Kent Hovind v Hugh Ross (disc 1 of 2)

I found a great debate on the Internet between Astronomer Hugh Ross and Dr. Kent Hovind. Both believe the Bible. Both believe that God created the Universe. They disagree on the age of the earth and how God did it. Hovind believes that we should understand the Bible is claiming that the days of creation were six twenty-four hour days while Dr. Ross believes that the Bible, in context, was actually talking about six periods of time that could have been millions of years. I enjoyed the debate. I think Hovind lost big while Ross did a better job of arguing his points from scripture and science. The best feature of the debate is that they stepped through the days of creation (didn't make it through all of them) and talked about what happened from their different points of view.

1. I agree with Ross that you can't use the genealogy in Genesis to calculate the age of the earth because we don't know if everyone who lived is listed in that. Genealogies in the Hebrew culture don't list everyone. This is what Hovind does to find the age of the earth.
2. I'm not too sure I agree with Ross on his interpretation that Day 2 was the water cycle but I admit that there is room for further discussion.
3. I did not like the way Hovind seemed to look down his nose at Ross.
4. I've studied physics at the college level and done a considerable amount of research I found nothing wrong with anything Ross said from the astronomical point of view. I admit that I have a problem with anyone who tries to argue that the speed of light is not constant. Most our technology based on quantum mechanics rely in that fact. I've measured the speed of light myself in a lab and got the same thing the texts say it should be. Yes, it's constant everywhere and no reason to think it isn't. Not good at all, Hovind.
5. The other offputting thing about Hovind's performance was instead of really interacting with Ross he seemed to just throw out all of his evidence. In my opinion the Big Bang - all Matter & Energy - all dimensions of Space and Time - simultaneously exploding together into existence is what Genesis 1:1 says!




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Sam Harris | Author | Big Think - What Is Faith?

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Here is the next part of my series on responding to video comments from atheist Sam Harris. In this particular video he gives his view on what "faith" is.





Samuel Harris describes "faith" as believing something that you have no evidence for. I disagree. Harris admits that people have different definitions of "faith".  So why don't we go and see what the Bible definition for faith is. Hebrews 11 defines what faith is. Here are the first 10 verses:

¹Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ²This is what the ancients were commended for.
 ³By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. ⁴By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
 ⁵By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
 ⁷By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
 ⁸By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 

Just because you hope for something or can't see something that does not mean there is no evidence. There are plenty of things that are real that no one has seen but we know exists. For example, you can't see gravity but you know it exists. You can't see magnetic fields, but you know it exists. You can't see these things but like God, you can see their effects affecting you and other physical objects.

Regardless of if you reject the Bible or not, you cannot deny that it and Harris are talking about two different things that Harris is erroneously calling "faith".


Sam Harris | Author | Big Think