Does your faith need strengthening? Are you confused and wondering if Jesus Christ is really "The Way, the Truth, and the Life?" "Fight for Your Faith" is a blog filled with interesting and thought provoking articles to help you find the answers you are seeking. Jesus said, "Seek and ye shall find." In Jeremiah we read, "Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall seek for Me with all your heart." These articles and videos will help you in your search for the Truth.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

"A Defense of Creationism"

Go to: Introduction (Version 2.2) Copyright 1998-99, Paul Abramson, Most Rights Reserved

http://www.creationism.org/genesis.htm
ORIGINS - THE GENESIS (Section 1 of 27)

You and I arrived on planet Earth only recently. Cities and languages already existed. Art and table manners were taught to us by others; and so was history. Each person’s life touches others; as we each learn, then in turn teach (selections of) what we saw ourselves and heard from others, then die. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Slowly, inevitably things get dusty and forgotten or rewritten or lost.

Our understanding of human and Earth origins builds the learned history used as the foundation for our future; it is a base of experiences, of wisdom. There is an old Russian proverb, "If you dwell on the past you will lose an eye. But if you forget the past you will lose both eyes."

I do not know if Creation & the Flood as recorded in the Bible are true. But I do know that there is some very good evidence to support this scientific theory. Most other sites which deal with our ancient origins claim to "have the final word". Well, www.creationism.org will link to several of these on both sides of this Grand Canyon of controversy, but knowing the limits of my own IQ … I’ll try to share more of the evidence and debated theoretical problems than set-in-stone conclusions. You're smart; you can look at this set of arguments and then decide which direction to pursue for your own research. This (approximately 30 page long) report can be comfortably read in an evening. There are actually several creation-related theories out there, most of which compromise between strict "evolutionism" (no God, period) and strict "creationism" (no evolution, period - there were 6 days of Creation, less than 10,000 years ago).

As for myself I used to believe in "theistic evolution" (one of the compromise creation-evolution theories), but more and more the evidence appears to point me to a young Earth and no evolution. There are 2 or 3 types of evolution. The first would be "guided" from above. Certainly this is possible, and we have many examples in the world (cars have "evolved" tremendously during the 20th Century, with the guiding hand of engineers and designers). Many believers ascribe to such theories, but they still compromise the literal Genesis record. Secondly, there is what is termed: "micro-evolution", which I prefer to call: "genetic remnant variation". This refers to changes made within a biological "kind", i.e. mutations and other changes related to natural selection and environmental adaptations. Let's say that two calves are born and the one with longer fur survives the harsh winter allowing it to breed the next Spring, thus perpetuating longer fur in the herd. Sure, this is scientific. Within the DNA coding God has placed varying factors; thank the Maker for his forethought in allowing for automatic adaptability! But the third type (related to the first, but with no God "guiding" the outcome), as best as I understand, is unbiblical and also unscientific. There are no fossils which prove any transitional life forms have ever come about through "natural selection" or otherwise. The third type of evolution is what is believed and preached to our children in the public schools today, but to the best of my understanding there is no scientific evidence to support its tenets. Regardless of my individual beliefs however I hope that you can glean from the evidence and ideas which are related in this report.

Look at the evidence for yourself. I think you’ll be amazed at just how many holes there are in the evolutionary theory as commonly believed today. And then there are the politics involved in the discovery and classification of artifacts. If an archaeologist successfully bolsters a claim that a few one-of-a-kind bone fragments somehow fit right into ancient human lineage, rather than just another unsuccessful "spur" out there, then long term research grants are a lot more forthcoming. Debate, counter-claims, political wrangling; "Survival of the fittest" at its finest.

One thing that most average people don’t know is how wildly the radio-active dates can fluctuate within different samples of the exact same specimen. It's not scientific to ignore the values which don't match current beliefs and to keep testing till they find a date they like. This topic will be discussed further in the section below titled: "Professionals, Competition & the Scientific Method".

Another fact that the highly vaunted geologic column (as drawn by artists) is often stacked wrong, there are gaps, often layers lie in "the wrong order" or even upside down. And sometimes a geologist, archaeologist, or mining operation will be digging along and come across a few large logs upright and transversing what an evolutionist would have called "millions of years" but what a creationist would look at and see evidence of the Great Flood from the time of Noah - an Earth covered with a myriad of sedimentary rocks, often hundreds of feet deep and formed under great (though temporary, lasting under a year) pressure. In the forests near your home do you see dead trees that have stayed upright and undisturbed for the past few millions of years? Of course not! In some places ants won't leave picnickers alone for even one hour before moving in on the target. Insects and microbes are constantly on the look out for decay and unprotected food to take advantage of. Upright tree trunks are mute testimony to rapid, deep sedimentary deposition. Evolutionary theory, as currently believed, requires structural modification or to be completely replaced with an entirely different theory of our ancient origins.

The Flood theory can readily handle strata which, by exception, stacks in "evolutionary" order. The creationist can also discuss layers which have stacked "upside-down" - since they’re not such - if the Flood is a historical event. Evolutionists though, must conjure up a myriad of exceptions when dealing with the real fossil evidence we see in the world today. (These exceptions often require more faith than does the Bible’s historical account of what happened!)

Is it necessarily scientific (but not religious) to exclude God in geologic strata interpretation? Is it necessarily

 religious (but not scientific) to include God in geologic strata interpretation? If our (supposed?) Creator could, within one of many possible dimensions, also operate as a Scientific Mathematician then the two are not at all at odds. And in that case such a belief system with no god(s) on top would merely be another false religion out there; a religion (a system of beliefs) which detracts from or denies the invisible yet obvious hand of the true Maker. Evolution, as a belief system about origins should be considered on its scientific merits, not as an article of blind faith - that it "must" have happened.

There is significant evidence that the Earth’s climate used to be much more uniform and comfortably warmer than today. This is in keeping with the Bible’s record in Genesis. It is not in keeping with modern evolutionary beliefs. Fossils and some still frozen remains (the mammoths, for example) in the Arctic and (palm leaf imprints) in the Antarctic may be better explained if there was a firmament (thick cloud canopy) above the Earth prior to the Flood, as recorded in the Bible.

COAL & OIL (Section 2 of 27)

The existence of fossil fuels defies evolutionary theory, a primary evidence that there was a Great Flood

Have you ever sat around a campfire in the woods? In the Western US many forests are at least one or two thousand years old, some are much older. Individual trees die and begin to decay but the forest lives on. After putting out the campfire did you have to worry about the soil below catching on fire? If not, then where did all of the world’s coal and oil come from? Decaying vegetation adds minerals to topsoil. When you dig down a couple feet (about half a meter) you’ll see part way down a marked change. The topsoil, that nearest the surface, the live soil actively transforms death into renewed life supporting material.

Ask any diehard evolutionist who adamantly insists that there was not a global flood: "Where did coal and oil come from?, by what process were they created?" They have no logical answer. Yet oil and coal power our modern world. Buried at all sedimentary depths - they exist indeed.

When a drilling rig first strikes oil it often gushes up, still under intense pressure from deep below. Entire forests and jungles of life were crushed directly from life into preserved complex carbon energy. We refine it a little to extract fuel, fertilizer, and plastics, then move on to the next deposit without giving it much thought. Discrete pockets of preserved former life, separated by wide layers of muck and rock. Then nothing grew there for millions of years?, then "bam" a burst of stored life, then nothing for millions more years, then another concentrated coal or oil pocket. A million years is a long time. Where you live can you imagine that nothing grew there for one million or more years? Please consider the fossil record itself (as it really, actually exists) when pondering our ancient origins.

Modern evolutionary theory simply cannot explain why all this coal and oil is down there, sometimes at 10,000 feet or more. Folks, that depth is 2 miles (about 3km) straight down. 2 miles thick of various layers of sediment on top of a concentrated layer of crushed, preserved plant-derived carbon, and often with occasional volcanic layers interspersed in between.

Peat forms in swamps containing low oxygen or almost antiseptic conditions. The partially decomposed material builds up below and hosts the penetrating roots of successive plant life above. In the theory of evolution as believed today, peat buildup and then slow burial afterwards allows for the subsequent time and pressure to slowly make coal. Peat is partially decomposed and shows damage from massive root penetration. But coal, when scientifically incinerated to determine its BTU rating or when looked at under a microscope - isn’t and doesn’t, i.e. peat and coal are not 2 different stages of the same process. Again ... please consider the real fossil record (not artist's conceptions) when pondering our ancient history.

SWIFT SEDIMENTARY DEPOSITION (Section 3 of 27)

The challenge of interpreting the jumbled layers of sedimentary and volcanic rock

If it happened, the Great Flood (as still remembered in over 250 legends all over the world!) of approximately 4,400 years ago, must have been devastating! Tidal waves roared across the continents. Earth’s thin planetary crust hemorrhaged below; volcanoes spewed magma and ash (as seen today interspersed between various layers of debris and pressurized muck); remaining sentient life scurried to higher ground; rain for 40 days straight; (followed by 110 more days of rising waters) tidal waves rushed in depositing layers of sea shells even deep inland. Our entire planetary eco-system was left forever altered.

While the evolutionist postulates that each subsequent layer down indicates a different age or episode recorded in that region and then believes millions of years of this or that, the creationist postulates that these same sedimentary layers altogether record a singular recent violent catastrophic flood. According to the Bible the Flood lasted about one year. The creationist believes that, by whatever mechanism, God judged and destroyed the old world. All these sedimentary layers are indicative of how easily continent covering strata gets sorted and redistributed when suspended in moving water. It's like panning for gold; add some water and sand, shake for a few seconds and each material soon sorts itself out. Violent waves, turbulence, and a powerful wind ... stirring, mixing, and resorting the muck and rocks and organic matter.

Take your shoes off and walk in a stream. You see a sand bar; in another area the bottom has all pebbles; and look at all of the sticks collected and jammed together at a particular narrow or shallow place.

The layers of sediment we see on the continents often stretch laterally for a hundred or a thousand square miles or more in every direction. Think about this; rivers today don’t lay down each layer of sediment across a wide valley. No lakes show even distribution on the bottom, the larger the lake the stronger its internal currents. Evenly laid down geological layers spanning a hundred or more lateral square miles each? Who has more to be afraid of by closely examining the fossil record - the creationist or is it the evolutionist?

The question before you is this: does the fossil record we see today show millions of years this, billions of years that, with almost everything getting buried slowly - or does the fossil record show us evidence of a barely remembered ancient tale of massive global destruction? The old world was destroyed due to sin, according to Genesis. After a horrible re-birth, life on Earth began anew. Did this happen about 4,400 years ago (as per Biblical chronology)?; or are we advanced primates with a long illiterate history of swinging from trees, scratching and picking lice off of each other, and then for whatever reason(?) inexplicably growing and developing into civilization, beginning slightly over 4,000 years ago? Hmmm, that timing works out pretty closely, doesn’t it? A Flood about 4,400 years ago; then new civilizations arising around 4,000 years ago.

WHO DREW THE ANCIENT MAPS? (Section 4 of 27)

A few ancients did think the world was flat, but far more civilizations knew it to be round

Then there are those ancient maps…. Who drew the original version of the Piri Reis Map? (a famous map - with sources pre-dating the time of Christopher Columbus, which displays Antarctica!…) - it even shows mountains and rivers on the Antarctic continent. Scholars today concede that the ancient Greeks "believed" that there was a "legendary" continent far to the south (which Admiral Cook mistakenly identified Australia to be, in 1770). But the evidence shows that they knew far more.

The Piri Reis Map, and other ancient maps will be discussed separate from this article. Suffice it to say that naval navigation in extreme latitudes is treacherous even today. Modern man only recently began exploring the Antarctic Continent (after its official initial discovery in 1818). How the heck could any ancient civilization have reached, mapped, and returned from there? Maybe some believe that UFOs helped. But if humans didn’t evolve on Earth then probably no ETs out there have either. Since Creation man has been intelligent but often unwise. We have forgotten most ancient history except for fragments from Sumeria, Babylon, China, Egypt, Israel, and Central America. Sin begets death. So much has been lost. The pages of our ancient history have become faded.

According to the theory of evolution, as commonly believed today, our ancestors slowly became smarter, invented the wheel, learned to control fire, and only recently got pretty good at making clipper ships and jumbo jets. The creationist though could point to an ancient world from before the Flood, with about 1600 years of history and possible exploration. Whereas we today are barely 550 years beyond the invention of Guttenberg’s first printing press and only in the last 170 years (using steam locomotives) have we achieved land transportation speeds exceeding that of riding donkeys or horses.

The ancients, according to the Bible, had some 1600 years of history and much longer human life spans. Where did they go? What did they learn during that time? The fossil record shows us many old barefoot tracks, but that does not reliably indicate that they were devoid of technology. In our modern age much of mankind remains relatively poor and uneducated, yet we have reached the Moon and returned. Many today are still barefoot, yet a few of us are web addicts too. Please consider this. Since Roman times of 400 AD till now human population and technology have grown tremendously; that’s a span of about 1600 years.

Please temporarily add a bookmark to this web page, so you can come back; thanks. Then - go out to http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/figures/21.html and look at this photo of pre-flood shoeprints, the left heel crushing a trilobite. Miraculously, a few creationists got word of this find, near Delta, Utah. Oh, according to evolutionists trilobites became extinct some 200+ million years ago, long before man invented comfortable footwear with heels. They don’t know that as a fact, but in order for their religion's charts and artist drawings to come out right they need such timetables. Consequently, it sure seems pretty rude of this pre-Flood dude (wearing size 10 shoes) to have stepped on that poor defenseless trilobite … less than 5,000 years ago.

LOGIC & THE EVOLUTION OF IDEAS (Section 5 of 27)

Evolution is a valid developmental process. Products improve because they get developed further. Old cars used to have hand cranks to start their engines. Now we just sit down and turn a key for a few seconds. The cars did not improve themselves of course, but we can see that they have evolved.

Ideas evolve. The contents of this web page are evolving. Entire societies evolve too.

The first version of a new movie script is subjected to massive rewriting. The ideas and scenes get improved; they develop (or evolve) because intelligence and effort acts upon the words to improve them. But even then there sure are a lot more mediocre movies which come out each year than the few which become hits. In any event, the paragraphs do not improve if randomly retyped. No, a quality script is the mark of quality time and effort invested in its creation. There is no other logical explanation.

If the evolution of life forms happened on planet Earth we should see plenty of evidence of transitional improvements. But instead, another evidence which confounds the theory of evolution is the virtually complete lack of fossil ancestors; that’s to say that in reality there is a tremendous lack of transitional forms, as shown by the fossil record. Dogs today come in all different shapes, sizes and temperaments. There are purebred huskies, poodles, pit bulls, and labradors, to name a few. And there are many friendly mutts out there too. Horses today are also bred and live in many climates, all different sizes; some are fast on a racetrack, others are strong when pulling a plow, and a few are smaller than some dog breeds. None of the extant widely varying dog and horse breeds are transitional (evolutionary) forms of one leading to another, not to say that there hasn’t been modern inter-breeding of course. This is obvious though, right? But…

Imagine a world where only one type of dog breed and a few horses remained to this day. You could bet your last Piltdown Man tooth that evolutionists would make careful measurements and drawings, assemble the breeds "into evolutionary order" and then publish their findings as fact. Just imagine, an evolutionary sequence with actual fossils as evidence instead of just artist drawings to fill in the missing links.

And speaking of missing links - prominent evolutionists persisted for 40 years in support of the belief in the renowned Piltdown Man. Leading evolutionists jumped on the bandwagon and trumpeted the cause, but - it was a hoax. As everyone now knows the single filed down orangutan jaw bone with scratched teeth and partial human skull fragments, both one-of-a-kind and chemically treated to look old, were a poor foundation to use as (finally some) tangible "solid evidence" supporting evolution. Ahem, the evolutionists decided to make the Piltdown Man become extinct in a hurry. The other regionally found hominid bone fragments and footprints will be discussed later in this text. They are interesting all right, but hardly positive evidence which supports the less evolved (i.e. Darwinist) thinkers among us. Note: just joking about Darwinist thinkers there. Please don’t be offended. Please read on….

FAITH, FACT, HOPE & HISTORY (Section 6 of 27)

We must distinguish between what we believe to be true, and what we know to be true

Christendom used to believe that the Earth was at the center of the universe (based on Greek science, Ptolemy in particular). Then Copernicus came along (1473-1543) and developed a theoretical model using the Sun as the center of the known universe - and this model’s usage answered many questions. (Under the Earth-centered model, as viewed from Earth, the other planets appeared to sometimes slow down and even reverse direction for several months at a time. This made it perplexing for early astronomers to try to chart these wandering points of light in the dark night sky.) Copernicus was right, but the Church persecuted him as if he had contradicted Scripture - but since the Bible is mute on that subject, it was only their beliefs which were contradicted, however they did not make a distinction between the two!

I strongly believe that we need to separate out three distinct standards for measuring creationist beliefs from within the world around us:One, historical Biblical references
Two, scientific inquiry, theories and evidences
Three, beliefs, "common sense", and contemporary wisdom

Dear believer, humbly I ask you to consider that we are fallible beings, with fallible institutions. My secular friends have been put off by my recent intense interest in the "religious" subject of creationism (...as if evolutionism is at all scientific in nature). Their first thoughts are that intolerance, dogma, illogical arguments, selective recounting of evidence and yea even pseudo-evidence fills the venue of creationism. I, for one, believe that I am no better than my ancestors, subject to human weaknesses. You may see compromise in my writings; whereas I see inclusion. You know, the Gospel according to Matthew (at the very start of the New Testament) was penned by a former government tax collector - wow, Jesus was really tolerant in selecting his disciples. Inclusion, logical debate, coming to a greater knowledge of the truth, tolerance. Persons from all different backgrounds and a variety of cultures, whom believers are called to reach out to positively.

In ancient Israel and even among modern Jews today Scripture is intrinsically holy and copying text accurately is a sacred responsibility. The recently unearthed Dead Sea Scrolls (1947-) largely (but not perfectly) corroborate with modern Biblical texts. Some of the approximate one thousand scrolls and scroll portions to have survived are local, contemporary texts from about 2,000 years ago. There are several copies of the Psalms, but many are arranged in differing sequences. Many Apocryphal works are present. The only Old Testament text thought not represented is the Book of Ester, but recently fragments of this book have been identified and are being analyzed. No one today knows for certain why, nor whom exactly took such great care to copy and preserve these Jewish texts. It is possible that several (formerly bickering) Jewish sects felt cornered by impending Roman sieges of the First Century AD - and hastily worked together to collect, copy and hide away the texts. In any event, the preserved Dead Sea Scrolls translations are tangible, clear evidence of archaeological verification of the historical roots of the Bible versions we use today. Sacred; this word has a domain within humanity which holds fast from one generation to the next. Additional information about the Dead Sea Scrolls is available from: http://sunsite.unc.edu/expo/deadsea.scrolls.exhibit/intro.html ; http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/scrolls/toc.html ; or several other sites.

PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL (Section 7 of 27)

Approximately 140 years ago (after Charles Darwin published, "The Origin of Species" in 1859), the educated Western elite decided that the modern age had arrived. God, as Creator, could be dispensed with. They further determined that most of the Bible must be composed of fabricated or enhanced tales, not too unlike other ancient legends; they wrongly thought. Probably there had been some prophet named Jesus, but to believe that such uneducated (and obviously "unenlightened" to the wonders of modern cynicism) pre-laptop-computer people could have accurately preserved tales dating back a thousand years or longer, back to King David, or that mythical Moses… impossible! Such stories of heroism and honor, of prophecy, deceit, outnumbered battle victories, and unchanging moral laws could be relegated to the cultural dustbin, along with Homer’s Odyssey and other ancient literary inventions. Yes, nineteenth century Western intellectuals were so enlightened and steeped in their lack of repentance and foolish pride that they very much wanted the Bible and all it stands for to be swiftly brushed away.

But the peer-educated Western elite soon had one problem: modern archaeology. Jesus once said (Luke 19:40) that if the people did not speak up the stones would cry out. In a sense, over the last hundred years, this is exactly what has happened. Beginning in about the 1890’s through to the 1920’s and later, a series of stunning Middle Eastern archaeological excavations began irrefutably proving Biblical accounts of ancient lost cities, their rulers, past battles, customs, etc. Soon archaeologists were using the Bible as a primary reference. If two nearby sites had been accurately surveyed and it was recorded to take a three day long journey to reach a third as yet undiscovered site, then…. (The movie, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was not really that far fetched from the mood of archaeologists in the 1930’s.)

When I became a Christian as a teen in the early 1970’s I was puzzled by a blatant omission. Most of the Old Testament was a pretty accurate historical account, yes, but why was the beginning - why was Genesis so wrong. (Of course it was not until years later that I learned of the life or death spiritual battle for archaeologically proving backwards most of the Bible’s accuracy as had been hard fought in academic and societal circles, mentioned in the paragraphs above.) If the Flood never happened, and the cute artistic Arks, with Noah and the animals getting onboard was all a fairy tale … where did that leave room for rational faith in other pivotal Biblical historical events like Christ’s resurrection? The Great Flood is an example of God’s judgment and hate of sin. The old world was destroyed; or was it? Did Christ defeat the grave or not?… Sodom and Gomorrah - a myth maybe. Should life be lived primarily for fun? Who’s to say what’s right and wrong?; come on, just get over those old prejudiced beliefs. The best selling Christian book which most thoroughly addresses these historical challenges is: "Evidence Which Demands a Verdict", by Josh McDowell. An archaeological book of importance is: "The Bible as History", by Werner Keller; available today in 24 languages (its original title in German: "Und die Bibel hat doch recht in Bildern").

The word "faith" is very different from the word "hope". Faith implies - "based on these facts" or, "with this [historical] foundation beneath us…" Hope is much less powerful, more along the lines of: beliefs which cannot be well defended. When Moses began his account of events in Exodus they were first established, grounded, resting upon, factually based because of - what had occurred in the Book of Genesis. Is the Bible as preserved today a unique repository of human knowledge, Divinely defended down through the ages, or a compendium of fairy tales, or something somewhere in-between? "If you dwell on the past you will lose an eye. But if you forget the past you will lose both eyes." What actually transpired when our race was young is still of vital importance to us today. If the Creation and the Great Flood are actual historical events - we forget God’s commandments at our peril.

JOSEPHUS (Section 8 of 27)

2,000 years ago everyone still knew - Ancient historians kept the knowledge of the Great Flood alive even till then

Josephus. Revered or reviled, he has given us a pivotal perspective of ancient Jewish history and of life in Roman occupied Palestine, approximately one generation after the life of Jesus Christ. As a personal friend of the (as he had correctly prophesied!, 2 years prior…) newly inaugurated Roman emperor Flavius, Josephus moved to Rome where he had unparalleled access to the best scholars and libraries of the Roman Empire, even as his own people were being beaten down, enslaved, and harshly dispersed by Roman armies. This was the time of Masada, of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and of the rapid explosion of the early Christian church - one part Jewish, and two parts gentile. The Western world was undergoing rapid, irreversible spiritual and philosophical changes.

Josephus, as a well trained and articulate rabbi was then commissioned to write a comprehensive "History of the Jews" for the Romans. He drew upon a myriad of distinguished contemporary and past writers from around the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern world in the course of his research. This was 2,000 years ago (and consequently then approximately 4,000 years after the Creation, as recorded in Genesis). He mentally reached back from his own time and rationally discussed recorded Jewish history from Genesis 1:1 up until the then present.

I mention Josephus here because though he often takes a defensive posture in relating Jewish history - this was not the case concerning the Great Flood. When he gets to the story of Noah, the Ark, and Mt. Ararat he draws together collaborative writings from numerous non-Jewish sources: Josephus, Book 1, "…And after seven days he sent out a dove, to know the state of the ground; which came back to him covered with mud, and bringing an olive branch: hereby Noah learned that the earth was become clear of the flood. So after he had stayed seven more days, he sent the living creatures out of the ark; and both he and his family went out, when he also sacrificed to God, and feasted with his companions. However, the Armenians call this place, (The Place of Descent) for the ark being saved in that place; its remains are shown there by the inhabitants to this day.

"Now all the writers of barbarian histories make mention of this flood, and of this ark; among whom is Berosus the Chaldean. For when he is describing the circumstances of the flood, he goes on thus: ‘It is said there is still some part of this ship in Armenia, at the mountain of the Cordyaeans; and that some people carry off pieces of the bitumen, which they take away, and use chiefly as amulets for the averting of mischiefs.’ Hieronymus the Egyptian also, who wrote the Phoenician Antiquities, and Mnaseas, and a great many more books, makes mention of the same. Also, Nicolaus of Damascus, in his ninety-sixth book, has a particular interest; where he speaks thus: ‘There is a great mountain in Armenia, over Minyas, called Baris, upon which it is reported that many who fled at the time of the Deluge were saved; and that one who was carried in an ark came on shore upon the top of it; and that the remains of the timber were a great while preserved. This might be the man about whom Moses the legislator of the Jews wrote.’ "

The Flood, as a historical event, required no elaborate defense - it was still collectively remembered. It had been over 2,000 years by that time, and though the memory of its details were dimming, its impact was still felt. It took until modern times for man to almost completely forget the pivotal events which had transpired early in our collective memory, to rewrite our past into a completely distorted view of ancient history.

In the time of Josephus, tangible wood and pitch evidence remained accessible, high atop Mt. Ararat. Josephus referenced other prominent writers of antiquity - thus confirming this historically remembered issue by their acknowledged consensus.

Fact: 2,000 years ago … the hull of a large, unique vessel which had bridged the gap between the old and new worlds, sparing a remnant of life - remained extant. In the Jewish version only eight persons survived; Noah and his wife, along with their three sons with each of their wives. Eight humans, and two or more of each kind of animal. God (or, "the gods") destroyed the old world, and started anew, as was (often reluctantly) documented by all leading scholars of the ancient world. "Now all the writers of barbarian histories make mention of this flood, and of this ark…." Were their writings necessarily "uneducated and unenlightened" … just because we don’t like the conclusions this leads to for our own day?

REPORTED ARK SIGHTINGS (Section 9 of 27)

Pyramids, Stonehenge, ancient sun dials, and Mayan brain surgery are examples of ancient knowledge once built up, then later lost. Was there, indeed IS there ... still a Noah's Ark on Mt. Ararat?

Evolution would be an interesting theory, except that both the historical and fossil records strongly appear to indicate otherwise. For it is not the less well developed creatures which have gone extinct and which we see evidence of only in the fossil record, but rather the extinction of the more fragile or unlucky ones, who did not survive the violent global upheaval terminating the old world and initiating the new post-Flood era, occurring about 4,400 years ago. Too many clues regarding the Great Flood still exist today.

In our own day we see many theories and new age religions. Pyramids, crystals, (…is "channeling" still out there too?…), extraterrestrial sightings, and a variety of self-proclaimed prophets leading the sheep astray. The fallen angels have been keeping busy. Folks, faith should be based on facts, not wishful, hopeful thinking. True faith, Biblical faith - is grounded in the reality of the world around us. The Bible does not start with the Book of Exodus and a host of mysterious miracles which lead one to wonder. No, it starts with origins (i.e. the Genesis); perfection, temptation, sin, death, and a judgmental flood. God’s Earth then started anew.

It is rumored that the CIA has detailed reconnaissance photos of Mt. Ararat, elevation 16,984 feet (5,177 meters), which intersects the turbulent borders of present day Turkey and ex-Soviet republics, showing an unidentified wooden structure perched about 5,000 feet (1,525 meters) higher than the tree line, at an altitude of approximately 14,000 feet (4,270 meters) above sea level. With decades of U2, SR-71, and low orbit satellites performing high resolution infrared and x-ray photography over much of the globe it would seem that the US Government (along with the Russian Government) would be in a position to either prove or disprove the existence of a unique vessel as a reminder of the Flood which was yet faithfully remembered during the time of Josephus, about 2,400 years afterwards, i.e. during Roman times.

In 1840 there was a great earthquake under Mt. Ararat. The town of Ahora with its ancient (icon filled?) church sitting part way up the mountain were suddenly buried beneath tons of rock (where their remains are preserved and remain hidden to this day). It is believed by some that this catastrophe also broke the Ark in two, letting one portion break free and slide down a few hundred feet. Actually, there appear to be three reported ice-covered, barely accessible sites high atop Mt. Ararat reported to host blackened ancient wood. This makes sense if you imagine Noah’s family (expediently) re-using some of the wood to make a temporary dwelling nearby until the waters finished receding below.

In modern times there have been numerous sporatic reports of Ark sightings. Some elaborate, some second or third hand accounts, but none verified. I’ve seen several drawings and a few pretty good photos showing "something" bulging under the weight of snow and ice, amid a glaciated mountainside. Only during the late summer of the hottest and driest years is anything more supposedly visible. Several books have been published with such accounts, but verification remains beyond our grasp. Until Yahweh permits, it is argued, public proof of the Ark on Mt. Ararat will be unattainable. Moslems today believe that the Ark actually came to rest near the top of a different mountain some distance away. Therefore Christian expeditions, which are usually poorly financed but then heavily taxed by Turkish officials must also contend with Moslem Kurdish death threats, drastic weather changes, high winds, altitude sickness, frigid whiteout conditions, and … the nearby Russian military units who don’t take kindly to presumed spies looking down at their bases.

The only reported modern scientific expedition to have successfully reached and examined the Ark was by White Russian military scientists in the Summer of 1917. However around the time of their attempted return to Moscow that Fall there was a notable political disturbance remembered as the Bolshevik Revolution. No one knows whatever happened to the detailed measurements, charts, and possible photos taken at that time. Were copies made? Did any escape the devoutly atheistic Bolsheviks? Or was this story completely concocted and other similar rumors which surface from time to time of "something" on Mt. Ararat merely wishful thinking on the part of unscientific religious folk?

Four thousand, four hundred years in the past is not that long ago. And interestingly, no written language on Earth predates that time. The Babylonians, Egyptians, and Chinese go back close to then, but no further. Man has always been intelligent (though often unwise); it is no coincidence that we are able to readily adapt to this modern technological world. We have always been intelligent, but not always civilized. If creationism is true and evolution false, then our ancestors did not fall from trees millions of years ago, they fell from grace thousands of years ago.

CHINESE WRITINGS & OLD MEMORIES (Section 10 of 27)

The Chinese written language is composed of approximately 3,000 (combinations of) pictographs. Though the spoken language differs radically between different locales, written Chinese, steadied by thousands of years of history and civilization is still transcribed pretty consistently throughout Asia.

The word for person in Chinese and Japanese is C1 . Schoolchildren are taught to imagine someone C1 standing, a person with 2 legs.



The word for tree is written C2 . Imagine roots below and branches above. This pictograph communicates, with fewest strokes possible, the ancient yet still recognized functional appearance of an average tree, in simple pictorial script. To write "woods" you combine 2 basic characters, in this case two trees: C3. For "forest" you write C4 (i.e. 3 trees together). There is an underlying logic and the memory of (built-in components of) historical events as more complex meanings are built up.

Modern anthropologists mistakenly teach that ancient religions evolved from uneducated fears, through animism and shamanistic beliefs, to polytheism (many gods), then down to the (yet still rooted in superstition) belief in one God. But hey, "He’s invisible", the believers say, so you can’t disprove him. "How convenient" the educated anthropologists, standing atop their evolutionary foundation, will smile and say.

Some of these anthropologists may be well-intended but their selective memory of human history and local cultural beliefs is rooted in wishful, sinful thinking. Actually most human cultures have remembered that there is an Exalted God far above. But he is too high and distant so they contrive to appease lower gods. It was with this understanding that many Christian missionaries have been able to enter local cultures around the world and teach the Gospel not as a foreign religion, but that The God (whom they already recognize, by whatever local name) had allowed His own Son to die in our place. The Supreme Being whom they had fallen so far from wanted them back. This is not a story of people and their religions slowly becoming more sophisticated but rather that each remnant departing after (the Great Flood and) the failure of the Tower of Babel needed for the Creator to reach down to us, to bridge the chasm with the forgiveness offered through His Son’s death. One excellent book which discusses the astounding successes of (inclusively thinking, but without compromising) 19th Century missionaries in particular is "Eternity In Their Hearts", by Don Richardson, 1981, Pub: Regal Books.

Concerning China - it is well documented that long before (polytheistic) Buddhism and Taoism were introduced the Chinese believed in One Supreme Being; His name is "ShangTi". The two characters are written as: C5 , a combination of two meanings, "Above" and "Emperor". Simple, but accurate. Now, if you were going to invent a pictographic combination for God’s nemesis, the Devil - what would you choose? The ancient Chinese chose C6. Broken down into the simpler picture-word-meanings you would get: C7 garden, field; C8 alive; C9 secret, private; and C10 man, son. Complex, loaded with meaning, and perhaps … retelling an ancient story. The word "tempter" is even more interesting. It is written in Chinese as C11. Notice the Devil C6 below the two trees C2 and C2. And this is all beneath the symbol of C12 cover.

In this short piece, "A Defense of Creationism" I will show you just a couple more ancient Chinese characters, composed thousands of years ago, then taught to each successive generation (the original meanings became lost to time), yet still used today. One is the word for boat C14. On the left is the meaning of "vessel" C15. On the right top is the number "eight" C16. Directly below is C17 an open "mouth" (or "mouths of persons"). The Bible records that only eight persons survived the Great Flood - one of the pivotal defining epochs in recorded human history. In the Book of Genesis we are taught that the Devil tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (as was similarly written above, …still remembered in modern Chinese?). It also says that God created life from the dust of the Earth. To "create" is written as C18 . This can be broken down into C19 dust, mud; C8 alive; C20 walking. I’ll reference another important book, "The Discovery of Genesis: How the Truths of Genesis Were Found Hidden in the Chinese Language", by Kang & Nelson, publ: Concordia.

The style of ancient Chinese pottery of about 4,000 years ago is almost indistinguishable from that produced in the Middle East from the same time period. Curious. A coincidence or is this yet another evidence of our real ancient history? A recent common root with later divergence?, or do you think homo sapiens sapiens (folks like us, as termed by evolutionary theory) the world over sat around campfires each night for ten or twenty thousand years saying, "Gee, I sure wish some people thousands of miles away would invent fired-clay decorative pots and cups, to store grain and wine in, then send us their catalog. Oh well, maybe next year. Hand me the old map of Antarctica again, I'm thinking about a nice vacation for next summer."

PROFESSIONALS, COMPETITION & THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD (Section 11 of 27)

There are good cops & bad cops; good teachers & bad teachers; and good scientists & bad scientists

"The Double Helix", by James D. Watson, 1968, is a classic modern tale of real science. Careers are at stake. Watson and Crick at Cambridge University are in a scientific foot race against Linus Pauling of Cal Tech. In the early 1950’s no one understood the complex DNA structure which pervades all life on Earth. By then the molecule types had been clearly identified, but it was a mind boggling puzzle to finally create a mathematically plausible chemical arrangement which could actually bind together and could (in theory then) replicate successfully. It’s referred to as the double helix, an off-center spiral staircase of base pairs catalyzing complex chemical interactions; encoded genetic information. White lab coats, yes. But the free exchange of information (prior to publication) in the interest of science? Only by the naïve.

"Living Fossil: The Story of the Coelacanth", by Keith S. Thomson, 1991, relates similar scientific competitiveness. The Coelacanth (pronounced: seal-uhh-can't-thh) is a deep sea fish currently living in the southwestern Indian Ocean which paleontologists had presumed extinct for 70 million (according to the religion of evolution) years, except that in this century over 60 have been caught at various times. Just recently, one was caught near Indonesia as well. Researchers wrangle, some museums turn to the black market. Scientists are people; they are no more or less noble by trade than the rest of us.

The Wollemi pine tree was supposed to have gone extinct some (sic) 90 million years ago. But an enclave of only 23 trees (unexpectedly found in a deep gorge about 2 hours drive from Sydney, Australia) is still growing just fine. They were discovered there in 1994; fortunate survivors of whatever post-Flood forest fires, droughts, parasites, diseases, and whatever lightening strikes may have occurred in that area … over the past 4,400 years. Perhaps there were several other enclaves after the Flood, but all others became displaced or overrun by other more resilient or lucky species over time.

Many very specialized or less resilient species of fauna and flora didn’t survive the aftermath of the Flood. We can see fossils of beautiful creatures and superb advanced plant life which haven’t survived down till the present day. They weren’t less evolved or (necessarily) the victims of natural selection, but many have indeed perished over the course of the past several thousand years. "Millions of years this, or billions of years that…." Sorry, but what we see in the world around us does not support such a speculative religion. Sedimentary rocks the world over cry out for a means to explain their globe covering deposition which we witness today. Of all generations of mankind, with all we know today, we have the least excuse for not recognizing the Divine Hand in our origins.

The Old Testament Book of Job, chapter 40, verses 15 to 24 (Job 40:15-24) describes a magnificent, powerful animal type. Some believe that it was a dinosaur (a.k.a. dragon). What other creature exists which would even fit the description given? Noah was charged with ensuring that all land species of animals survived the Flood itself, but perhaps some could not subsequently endure human hunting or repeated encroachment into their respective territories. Did mighty dragons walk the post-Flood world? Maybe they were merely exaggerated hunting tales told around campfires at night. Or how about Job 41:18-21 (below) - does this describe a living, walking, human observed fire-breathing dragon?
"...a light doth shine, and his eyes [are] like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lamps, [and] sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as [out] of a seething pot or caldron. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth...."

Not every scientific discipline is at the same level of development respective to the others. Metallurgy is more advanced in some countries than others. Particle physics may be more or less advanced than organic chemistry depending upon particular discoveries. Much money goes towards weapons research, consequently advancing their related sciences. All of the real sciences must ultimately answer to reality and facts. There is a fundamental difference between this vs. "evolutionary science", which only answers to the international consensus of its own researchers. In the summer of 1995, for example, leading paleontologists met in Brussels and honed their beliefs concerning Cretaceous Period (135 to 65 million years BP) subdivisions. That’s all well and good, but recognize that it is in fact a wholly different set of standards than those of either designing a new integrated circuit or of putting a satellite into orbit where theory, mathematics, physics, and chemical interactions directly intersect with reality.

In 1974 and 1975 Dr. Johanson and colleagues discovered local hominid fossils in East Africa whom Johanson soon nick-named "Lucy" (after the popular Beatles song, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", it is reported). The Leakeys had their own competitive finds. The debate continues over man’s believed evolutionary ancestors. Which ones are false spurs, who gets the grants, who doesn’t, when was what jaw bone found by whom?

NEANDERTHALIC THINKING (Section 12 of 27)

Teaching old bones, new tricks - selective evolutionary evidence

Did you know that Neanderthal Man had a larger brain capacity than we do today? It was not much larger, but then it seems that my hat size and height may be different from that of the average modern Japanese person. In Africa today the members of some tribes are extremely tall, while a tribe of pygmies may live nearby. The adult Aetas in the Philippines are also extremely short in stature. Some evolutionists have said in the past that the Eskimos are an example of environmental adaptation to their extreme environment; shorter, conserving energy, etc. Too bad no one told the Swedes, Finns and Norwegians that they shouldn’t be so tall and fair skinned to live where they do in the world. There is a particular village in Western China’s Gansu Province where the average IQ is very low, one-third are mentally retarded; on a daily basis it affects conversations, local business development, construction, superstitions, local public opinions, sanitation, etc.

If the old looking bone fragments of Lucy, Ricky, Piltdown, Nebraska, or Neanderthal are used out of context and trumped up, originating from some particular local circumstances or from one particular village - extrapolating them into (artistically elaborated) global evolutionary presumptions, then it appears that the theory of evolution really hasn’t evolved very much at all.

Remember the (wide variety of) dog breeds mentioned earlier? Most of them can at least learn new tricks. Evolutionists are still trying the same old tricks, using selected local exceptions as their best evidence for global evolutionary evidence.

There is a severe lack of (what could even be interpreted as) transitional fossils of any kind. Paleontologists and geologists have been combing the Earth looking for fossils and mapping layers. Millions of non-transitional fossils have been found and identified. Still no transitional fossils though, unfortunately for the theory of evolution. Instead they keep coming across tremendous adaptability within species (following their respective genetic programming) and deep sedimentary deposits still blanketing the continents from the year of the Flood.

There are indeed local traits, mutations, and differentiation. "Oh look, the baby’s got his mother’s eyes and his father’s chin." These genes get passed on as can other hereditary traits. When the Black Plague took its course through Europe it killed every other person, decimating the population, tearing asunder societal cohesion, and leaving a particular subset of survivors with which to repopulate the continent. But even at this scale we’re still not talking about evolution where one species improves itself into another type of organism. Bacteria today are adapting to our antibiotics - but they’re still bacteria. Self-correcting, partially self-healing, adaptable. Did billions of base pairs of detailed sequential genetic code just write itself into existence by random evolutionary chance? Our universe operates according to mathematical and scientific laws. Why do such structured laws even exist in the first place? The evidence against blind faith in evolution continues to mount.

EVIDENCE OF A BRILLIANT DESIGNER (Section 13 of 27)

"I refuse to acknowledge your existence, so go away."

Some rich people love to be in the news. They want their faces plastered everywhere. They’re seen at the right parties, with the right people and hey, he or she has a darned good chance of making one of the "best dressed" lists this year. Now are they hip, or what!

Not everyone is so vocal. Some are content to work behind the scenes. There are multi-billionaires out there who habitually avoid untoward publicity yet whose decisions dramatically impact millions of lives each day. Folks, I leave it to you: it is important to make the distinction between the two entirely different questions of - one, whether or not there is a Creator behind the universe, and - two, what is His character?

"How can there be a God when children die of starvation?" Remember - this confuses two entirely different questions. "Why can't I see God? Heck, if He wants me to believe..." Sorry, but whether or not there is a Creator behind the scenes is a completely different question than that of what He is like. You and I arrived recently. We haven't been around long enough to know very much yet but we do have the opportunity in this lifetime to learn a few important lessons, if we are attentive and listen.

EXCEPTIONS VS. RULES (Section 14 of 27)

Which came first, the belief in evolution or the fossil record?

To the best of my knowledge there are no transitional forms in the fossil record. But each silent bone is subject to interpretation. Every generation of each species has some mutations. In East Africa today there is a growing recovering herd of tusk-less elephants. African elephant herds were slaughtered for their ivory. Drunken soldiers riding on jeeps and carrying automatic weapons; the elephant herds never had a chance. But some descendants of a particular elephant are passing on this tusk-less trait. It may protect the lives of her descendants (as it did her) again in the future.

Among humans, you know that a few children are born sickly. Theodore Roosevelt, for example, was weak and often ill through much of his childhood. Like Job’s sufferings, these children and their parents have to endure much. Aside from the corollary issues being raised in this section - the main point is that these descendants (the tusk-less elephants passing on genes and kids who are either of lower constitution or disabled, etc.) are genealogical derivations, not proof of evolutionary development.

Some creationists use the term "micro-evolution" to describe the above stated derivations, but as stated previously I prefer the term, "genetic remnant variation" since each successive DNA copy can only go down or repeat almost as good as its predecessor's genes, never upward in complexity on its own.

Honest generalizations should be grounded in the rule, not by grasping for exceptions. Is evolution a valid developmental process? For some things like the evolution of ideas it is a workable observable process. But for life itself?, without external guidance, if at all…? If car parts are removed and then re-assembled at random, the car does not improve - let me tell you! Use logic, does it make sense that life forms are automatically improving all on their own, over time? Nothing else does - all on its own. Environmental pressures on living species? We have adaptability built in (by our wise Creator), but this is completely different than believing that the process which on the one hand eliminates weaker candidates (natural selection) could also create improved genetic copies going into the future. There is no evidence in the fossil record to sustain such a belief!

Concerning each new generation of life forms - the creationist differs from the evolutionist. Looking at the fossil record we see examples of exceptions and local variation by tribe or by region. But if there are in reality extremely few fossils which could even possibly be construed as "transitional forms" or so-called "spurs" then logically speaking - we must consider an alternative.

Evolution provides for a particular foundation. This foundation then allows for a series of deductive beliefs regarding our place in the universe. If the theory of evolution is not true then so are the subsequent beliefs about humankind and about our place in the universe which it has (if untrue) wrongly inspired. Building a house on a foundation of sand is not a good idea, i.e. one should not put faith in something which is factually untrue. True faith must be grounded in the real world. The atheistic religion of evolution (as a belief system regarding our place in the universe) needs evidence to support its contentions; otherwise it becomes just another false religion, leading people astray and away from a better understanding of our true place in the universe and of our Creator.

Fossils must be considered independent from theories, not wrapped in them. Johanson, the Leakeys, and every other leading proponent of evolutionary theory knows that there are a lack of transitional forms. They know that many purported missing links are (always localized and usually) one-of-a-kind fossils. It is not scientific to cling to a theory which defies the evidence.

If evolution is true why don’t we see it happening today? Yes, we see fantastic adaptability - thank the Maker! But half-organs or half-foreleg-wings? It’s just not occurring, except downwind of nuclear power plants, leading to disability and death. Simple single celled creatures are not at all simple. There is amazing adaptability programmed into the life planted around us. A single bacteria requires a staggering number of precise amino acid proteins (each very complex) and long sequenced chains of DNA and RNA molecules.

The layers of sedimentary strata are laid down in random, non-sequential order. And they’re in broad sheets, not narrow river valley type sediment. Why do we see so many mute deceased clusters of bone fragments buried together?, as if reburied a second or even third time - remnants just washed together and left there. Unresolved though irrevocable massive death. Crushed fish fossils; perfectly preserved insects; some of the rich black coal seams lie just beneath the surface. What could have produced the evidence of the fossil record and geologic layers that we see today?

THE ANCIENT HISTORY PUZZLE (Section 15 of 27)

After a devastating forest fire or flood how long does it take for new plant life to sprout up everywhere? Immediately after the Great Flood, it is reasonable to postulate that new plant life would have soon sprouted and covered lowlands and hillsides worldwide; some herd animals can migrate great distances in a short time; birds can fly thousands of miles in a year; and a man can physically walk beside a covered wagon from St. Louis to the Oregon Territory in about six months (that's half a continent wide, by the way) - were the ancients any less capable of migrating back across the empty continents in the years immediately following the Flood?

Let’s assume for a paragraph that Creationism (in some form, either immediate or in stages over time) and the Great Flood are indeed facts of history and that the evidence of this has been successfully shunted out of our view for over 150 years. What could that indicate to us about our Creator?, or about our relationship to him? Our time keeps going, generations are dying in ignorance. Jesus said (Matt. 10:29) that the Father is aware of every sparrow that falls to the ground. However in the Book of Job 1:6-12, it says that God gave Satan permission to destroy Job’s family and possessions, leaving Job with nothing but "friends" who repeatedly reminded him that he must have done something really wrong to have deserved such calamities. …The Creator may be aware of every sparrow that falls to the ground but the Bible does not say that He’ll do something about it. Yes, some children do starve to death. We do need to make a clear distinction between the two questions of what is the nature of God; and separately, whether or not some Creator out there exists in the first place. Confusing the two and then blaming God or threatening to disbelieve when He won’t put our needs first doesn’t help us come to a better knowledge of the truth. Creationism as a viable scientific theory is not necessarily a subheading under currently believed Christianity as a major religion. The two can be considered separately. Please do not be offended at this suggestion.

The Book of Job dates from before the Exodus; it is the oldest book of the Scriptures. If the Bible was arranged into a more chronological sequence the Book of Job and its teachings should be inserted between Genesis and Exodus. Instead it is placed today just before Psalms in about the middle of the Bible. Some have taught that Job lived a life of suffering, but actually his time of testing did not encompass his whole life at all. Job 42:16 states that he lived for another 140 years afterwards. Some today believe that God wants us comfortable, but this was not the case in Joseph’s life, nor Job’s, nor for the children of Israel after leaving slavery in Egypt, nor for John the Baptist, to name a few. Is God supposed to make us the center of attention or are we supposed to make God the center of attention? There is a big difference between the two.

The average human life span has recently risen from around 40-50 years to 65-70 years. Improved nutrition, sanitation, and modern medicine have all contributed to this. The Bible records that human longevity used to be much greater. After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden persons lived for 900 or more years. But after the Flood something around or in us radically changed. Adam - 930 years; Jared - 962 years; Methusela - 969 years; Noah - 950 years; all lived (according to the Genesis record) for over 900 years. (Noah was 600 during the year when the waters washed over the continents, in approximately 2348* BC.) Then … the change happened. Please see the attached chart: www.creationism.org/lifespan.jpg

* - By the way, many Biblical scholars do not contend that we have a full, accurate chronological accounting from Creation till now. It is the genealogy from Adam, to the Children of Israel, to King David, to the Messiah which appears paramount, not the exact number of years which passed, in the Biblical record. Therefore many creationists today believe that the Year of the Flood may have actually been stretched back up to a few hundred years earlier. Genesis, chapter 11 itself does not offer a full exact chronology. In this report, it is out of literary convenience and for purposes of relative consistency that I mention "approximately 4,400 years ago" and similar estimations.

Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth evidently lived for about 600 years each. Shem’s son (Arphaxad) - 438 years; then his grandson, Salah lived for 433 years. …..

According to Biblical chronology, Shem was yet a contemporary with Abraham (formerly: Abram). Shem did not finally pass away until about 10 years before Jacob and Esau were born. Firsthand knowledge of the old world and the Year of the Flood could then have been preserved until that time. This would be entirely possible, if Noah and Shem really did live as long as was recorded.

Pioneering families in America's Old West often had large families. There was a lot of land to settle. It was not unusual for a couple to have 6, 8 or even 10 kids. America's population in 1776 was about 2 million people, perhaps roughly 3 million total if one includes the native Indians. Today, about 220 years later it is 250 million and growing. A portion of the increase came from direct immigration, but a lot more came from those immigrants subsequently having large families over multiple generations. 3 million to 250 million in only 220 years, an amazing increase, but it's true. After the Flood the Bible records that there were 8 humans left to start over. Mathematically speaking, with families of 6 children each per generation they would then have had over 100,000 descendants within 200 years. If the average family size was increased to 8 surviving children each, that would increase to 1.5 million descendants within the same 200 years! Amazing, but true. Shem's first son was born about 2 years after the Flood, we have no idea how many other sons and daughters he may have had over the succeeding 500 years. (Can you imagine all the birthday gifts! "Hi honey I'm home, another birthday this evening? 2 birthday cakes today? Oh, hi kids, what are your names?) Ahem, ...Israel, it is recorded, had 12 sons. (Animal species as well could have similarly multiplied and repopulated the Earth in a short period of time.)

Great Grandpa Noah’s old maps would have been useful tools. So many options of where to go to start over again. Perhaps the emigrants bound for China’s lush eastern valleys were determined to remember the stories of old and to honor the one true God: ShangTi. Maybe Noah and Shem shared some of their ship building skills, so that other groups could chart a course to the distant Western Hemisphere and start over again there.

The Mayan calendar coincidentally(?) claims to have started in 3114 BC. Whose birthday or what major event does this recall? Perhaps it's nothing. Perhaps this early advanced civilization should not even be mentioned here. Or perhaps there are clues to be gleaned. If ancient Chinese pictographs can correlate with Biblical accounts of Genesis, there may be other as yet unresearched distant sources. Did you know that the Planet Venus's year is 583.9 days long? The ancient Mayans recorded it to be 584; hey, that's not too bad, especially considering the fact that the Earth is also in motion and our period of rotation had to first be accurately subtracted. Mexico and Central America today are relatively poor and have had less archaeological exploration than many Old World sites. I wonder if there may be additional important information uncovered from these hidden jungles in the future...?

"The Deluge Story in Stone", by Byron C. Nelson, c.1931; is a time honored defense of the Flood Theory. Nelson discusses Flood-related beliefs through the ages, down to modern man’s doubts, logical objections to the Biblical account, and comparative accounts of world Flood traditions. He interestingly notes that many Western Hemisphere native Indian Flood accounts have more in common with the Hebrew version than do some of those peoples who remained in the Middle Eastern regions. It is also amazing how many Western Hemisphere stories also link to the Flood a version of Babel or of confused tongues affected upon man shortly thereafter. Perhaps that was the last shared memory before humanity’s general disbanding. A final note concerning North and South American Indians - many legends clearly state that they originally came from the east after crossing a great ocean. Evolutionists would have (only) ancient Asian people slowly walking across and down the Bering land bridge during the "Ice Ages". It is a nice theory, but we remember otherwise. All around the world each generation has passed on to the next those lessons from the past deemed most important.

PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL - WHAT'S NATURAL? (Section 16 of 27)

Are we spiritual beings with a divinely implanted conscience?, or just the most recent set of evolved brutes who currently hold power over the planet?

Before our modern, materialistically cluttered world completely loses sight of reality we need to focus one eye back towards our origins. The temptation of evolution is that we can hold our heads high. We bow to no one, except maybe to those "advanced aliens" out there, someday. What is more "natural" - our primal urges, or our spiritual desires? Is Earth a temporary testing ground? Is conscience an inconvenience or an internal reminder? Will there be a Judgment Day?, i.e. will each of us have to answer for our actions, even if not caught by authorities on Earth? Are there evil spirits? By they way, if your home feels frightening sometimes or you have a child afflicted with nightmares (for no medical reason) I would suggest buying an inexpensive radio with low wattage, set it to a local Bible-thumping Christian radio station at medium volume then plug it in each day before you leave the house for the day. Do this every day for at least a month or so - the evil spirits will soon get out rather than listen to the Gospel every day. This doesn't work every time, but it's usually pretty effective.

And of course, the mere presence of spiritual beings (or ghosts, fallen angels, demons, et al) on Earth completely defies the belief system of the religion of evolution. Pray for our misguided scientists and ignorant academic leaders. Science used to imply a search for truth and honest explanations, but sadly many scientists today believe that "science" necessitates the search for naturalistic explanations (i.e. God and the supernatural realm cannot even be considered) in spite of whether this defies the truth and alternative, educated, honest explanations. Some carefully documented UFO "research" could be interpreted (by a reasonable, spiritual person) to indicate demonic demonstrations, but the experts instead conclude that these aliens must just have really high technology. Maybe we should submit to them and follow their advice?, not!

The human body requires minute quantities of many vitamins and minerals to maintain optimum health. A few of these are copper, potassium, zinc, and selenium. Minerals are not distributed evenly in soils around the world. The spinach may look dark green due to photosynthesis, but if the soil is low in iron, then the spinach and those who eat it will be low in iron too. It is possible that before the Flood some regions had various (for example) mineral deficiencies which would have consequently affected all animals and humans in those areas who mostly ate foods from their respective regions. Since this still happens in the world even today there’s no reason to not consider this hypothesis. Imagine a person who lived to 900 years and who had lower than optimum calcium intake all those years - what would his or her bones look like? Too much lead upstream - how would that affect a village?

Humans and other mammals stop growing larger after reaching maturity. But reptiles, like dinosaurs, just keep growing. If humans lived for 900+ years how long did reptiles live (and grow) for? Couldn’t this better explain the huge dinosaur bones found by archaeologists?

Animals, birds, and fish that die don’t just lay there waiting to be slowly buried and preserved. They get eaten and the bones are quickly scattered. Creationists contend that the fossil record we see today is more indicative of sudden mass death and burial of millions of creatures by a catastrophic flood of water, mud and rocks than by everyday slow processes, which results in normal decay. A dead butterfly doesn’t lay on the ground undisturbed for long. Ants, mold, bacteria, and other organisms start to work almost immediately. Please see some of the images from linked sites below (many are evolution believing sites, ...even in spite of their images of superbly preserved fossil evidence). Just look at the detail in these specimens!:
http://nmnhwww.si.edu/VirtualTour/ ; http://www.aqd.nps.gov/grd/parks/fobu/ ;
http://www.calacademy.org/research/entomology/fossils/fossil1.htm ;
http://www.fossil-company.com/ ; …and there are many, many more.

The active layer of earth is home to burrowing insects and other creatures, going down for several feet. Water trickles down and there are underground rivers. Even an exhumed human body from a sealed casket carefully buried six feet underground shows decay and desiccation of its contents. Yet just look at the preserved detail in fossilized insects, plant leaves, and even dung (coprolite - fossilized, with no evidence of insect damage). The paleontologists have much useful contextual information, but it is important to separate their presumed beliefs from the common sense evidence of how all these fossils got buried in the first place. Were they quickly buried down under continent crushing sedimentary layers, and preserved under pressure, or did they just die naturally and fall to the earth for normal slow burial? Presumed sedimentary burial rates of 1-2 inches per year or per century are too slow. In this instance as well, creation theory provides a better, more scientific explanation than evolutionary theory.

Evolutionary theory contends that the fossil record shows a series of predictable burials, using the same processes we see around us today. But look at the fossils and decide for yourself. You know that when a fish dies it floats. But even if they sank - the oceans are filled with scavengers who consume anything within their reach. Look at these images of fish and other sea life suddenly buried by the Great Flood, at:http://everest.hunter.cuny.edu/bight/fossil.html ;
http://www.austmus.gov.au/science/division/invert/parker/ ;
http://www.twoguysfossils.com/fish.htm … or do a web search for even more sites.



OUR SOLAR SYSTEM (Section 17 of 27)

There goes the neighborhood! (Astral evidence of past catastrophes)

Let’s step away from the Earth briefly. The Moon is riddled with craters. Without rain, wind or other erosional processes we can still see the evidence of past damage and destruction. Mars as well is pockmarked by craters, within craters, within craters. The Red Planet, whom the ancients often referred to as the God of War in various languages and different cultures, has 2 small moons: Demos and Phobos. Each is a chunk of oblong rock, one 5 miles across, the other 10 (8 & 16 km). Look up in the night sky. Mars is the star up there which appears slightly yellowish to the eye. Can you see its tiny moons? No? …Can you even discern which point of light is Mars itself?

The first modern telescope was invented in Holland in about 1608. And yet the ancient Greeks somehow knew that Mars had those 2 tiny moons, which they called: Demos and Phobos. This is a clue; another piece in the great puzzle concerning our ancient past. It is unlikely that the Greeks correctly guessed that Mars has precisely two small moons - yet how could they have known this?

If you drive past a half-crushed, burned out automobile sitting alongside a country road you could look and imagine that the denting and burn marks happened slowly, a little each day for several years. But another explanation is that the driver lost control, rolled it, and then it caught fire as he or she barely escaped from the wreck, if lucky. Experience tells you that the latter is probably true. But if you weren’t there to see it happen, perhaps it occurred after it was parked there - very, very slowly - one dent and one burn mark at a time.

The massive cratering on Mars - did it happen slowly over eons, or does it speak of a past catastrophic astral event. We don’t know, we just see the massive surface damage which still exists today.

Saturn’s rings are really orbiting chunks of rocks all along a particular axis. Mute evidence of a past catastrophe. Saturn survived fine. Whatever fragmented and left pieces in its orbit didn’t.

Shoemaker-Levy hit Jupiter in 1994; a succession of astral chunks (dirty snowballs, a mix of ice and/or rocks) which produced a stunning display which was visible even from the Earth.

Pluto is the ninth planet from the Sun, most of the time. For a short time during its 247.7 year orbital period it comes closer to the Sun than Neptune, i.e. Pluto’s orbit is elliptical in shape. Actually though, Pluto should usually be the tenth planet out, but it appears that one is missing.

No one knows what happened which destroyed Electra. Modern scientists have labeled its remains(?) "the asteroid belt" (...as if they've always been there like that - just because that's what we see there now) lying partway between Mars and Jupiter; but these huge orbiting rock fragments may bear mute testimony to some previous astral disaster. There should be a planet between Mars and Jupiter. Instead we find only fragments orbiting at the approximate distance out where a planet "should be" according to Bode’s Law, as proposed by Titus-Bode in the 18th century.

Recently, evolutionists have begun admitting what creationists have known all along - that we live in a dynamic universe. Not slow uninterrupted cycles. Gee, not enough time for evolution - better add a few more million years here and there. The car still isn't running right? Better add some more random car parts to it; given enough time and random changes the automobile should evolve nicely all on its own, according to theory. I remember when the universe was only 4-5 billion years old, according to similarly thought out theories; but now we're supposed to be some 15+ billion years after the Big Bang.

Our Moon and Mars show massive impact craters. Other planets have also been hit. Electra is now an "asteroid belt". Saturn's rings may be pretty, but remember how they got there. What caused the Flood?

THE BIBLICAL FLOOD (Section 18 of 27)

Although the Flood story has been remembered around the world; the version preserved by the Jews is the most complete one still remaining

Rain did not cause the Flood. Period. Look below, the Genesis record does not state that to be the case. But it did start raining for 40 days straight at the same time that the Flood began. In Genesis Chap 7 & 8 we see that the Flood waters rose higher (though not necessarily at a steady rate) for 150 days, then receded for 150 days. Altogether Noah’s family and all the animals were recorded to have stayed in the Ark for about 1 year; the time of one full rotation around the sun. Why this length of time? (…if accurately recorded, of course). Below are selected verses, in King James Version:
Gen 7:11-14 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort….

Gen 7:20-21 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man…

Gen 7:24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

Gen 8:1-5 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that [was] with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters abated; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth [month], on the first [day] of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen….

Gen 8:11-14 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth [was] an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more. And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first [month], the first [day] of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried….

Gen 8:19-20 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, [and] whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. And Noah built an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Of the 250+ flood stories surviving around the world the Genesis account is the best preserved one still available. A great wind, 40 days of rain, 150 days of greater flooding, 150 days of decrease. An Ark riding through the terrible storm of judgment.

THEORIES OF CATASTROPHISM (Section 19 of 27)

Slow Ice Ages?, or one sudden Ice Epoch!? Look at the evidence for yourself

Another event which some believe to have happened at the same time as the Flood (though it is not mentioned at all in Scripture) is the Ice Epoch. (Not slow "Ice Ages" as they’ve been inappropriately named, - instead some believe that a sudden catastrophe hit the Earth, an Ice Epoch!) Yosemite Valley, east of San Francisco in central California was carved by huge ice flows. Today the U-shaped valleys descend 1600 feet (490 meters) from top to bottom which shows unmistakable evidence that there was once an incredible amount of ice atop this location. Its mass and sheer weight pressed and carved downward into rock leaving the beautiful deep gorges we see today. About 800 miles due north is Seattle-Tacoma’s deep Puget Sound, also glacier carved.

The generally accepted theory of Ice Ages does not answer to the evidence we see. Decide for yourself if it makes sense that a compact area just west of Seattle and another compact area east of San Francisco would have received such massive localized glaciation while most places in between received none. Winter storms just don’t coordinate their annual precipitation that well. What Earth process answers to the evidence we see? 1600 feet of vertically gouged rock face. Think about this. This is another important piece of evidence, that the non-God-fearing experts are simply wrong and that they’re unwittingly working for the wrong side.

We do not yet know the mechanism of the Flood, but there are a few theories out there, in the event that God used understandable scientific processes. One theory is that a stray astral body (meteor or small moon?, or successive chunks not unlike a smaller version of the aforementioned Shoemaker-Levy which slammed into Jupiter in 1994) approached the Earth (streaking in from freezing cold, dark space), partially fragmented, rained huge chunks of super-cold ice which would have induced rain (just as can be done today to seed rain clouds using dry ice and other chemicals). According to this theory, as best articulated in "The Biblical Flood and the Ice Epoch", by Donald W. Patten, c.1966, super tides (due to gravitational pull from the other astral body) could have washed over the continents, getting worse for 150 days, then declining for 150 days. Genesis 8:3 says that during the Flood, "And the waters returned from off the Earth continually." The Hebrew word for "continually" is halak <haw-lak’> (meaning: go, walk, come, away, along, depart, proceed…).

Why does the Genesis account record that Noah waited before leaving the ark? Did he and his family experience one gradual rising of waters, or a series of waters coming and going? We don’t know today, but it is clearly recorded that he released birds until a dove returned with an olive leaf. His boat was perched on land, yet he was possibly reluctant to disembark until he received a sign that no further waters were going to come again.

If accurately and conscientiously remembered until the time of Moses, Noah had simply recorded the scene before him. He may have had almost no idea of the unprecedented volcanic eruptions and crustal hemorrhaging happening around the world beneath the thrashing wind and waves bearing up his wooden Ark. And probably he had no idea what caused the rains to begin in the first place if the (according to one theory) ruptured atmosphere from crashing astral ice took place out of his view.

Average sea levels around the world are now over 300 feet (100 meters) higher than before, so any fragmented remains of the pre-flood world’s coastal cities would be deep underwater and probably either buried under sediment or dislodged and unrecognizably broken up during the Flood. But then, no one has spent much time looking for these remnants of such (previously coastal) buried cities either. Do the ancient maps give us any clues as to where ancient pre-Flood major ports might have been? No one has researched this to date.

The ice from the Ice Epoch did not center on the geographical North Pole. (But … for whatever reason(?) the magnetic poles may have been nearer the center.) Plus there are the anomalies like Puget Sound and Yosemite. We can see today that there was more glacial ice in the northern latitudes of the Western Hemisphere, but no one knows why. See: www.creationism.org/iceepoch.jpg The graphic mentions tidal waves and icebergs because even today some iceberg calving can produce waves damaging coastlines hundreds of miles away. At this time the polar ice is only 8,000 to 10,000 feet thick (.i.e. taller than many mountain ranges, yet it is continuously this thick); no one knows how thick it may have been initially, with weight consequentially adding pressure, causing faster ice flows, bigger chunks to break off, larger unexpected tidal waves, etc.

Mammoths ranging in the north were caught completely by surprise. Quick frozen mammoths from that time are found today with undigested food still in their stomachs and even in their mouths. The death wielding cataclysm may have burst through the cloud canopy so quickly and unexpectedly that they didn’t even have time to swallow or run before being encased in super-cold ice. One breath before chewing on flowers and grasses. One breath later suddenly frozen and entombed in situ. Had they died and frozen slowly, over several hours, the food already in their stomachs would have simply continued digesting in their stomach acids. Instead we see evidence of almost instant death and freezing, right to the core of their large bodies! I have walked around in -30°F (-34°C) weather before. There weren’t too many flowers around, by the way. They’re chewing flowers. Blink. Frozen mammoth steaks. How can this be explained? One thing is certain, more research is needed in this area. Also, please try to disassociate the artistic paintings of giant mammoths and mastodons walking through snow fields. Such artists conceptions are based on evolutionary theory that the far north must have been cold back then, with gradual ice accumulation, rather than that these huge beasts (needing tons of food and fresh water each day) lived within the protection of the alluvial firmament, and its (as creationists believe) moderating influence over the whole Earth.

If it was relatively warm in the far north, couldn’t it also have been tolerably warm in Antarctica also? If so, this would help explain the ancient maps showing the great Southern Continent (known today as: Antarctica), which modern man couldn’t even get close enough to until the development of modern vessels able to handle the extreme cold waters. The old maps show rivers and mountains … not lots of ice. …And, though I strongly desire to refrain from idle speculation, wouldn’t it then be possible that there could be a crushed frozen human city or two down there? Even the modern excavation of Pompeii (buried intact in volcanic ash 1900 years ago) would be dwarfed by such a discovery.

BYBLOS (Section 20 of 27)

Not all old religious texts are created equal. Where there is real worth in something counterfeits are bound to abound. The Bible records ancient battles where the victor was sometimes outnumbered by 10 to 1. Skeptics scoffed and believed that this helped to relegate the Bible to the mythology bin. But then the science of archaeology came along and verified the accuracy of these same events. The 66 books which comprise today’s Bible tell a story; a story played out over generations of peoples who, for the most part, resided near the practical geographical center between Europe, Africa and Asia. Coincidence? The impact of the Messiah’s crucifixion and resurrection changed the course of the Roman Empire. People saw Him killed. He was dead. People saw Him alive again only a few days later. The early Christian church exploded into existence.

During the Cold War between the US and USSR many people the world over believed that any nuclear exchange between the superpowers would have been insane. In fact the doctrine of: Mutually Assured Destruction, was known as "MAD", which implied: insane. Yet both sides continued arming and improving missile accuracy for decades. We know that an individual person can become insane. We periodically hear about small groups, often foundation-less religious cults, whose members become collectively insane. It could be argued that entire nations, like Nazi Germany with the Holocaust and Imperial Japan with its fanaticism and cruelty had each become collectively insane during World War II. We can take a step back and look at these things historically - an individual, a group, or even an entire nation. So then, is it not theoretically possible that on some issue or issues the entire human race could be collectively "mad"? What the majority of people believe, following the broad path, could lead to doom. The path is narrow. According to the Bible only eight persons survived the Great Flood. The Owner cleansed away the crop which had gone bad. Just because "most people" believe something that doesn't make it right.

MORE FOSSIL EVIDENCE (Section 21 of 27)

The Earth’s crust around Hudson Bay in Canada is still rebounding from its recent massive ice coverage. Old cabins built along the shoreline 200 years ago are now hundreds of feet from the water. If the Grand Canyon today is really a result of the Colorado River slowly wearing it down over eons then how come other major world rivers (some much larger) haven’t all worn down similar grand canyons? Hello! Anybody home? New sinkholes open up seemingly at random (sometimes rapidly) spotting the southeast U.S., areas in China, Russia, and in many other regions worldwide. Fossilized dinosaur eggs from only a few thousand years ago (according to some creationist theories) have been completely preserved - even with their surrounding nests, found in Montana and Mongolia and other sites worldwide. Sea shells dot mountain tops. How could these things be possible? An old stable Earth with slow geological processes? We should step forward and willingly ask our evolution-believing cousins, "But what about the fossil record?"

Dr. Carl Baugh of the Creation Evidences Museum, in Glen Rose, Texas, has agreed to permit this web page to reference some of their evidence, which includes tracks of human and dinosaur prints in the same layer of strata, located in situ near the museum. See: www.creationism.org/cem/ The tracks cross; the gaits are normal. Look at the evidence for yourself. Continuing research near Glen Rose, on the Paluxy River shows that the tracks continue in this layer as the overburden is removed further away. This site is highly controversial but it's been known for a long time. During the Great Depression (1930's) some tracks were broken out and sold. This was followed by counterfeit footprint carvings. Some people forge art or paper currency for similar reasons. But this does not lessen the importance of the scientific evidence preserved at the Paluxy site.

I am aware of a rare site in the southwestern US where dinosaur footprints commingle with bear and cougar tracks. Remember that according to theory dinosaurs were supposed to have died out long before mammals got much bigger than rats. According to the theory of evolution such a layer of strata should be wholly impossible. Scientists though are only human and sadly the theory of creationism has been dismissed out of hand. When such evidence as this is found it is often ignored or quietly puzzled over or even presumed to be fake. Rarely are creationists allowed access to or even informed of such sites in the first place. But surely there are some honest evolutionists out there wishing to come clean. My e-mail address is below, for your convenience. I promise complete discretion and anonymity concerning your evidence, if necessary so that you won’t have to worry about getting quietly blackballed from preferred academic and research positions, as creationists regularly do.

THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD (Section 22 of 27)

Sharks reside in different waters than dolphins and porpoises. Any diver or surfer knows that the sight of a porpoise means that the local waters are clear of sharks. It makes complete sense that different groups of animals are found in different sedimentary layers. Mammoths and dinosaurs don’t seem to have mixed much if at all. There are also the questions of agility, endurance, buoyancy, and reburial as the raging Flood destroyed land life. Reptiles fair poorly in the cold; some wet animals clinging to branches would have survived turbulent waters longer than others.

It is possible that the Ark landed several times. Noah appears to have been reticent to disembark at the end. Perhaps many species on board the Ark had been allowed to hibernate. Or perhaps not, in which case feeding and cage cleaning would have been a real chore. If the Flood was carried out by successive worsening tidal waves then some previously buried large carcasses (sinking at first) may have swelled and resurfaced later. A microbial dream world; the smell of death in the air. Clusters of loose bones washed together and reburied later. Barefooted, ragged human survivors cobbling together rafts and belatedly promising God that they’ll reform if given the chance. It must have been their environment which made them go bad - not. Even if one could survive the waves themselves a couple of months of exposure, poor nutrition and polluted drinking water would take a deathly toll.

When you walk barefoot on the beach or beside a stream your tracks get quickly washed away by waves, wind, or the next rainstorm. Yet the fossil record shows many instances of preserved tracks. Were these occasionally set in stone over the eons under chance circumstances - or are they mute reminders of the year of the Flood when animals and humans fled, muck underfoot, where even the distant high ground was not high enough to save them from the fountains of the great deep?

GHOST TRUSTERS (Section 23 of 27)

Are we spiritual beings, learning valuable lessons? Evolutionary beliefs cannot account for the spiritual realm

We are not alone. There are extra-terrestrial aliens out there. Yes, I believe that this is true.

This has been by far the hardest section to write. I've completely rewritten this section several times. However this aspect of Creationism's defense is another evidence that the theory of evolution not only lacks scientific and historical evidence but that it is founded upon a spiritual deception.

North America used to be an open roaming ground for evil spirits. Various American Indian tribes would seek to appease or appeal to the unseen spirit world, which they understood to be very real. Then the European settlers brought Christianity, and for about 100 years the ancient evil spirits were mostly unwelcome. Today they're coming back, by invitation. Reports of UFO and paranormal activity have become common. Psychic answer lines are well advertised and readily available. Dazzling visions, new age cults, filling spiritual voids. Folks are dabbling in the occult and witchcraft. A few prominent entertainers have even stated that Satan is wise and has excellent taste.

They are from old. Ancient beings of whom we know little except that about one-third of them, long ago, chose to turn against the Creator. So reports of extra-terrestrial aliens on Earth shouldn't be easily dismissed by believers, since this is in keeping with the Bible's description of them - no matter what guise they're currently going under. Believers should not be surprised.

As modern mankind re-coalesces our merging societies are being conditioned. American TV and movies, I am sad to say, are an important part of this process. The presence of the aliens does not detract from Scripture nor support the idea of life evolving on other planets, rather they actually help to affirm the Bible's consistent message.

The Bible reports that the serpent was present in the Garden of Eden. Please recall the aforementioned Chinese word for tempter (C11) . He was there then even as he is here now, using half-truths to deceive even the first humans.

The Old Testament makes periodic mention of the unearthly spiritual realm around us; they were often referred to as familiar spirits. The New Testament even records numerous occasions when Jesus and His followers dealt directly with demonic powers. No holy water; no chanting involved. The Master dealt with them in a businesslike manner. They had certain rights; when Jesus cast out "Legion" (Mark 5:5-15 & Luke 8:27-35) there is evidence of negotiation or at least some recompense. He never mocked nor laughed at Satan.

Freshmen fall for senior pranks every year. It goes something like this: the new kid wants to be accepted by the older and wiser crowd. They smile, set him up, fool him, and then have a great laugh at his expense in the end. In spiritual terms we as humans are all freshmen. Prominent multi-millionaire entertainers who sing Satan's praises are like naive freshmen, playing in a deadly game they don't understand. But the stakes for them and for their followers are infinitely higher.

Ouiji boards sometimes answer. Psychics often (thanks to their familiar spirit friends) relay correct detailed information. Casting spells can direct spiritual energy. Yes, there are many fakes. There are indeed harmless coincidences. But if evolution is true and there is no spiritual realm then these things should instead have no effect. What is the nature of the extra-terrestrial aliens? Are they directing us to worship the unseen Scientific Mathematician Creator behind the universe? Or is their intent to smile, dazzle us a little, then fool us one way or another?

Are you hoping to cut down on your number of alien abductions? Then please take the same advice offered elsewhere in this report to help alleviate nightmares - buy an inexpensive AM radio, set it to a conservative Christian radio station, then simply turn it on each day when you leave the house. The aliens will soon pack their (supposed-) saucers and move on to more receptive homes in which to provoke spiritual mischief.

The first thing a late arrival to class must do is to catch up. We may be freshmen but we have a bright future if we start by catching up on what's really happened so far then go on to apply the lessons learned. Is life to be led for fun and fulfillment? Or are we here to develop in character? He who dies with the most toys ... wasted too darn much of his class time.

According to the Bible, the Deceiver and his minions want our damnation. Long ago they put on the guise of many gods. Want to worship a golden calf or Baal today? No problem, some fallen angels were there and ready to take up assignments. Scripture is clear that the creation is subject to the Creator. The true Creator is holy; apart; unseen. Today there are a variety of people, many very reputable, who have seen UFOs. But if evolution is untrue then these beings did not evolve on some other planet either. They would also have to be members of God’s creation, in some capacity or another. Hmmm, the image of flying saucers though. Why? - is there something which they still remember from long ago before the Flood but which we have yet to discover?

I do not know why the theory of evolution (in spite of the evidence against it) has been allowed to hold sway for so many generations. Its children: communism and humanism have wrought much destruction upon the Earth. So many lives destroyed, so much seemingly senseless loss. In Genesis chapter 6 it is briefly recorded that before the Flood fallen angels mated with some women producing mighty (though still drownable) offspring. In Matthew 4:8-10 the Devil offered Jesus the glory of all the kingdoms of the world. Why was this his to offer? There is much about the spiritual war raging about us of which we know almost nothing.

THE GRAND CANYON (Section 24 of 27)

The continents are covered with deep, wide layers of sedimentary rock. Did erosion and wind build them up so thick?

The Badlands, what big piles of fossil laden dried mud. Carefully laid down, a few inches per century?, or just more obvious evidence of a singular great catastrophe, on a young Earth?

I remember the first time I drove over to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Pretty flat; hot, regular predictable arid landscape - until you unexpectedly reach the first peek over the rim. Wow! - deep; we had been driving for many miles atop this thick flat cover of Flood deposited rocks. Here was an amazing slice looking down into the depths of what is directly underfoot, lying quietly beneath that whole region of North America. The canyon is over 200 miles (300 km) long and averages about 1 mile deep (about 1.6 km).

Panning for gold is easy. Scoop up some water with sand and mud from the stream bottom and shake for several seconds. Sorting and layering happens automatically. Each material quickly sorts according to its size and density; water on top, sand, small rocks, then on the bottom if you’re lucky, a few flecks of gold.

Covering a continent with 1 or 2 miles thick of sedimentary rocks is easy. Scoop up some water with sand and mud from the ocean bottom and lower elevations, then deliver this mix in giant tidal waves over the course of several months. Sorting and layering happens automatically. Throw in a few hundred massive volcanic eruptions, with ash and magma, a mighty wind, and then let it all drain out for many years to come. Vegetation will recover quickly from the seeds of surviving species. More delicate plants (note: not less advanced, but those less resilient) would be gone forever. You know, sedimentary means: from sediment, i.e. laid down usually by water. The Earth’s continents are covered with heavy deep layers of sedimentary rock.

FROZEN HOT OIL & COAL RESERVES (Section 25 of 27)

Yet again ... please consider the real fossil record (not artist's conceptions) when pondering our ancient history

On Alaska’s North Slope, deep within the Arctic Circle there are abundant oil reserves at an average depth of 8,000 feet (2.4 km). The oil companies have drilled some 400 test wells at various locations. Prudhoe Bay is but one of the major finds which gushes up hot crude. This is a cold, inhospitable climate on the surface. And when it does warm up briefly each year hungry bears traverse the landscape and do battle with swarms of hungry mosquitoes. The ground beneath is frozen solid year round, which is known as permafrost, down to an average depth of 1,900 feet. Little substantial vegetation grows in this region these days. And given the environmental conditions how could it?

Isn’t God’s creation beautiful and marvelous to behold? The short growing season in northern Alaska bursts forth into life. Low ground hugging plants take advantage of the intense long summer sunlight for their burst of annual growth. But the topsoil is thin and the land has limits. No great forests are growing there today and in any event, as was discussed in the "Coal & Oil" section previously, dead vegetation and animals produce topsoil not a slow accumulation of coal or oil below foot. This is the natural order of things. Survival of the fittest microbes and other scavengers, to continue recycling within the circle of life and everything. Yet - the oil is there, buried deep and bubbling up to the surface still hot after going through the final 1,900 feet (on average) of permafrost.

A tall equatorial forest canopy may reach up to 200 or 300 feet. But at this height the vegetation still has sufficient space between trees to let light through. Equatorial forests are often relatively dense with multiple layers of abundant life; hot and humid year-round. But if leveled and crushed how thick would such a dense forest’s remains then become? About 50 feet thick, or even less?

Buried within Alaska’s North Slope (an area wider than half the countries of Europe) is a massive coal seam! It is crushed yet it remains 600 feet (180 meters) thick. Its average depth is from about 1,100 to 1,700 feet down, deep within the permafrost.

What catastrophe happened in the past which could have buried the hot deep oil, then successive sorted layers of muck and sand, then a massive 600 foot thick jumble of coalified remains preserved within deep permafrost that goes down about 1,900 feet?

Oh, did I mention that some areas in Central and Northern Alaska have no permafrost while nearby ground remains frozen very deep? Think about this piece of evidence alone. Slow ice ages, progressively colder winters leading to snow build up and big glaciers? Or - the silent remains of a frozen catastrophe which struck unevenly, leaving massive death and destruction in its wake?

OTHER ON-LINE RESOURCES (Section 26 of 27)

Answers in Genesis & the Creation Science Foundation have a variety of resources available, on a well organized web site at: www.answersingenesis.org

ICR, the Institute for Creation Research - is the largest creation-related organization. They have many books, tapes, and videos available in English and other languages. Point your browser to: www.icr.org or write to: ICR, PO Box 2667, El Cajon, CA. 92021, USA.

Dr. Walt Brown has made his newest book, "In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood", (230 pages) available on-line. This and other pertinent information are available at:www.creationscience.com Dr. Brown is an interesting and very articulate speaker.

"The Evolution of Man Scientifically Disproved - in 50 Arguments", originally written in 1925, by W. A. Williams is another book, dated though pertinent, freely available at: www.ldolphin.org/wmwilliams.html

Dr. Carl Baugh (mentioned previously) has graciously consented to let us make portions of the Creation Evidences Museum’s on-line resources available on this web site also, via: www.creationism.org/cem/

Mount St. Helens Creation Information Center, located near Mount St. Helens, in Washington State has a wide variety of information related to a creationist view of the Mount St. Helens eruption. Displays, books, free literature, and free admission! www.creationism.org/sthelens/

We're adding more to this web page - and that includes a good, short 2 page discussion concerning the complexity of DNA, RNA, and cellular replication, by Mr. Ron Lyttle. Please read it and then decide the odds for yourself. There are a other quality articles as well: www.creationism.org/articles/

These and other links can also be reached from www.creationism.org/links.htm

CONCLUSION (Section 27 of 27)

Are we made in God’s image with a divine purpose, or are we the lucky descendants of haphazardly advanced primates, having evolved up from the right combination of proto-amino acids, and a nearby lightening strike (Frankenstein-style), one lucky day, long, long ago…?

Why, if there is no Creator, is the universe constructed with such logical physical laws and understandable mathematics? Fragrances, beauty, music, and the automatic self-healing nature of our eco-system sing to the existence of an invisible Divine Hand behind it all. Survival of the fittest or meanest? On the contrary, this principle in nature only explains a few things, from within the self-correcting whole. However in day care centers and corporate board rooms the excuse of/belief in "survival of the fittest" has a marked de-civilizing impact upon the less fortunate or smaller subjects. (Backstabbing and deceit are not virtues....)

The battle for the future is taking place in our distant past. At stake are the very underpinnings of civilization itself. But that would be a subject for other reports, examining beliefs and their consequences. Evolutionary dating methods came along later, subsequent to the presumption of the theory. Lack of transitional fossils, localized unique bones, and the inconsistency of samplings make it a non-issue in the mind of this humble writer. But some other creation-related web pages discuss the irregularities of radioactive dating thoroughly. Please follow our links.

Josephus wrote that "all" contemporary writers still knew about the Flood, as of 2,000 years ago. Why do Chinese characters (originally composed thousands of years ago) "coincidentally(?)" remember many of the most important lessons taught in the Hebrew record of Genesis? Some fossil insects are preserved with complete details, as if they were swiftly buried deeper than where normal decay processes are permitted to function. The ancient maps. Ice in Antarctica and Greenland is still about 8,000 to 10,000 feet thick, that’s up to almost 2 miles (3km)! What’s the elevation where you live? But the 10,000 feet of thickness is not just irregular peaks, it’s continuous. That’s a lot of ice. Clouds drop rain as they are forced to rise with terrain, i.e. at the outer edges of the high altitude ice mass. Since this is true how could Greenland and Antarctica have such deep "snow" cover even far inland?

Inside your body, within each living cell are 3 billion base pairs of encoded DNA. That’s 3 billion per cell. Please hold your hand out for a moment and look at it. Inside are muscles, bones, blood, skin, pores, those fingernails which you need to trim again soon, and a myriad of other specialized components. Every cell has 3 billion base pairs of human DNA carefully enclosed. Not haphazardly arranged, that’s 3 billion uniquely arranged sequentially encoded sets of information, per cell. Did such a useful, self-healing tool as your hand really evolve all on its own due to external stimuli or is this yet another evidence of the quiet presence of the Scientific Mathematician who put our advanced adaptable creation into motion. When I want to write a new computer program it sure would be nice if I could just throw a bunch of blank floppy disks into a clothes dryer for awhile and then open the door one morning with a new program of say … 3 billion lines of code arranged into the proper sequence for me.

The Dead Sea Scrolls show that 2,000 years of history and religious disputes has not altered the Old Testament from the time of Christ till now. Is it then possible that this same sacred chronicle was maintained accurately back another 1,000 years or even further back?

Yet, none of us is perfect. After the discovery of the prized parchments in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s a small clique of scholars jealously guarded their contents until the early 1990’s. The Dead Sea Scrolls were locked away from view for yet two more generations. Medieval fiefdom thinking remains to this day, side by side with the more evolved thinking of those who surreptitiously labored to finally reveal all of the Dead Sea Scrolls and their fragments to the world, just recently.

Churches quarrel. Ancient Israel stoned many of its own prophets. And your humble writer knows well his imperfections. But an imperfect messenger does not negate the quality of the message. Even Jonah’s whale and Balaam’s donkey were used for God’s purposes. (It could be argued that they were more obedient than the reluctant prophets they're named after.) Perhaps even you and I could be used. Willingness in the first place is an important factor. But be aware that God won’t be bought or fooled by good deeds or by other sacrifices.

King David had recognized, in Psalm 51:16-17 "For you desire not sacrifice; else would I give it, you delight not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." We were planted here, according to the Bible’s perspective, to bear fruit. See Matt. 7:13-27, as spoken by the Messiah. In Galatians 5:22-23 we learn, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance…" By the way, there is a complete on-line Bible in English (with concordance and original texts) at: www.khouse.org/blueletter/

For the readers of the non-English versions of this paper, "A Defense of Creationism" I regret that currently almost all of the creationist links available at this web site, www.creationism.org are in English-only. If you know of other pertinent information available in your language or would be willing to help with translation (even just 2 to 5 pages) please contact me, Paul Abramson, at: paul@zzz.com

I wish you the best in your journey through life. Look up at the stars. Pause. Stop to smell a few flowers. Consider what’s important in life. Most importantly talk to our Creator. Thank Him for the blessings you’ve received and humbly ask for guidance. Lord Bless You!

COPYRIGHT

"A Defense of Creationism" <genesis.htm> (Ver.2.2) is copyright 1998-99 by Paul Abramson. Please do not copy for profit without written permission. Please DO go ahead and COPY to share with friends or mass copy for classroom/church use if desired; charging a reasonable copying/binding fee is fine; all other rights reserved. paul@zzz.com

0 Comments:

Copyright © Fight for Your Faith