Fundamentalist theme park supremo, Ken Ham, has a big problem with expert Christian apologist William Lane-Craig. See here:
William Lane Craig Claims YEC “as Bad as a Flat Earth” | Answers in Genesis
William likens Ken's young earthism (YE) to flat Earth beliefs. I think William is very near the mark with that remark. In fact the right-wing Christian culture of which Ken is part also has a smattering of Biblical literalists who believe the Bible teaches a flat Earth. (Ken, to be fair, would disagree with FE).
Let me take stock of some of Ken's other views, attitudes and activities....
1. Anti-Science: In order to try to justify his irrational rejection of the historical sciences which contradict his YE views Ken tries to make a sharp distinction between "Observational science & historical science" suggesting that the latter is somehow not observational and therefore suspect. Most reputable scientists would reject this forced distinction pointing out that all science is observational. Yes, all science is observational although not all sciences work with objects at the same epistemic distance. See these links for more:
Quantum Non-Linearity: Epistemology, Ontology, Creation and Salvation
Quantum Non-Linearity: Beware: Anti-Science Mind at Work
Quantum Non-Linearity: Ham Fisted Pathological "Science"
Quantum Non-Linearity: Mangling Science Part 5: Two Kinds of Science?.
Ken's naive support base, however, are convinced by Ken's intellectually lazy quip about "Observational science versus historical science" and this helps sell YE.
2. Ken voted Trump: See these links
Views, News and Pews: Trump Enablers
Views, News and Pews: "Answers in Genesis" and QAnon
The reason for Ken's Trump support is bound up with the fact that his supporting constituency are likely to be 2024 Trump voters. After all, as supremo of a multi-million dollar theme park business he's really going to need their donation and visitor money.
3. Climate science denialist: This goes together well with Ken's general science denialism. It also fits in neatly with his MAGA support base......
The MAGA movement veers toward the kind of capitalism which makes capitalist deregulation & tax reduction an all-case ideology rather than a useful heuristic (*1). Climate change policies are seen as a likely source of regulation and taxation. There is therefore a vested interest in anti-climate change theories and political & economic responses which might cater for climate change. Ken's climate science denialism sits comfortably with this culture.
Similar anti-science-establishment attitudes exist toward vaccinations and lock downs.
4. Spiritual intimidation: To help make his non-mainstream version of Christianity look more reasonable Ken tries to claim that YE is not a faith issue but an "authority issue". This is a superficial gloss which attempts to cover an otherwise highly authoritarian stance: The "authority" in "authority issue" turns out to be Ken himself: Those Christians who disagree with YE he accuses of being of very inferior faith, if indeed they can, in Ken's view, claim to be Christian at all. See here
5. Vested interests: Ken has a huge business interest in his theme park promoting YE. That may explain why he can be so spiritually abrasive toward anyone who challenges his anti-science philosophy.
6. A difficult personality? There are signs that Ken has fallen out with those who were at one time prominent in his theme park business. e.g. Jason Lisle and Martin Illes exited Ken's organisation inexplicably; in particular Illes was touted to be Ken's successor but all that seems to have all fallen through. Moreover, it has been observed that more and more articles on the theme park's website are written by Ken himself as if senior staff are running down.
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The uninformed are vulnerable to Ken's influence especially if they feel their faith has been betrayed by academia and are looking for help to pay-back their betrayers.
Footnote
*1 When Marx was writing Das Kapital he believed he was to economics as Newton was to mechanics - he thought himself to be uncovering the laws of social motion. It may be that Adam Smith's wealth of nations is thought of by some in a similar way. This raises the status of economic theories to dangerous levels of prestige. The precision and near unalterable regularity of the laws of physics is one thing but so-called economic "laws" are another; much better they be thought of as heuristics and rules of thumb; this pragmatic attitude might help prevent Smith and Marx being regarded almost as economic prophets and their doctrines being raised to an ideological level.
I have no complaints about the entrepreneurial capitalist who sees a chance to make some honest money by investing in innovative technologies that benefit society (Although government must be aware that new technologies can trigger non-linear thrashings) There is however a fuzzy boundary between that and the aspiring plutocratic capitalist who is in it for the money, power, prestige and the promotion of his prodigy projects. The latter is likely to exploit the working class and fuel Marxist class conflict theory. The plutocrat & his apologists see the liberal establishment and its institutions such as academia, science institutions, government, and media much as Marx does: That is, as part of a conspiracy to defraud us of the truth about the sacred ideologies of Marx & Smith. It is on one side of this ideological battle that Ken Ham finds himself serving.
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