Answers in Genesis
From SkepticWiki
[edit] Definition
Answers in Genesis is a well-known and popular Creationist web site, approximately complementary to the equally well-known TalkOrigins Archive[1]. The web site publishers also publish Creation magazine in real-space.
[edit] Discussion
Answers in Genesis got its start in 1980 as a Christian apologetics group, specifically to "[equip] the church to answer the skeptics, and [encourage] the body of Christ to trust in the authority of God's Word."[2] As the name implies, they focus most on the controversy between creationism and the theory of evolution with a focus on interpretation of the book of Genesis; the writings on this site are unabashedly in favor of Young Earth Creationism (YEC) and Biblical literalism. Their primary intellectual focus is on the primacy of the Bible as the ultimate and irrefutable source of truth -- as they put it, "Can fallible, sinful man be in authority over the Word of God?"[3]
Unlike many other Creationist groups and spokespeople (cf. Kent Hovind), Answers in Genesis appears to have some intellectual and moral standards and consider it important to stay abreast of current scientific developments. Although they are of the opinion that when science and the Bible conflict, science is incorrect, they nevertheless take some care to present science accurately and to refute its arguments to the best of their abilities.
One aspect of this is a page on "Arguments we think creationists should NOT use", a listing of creationist arguments that have, in their opinion, been discredited or disproven. Among other well-known specious arguments they list chestnuts such as Darwin's deathbed recantation, NASA's missing day, "no new species have been produced," and "evolution is just a theory." As AiG puts it,
- "Persisting in using discredited arguments simply rebounds—it’s the truth that sets us free (John 8:32), not error."
