Photo Compliments of Answers in Genesis - Ken Ham Standing in Front of the Ark
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We recently visited and reviewed the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky. As a quick recap, The Ark Encounter is a life-size replica of what Noah’s Ark may have been like. The destination visits the biblical story of the great flood, and delivers a creationist perspective on history and evolution.
Here at TSRs, we strive to be apolitical and non-sectarian. Considering that, we reached out to Ken Ham, the founder and mind behind the Ark Encounter and sister attraction, the Creation Museum. We wanted to let Mr. Ham answer some questions we had that we thought our readers and the public at large would want to know the answers to concerning the ark, visiting it, and mindset.
While Mr. Ham is extraordinarily busy, he was gracious enough to send us his well thought out answers to our questions. We hope you’ll enjoy this closer look into the inner workings and philosophy behind the Ark Encounter.
The Square Reviews interviews Ken Ham
TSRs: You have said in the past that your experiences as an educator spurred your drive to make the Creation Museum and by extension, the Ark Encounter. Do you feel that the outcome of these projects has fulfilled your goal in offering a perspective that is theologically compatible?
Ken Ham: I was a public school science teacher in Queensland, Australia in the 1970’s and I was always burdened that thousands of students each year would visit secular museums and learn about millions of years, evolution, and so-called ape-men, and I prayed to the Lord, “why can’t we have a creation museum that teaches truth?” The Lord answered that prayer many years later on an entirely different continent—here in America—with the opening of the Creation Museum in 2007 and then the Ark Encounter in 2016.
I am so thankful individuals, families, and even school groups have the opportunity I didn’t have when I was teaching nearly 50 years ago: the ability to come to a world-class museum (and life-size Noah’s Ark!), filled with science teaching, hands-on programming, stunning exhibits, and so much more, but learn about history and the world around us through the proper lens—the history God has given us in his Word.
TSRs: One of the exhibits in the Ark Encounter specifically talks about the dangers of trying to merge an evolutionary and Creationist origins. What message, if any, would you have for people that work to meld the two ideologies? Do you think that this middle ground is a place where both camps can come together to discuss concepts without the fear of being “wrong”? Or is it strictly either/or?
Ken Ham: When it comes to creation/evolution the ultimate issue isn’t creation, the age of the earth, or anything like that. The ultimate issue is biblical authority: will we start with the Word of God or will we start with man’s ideas and reinterpret God’s clear Word in light of that? If you simply start with God’s Word you won’t find a hint of millions of years or evolution. It’s only when you start outside Scripture, with man’s ideas about the past, that you find millions of years and evolution. So when Christians try to add those ideas into Scripture, what they are really doing is undermining biblical authority because now God is not the ultimate authority—man is!
There isn’t a “middle ground” when it comes to this issue because either God is your ultimate authority or man is your authority in this area. There’s no neutral position!
TSRs: For devout Christians, what’s your message to them about the Ark Encounter? What’s your pitch?
Ken Ham: The Ark Encounter brings the Bible to life. As you encounter the 510-foot-long Noah’s Ark, you’ll discover answers to the skeptical questions of our day such as “how could Noah fit the animals on the Ark?” or “How could Noah and his family feed and care for the animals?” You’ll leave equipped with answers, strengthened in your faith, and encouraged to trust God’s Word from the very first verse.
TSRs: What do you have to say to people that are skeptical to the ideas presented in the Ark Encounter? What’s your tactic here in asking people to have an open mind and consider your beliefs versus other theories?
Ken Ham: From research we have conducted with our guests at various times, we estimate up to 30% of our guests are unbelievers—but they love their time at the Ark Encounter anyway! Many comment on how family-friendly these attractions are and how much their children enjoyed the Ark, our zoo, or our unique custom carousel.
We encourage anyone who is skeptical of the ideas presented at the Ark to come and consider both the biblical and scientific evidence behind what we believe. We find many people have preconceived ideas about what Christians, specifically biblical creationists, believe but often those preconceptions are inaccurate or false so visit the Ark Encounter and consider what we actually believe (based on God’s Word) and how we interpret the evidence. You may just be surprised to learn there really is evidence for the truth of God’s Word from the very first verse!
TSRs: I’d ask the same as the previous question, but about those who are not only skeptical, but outright hostile to any theory outside of their own.
Ken Ham: Over the years, we’ve had guests from every walk of life visit the Ark Encounter including those who are hostile to the message. And we welcome everyone to come! Even if someone rejects the message, they can still enjoy the world-class workmanship of the Ark itself (the largest free-standing timber frame structure in the world), as well as the level of intricate detail in the individual exhibits. And, of course, everyone loves our friendly zoo animals!
But we would encourage anyone who is hostile to the message of the truth of God’s Word to be sure to read the exhibits and consider that the real “battle” isn’t over the evidence (fossils, rock layers, etc.) but over two different interpretations of the same evidence. One interpretation starts with the eyewitness account of history recorded in God’s perfect Word, the other starts with man’s ideas about the world around us. That’s the real battle! So humbly come and consider the evidence in light of God’s Word—you may just be surprised!
TSRs: And finally, what’s your message to those who subscribe to Christianity – regardless of sect; Catholicism, Protestant, Baptist, Methodist, etc. – but don’t really practice. What do you have to say to those members of the community about the Ark Encounter, in particular, why they should come and check it out.
Ken Ham: The account of Noah’s Ark and the flood is perhaps the best-known of all biblical accounts and it captivates the imagination of both believers and unbelievers around the world (just consider, for example, how many children’s products feature Noah’s Ark!). You’ll love seeing the Ark and the animals brought to life and, throughout the three decks of exhibits, you’ll encounter the truth of God’s Word and be encouraged that, yes, the flood really happened—the Bible’s history is true and the gospel message is also true. And everything is done from a non-denominational perspective.
Editor’s Note: We’d like take this opportunity to thank Mr. Ken Ham for his time and for being so attentive to answering his questions. If you have not had a chance to read our full review of visiting the Ark Encounter, please be sure to check it out!
About Ken Ham:
Speaker, Author, CEO, and Founder of Answers in Genesis
Since moving to America in 1987, Australian Ken Ham—founder of Answers in Genesis-US, the highly acclaimed Creation Museum, and visionary behind a popular, full-size Noah’s Ark—has become one of the most in-demand Christian conference speakers and talk show guests. He became internationally known for his 2014 creation/evolution debate with Bill Nye “the Science Guy,” which has been watched by an estimated 20 million people.
In May of 2007, Answers in Genesis opened its high-tech Creation Museum and education center in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area (on 70 scenic acres in Petersburg, Kentucky). The brainchild of Ken Ham, the state-of-the-art facility contains dozens of world-class exhibits—including impressive animatronic dinosaur models, a $1 million allosaur fossil, and planetarium—which are now on display inside the 75,000-sq-ft museum. In 12 years, the museum attracted well over four million guests.
The Ark Encounter opened in Williamstown, Kentucky, in July 2016, and in its first two years drew over two million awe-struck visitors and countless media. The evangelistic attraction features a life-size Ark as its centerpiece, about 40 miles south of the museum. In phase one, a zoo was built behind the Ark and a stunning 1,500-seat restaurant opened.
A biblical apologist, Ken gives numerous faith-building talks to tens of thousands of children and adults each year (he receives hundreds of invitations to speak annually) on such topics as the reliability of the Bible, how compromise over biblical authority has undermined society and even the church (which is seeing a massive exodus of young people), witnessing more effectively, dinosaurs, “races,” and so on. His most-recent book on effective evangelism, Gospel Reset, was sent to every church in America and other English-speaking countries (over 300,000 copies) in 2018.
Ken cofounded AiG in 1994 with the purpose of upholding the authority of the Bible from the very first verse. In addition, he provides biblical and scientific answers to some of the most difficult questions people ask about the Christian faith.
Ken and his wife, Mally, reside in the Cincinnati area. They have five children and 16 grandchildren.
Education
DD, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, Tennessee, USA, 2018 (Honorary Doctorate)
DS, Bryan College, Tennessee, USA, 2017 (Honorary Doctorate)
DHL, Mid-Continent University, Kentucky, USA, 2012 (Honorary Doctorate)
TSRs Team is managed and published by Editor in Chief John Petrolino. Petrolino, a veteran award-winning writer, built TSRs to deliver apolitical, non-sectarian, and brutally honest reviews of products, food, travel, and experiences. The "team" consists of Petrolino and contributors without individual bylines/profiles.
