All of Creation testifies ...

What do you get when you put a passionate Science Guy and a devout Creationist together in a room?

I would imagine a little fireworks, but last night it turned out to be a very calm, civilized debate.

Two great minds converged in Kentucky to discuss an age old question asked in a new way.

Is creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern, scientific era?

Ken Ham, a bestselling author, radio host and founder of Answers in Genesis tackled the Creation side, while Bill Nye (most commonly known as Bill Nye, The Science Guy) renowned speaker, author and teacher took on the evolution side of the argument.

The debate was hosted by the Creation Museum to a jam-packed audience of 800 spectators and over 70 media outlets represented. The entire evening was mediated by CNN's Tom Foreman.

The debate ran for almost three hours including an audience question and answer period.

I would love to give you my impressions on the evening
but I don't want to spoil anything for those who didn't get a chance to watch the live event. So here is the website for the debate. It is loaded on that front page and will apparently stay open for a few days then will be available to order by download or dvd. There is also a version on Youtube for a limited time. I am not sure how long those links will be viable for, so I apologize if they become inactive. (I also do not know why the videos have such a long prelude before beginning - be patient.)

Now before I get to my comments I think you should now that CNN's survey of the evening showed that 92% of the voters thought Bill Nye won the debate.

CBC's coverage article is here if you are interested.

A group of folks met at our church to watch the event yesterday and although we, as a group of believers, most of whom are committed to the theology of Creation thought Bill Nye did in fact do a better presentation. It was hard not to be disappointed by Ken Ham's presentation and rebuttals.

Yet the evening was somewhat redeemed when Bill Nye answered two questions from the audience with a very confident "I don't know. Nobody knows". Then when the clock turned to Ken Ham, he quietly pointed out to Bill Nye that the answers are in fact found in a book, that starts out, In the Beginning ...".

One thing I found very bothersome about the whole event was how Bill Nye infected the theology of Creation by referring to it the entire evening as Ken Ham's theory, and the people who believe in it already were Ken Ham's followers. He was on a mission to prove it was Ken against all of science and to believe him or to sway to his way of thinking was to forgo all science inherently and fail as a country to compete and thrive in the new generations. I fully understand that this was a pre-determined tactic but I must take offense to it.

I do not follow Ken Ham!

I follow the Word of God and the Lord of all Lords who made it all happen from the beginning.

Another frustration of mine was that the topic was perhaps too broad. The men did not have the time or urgency to rebuttal properly the issues brought up by the other side. There simply was too much ground to cover to focus on backtracking and countering the opposing claims. (Either that or they deliberately chose not to address them?) It might have been more beneficial to tackle one area - such as scientific proof of the flood, or something like that.

One positive note for me was the gospel message was given and spelled out several times throughout the evening. My hope and prayer through today and onward is that despite the fact that 92% of the people who voted thought Bill Nye won, that the Word of God and His incomparable love for them was planted in their hearts.

"But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse." Romans 1:19,20 The Message.

So, what did you think of the debate? Who would you vote for?

(Photo above taken from livedebate.org website of free promotional items)


**Amendment - check out the article posted on Christian Post, February 7th, 2014. It articulates the lapses and errors I felt after watching the debate. I had walked away from the debate feeling cheated. I am not a scientist but I knew there were enough gaps in Darwinism that scientist were questioning so much - even if they aren't ready to accept God yet. The debate didn't touch on this at all. Read this article 5 Christian Arguments Left Out of the Ken Ham, Bill Nye debate. Very interesting!  Let's have another round!