Ken Ham

3.5 stars

"This book is about the decline of the Church's view of Genesis 1-11, which has led to a catastrophic decline in believing in the absolute authority of the Word of God in the Church." p 120

The first half was quite good. Ham explains why incorrect interpretations of Genesis lead to a compromise of all Scripture, including the gospel and argues the Bible is to be the "starting point" for all our beliefs.

If God is good, Genesis has to be literal.

If you accept millions of years, then you have to say, "Isn't God good? He calls death, suffering, and disease very good." That is because…the idea of millions of years comes from the belief that most of the fossil layers (containing dead creatures with evidence of diseases) were laid down millions of years before man. p 31

I appreciated the distinction made between observational and historical science. Science and Christianity are not at odds!

I was surprised to see that some theologians whom I otherwise respect, such as Tim Keller, hold to compromised views of Genesis.

Unfortunately, the book is quite repetitive, especially in the second half. A good thirty percent could have been eliminated with better editing.

I think his arguments are worth reading, but try to have patience with his repetitious writing!

If the Scripture is unreliable, can we offer the world a reliable gospel? How can we be sure of truth on any issue if we are suspicious of errors anywhere in the Bible? A pilot will ground his aircraft even on suspicion of the most minor fault, because he is aware that one fault destroys confidence in the complete machine. If the history contained in the Bible is wrong, how can we be sure the doctrine or moral teaching is correct? p 245

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Originally published in a homeschool support group newsletter in August 2007.

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This longer picture book discusses dinosaurs from a biblical worldview at a greater depth than "What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?" The author tells the information in the form of a Bible study, sprinkling Bible verses throughout to demonstrate that God created dinosaurs and that the six days of creation were literal 24-hour days.

In a kid-friendly manner, Ham explains the effect of sin on the whole world, including on the dinosaurs. Next, the Flood is described, and the author gives a list of evidence for dinosaurs existing after the flood. Ham explains that dinosaurs became extinct in the same fashion that many other animals have become extinct (disease, environmental factors, killings by people, and other animals).

The book gives a brief discussion about evolution, how some people simply refuse to believe the biblical truth of creation despite the evidence, and the judgment awaiting those who reject God's Truth. The gospel is woven throughout the book and has a sinner's prayer on the last page.

Master Books, a publisher that focuses on creation-based materials, has several other books about dinosaurs, from coloring and sticker books to an encyclopedia for older readers called Dinosaurs by Design. They also publish history books. For first-grade ancient history, I read these two history books to my son: Life in the Great Ice Age (ages 10 to adult) and the beautifully illustrated The True Story of Noah's Ark (ages 6 to 10). I highly recommend Master Books quality products to supply a biblical worldview for your science and history courses.… (more)