The Science Guy Bill Nye to Debate Ken Ham
Bill Nye to Visit Creation Museum for Debate
"Bill Nye "The
Science Guy" is set to visit Kentucky to debate evolution and biblical
creation with the founder of the Creation Museum."
From the Associated Press:
"Ken Ham wrote on his
Facebook page Thursday that he will square off Feb. 4 with Nye, the former host
of a popular science TV show for youths.
The event is likely to
attract plenty of attention in scientific and faith circles, as Nye is a
high-profile advocate of science education and Ham is a respected leader among
Christians who believe the Bible's origin story is a factual account of the
Earth's beginnings.
Ham had been hoping to
attract the star of TV's "Bill Nye The Science Guy" to the northern
Kentucky museum after Nye said in an online video last year that teaching
creationism was bad for children. The video was viewed nearly 6 million times
on YouTube.
"Having the
opportunity to hold a cordial but spirited debate with such a well-known
personality who is admired by so many young people will help bring the
creation-evolution issue to the attention of many more people, including
youngsters," Ham said in a release Thursday.
The Creation Museum
has been lauded by supporters and prodded by scientists for exhibits that
assert the Earth was created in a few days about 6,000 years ago. It also has
displays with dinosaurs and humans living alongside each other, in
contradiction to scientific findings that the two species were separated by
more than 60 million years.
Nye said in an
Associated Press interview in September that steering children away from
evolution and teaching creationism would hurt scientific advances. Science has
demonstrated that the Earth is billions of years old, and "if that
conflicts with your beliefs, I strongly feel you should question your
beliefs," he told the AP.
Nye, who is executive
director of the Planetary Society, said in that interview that he would be
willing to travel to Kentucky and debate Ham if the museum paid his travel
expenses.
An email message sent
to Nye's assistant was not returned Thursday. Nye agreed to participate in the
debate early last month, said Mark Looy, vice president of outreach for Answers
in Genesis, the ministry that operates the Creation Museum.
Ham said some
"mocking, strident evolutionists" have invited him and other Creation
Museum staff to debates in the past, but they have declined. Ham wanted to
engage with Nye because, "as a serious advocate for his beliefs, Nye's
opinions carry weight in society," Ham said in the release.
The event will be
titled "Is Creation A Viable Model of Origins?" Tickets to the
evening event at the museum's Legacy Hall will be $25."Associate Press, January 2, 2014
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