The much-anticipated Creation/Evolution debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham took place in Kentucky earlier this evening. If anyone was expecting that all the issues in this topic would be exhaustively covered, or that this issue would be settled once and for all by tonight’s debate — well, that didn’t happen. Nor, realistically, could it have. This topic has been argued and debated since the middle of the 19th century, and it will not be finally settled until Our Lord returns.
And it will not be settled for one very simple, but profound, reason: sinful man will always suppress the truth in his unrighteousness. And that is what we saw tonight. I don’t have time to write a long review, but I do want to share a few brief thoughts.
First, I thought Ken Ham did very well. He shared the Gospel multiple times (I think I counted 4 complete Gospel presentations, as well as numerous references to sin, the Fall, and redemption in Christ), and he stuck to his message that the true disagreement is at the presuppositional level.
Bill Nye, on the other hand, did not seem to have reviewed any of Ken Ham’s, or Answers in Genesis’, materials. He did not actually seem to understand the position he was arguing against. He also made huge errors regarding the transmission of the Biblical text, and used his misunderstandings as the basis of many of his arguments. There was also a bit of throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Creationist position, just to see what would stick.
The format of the debate was pretty standard. And, while there was no direct cross examination period, the question and answer period, with the moderator asking questions submitted by the audience, went well. What seemed to be most lacking was the absence of closing statements to refocus each sides positions at the end.
Overall, and with the limitations of the format, I think it was a good debate, and the Biblical position was represented well by Mr. Ham. The debate has been archived at debatelive.org for several days for free viewing, and DVDs and digital downloads of the debate are for sale at the Answers in Genesis website answersingenesis.org
[Contributed by Gene Clyatt]
