Hovind (aka Dr. Dino) and the CMI/AIG split
Hovind certainly represents an extreme in YEC thought. Just go to YouTube and there are hundreds of clips that will give you a sense of how far out there he is. What I have found interesting to witness are the reactions by other creation science organizations to Hovind's ministry and problems. This is an area we see another distinction between the approaches of AIG and CMI and was one of the first cracks that appeared about two years ago in what was just AIG at the time. AIG had published a direct point by point response to a letter by Hovind which was highly critical of Hovind and warned other Christians to be wary of his ministry. About two years ago that warning about Hovind disappeared from the AIG site. It seems that Ham's approach to other YEC organizations is to not reveal dissent within the ranks but to show a unified front to the lay Christian. Interestingly the authors of that Hovind response are now members of what is now CMI. With the creation of CMI's web!
site that letter about Hovind has reappeared and can be seen HERE.
Members of CMI have been apt to be much more critical of other creationist's theories and although I think they are wrong in general on their stances I would give them credit for at least trying to hold other creationists to some sort of standard and a willingness to discuss what is a bad versus good argument. It is this attitude that seems to be part of the reason for the tensions within AIG that eventually resulted in division. You will notice in the CMI/AIG split it is AIG that is trying as hard as it can to not speak about the issue and provide its followers as few facts as possible in order to continue the appearance that they represent the unified view of creation science. Ham's strategy in all these things is to not talk about problems and focus solely on a happy message and figure that the lay Christian is ignorant and lacks the motivation to look into the facts themselves. I think his strategy will probably work. I have many YEC friends and none of them even know!
there was a split or if they know they only know the Ham version and don't believe the split is of any importance. However, many of them also have heard of Hovind and just believe he is another Ham and can't distinguish between the two at all. That would seem to present a real danger to the YEC movement that CMI recognizes.
It's a tangled web in the YEC world right now but the average Christian is oblivious to the drama.
site that letter about Hovind has reappeared and can be seen HERE.
Members of CMI have been apt to be much more critical of other creationist's theories and although I think they are wrong in general on their stances I would give them credit for at least trying to hold other creationists to some sort of standard and a willingness to discuss what is a bad versus good argument. It is this attitude that seems to be part of the reason for the tensions within AIG that eventually resulted in division. You will notice in the CMI/AIG split it is AIG that is trying as hard as it can to not speak about the issue and provide its followers as few facts as possible in order to continue the appearance that they represent the unified view of creation science. Ham's strategy in all these things is to not talk about problems and focus solely on a happy message and figure that the lay Christian is ignorant and lacks the motivation to look into the facts themselves. I think his strategy will probably work. I have many YEC friends and none of them even know!
there was a split or if they know they only know the Ham version and don't believe the split is of any importance. However, many of them also have heard of Hovind and just believe he is another Ham and can't distinguish between the two at all. That would seem to present a real danger to the YEC movement that CMI recognizes.
It's a tangled web in the YEC world right now but the average Christian is oblivious to the drama.
posted by Joel Duff at
8:42 AM
1 Comments
