Ken Ham's Ark Encounter is 'troubling' and 'absolutely wrong,' says Bill Nye
Bill Nye "The Science Guy" slammed Ken Ham's Ark Encounter as "troubling" and "absolutely wrong" after seeing the life-sized Noah's Ark exhibit for himself.
"On the third deck (of the ark), every single science exhibit is absolutely wrong," Nye told NBC News. "Not just misleading, but wrong."
The 60-year-old popular science educator took on creationist Ham's invitation to tour his Ark Encounter project that boasts of a life-size replica of the Biblical Noah's Ark. The Ark spans 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet tall. It also exhibits dinosaurs since the young earth creationists believe dinosaurs co-existed with humans in the early times.
The New York Times quoted Nye as saying that he found this theory "completely unreasonable." Nor can he accept the creationists' belief that the Earth existed for 6,000 years.
"I'm not busting anyone's chops about a religion," claimed Nye. "This is about the absolutely wrong idea that the Earth is 6,000 years old that's alarming to me."
The CEO of The Planetary Science also raised the alarm on teaching children about the creation theory.
"It's all very troubling. You have hundreds of school kids there who have already been indoctrinated and who have been brainwashed," he said.
He recounted how a girl on the Ark tour told him to change his mindset.
"The parents were feeding her word for word," said Nye.
The 64-year-old creationist Ham, whom Nye debated with two years ago on the theory of creationism, uploaded videos of Nye's visit on social media and promised to upload more. Ham previously reported that Nye's tour of the Ark had quickly become a debate again but that it ended amicably.
"Let's all pray for Bill Nye," wrote Ham, president and CEO of the creationist organization Answers in Genesis (AiG).
He also thought it "so fitting" that his Ark project of a massive ship "is being used to witness to such a well-known personality."
The Ark Encounter, located in northern Kentucky, opens to the public every day from 9 a.m to midnight for the first 40 days since its opening on July 7.