Founder of Answers in Genesis ministry says Bible based in fact during visit to Quincy

QUINCY — Debates about whether science and the Bible conflict have never been completely settled. Ken Ham visited Quincy this past week to share his ministry’s view on why the Bible and science work together rather than separately.

Ham is the founder and CEO of the Christian apologetics ministry known as Answers in Genesis. This ministry has built two leading Christian-themed attractions — the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter — to educate people about the historical accuracy of Bible.

Ham is in Quincy this week to speak at The Crossing to explain how the Bible is based in fact.

“We specialize in equipping people with answers to questions people have about the Bible, particularly its history in Genesis,” Ham said. “We deal with … the race issue, fossils and dealing with the skeptical questions that a lot of atheists ask.”

The race issue Ham mentioned is the idea that people come from one human race rather than belonging to several different races.

“When God made marriage, he made the first two people,” Ham said. “Those two people gave rise to all the people on the earth today. We have different people groups, not races.”

The Answers in Genesis ministry uses the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., to educate people about the Bible and its history.

“The Creation Museum is like a walk through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation,” Ham said.

People visiting the museum can visit exhibits educating about the stories of the Bible. They can walk through the Garden of Eden featuring Adam and Eve. They also can see an exhibit based on the flood that destroyed the earth, when Noah built the ark that saved his family and two of every animal. The exhibit explains how the flood’s waters buried much of the planet’s life under mud, creating fossils.

Another educational experience relating to the flood is the Ark Encounter, a full-size ark built using the dimensions given in the Bible. It is 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet high. The Ark Encounter can be seen in Williamstown, Ky. It is the largest, free-standing timber-framed structure in the world.

The Ark has 130 different exhibits answering questions about the animals Noah took on the Ark.

Ham has been traveling around the world for more than 40 years speaking at conferences. Originally from Australia, he has spoken in all 50 states at conferences and in churches.

Ham emphasizes God’s Word must take precedence over man’s word.

“For a Christian, when we start from God’s Word, the first 11 chapters of the Bible are foundational to everything,” Ham said. “If you want to cover the social issues of the day … you have to start with the history of Genesis.”

Noah Klauser is a Quincy native and a Culver-Stockton College student serving as an intern for Muddy River News during the spring semester.