Harvard Initiative Putting Its Biased Foot Forward, Says Christian Apologist
by Mary Rettig
August 24, 2005
(AgapePress) - The president of Answers in Genesis, a creation apologetics group, says Harvard University's new "Origin of Life in the Universe Initiative" will not be known for its true scientific research. Harvard is investing a million dollars a year for the next few years so a team of researchers can study how life began. David Liu, a professor at the Ivy League school, told The Washington Post earlier this month that he expects those involved in the research to "be able to reduce this to a very simple series of logical events that could have taken place with no divine intervention."
Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis (AiG) says the Harvard researchers have already determined their outcome. "Through the secular media, what you're often told is, 'Oh, these Christians start with the Bible. That's a bias -- whereas we're not like that. Real scientists are open-minded, and we start with evidence, and so we're real scientists,'" Ham says.
The Christian apologist points out that the initiative at Harvard clearly shows secular researchers often begin their work with their own beliefs and biases as well. Yet secular universities seem to believe they are completely objective, Ham says -- pointing to Liu's comments.
"In other words, they decided right from the start that there's no God, and they're setting out to try to prove that there's no God," Ham says. "That's their bias to start with."
Ham says AiG uses observational science, meaning observing the present world, to prove the biblical account of creation. In contrast, he says, the Harvard researchers are trying to recreate the conditions they believe first brought forth life to prove God was never involved.
The AiG president says it is well known that there is no scientific evidence proving the theory of evolution -- and that the researchers know that. However, he says the scientists' bias proves what the debate is really about: a battle of beliefs, not science. Ham says it is a debate on whether the biblical account of creation is true, or if man's idea of life from random processes is true.
Mary Rettig, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
