Monday, March 28, 2011

Christianity Today on the Ken Ham/Great Homeschool Convention Rucus

Christianity Today has remarked on the recent disinvite of Ken Ham by the Great Homeschool Convention here. Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra provides a bit more insight into the chain of events:
Great Homeschool Conventions, which aims to teach and encourage homeschooling parents, hired Ham to present at four conferences this spring and summer, along with Peter Enns, a senior fellow of biblical studies at the BioLogos Foundation.

BioLogos's mission is to "promote a perspective on the origins of life that is both theologically and scientifically sound," and Enns argues against a strictly literal reading of Genesis, according to his blog.

During the first two conferences, in Memphis and Greenville, SC, Ham showed audiences two video clips of Enns to illustrate how modern Christian speakers were compromising God's word, according to the Answers in Genesis website. He also told audiences that Enns had connections to Susan Wise Bauer, another speaker.
You don't show up at a conference you have been invited to with the express purpose of taking potshots at other speakers. That is low.

Interestingly, none of the articles on the dust-up have mentioned what the home school folks thought of Peter Enns or, for that matter, why they even invited him in the first place, given that, in the stated response to Ken Ham, they stated:
We know that many of our attendees agree with Dr. Ham’s young earth position as we do. What created this problem was Dr. Ham’s spirit.
Surely, they knew what Peter Enns thought and has written. Surely, they knew that it would clash with the vast majority of homeschoolers and the main organizations. Here is his site on home schooling that he is promoting through Olive Branch books.

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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:19 PM

    Jim, I also wondered why they'd invite Enns. But I wonder if perhaps YECs think a little dust-up like this now and then is a good way to emphasize to their followers who the enemy is? No doubt YEC pastors are even now preaching about this episode, reminding people that evolution is from the pits of hell, and furthermore, avoid books by Peter Enns like the plague!

    I am really impressed by Enns and Biologos though. They are the Christlike ones for sure.

    Thanks for the articles!

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  2. I am proud to be part of BioLogos. They are a class act in terms of civility, scholarship, generosity in opinions and other things. Things AiG and ICR (and to an extent the DI) are not.

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  3. Darryl8:06 PM

    Yep, I agree. I enjoy your occasional postings there. That was my comment above, by the way; I forgot to enter my name.

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