly Mr Ham. Very lightly.

From an Aussie who is trying his best to undo the damage you have done to this country's reputation,
Kel


There, it's somewhat cathartic to get that off my chest. In no way is this blog as popular as Pharyngula, I'd be surprised if anyone read this at all; let alone Ken Ham. It is important that those of sound mind actually speak out when lunacy abounds. It's not intolerance, it's damage control. I honestly don't care what he believes, just what he preaches. Just as I don't care about what the catholic church believes, just the ramifications for those beliefs. Same goes for Islam, neopaganism, new-ageism FSMism and anything in between. They are the problem, not the belief itself. Beliefs are only a danger when they are put into practice. Like speaking out on honour-killings and female circumcision is not being intolerant of Islam, speaking out on fundies is not intolerance. They are a threat to the sanity of children. They destroy the credibility that science has taken so long to build. They push a point of view on the world that is obsessed with death and an afterlife. To sit back and take it is not tolerance, it's submission.

3 comments:

Olly said...

KEL.. I am the one who is ashamed to be an Australian. You are very rude & like many who call themselves – scientists, are simply not open minded enough to contemplate any facts that may prove you wrong.

Me, a man who does not go to church, who didn't believe in God but had faith in the laughable theory of evolution, am assured that you are a blinded man with NO SCIENTIFIC evidence of anything other than a Master Designed Earth, Sun, and Moon Stars etc. Any child can see that we have Man & Monkeys but nothing in between. This on its own blows evolution away. Let alone the massive abundance of recent discoveries. The serious & genuine scientists are now re-assessing their long held beliefs of random & chance mutations in favour of an incredible design, for the simple reason that this is what the evidence shows us now that our technology is unlocking many new truths. Sadly there is always going to be the old fellows that are too proud to admit that they were wrong – even when the rest of the world can see the simple truth. These are the poor old fellows that turn into rambling head cases & just cant seem to live with themselves or anyone else in the end. (sad but true)

We see a digital camera & know it is a product of a designer, yet when we look at a human eye (many times more intricate & far superior design) Some foolish people believe the trail of fools that tell them it all happened by accident. Mainly due to years of brainwash by closed minded people that call themselves scientists but can never be a real scientist ( A real scientist takes ALL FACT into account & discredits the poor, unproved theories – such as evolution)

I have only changed my views simply because of un-bias study (something you lack a great deal of) ALL scientists agree that only life can beget life & then many totally contradict themselves when they say the earth magically appeared from a BIG BANG.. HA HA HA, it is just so funny I giggle every time it is mentioned. A child will tell you that no matter how many explosions you have, you will end up with a mess & chaos. You are never going to get any order, let alone an amazing world that is full of design where ever we look.

Wake up & admit that you have been wrong all this time. I DID & I am so much better off just from accepting the truth. Life opens up some much more wonderful doors & opportunities.

Have a read of the Bible & compare it to the documented history of non believers & you will change your sorry tune - just like I did.
There are over 1000 prophesies in the Bible & EVERY SINGLE ONE COMES TRUE. No they are not at all ambiguous, conquerors are listed by name & the method of the Babylonian city overthrow was even told, hundreds of years before it happened. This is only one quickly mentioned. It is FAR better science to believe in the truth than in your EXTREME FAITH in CHANCE.

If there is no God then a loving decent Christian (one who follows Jesus kind & gentle example) has everything to gain & nothing to loose. But an atheist or non-believer has nothing to gain & EVERYTHING TO LOOSE. Think about it. Even a child will make the right choice if he is LOVED enough to have been given the right of truth & not brainwashed into believing Darwin's mid 1800's incorrect theory that is now taught as fact.

I will pray for you & all the children who have not had the option of making a choice for themselves.

Kind Regards,
Olly

Rev. BigDumbChimp said...

Olly.


The watchmaker argument has been refuted so many times that when we see it, it's a sure sign of someone who isn't informed on the subject matter and is only regurgitating baseless canards from ID sources.

Let alone the massive abundance of recent discoveries.

Please. Enlighten us on these recent discoveries.

K said...

In the interests of actually writing a proper reply, here it is. My advice Olly, actually check up on what scientific theories actually mean before going on a long rant about their inadequacies.