Lux Lucet

This week’s installment of the series on Bill Nye continues our review of Chapter 2 of Nye’s book Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation.

As was mentioned earlier in this series, Chapter 2 of Undeniable bears the title “The Great Creationism Debate,” which was inspired, as Nye tells us, by his 2014 debate with Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis. You may view the full video of that debate here.

Nye Blasphemes God’s Word

Nye picks up his description of the debate thus, “When it was my turn, I hammered away at Mr. Ham’s claim that there was a big ole flood and that all the animals we see today are descendants of the few pairs that Noah and his family were able to save on a big boat, the ark of Biblical myth” (11).

The Apostle Paul tells us that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. Doubtless, the other messages of the Bible are also likewise foolishness to unbelievers, so it really should not come as a surprise that that the unbelieving Nye would write sarcastically about “a big ole flood” and “a big boat, the ark of Biblical myth.” Still though, it’s sad to see a man so hardened in his unbelief that, not satisfied with simply disagreeing with God’s revelation, he feels the need to revile it.

Nye seems to have no idea of the seriousness of his sin in writing as he does. By mocking the Bible, he is not merely mocking an ancient book, but he is mocking the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

Unlike what many contemporary theologians believe, there is no great separation between God and his Word. As Gordon Clark noted in his book the Johannine Logos, there is a reason why the Greek term Logos – usually translated in English as “word” – is used for both the words recorded in Scripture and for Christ himself: the words of Scripture are the very mind of Christ. The Word of God written represents some of the thoughts of God the Word incarnate. The Scriptures and the mind of Christ are one and the same thing.

The identity between the Word of God and God the Word is clearly seen can be seen in Hebrews 4:12-13. There we read,

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Note well how at the start of the passage, the author appears to be taking about the written Scriptures, but by the end he is clearly talking about Jesus Christ himself.

Given Nye’s contempt for Jesus Christ and for Christianity, it’s interesting that the title of his recent show on Netflix is Bill Nye Saves the World. Apparently Nye thinks that the world does , in fact, need saving, but that man by the prudent use of science man can do the job all by himself.

Bill Nye will have to give account for his flippant words to Christ someday. Unless he repents, it will not go well with him.

The schooner Wyoming.

Fact Checkers Wanted

On page 14, Nye attacks the idea that Noah’s ark was technologically feasible. As a basis for this claim, he cites the example of the Wyoming, a giant six-masted sailing ship built in Bath, Maine in 1909. Here’s Nye’s comments in full,

Speaking of the ark itself, I pointed out [in the debate with Ken Ham] that very skilled shipwrights in New England built the Wyoming, a six-masted wooden tall ship. The boat is huge by wooden ship standards, over 100 meters (300 feet) long. The creationists’ imagined ark is said to have been 500 feet long and able to hold 14,000 animals and 8 people. The real ship [note well, Nye’s denial of actual history recorded in Scripture], the Wyoming, had a crew of 14. Although it was built by the best shipbuilders in the word in 1909, they could not manage the inherent elasticity of wooden timbers and strakes. The Wyoming twisted in rough seas, opening uncontrollable leaks in the hull. She foundered and sank, with the loss of all hands. If the best in the modern world couldn’t build a large seaworthy ship, what reason would anyone have to think that 8 unskilled ancient people could (14)?

There are a number of points here that call for a team of fact checkers. First, Nye’s history of the Wyoming leaves out some important details. The way Ney tells it, the reader is left with the impression that the Wyoming sank like a stone not long after putting to sea. But such is not the case. While it is true that the ship sank in a storm as a result of problems with twisting in heavy seas, this did not happen right away. The Wyoming was in active service alone the east coast of the US for 15 years, during which time it was used to haul coal. This is about fifteen times longer than Noah’s ark was in service.

Second, the Wyoming is not the only extra-Biblical example of an extremely large wooden sailing ship. 15th century Chinese admiral Zheng He is reported to have made several voyages, with the largest of his ships estimated to have been between 450 and 600 feet long. A list of other large wooden ships can be found here.

Third, Nye claims that Noah and his family were unskilled, but how does he know this? Perhaps his evolutionary bias is controlling his assumptions about what know-how was available to Noah.

But far from depicting the people of the antediluvian (pre-flood) world as primitive incompetents, Scripture tells us that men of this period, just a few generations from Adam, quickly developed a high degree of technical skill. “And Adah bore Jabal, He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron” (Genesis 4:20-22). Men of this period also built cities (Genesis 4:17).

We also know that men of this period lived extremely long lives. Noah himself lived over 600 years. Imagine how good you could get at carpentry with hundreds of years to practice. What is more, God gives men the knowledge needed to execute the work he gives them. Think of the example of Bezalel from Exodus.  Bezalel was the master craftsman in charge of the construction of the tabernacle.  Speaking of him, the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.  And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship” (Exodus 31:2-5).  Along with Bezalel, God also appointed Aholiab and other artisans, saying of them, “and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you [Moses]” (Exodus 31:6).

Another interesting aspect of Noah’s ark that Nye does not bring up, probably with good reason in his case, is that the proportions of the ark as set forth in Genesis 6 are the same as for a modern cargo ship. If the Bible described a ship of absurd proportions, as do some of the distorted flood myths from the ancient world, Nye would be on safer ground criticizing the history recorded in Genesis. As it is, even on strictly scientific grounds, the Genesis account is plausible.

More importantly, because account Noah’s ark and the world wide flood is information revealed in the inerrant, infallible Word of God, we know for certain that, not only was it possible for Noah to build 500 foot long wooden ship, but that he in fact did so.

(To be continued…)