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from the you-both-get-dirty-and-the-pig-likes-it dept.
McGruber writes:
"Following up on the Bil Nye and Ken Ham debate on Creationism, Creation Museum founder Ken Ham announced Thursday that a municipal bond offering has raised enough money to begin construction on the Ark Encounter project, estimated to cost about $73 million. Groundbreaking is planned for May and the ark is expected to be finished by the summer of 2016. Ham credits the high-profile evolution debate he had with "Science Guy" Bill Nye on Feb. 4 with boosting support for the project.
After learning that the project would move forward, Nye said he was 'heartbroken and sickened for the Commonwealth of Kentucky,' lamenting that the ark would eventually draw more attention to the beliefs of Ham's Young-earth Creationist ministry. 'Voters and taxpayers in Kentucky will eventually see that this is not in their best interest.' Nye hopes."
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Sir Finkus on Saturday March 01 2014, @03:33PM
I could not disagree more. I grew up a creationist, and never got exposed to evolutionary theory. As a child, I actually received a wonderful book filled with illustrations and explanations detailing how the process took place and it was taken away from me by my parents. My teachers cumulatively probably spent a week glossing over the subject. It was only when I started watching debates and lectures by Dawkins and other scientists that I understood that I was wrong. The process wasn't immediate, but watching the debates was highly entertaining and I did my own research. Eventually I realized that evolution was really the only theory that made sense.
People tend to put themselves in bubbles where they only hear perspectives that align with their own. A lot of people don't even really think all that deeply about some of their most deeply held beliefs. Ham may get his ark, but Nye presented a great case, and maybe planted a spark in some people.
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