The Ark Encounter in Kentucky has been opened for one year, a place built by Ken Ham to reenact Noah’s ark taking dimensions exactly from the Bible. The Ark Encounter helps children understand Noah’s story by answering questions throughout the facility. It includes three levels with fabricated figures such as Noah and the animals as well as a creation museum. The Ark truly presents a beautiful depiction of a famous biblical story and serves as a learning tool for believers and non-believers. Thus, it is no surprise the group Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has attacked this exhibit through a campaign to halt the project and smear its teachings.
Andrew L. Seidel, a staff attorney at FFRF, created a commercial titled “Atheist Exposes Ark,” exposing his experience at the Ark Encounter exhibit. Seidel wrote a follow up article as well laced with atheistic intolerant rhetoric. The first two lines are:
It is a monstrosity. A $100 million lie directed at children.
Seidel continued his verbal rampage by noting the alleged lack of attendees at the Ark Encounter concluding that the project must be a failure. Seidel gave his readers his thoughts on why the flood could not have possibly occurred. He lists various questions about Genesis 7:20, some are:
Is there even enough water to rain that much? It would take 10 Atlantic Oceans to rain as much as the Bible claims he says.
How did these people and animals breathe at that elevation?
How did the animals survive after the flood?
Seidel claimed Ken Ham is blissfully ignorant of reality and just listens to that silly tale in the Bible literally.
His favorite part was the “Pre-Flood World” because it “shows the world was so evil that it deserved to be slaughtered. God is infinitely more wicked than this gleeful gent.” He then took a picture with a serpent at the Ark saying: “That wily serpent and the atheist. Can you see the family resemblance?” After befriending the serpent, Seidel simplistically concluded what the story of the flood is all about: “God is so angry with his playthings that he murders everyone.”
The ignorance of Seidel’s understanding of the story of Noah is quite disheartening. He talked about Noah’s sins after the flood, condemning Canaan to slavery. Seidel wrote:
This god’s chosen man [Noah]-the man who god personally selected to survive a worldwide genocide-condemning an innocent child to a life of slavery. Who would worship such a tyrant?
Yet there are approximately 2.3 billion Christians in the world who worship this God. The story of Noah, which billions of people live by, offers a message of hope despite destruction. Furthermore, Seidel forgets that God does not need his approval. Newsflash: God never did nor does need humans, we desperately need Him. Thus, when God spared Noah and his family’s lives that was an act of grace.
Noah’s cursing of Canaan was another example of how even after the devastation of the flood, humans still were sinful and disobedient. When Ham went in to the tent to mock Noah’s nudity and condition, Noah saw the moral flaws of Ham. He knew those flaws would be passed on to Canaan and his children. Therefore, the curse of God falls upon the Canaanities because of the sinfulness Noah foresaw. (Readers can learn more about the cursing of the Canaanities in detail from pastor Bob Deffinbaugh.)
Seidel ended his intolerant piece urging readers to support the FFRF to stop the secular government from supporting the creationist exhibit by not allowing public schools to take their students to this “monument of ignorance.” Seidel clearly believes children should not be educated on the authentic symbolism of the rainbow from Genesis 9:12-13, the wonderfully gracious promise for all creation:
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”
Comment by Roger on July 12, 2017 at 4:56 pm
Psalm 14: 1 describes this individual very well. He will not understand any of the Bible until he believes. The truth of the Bible is to look at the Jew. It tells what has happened, did happen, and what will happen in the future. The Jew has survived approx. 4000 years.
Comment by b. birchfield on July 13, 2017 at 12:39 pm
does ken hamm also believe in santa claus, the easter bunny and the tooth fairie?
Comment by Todd on July 13, 2017 at 5:12 pm
Probably not. But he probably does believe in a God who loves children and approves of the playful indulgences you mention. And he probably also believes in a God who loves you as well, regardless of whether you believe in him. God bless you.
Comment by Jim on July 14, 2017 at 9:33 am
//Yet there are approximately 2.3 billion Christians in the world who worship this God. The story of Noah, which billions of people live by, offers a message of hope despite destruction. //
This is a logical fallacy called Argumentum as Populim. Ibqiukd think Some one trying to defend a biblical story would avoid such fallacies.
Anyway, as for the Flood, no where in the narrative does it state anyone (aside from Noah) was warned nor does it state by what standard those who were killed were judged. Paul states in Romans that “no one is guilty of sin where there is no Law”. The Law didn’t come until Moses.
Comment by Bob on July 15, 2017 at 2:24 am
In the book of Hebrews it says that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. This, I’d say, means he warned people.
St. Paul didn’t come until the first century.
What laws were given prior to the time of Moses are not mentioned, except for a few. Some are implied such as “do not murder,” “marriage is for life,” and “obey God.” The history revealed in the Bible does not tell us the entire list of laws they had been given.
Not sure this is the fallacy you mention. Isn’t it rather a statement of how the Noah narrative can bring hope despite destruction?
Comment by Paul on July 15, 2017 at 8:20 am
Wait, I’m confused. Now there suddenly IS a God with these atheists? Whatever. Anything to debunk religion.
Comment by John on July 15, 2017 at 8:26 am
And what did Jesus say about Noah and the flood and ark? Matthew 24: 36-39
As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark…….
Comment by Steve K. on July 15, 2017 at 11:19 am
Noah and Methuselah preached about the upcoming doom for 200 years! People were so wrapped up into their sinful lives they turned a deaf ear! Noah started building the ark at age 500! There was certainly enough time for people to come to a belief, they lived much longer than we do today, Methuselah lived to a ripe old age of 969! So, if you’re not convinced, suffer condemnation as all non believers, not of water, but of fire!
Comment by Mello on August 10, 2017 at 4:21 pm
While you don’t seem to have a problem with the biblical god not just killing anyone who doesn’t believe in the bible/him, but burning them with fire for ever and ever (pretty sadistic), have you ever read the scripture with any sort of openness to the failed logic in it? Look at Genesis 6:6-7. He we have this omnipotent, all knowing, all loving god saying that he regrets making humans and decides to wipe them and the animals from the face of the earth. 1. Why the animals? 2. Him showing regret for what he made. He didn’t see this coming? Further, instead of just snapping his fingers and making them disappear, he decides to drown all of them. Men, women, the elderly, infants, and all the animals. Why make the innocent suffer…or were the babies and animals evil? 3. Did the flood wipe out all the evil and sin from earth? It seems like evil and sin survived the flood. Why else would Jesus have to come to the earth and die? So, the flood really didn’t accomplish much, did it? Perhaps it got rid of “sin” and “evil” for awhile but doesn’t it also mean that Noah and his family that were on the ark brought the sin and evil with them?
Lastly, the rainbow. What is it a symbol of? That god won’t flood the earth again? So? Destroying it with fire seems much worse, especially burning people alive for ever and ever. Not only does that not seem like a big deal to most christians I talk to, but it’s almost a “oh, you’ll see!” excitement. When I was a believer, I had compassion for all people and even mentioning hell (especially to a non-believer) was not something I talked about lightly. Unless I was witnessing to someone, hell was never a topic. Fear is not a good motivator, despite what preachers and televangelists scream. Nowadays, it’s like a prideful thing for believers. It’s really not loving nor christlike, no matter how much you dislike unbelievers, to rejoice at the thought of someone, anyone being sent to hell for all of eternity. If you believe that sort of thing. I hope you find compassion, peace, love and, most importantly, logic. Selah.
Comment by J. Lee on March 25, 2019 at 5:27 pm
Excellent logic and reason that mirror my own confusion when trying to comprehend the contradictions running rampant throughout the Bible!! I’m not saying that there isn’t some truth in the texts but it’s like it’s hidden amongst fabrications and alterations that makes it extremely difficult to discern what’s truth or fiction. I full heartedly believe in God, the Creator, but even as a very young child, I just couldn’t accept that He was as wrathful or vengeful as the old testament claims. The God in me, the divine Creator, was pure and unconditional love and light. I think that there has been a great deal of misleading amongst all religions throughout history, even though they all hold some very real truths in them. They all carry similar messages and teachings at a fundamental level however, they also carry similar aspects of control from fear, which is what many fanatics and followers tend to utilize when attacking anyone who dares to question or disagree with their religious texts or teachings. I don’t judge others for their beliefs or lack thereof. That’s what’s awesome about free will. We get to choose who, what and if we want to believe. It was incredibly refreshing to come across an objective post like yours and I admire your intelligent and respectful discernment on this sensitive topic. MUCH LOVE AND INFINITE BLESSINGS TO U MY FRIEND.
Comment by John Schuh on July 15, 2017 at 1:43 pm
For us who read Genesis in a less literal way, The ravings of this atheist are simply a series of attacks on straw men. As for the Deluge, whatever the historicity of the tale go Noah, something like it surely happened, We live at a time when our international elites propose a catastrophe as great as the flood occurring within a hundred years time. Probably the end of the glaciation of North America and other places did end within a short time, with catastrophic results. Global warming with a vengeance! And remembered by peoples all over the world. God knows how long ago that was. Scientists keep pushing the origins of mankind back and back. Into the last ice age and beyond. The Neanderthals who once were thought to be very different from homo sapiens are now thought to have interbred with them, Within known human history, civilizations arise and fall. How many have done this since Adam?How much accumulated knowledge has been forgotten and after a span of time reformulated by new cultures. In any case, the story that the Bible tells is that of the moral history of man but mainly focused on one relatively small but extraordinary race of men, culminating in the career of one very extraordinary man.
Comment by Darrel Hannah on August 10, 2017 at 1:19 pm
So you agree with this raving atheist’s point that Ham’s ministry Is wrongheaded.
Comment by Scott A on August 10, 2017 at 2:01 pm
Don’t you folks get that this book was written by people. How do they know what an alleged God said? They can’t. It was the Steven Spielberg of the time. It’s make believe. Like boogeymen and Santa Claus and Captain Kirk. It’s all fake. And grown people are using this thousands of years old story (and others) by which to live their lives. It’s really pathetic.
Comment by Liam lewis on August 10, 2017 at 5:04 pm
Science has proven time and time again how old the earth is, and there has not been proof of evidence to verify that there is or ever was a god.
Comment by ? on July 23, 2019 at 11:35 pm
Just respect peoples’ religion
Comment by Free Will on July 25, 2019 at 3:54 pm
Look at the economy and look at all the death going on in the world which is a sign the world is coming to an end. Look at how many natrual disasters in this world.