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The folks I have a problem with are the folks who label themselves "Creationists" -- and then act as if anyone with a different interpretation of Genesis is bound for hell....what I REALLY despise is their making so much of a fuss over "Creation" that the saving message of Jesus' Gospel is ignored.

Indeed. Well said, dear brother in Christ, and I totally agree.

The great peril is that the focus of attention on Genesis loses focus on Jesus Christ. And if we lose Christ, we lose everything....

Plus the doctrines of "Creationism" as propounded by Pastor Hovind, and reified in for-profit "Creation museums" and theme parks (from which the good pastor presumably well enriches himself) reduces Genesis to the status of an idol.

Or so it seems to me, FWIW.

I'm reading a highly thought-provocative book, David Limbaugh's The Emmaus Code, whose main argument is that the Holy Scriptures are all Christ-centered, Old Testament and New. He puts it this way:

The Bible is more than just a collection of moral stories with colorful characters from whose experiences we can learn and grow.... I [discuss] the Bible's unity -- its remarkable cohesiveness despite containing sixty-six books written by some forty authors over 1,500 years in three different languages, various literary styles, and diverse geographical settings. There is unity between the books of each Testament and between the books of the Old Testament and the New. There is unity in their structure, their history, their prophecies, their moral messages, the theological messages they communicate, their revelation of God's unchanging character and divine attributes, and more.

Biblical theologians acknowledge these different types of unity, but apparently no clear consensus has emerged as to what central idea unites the Old and New Testaments. In my view ... the overarching theme of the Bible is crystal clear: from first to last, it is Jesus Christ. Though the Bible comprises many different books with different stories, it is ultimately one story of God's redemptive plan for man, whom He created purposely in His image, for His glory, and for a personal relationship with Himself. The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament are united by a common thread centered on God's promise to redeem mankind, and this thread continues through the New Testament, where that promise is fulfilled.... In fact, salvation is exactly what Paul says is the purpose of the Bible.... Since Jesus accomplishes salvation, He's the theme of the entire Bible.
Understanding the Bible's unity couldn't be more important.... [Y]our experience with God's Word will be greatly enhanced if you understand clearly how the Bible's individual books come together to form one dazzling, integrated work....

In turning Genesis -- one isolated book -- into some kind of Disneyland, how does this help a Christian to walk in the Lord? Being Christian is not ultimately about what one knows, but rather, about how one lives....

I heard a rumor that Pastor Hovind has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. Do you know whether that is true? If so, good grief!!! How does a Christian pastor, presumably living in and for Christ, in good conscience endorse a moral vacuum like Hillary???

Methinks this dude is totally weird.

Thanks for writing, dear brother TXnMA!

To clarify, Hovind endorsed Clinton for President ... of Antarctica. This was satire :-) Regarding Genesis as the inspiration for a theme park ... only a few short summers ago I enjoyed a vacation Bible school wherein the Old Testament world became a petting zoo for the children's amusement. It was so well done; and the turnout was extraordinary. There is little difference between a zoo and a theme park. The Lord will call to His sheep in a way the sheep will hear. Should the call only go out to those who believe in an old Earth? Should the call be denied to those who believe in a young Earth? We are but children before the Lord, and the Lord warns us at our own peril not to stand between Him and His children. I agree, we most always be on guard for false prophets. But is the question of the Earth's age the measure of a false prophet? No ... "This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." If the only stone cast against Hovind is that of being a "young Earth" creationist, then I fear, the stone is cast unjustly.