Ken Ham wants to end the U.S. space program because the aliens are all going to hell

45 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, creationism hits a new low

Published July 21, 2014 9:45PM (EDT)

Ken Ham            (Reuters/John Sommers Ii)
Ken Ham (Reuters/John Sommers Ii)

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took those famous first steps on the Moon's surface, uttering the well-known words: "That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Sunday marked the 45th anniversary of that momentous Apollo 11 mission. The event left some pondering the next steps for U.S. space exploration.

Not everyone, however, is so thrilled about the U.S. space program.

On Sunday, Ken Ham, president and founder of the creationist organization Answers in Genesis (best known for debating Bill Nye), wrote a blog post calling for the end of the U.S. space program.

Why? Well, according to Ham, who also runs the Creation Museum in Kentucky, there's no point in spending money on finding extraterrestrial life for a couple of reasons: First, the search is a deliberate rebuking of God, and second because aliens are already damned to hell.

"I’m shocked at the countless hundreds of millions of dollars that have been spent over the years in the desperate and fruitless search for extraterrestrial life," Ham wrote.

"Of course, secularists are desperate to find life in outer space, as they believe that would provide evidence that life can evolve in different locations and given the supposed right conditions!" Ham continued later in the post.

Ham does concede that the Bible does not specifically mention whether or not there is alien life. However, he is skeptical.

"And I do believe there can’t be other intelligent beings in outer space because of the meaning of the gospel," Ham wrote. "You see, the Bible makes it clear that Adam’s sin affected the whole universe. This means that any aliens would also be affected by Adam’s sin, but because they are not Adam’s descendants, they can’t have salvation. One day, the whole universe will be judged by fire, and there will be a new heavens and earth. God’s Son stepped into history to be Jesus Christ, the “Godman,” to be our relative, and to be the perfect sacrifice for sin — the Savior of mankind."

"Jesus did not become the 'GodKlingon' or the 'GodMartian'!  Only descendants of Adam can be saved. God’s Son remains the “Godman” as our Savior," Ham continues. "In fact, the Bible makes it clear that we see the Father through the Son (and we see the Son through His Word). To suggest that aliens could respond to the gospel is just totally wrong."

The most upsetting part of this post is the blunt rejection of discovery because of the Bible. Ham condemns scientists' desire to explore our universe and potentially discover other intelligent life-forms, which may give clues to the origins of life.

"The answers to life’s questions will not be found in imaginary aliens but in the revelation of the Creator through the Bible and His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to die on a Cross to redeem mankind from sin and death that our ancestor, Adam, introduced," he wrote.

The universe, as Neil deGrasse Tyson demonstrated in "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey," still holds many mysteries. This is a beautiful thing, because it prompts humans to ask "why?"

“It’s OK not to know all the answers,” Tyson said. “It’s better to admit our ignorance, than to believe answers that might be wrong. Pretending to know everything, closes the door to finding out what’s really there.”

NASA, it goes without saying, continuously pushes the boundaries of science, invention and exploration. Including putting men on the Moon 45 years ago -- an incredible feat for mankind that inspired the world. Watch below:

h/t Raw Story


By Sarah Gray

Sarah Gray is an assistant editor at Salon, focusing on innovation. Follow @sarahhhgray or email sgray@salon.com.

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Creationism Creationists Extraterrestrial Ken Ham Science Space Space Program Video