The ideological battle between "science guy" Bill Nye and creationist Ken Ham is still raging months after the two clashed in a highly publicized debate over evolutionary theory. Despite an overall cordial interaction, Ham is now accusing Nye of making "disparaging comments" in the aftermath.
Ham, the founder of Answers in Genesis, a Christian organization that rejects Darwinian evolution, took particular issue with an article Nye recently wrote for the Skeptical Inquirer.
In it, Nye described the debate from his perspective, essentially claimed victory and called Ham "the head of a congregation," a descriptive the creationist leader didn't appreciate.
Creation Museum head Ken Ham, right, speaks during a debate on evolution with TV's "Science Guy" Bill Nye, at the Creation Museum Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014, in Petersburg, Ky. (AP Photo/The Courier-Journal, Matt Stone)
"Of course, AiG is not a church. We don’t have a congregation," Ham wrote in a response to the article. "But because he made a similar statement during the debate, I believe he is trying to portray me as some sort of tyrannical leader of the AiG staff and supporters, who follow me as people might do with some sort of cult leader."
Ham went on to write that he believes Nye is purposefully trying to get the public to see his organization as "some sort of cultic fringe group."
The effort, he believes, is being waged to try and harm perception of Christians who believe in the Bible -- and those in particular who agree with his views on creationism (Gallup has found that 46 percent of Americans believe God created human beings in their present form; 15 percent believe humans evolved without God's guidance).
Ham's rebuttal continued, poking at claims Nye made about their public volleying over creationism and evolution.
"In his 30-minute debate presentation, Nye repeatedly used phrases like 'Ken Ham’s creation model,' 'Ken Ham’s flood,' and 'Ken Ham and his followers,'" Ham continued. "I don’t know his motive in saying such things except it seems he is continuing to suggest that I am the leader of some sort of minority group, with people who just follow me and I dictate what they believe."
Image source: Answers in Genesis
Ham concluded the article by noting that he still has questions for Nye -- curiosities surrounding how he accounts for laws pertaining to nature and logic if there is no God and whether he can name any technology that was developed "starting with a belief in molecules-to-man evolution."
You can read Nye's article here and see Ham's response here.
(H/T: Christian Post)
