EP81: Bill Nye in the Lion's Den of Creationism - Gracearchy with Jim Babka

Jim was on fire, and this episode is like four shows in one!

You should know that, up front, because most people look at episode length before deciding to press Play. Longer episodes get fewer listeners. But this is like four episodes in one. AND...

There are so many original things said in this episode that you won't hear anywhere else.

Here are four big themes we cover...

1. What is the primary motivation of The Creationist movement? They believe something is at stake. So, why are they failing at this existentially important goal?

2. Have you heard of deconstruction? It's the cause of the current young adult generation. The methods of creationism backfire, provoking a quest for truth. Where will they land?

3. If you're trying to help a creationist understand science, Jim has advice. He shares his journey from creationism, including what moved him and what turned him off. He has real solid, actionable advice. And, as always...

4. Grace. As usual, Jim provides "third-way" approaches to this debate. And he explains how Bill Nye's choice to speak up in a room full of people who disagree was an example of the power of grace.

If you were a creationist, but you've evolved in your thinking, OR...
If you know a creationist, and you want to learn how to talk to them in a way that might make a difference, OR...
If you're curious, and you just want to learn how other people think or what makes them tick...

THEN, this episode - where we revisit the Ken Ham vs Bill Nye, creation or evolution debate on its ten-year anniversary - has something for you.

So, please disregard the episode length. This show is densely packed with insights. Listen in bits, if you must. You'll definitely learn something, and you're likely to be glad you did.

0:00 Theme
0:44 NyeOnHam 4 Feb 2014
2:47 Why no cultural footprint
7:06 History of creation science
9:25 Understanding the creationist's motivation
11:03 Those who stopped going to church
13:04 God of the gaps
18:25 Inerrancy cancels insight
23:07 The moment Nye won the debate
30:23 Why Jim feels sympathy for Ham's supporters
32:54 The reasons why Jim left creationism behind
36:49 Will I lose Jesus in the process?
38:53 Sophisticated creationism
40:28 Getting origins yields a better hermeneutic
42:23 We're made in the image of God
42:48 Paradox of markets vs intelligent design
45:40 Role models in science
48:43 Joy of discovery gives purpose
50:42 Believers started science
52:08 Why science is a Christian paradigm
55:13 Science explains most but not all magic
58:25 Why creationism fails at its actual goal
1:02:07 Gracepoint: Another way that Nye won

Link to #NyeOnHam debate - https://www.youtube.com/live/z6kgvhG3AkI

Evangelical Empire episode, where fundamentalism was discussed - https://youtu.be/1Ui6twhsMX0

Jim's August 2005 explanation of his evolution enlightenment - https://jimbabka.blogspot.com/2005/08/shocker-to-my-friends-my-new.html

Link to Reddit thread of Nye changing lives - https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenChristian/comments/fymn64/i_will_forever_respect_bill_nye_for_debating_ken/

Bill Protzmann is your moderator.

ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor.
But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project.

Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/

We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme.
► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501
or
you can purchase his music on BandCamp:
► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/
► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: [email protected]

Be grace-full to each other.