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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
{{See also|Answers in Genesis|Creation Museum}}
{{See also|Answers in Genesis|Creation Museum}}

According to his site's biography:<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/about</ref>


{{quote|Ken’s bachelor’s degree in applied science (with an emphasis on environmental biology) was awarded by the [[Queensland Institute of Technology]] in Australia. He also holds a diploma of education from the [[University of Queensland]] (a graduate qualification necessary for Ken to begin his initial career as a science teacher in the public schools in Australia).}}
{{quote|Ken’s bachelor’s degree in applied science (with an emphasis on environmental biology) was awarded by the [[Queensland Institute of Technology]] in Australia. He also holds a diploma of education from the [[University of Queensland]] (a graduate qualification necessary for Ken to begin his initial career as a science teacher in the public schools in Australia).}}
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Between 1987 and 1993, Ham worked for the [[Institute for Creation Research]] (ICR),{{Chronology citation needed|date=February 2008}} a leading young-Earth organisation.<ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/organizations/#creation Creationist and Anti-Evolutionist Organizations], [[TalkOrigins Archive]]</ref> In 1994, with the assistance of what is now [[Creation Ministries International]] (Australia), Ham and colleagues Mark Looy and Mike Zovath set up Creation Science Ministries, later renamed [[Answers in Genesis]].<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/about/history The History of AiG through mid 2009]</ref> The [[Christian]] ministry specialises in [[Young Earth Creationism]], and is primarily devoted to persuading people that the initial chapters in [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] should be taken as literally true and historically accurate.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ham|first=Ken|title=Genesis: Key to Reaching Today's World|url=http://vimeo.com/3337524|work=TV Broadcast|publisher=[[WVCY-TV]]|accessdate=15 April 2011}}</ref> He then began raising "tens of millions of dollars."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2005/s1501593.htm | title=Lateline - 09/11/2005: The great debate‎ | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date= Nov 9, 2005 | first=Mark | last= Simkin | accessdate =17 March 2011}}</ref>
Between 1987 and 1993, Ham worked for the [[Institute for Creation Research]] (ICR),{{Chronology citation needed|date=February 2008}} a leading young-Earth organisation.<ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/organizations/#creation Creationist and Anti-Evolutionist Organizations], [[TalkOrigins Archive]]</ref> In 1994, with the assistance of what is now [[Creation Ministries International]] (Australia), Ham and colleagues Mark Looy and Mike Zovath set up Creation Science Ministries, later renamed [[Answers in Genesis]].<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/about/history The History of AiG through mid 2009]</ref> The [[Christian]] ministry specialises in [[Young Earth Creationism]], and is primarily devoted to persuading people that the initial chapters in [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] should be taken as literally true and historically accurate.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ham|first=Ken|title=Genesis: Key to Reaching Today's World|url=http://vimeo.com/3337524|work=TV Broadcast|publisher=[[WVCY-TV]]|accessdate=15 April 2011}}</ref> He then began raising "tens of millions of dollars."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2005/s1501593.htm | title=Lateline - 09/11/2005: The great debate‎ | publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date= Nov 9, 2005 | first=Mark | last= Simkin | accessdate =17 March 2011}}</ref>


For his creationist efforts, he was awarded [[honorary degree]]s by religious schools: one in 1997 from [[Temple Baptist College]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]] and another in 2004 from [[Liberty University]] in [[Lynchburg, Virginia]].<ref name="Biography">[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/about/ham.asp Ken A. Ham], [[Answers in Genesis]]</ref>
For his creationist efforts, he was awarded [[honorary degree]]s: one in 1997 from [[Temple Baptist College]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]] and another in 2004 from [[Liberty University]] in [[Lynchburg, Virginia]].<ref name="Biography">[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/about/ham.asp Ken A. Ham], [[Answers in Genesis]]</ref>


On 28 May 2007 the [[Creation Museum]] opened in [[Petersburg, Boone County, Kentucky|Petersburg, Kentucky]] by Answers in Genesis opened, which cost its $27&nbsp;million, raised from donors throughout the 1990s<ref>Dylan Lovan, "[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20081010/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_creation_museum A year later, Creation Museum claiming big crowds]," Associated Press, 10 October 2008.</ref> It is about {{convert|70000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}<ref>"[http://www.creationmuseum.org/about About us - Creation Museum]," Creation Museum, accessed 14 January 2009.</ref>
On 28 May 2007 the [[Creation Museum]] opened in [[Petersburg, Boone County, Kentucky|Petersburg, Kentucky]] by Answers in Genesis opened, which cost its $27&nbsp;million, raised from donors throughout the 1990s<ref>Dylan Lovan, "[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20081010/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_creation_museum A year later, Creation Museum claiming big crowds]," Associated Press, 10 October 2008.</ref> It is about {{convert|70000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}<ref>"[http://www.creationmuseum.org/about About us - Creation Museum]," Creation Museum, accessed 14 January 2009.</ref>

Revision as of 18:55, 13 October 2011

For the American astronaut, see Kenneth Ham.
Kenneth Ham
Born (1951-10-20) 20 October 1951 (age 72)
Queensland, Australia
Occupation(s)Evangelist, broadcaster, chief executive officer
SpouseMarylin "Mally" Ham
ChildrenNathan Ham
Renee (Ham) Hodge
Danielle Ham
Jeremy Ham
Kristel Ruth Ham

Kenneth Alfred Ham (born 20 October 1951) is the Australian President/CEO of Answers in Genesis USA.[1] He is a vocal advocate for a young Earth and a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis,[2] and his cross-country speaking tours and many books make him one of the better known young-Earth creationists.[3]

Biography

See also: Answers in Genesis and Creation Museum


Ken’s bachelor’s degree in applied science (with an emphasis on environmental biology) was awarded by the Queensland Institute of Technology in Australia. He also holds a diploma of education from the University of Queensland (a graduate qualification necessary for Ken to begin his initial career as a science teacher in the public schools in Australia).

On 30 December 1972, he married Marilyn ("Mally"),[4] whom he describes as a "very, very submissive, supportive wife" who has "always supported me five million percent."[5] The Ham couple have five children—two are married and two live with them in the Cincinnati area—and have five grandchildren.[6]

In 1979, Ham co-founded what was to be later known as the Creation Science Foundation (CSF) in Queensland, Australia with John Mackay.[7][8][9]

Answers in Genesis' Creation Museum.

Between 1987 and 1993, Ham worked for the Institute for Creation Research (ICR),[chronology citation needed] a leading young-Earth organisation.[10] In 1994, with the assistance of what is now Creation Ministries International (Australia), Ham and colleagues Mark Looy and Mike Zovath set up Creation Science Ministries, later renamed Answers in Genesis.[11] The Christian ministry specialises in Young Earth Creationism, and is primarily devoted to persuading people that the initial chapters in Genesis should be taken as literally true and historically accurate.[12] He then began raising "tens of millions of dollars."[13]

For his creationist efforts, he was awarded honorary degrees: one in 1997 from Temple Baptist College in Cincinnati, Ohio and another in 2004 from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.[6]

On 28 May 2007 the Creation Museum opened in Petersburg, Kentucky by Answers in Genesis opened, which cost its $27 million, raised from donors throughout the 1990s[14] It is about 70,000 sq ft (6,500 m2)[15]

Also in May 2007, Creation Ministries International (CMI) filed a lawsuit against Ham and AiG in the Supreme Court of Queensland seeking damages and accusing him of deceptive conduct in his dealings with the Australian organization. Members of the ministry were "concern[ed] over Mr Ham's domination of the ministries, the amount of money being spent on his fellow executives and a shift away from delivering the creationist message to raising donations."[9] According to the CMI website, this dispute was amicably settled in April 2009.[16]

In 2008, Ham appeared in Bill Maher's comedy Religulous.[17] In a press release AiG criticized the movie for what it called Maher's "dishonesty last year in gaining access to the Creation Museum and AiG President Ken Ham."[18]

During the 2008-2009 U.S. federal tax year, Ham received compensation and benefits of $176,018 from Answers in Genesis (up from $80,367 during the previous tax year)[19] and also had three of his children and one son-in-law working on the Answers in Genesis payroll during the 2008-2009 federal tax year: Danielle Ham (staff member compensated at $27,170), Jeremy Ham (staff member compensated at $34,380), Renee Ham Hodge (staff member compensated at $31,395), and son-in-law David Hodge (staff member compensated at $51,978).[20]

In March 2011, the Board of Great Homeschool Conventions, Inc. voted to "disinvite" Ham and AiG from "all future conventions" due to Ham's words about other Christians being "unnecessary, ungodly, and mean-spirited statements that are divisive at best and defamatory at worst."[21][22][23] AiG responded: "It is sad that a speaker and ministry, which stand boldly and uncompromisingly on the authority of God’s Word, are eliminated from a homeschool convention."[22]

Ham hosts Answers. . . with Ken Ham, a 90-second radio program broadcast daily on over six hundred radio stations worldwide and the internet[24] featuring Ham's commentary on issues.[25]

Beliefs

As a young Earth creationist, Ham believes that the entire universe was created about 6,000 years ago and that Noah's flood occurred about 4,500 years ago. He believes that the small number of animals carried on Noah's ark could produce the biological diversity observed on Earth. Ham also believes that dinosaurs co-existed with modern humans. He supports this view primarily with biblical scripture and the same evidence that scientists use.[26]

Ham accepts that natural selection can give rise to a number of species from an original population, by Mendelian recombination of already existing genes, but that new genes cannot arise from mutations, because this would be "adding information" (he claims that only intelligence can cause a beneficial mutation); instead, mutations and natural selection can only "remove preexisting information."[27] Furthermore, all of these species are of the same kind and no new kind can arise from this process. Ham believes all radiometric dating, which has been used by scientists to date such things as moonrocks, fossils, and human artifacts, to be inaccurate.[28]

Since 1989, Ham has frequently made the comment, "Were you there?" regarding the origins of life and evolution,[29] implying that knowledge of unwitnessed events is inferential and not observational. talk.origins responded that the evidence for evolution "was there."[30] In 2005, The Daily Show poked fun at Ham's question.[31]

He claims that there is a difference between facts and interpretation of facts. "Creationists and evolutionists, Christians and non-Christians, all have the same evidence—the same facts. Think about it: we all have the same earth, the same fossil layers, the same animals and plants, the same stars—the facts are all the same. The difference is in the way we all interpret the facts. And why do we interpret facts differently? Because we start with different presuppositions; these are things that are assumed to be true without being able to prove them. These then become the basis for other conclusions. All reasoning is based on presuppositions (also called axioms). This becomes especially relevant when dealing with past events."[32]

Ham's beliefs and tactics have been criticized by other Christians and Old earth creationists. Answers in Creation, an Old Earth creationist web site, has called Ham willfully ignorant of evidence for an old earth and said that he "deliberately misleads" his audiences on matters of both science and theology.[33] Astronomer Hugh Ross, a progressive creationist, has publicly debated Ham and other Answers In Genesis staff[34] on the age of the Earth compatibility of an old Earth with the Bible.[35]

Bibliography

  • Ham, Ken (1987). The Lie: Evolution. Green Forest: Master Books. ISBN 0890511586.

References

  1. ^ http://www.answersingenesis.org/Events/bio.aspx?Speaker_ID=2
  2. ^ "There’s an inconsistency here in taking Genesis literally to accept sin to explain moral evil, such as the shootings at Virginia Tech, but not taking Genesis literally in their acceptance of millions of years of “natural evil” before man (e.g., death, violence, catastrophe, and extinction of animals)." From Ken Ham, President, AiG-US 16 April 2007
  3. ^ "Ken Ham: Biblical Literalist". PBS. 2001. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  4. ^ Ham, Ken; Ham, Steve; A. Hillard, Todd. Genesis of a Legacy: Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World. Master Books. p. 78. ISBN 0-89051-481-X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Interview with Ken Ham, Ron Cooper, ARK Foundation
  6. ^ a b Ken A. Ham, Answers in Genesis
  7. ^ The History of AiG to the End of 2007, Ken Ham, Answers in Genesis
  8. ^ What we are, Creation Ministries International
  9. ^ a b McKenna, Michael (4 June 2007). "Biblical battle of creation groups". The Australian. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
  10. ^ Creationist and Anti-Evolutionist Organizations, TalkOrigins Archive
  11. ^ The History of AiG through mid 2009
  12. ^ Ham, Ken. "Genesis: Key to Reaching Today's World". TV Broadcast. WVCY-TV. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  13. ^ Simkin, Mark (9 November 2005). "Lateline - 09/11/2005: The great debate‎". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  14. ^ Dylan Lovan, "A year later, Creation Museum claiming big crowds," Associated Press, 10 October 2008.
  15. ^ "About us - Creation Museum," Creation Museum, accessed 14 January 2009.
  16. ^ "Creation Ministries International," (accessed 6 April 2010).
  17. ^ "Maher takes on religion, but some interviewees cry foul". Charlotte Observer. 1 October 2008. Retrieved 31 September 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  18. ^ "A Religulous Movie: Opens on 500 Screens Friday—Creation Museum mocked". Answers in Genesis. 2 October 2008. Retrieved 31 September 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  19. ^ 2008 IRS Form 990 "Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax", page 25. http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments//2009/330/596/2009-330596423-05f03adf-9.pdf
  20. ^ 2008 IRS Form 990 "Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax", page 28. http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments//2009/330/596/2009-330596423-05f03adf-9.pdf
  21. ^ "Founder of Creation Museum banned from convention". Lexington Herald-Leader. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  22. ^ a b "Kicked Out of Two Homeschool Conferences". Answers in Genesis. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  23. ^ Riley, Jennifer (22 March 2011). "Ken Ham Disinvited from Homeschooling Events over 'Ungodly' Remarks". Christian Post. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  24. ^ http://www.answersingenesis.org/media/radio
  25. ^ Radio Station Information, Answers in Genesis, 2009
  26. ^ "What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs" by Ken Ham url=http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/what-happened-to-the-dinosaurs
  27. ^ From the series "Answers with Ken Ham"- episode "Do the Animals "Evolve"?"
  28. ^ M. Riddle, Does radiometric dating prove the earth is old?, in K.A. Ham (Ed.), The New Answers Book, Master Books, Green Forest, Arkansas, pp. 113–124, 2006.
  29. ^ Were You There?, Kenneth Ham, Institute for Creation Research
  30. ^ "Claim CA221: Were you there?". talk.origins. May 2004. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
  31. ^ "Moment of Zen - God or the Scientists". The Daily Show. 14 September 2005. Retrieved 19 February 2007.
  32. ^ Ham, Ken. "What's the best "proof" of creation?". Answers in Genesis. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  33. ^ Greg Neyman. Ham Can't Tell the Simple Truth!. Answers in Creation. 12 Sept. 2005
  34. ^ Jason Lisle vs. Hugh Ross debate: annotated transcript, Jonathan Sarfati, Answers in Genesis Australia
  35. ^ Fair and balanced?, Steven McConaughy, Answers in Genesis

External links

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