Ken once again finds himself at odds with a "compromising" church
In a blog post entitled “Hank Hanegraaff falsely accuses me on national-radio” and dated 4 June, abrasive fundamentalist Ken Ham demands that evangelical radio presenter Hank Hanegraaff withdraw the following statement made by Hanegraaff on national radio:
……in some of the videos that we have featured on the
broadcast with respect to flight or metamorphosis, we have a young earth
creationist named Paul Nelson. I have the utmost respect for him. He is wise,
he is discerning, he is gentle, he is kind, he does what he does with
gentleness and with respect.
On the other hand there are young earth creationists
that make their particular position an acid test for orthodoxy and therefore if
you don’t hold their position, you are not a Christian. And unfortunately, Ken
Ham has come very close to doing that or has actually done that. Sometimes I
wonder if you give him the utmost charity you can say almost done that, but it
seems like he has oftentimes pointed to individuals who hold to a position that
the universe is old, as those who have given up the Christian faith.
Ken Ham’s
position, as he has stated on many occasions, is that YEC is not a salvation issue, but an authority
issue and on this basis he asks Hanegraaff to withdraw his “accusation”.
But notice that Hanegraaff is very careful with his words; he is not accusing
Ham of using YEC as a test for salvation. but as a test for orthodoxy. (Where, of course, Ham considers his views to be the measure of orthodoxy).
In my view what Hanegraaff has said above is entirely justified and his statement should not be withdrawn. Rather, Ham should withdraw his claim that Hanegraaff has made a “false accusation”. Ham, as is the wont of the hardened heretic hunting fundamentalists with a tendency to see things in black and white, is blind to Hanegraaff’s nuanced expression (just as he was to PZ Myers' nuance highlighted in my last post): Viz: Ham ...has come very close to doing that or has actually done that...., ....almost done that.... In particular Ham has often times pointed to individuals who hold to a position that the universe is old, as those who have given up the Christian faith.
In my view what Hanegraaff has said above is entirely justified and his statement should not be withdrawn. Rather, Ham should withdraw his claim that Hanegraaff has made a “false accusation”. Ham, as is the wont of the hardened heretic hunting fundamentalists with a tendency to see things in black and white, is blind to Hanegraaff’s nuanced expression (just as he was to PZ Myers' nuance highlighted in my last post): Viz: Ham ...has come very close to doing that or has actually done that...., ....almost done that.... In particular Ham has often times pointed to individuals who hold to a position that the universe is old, as those who have given up the Christian faith.
See the first
link below for an example where Ken Ham
has come very close to making YEC a faith testing shibboleth, if not a test
for salvation itself: Moreover, notice also that when Ham doesn't get his way he starts to use spiritually threatening language:
I also agree
with Hanegraaff that YECs like Paul Nelson, (and evangelicals like Hanegraaff) are
intelligent and reasonable people one can do business with. However, I can’t say the
same about Ken Ham; but then he was one time business partner of John McKay (and
in fact still supports McKay - see below) so what do you expect? Ham ought to ask himself why it is he that gets the flak and Nelson doesn't!
John McKay, friend of Ken Ham, has himself made some strange accusations!
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