A century after Scopes, Answers in Genesis defends creation

Nearly 100 years after the infamous State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes trial, the debate over mankind’s origin continues. A 2024 Gallup poll reported that about a quarter of Americans believe that humans evolved to their present state without God’s interference over millions of years. About 34% believe humans evolved under God’s guidance, and about 37% believe God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years, Gallup said. Scopes, a high school teacher, was charged and arrested in May 1925 for teaching evolution.

Despite the Tennessee court ruling against Scopes, Answers in Genesis CEO Ken Ham admitted that a century later work remained to promote the Biblical account of creation. His ministry planned to fill the gaps. Answers in Genesis emerged as a ministry on the front lines of answering Biblical questions for modern believers. Answers in Genesis opened the Ark Encounter theme park in 2016 and welcomes over a million guests every year. The point of the Ark Encounter theme park in Kentucky is to show visitors the feasibility of Noah’s construction of an ark as described in the Bible, Ham told the Associated Press for a Tuesday story.

Biblical history is a cornerstone for the gospel message, which is why it's important to show the reality of the Old Testament, he explained. Ham noted that the Scopes trial gave Christians a poor public image when it came to answering modern questions about their Christian faith and beliefs.

“We want you to know that we’ve got answers,” Ham said. A number of park programs center on the theme of answering questions with plans to host a number of multi-day conferences over the next couple of years, including “Answers for Women,” “Answers for Men,” “Answers for Educators,” and “Answers for Pastors.”

What is the ministry planning next? Answers in Genesis’ newest project is Truth Traveler, what the organization describes as an immersive 5-D attraction with locations in Branson, Mo., and Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The virtual reality ride transports visitors on a journey through Biblical history with motion seating, sensory effects, and interactive storytelling, according to its website. The ride would start with creation and go through the flood, ending with Christ’s resurrection, Ham said in a January update.

Dig deeper: Read my report earlier this year on the U.K.’s plan to erect a monument to document answered prayer.