Creation

CreationCreationFacts and FossilsFacts and Fossils

The majority of this presentation comes The majority of this presentation comes from from

Ken Ham, Answers in Genesis.Ken Ham, Answers in Genesis.www.answersingenesis.orgwww.answersingenesis.org

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsLet’s talk about Let’s talk about

Creationists and EvolutionistsCreationists and EvolutionistsGod Created in six

days

Death entered the world through sin

No disease before sin

Plan and purpose

The universe created itself over billions of yearsDeath has always been aroundDisease has been around almost as long as deathNo purpose – random chance

Let’s talk about Let’s talk about Creationists and EvolutionistsCreationists and Evolutionists

Do we have the same Earth?Do we have the same Earth?Do we have the same animals?Do we have the same animals?Do we have the same fossils?Do we have the same fossils?Do we have the same dinosaurs?Do we have the same dinosaurs?Do we have the same FACTS?Do we have the same FACTS?

Facts and FossilsFacts and Fossils

YesYesYesYes

Facts and FossilsFacts and Fossils

Yes!Yes!The facts are all the same!The facts are all the same!The science is all the same!The science is all the same!

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsWe don’t disagree on the facts, or the We don’t disagree on the facts, or the

science! science! We disagree on the history.We disagree on the history.

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsQuestions about the present and the Questions about the present and the

past:past:

Do you exist in the present or the past?Do you exist in the present or the past?

Do fossils exist in the present or the past?Do fossils exist in the present or the past?

When you dig up fossils, are you digging up the When you dig up fossils, are you digging up the present, or the past?present, or the past?The present!The present!

The presentThe present

The presentThe present

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsFossils don’t come with date tags on them Fossils don’t come with date tags on them saying, “Hi! I’m 65 million years old!”saying, “Hi! I’m 65 million years old!”

When we dig up a fossil, we make up a When we dig up a fossil, we make up a story about the fossil and how it got story about the fossil and how it got there. there.

The story you make up will be based on, The story you make up will be based on, and consistent with, what you already and consistent with, what you already believe about the past.believe about the past.

I’m 65 Million

Years Old

Two semi-circles?

Maybe a smiley face someone ripped the middle out of?

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsHere is a fact!Here is a fact! What is missing?What is missing?

Was it a circle?Perhaps an apple core shape?

Facts and FossilsFacts and Fossils

What is missing?What is missing?

Nothing! I drew it that way!

How many people think it was a circle?How many people think it was a circle?

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsWe started with a fact, and I gave you a We started with a fact, and I gave you a

presupposition: “What is missing?”presupposition: “What is missing?”

So your mind says, “Something is missing! So your mind says, “Something is missing! I’ve got to fill it in!”I’ve got to fill it in!”

The interpretation that it was a circle is The interpretation that it was a circle is totally logical and consistent with the totally logical and consistent with the presupposition that something is missing, presupposition that something is missing, but it is totally wrong because the but it is totally wrong because the presupposition was wrong.presupposition was wrong.

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsYou’ve heard the phrase, “The facts You’ve heard the phrase, “The facts

speak for themselves!”?speak for themselves!”?NonsenseNonsense!!

The facts NEVER speak for themselves.The facts NEVER speak for themselves.

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsAll facts must be interpreted.All facts must be interpreted.

Facts without interpretations are meaningless.Facts without interpretations are meaningless.

When teachers teach in school, they’re not When teachers teach in school, they’re not teaching facts, they’re teaching teaching facts, they’re teaching interpretations of facts. interpretations of facts.

When you watch the news, you’re not watching When you watch the news, you’re not watching the facts of world history, you’re watching an the facts of world history, you’re watching an interpretation of the facts of world history.interpretation of the facts of world history.

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsWe’ve been told Scientists look at the We’ve been told Scientists look at the

evidence and derive theories from evidence and derive theories from the evidence, right? the evidence, right?

WRONGWRONG!!Scientists already have beliefs and Scientists already have beliefs and

suppositions they take to the suppositions they take to the evidence.evidence.

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsRegarding the issue of Christianity, Regarding the issue of Christianity,

Humanism, Creation, and Evolution, we Humanism, Creation, and Evolution, we all have the same facts! We live in the all have the same facts! We live in the same world!same world!

The difference is how you interpret the The difference is how you interpret the facts, and how you interpret the facts facts, and how you interpret the facts depends on the glasses you have on, and depends on the glasses you have on, and the glasses you have on depend upon the glasses you have on depend upon the beliefs you have concerning the past.the beliefs you have concerning the past.

Facts and FossilsFacts and FossilsThe present is all the same. The facts in The present is all the same. The facts in

the present are all the same. The the present are all the same. The difference is the belief you use to tie it difference is the belief you use to tie it all together into an overall big picture.all together into an overall big picture.

That depends on the history you start That depends on the history you start with.with.

It’s a matter of what history you believe.It’s a matter of what history you believe.

Facts and FossilsFacts and Fossils““What about the millions of years?” What about the millions of years?” ““Haven’t they proven millions of years Haven’t they proven millions of years

with scientific dating methods?”with scientific dating methods?”

All dating methods are based on All dating methods are based on assumptionsassumptions..

ASSUMPTIONSASSUMPTIONS

Are assumptions ever Are assumptions ever wrong?wrong?

ASSUMPTIONSASSUMPTIONSAssumptions are guesses: Assumptions are guesses:

“If this is true, then…”“If this is true, then…”

Assumptions are fallible.Assumptions are fallible.Therefore…Therefore…

ALL dating methods are fallible.ALL dating methods are fallible.

ASSUMPTIONSASSUMPTIONSRadiometric Dating MethodsRadiometric Dating MethodsMinimum of three assumptions:Minimum of three assumptions:

1.1. Known initial quantitiesKnown initial quantities2.2. Constant decay rateConstant decay rate3.3. No contaminationNo contamination

None of these three assumptions is provable. None of these three assumptions is provable.

We have no reason to believe any of these We have no reason to believe any of these assumptions is more correct than any assumptions is more correct than any other assumption anyone might makeother assumption anyone might make!!

ASSUMPTIONSASSUMPTIONSIf you were going to believe If you were going to believe something, which account do you think something, which account do you think would be more reliable?would be more reliable?An account based on guesses?An account based on guesses?An account from someone who was An account from someone who was there?there?Well, who was there…Well, who was there…

……In the beginning? In the beginning?

Historical AccountHistorical AccountDo we have an account from someone Do we have an account from someone

who was there?who was there?YES!YES!

The world says millions of years and The world says millions of years and the Bible says six thousand years. the Bible says six thousand years. If you believe in God, whose If you believe in God, whose statement should you believe?statement should you believe?

Historical AccountHistorical AccountSo, if God, who knows everything So, if God, who knows everything

about everything, invented about everything, invented language, and then gave us HIS language, and then gave us HIS revelation in language, and that revelation in language, and that revelation gave us a historical revelation gave us a historical account of the creation of the world, account of the creation of the world, I should be able to take that I should be able to take that historical account and make sense historical account and make sense of the world I see today.of the world I see today.

Historical AccountHistorical AccountWhen you apply God’s history to what When you apply God’s history to what

we see today, it is indeed true and we see today, it is indeed true and reliable.reliable.

Let’s try an example…Let’s try an example…

Historical AccountHistorical AccountNoah’s FloodNoah’s Flood

“I believe it was a local flood…”

Historical AccountHistorical AccountNoah’s FloodNoah’s FloodWhy did Noah have to build an Ark? He could have walked to the other side of the mountainsand missed it!

He had a hundred years notice!

Why did God send animals on the Ark so they would escape death? There would have been other animals to reproduce that kind if the animals that had gone on the ark had died instead.

Why was the Ark big enough to hold each kind of air-breathing land animal that ever existed? If only Mesopotamian animals were on board, the Ark could have been much smaller.

Why would birds have been sent on board? They could have simply winged across to a nearby mountain range.

If it were a local flood…

Historical AccountHistorical AccountNoah’s FloodNoah’s FloodHow could waters rise to 15 cubits (22.5 feet) above the mountains (Genesis 7:20)?

Water seeks out its own level. It couldn’t have risen to cover the local mountains while leaving the rest of the world untouched.

God has broken his promise never to send such a flood again.

People who were not living in the vicinity would not have been affected. They would have escaped God’s judgment on sin. Christ compared the coming judgment to the one in the days of Noah. (Matthew 24:37-39) A partial judgment in Noah’s day means a partial judgment to come.

If it were a local flood…

Historical AccountHistorical AccountThere is world-wide evidence of a There is world-wide evidence of a

global flood:global flood:– Billions of dead things buried in rock Billions of dead things buried in rock

layers laid down by water all over the layers laid down by water all over the earth!earth!• massive death, rapid burial —The Fossil massive death, rapid burial —The Fossil

RecordRecord– It’s everywhere. The earth is one big It’s everywhere. The earth is one big

graveyard!graveyard!

Historical AccountHistorical AccountLet’s look at another example:Let’s look at another example:Dinosaurs!Dinosaurs!

– Dinosaur bones – many un-fossilized, Dinosaur bones – many un-fossilized, some with red blood cells and soft tissue!some with red blood cells and soft tissue!

Which fits better with that: Which fits better with that: Millions of years or thousands of years?Millions of years or thousands of years?Thousands of years, of course.Thousands of years, of course. Millions of years would have Millions of years would have obliterated all soft tissue.obliterated all soft tissue.

Historical AccountHistorical Account

Dinosaurs:Dinosaurs:– Cave drawings of dinosaursCave drawings of dinosaurs– Cultural accounts of dinosaurs and a Cultural accounts of dinosaurs and a

global floodglobal flood– Biblical references to dinosaurs —That’s a Biblical references to dinosaurs —That’s a

topic for another lessontopic for another lessonAll of these are evidence that dinosaurs have All of these are evidence that dinosaurs have

been around during the time of man.been around during the time of man.

Historical AccountHistorical AccountHow do dinosaurs fit with the Bible?How do dinosaurs fit with the Bible?• When did God create dinosaurs?When did God create dinosaurs?

– God made everything in six daysGod made everything in six days– He made land animals on day sixHe made land animals on day six– Therefore, dinosaurs were made on Therefore, dinosaurs were made on

day sixday six• How did they become fossils?How did they become fossils?

– Massive burial in the global floodMassive burial in the global flood

Historical AccountHistorical AccountWhy do they only find dinosaurs as Why do they only find dinosaurs as

fossils?fossils?• They find MANY different kinds of They find MANY different kinds of

animals as fossils.animals as fossils.• Only the extinct animals are Only the extinct animals are

“interesting” so you never hear “interesting” so you never hear much about the rest.much about the rest.

Historical AccountHistorical AccountDon’t fossils take millions of years to Don’t fossils take millions of years to

form?form?• Fossilization is a process that can Fossilization is a process that can

take anything from a few hours to take anything from a few hours to many years. It depends on the many years. It depends on the conditions of mineral content and conditions of mineral content and ground water.ground water.

• There was a There was a LOTLOT of ground water in of ground water in Noah’s flood.Noah’s flood.

SummarySummary• Facts are Facts are meaninglessmeaningless without without

interpretation.interpretation.• The history a person believes will The history a person believes will

influence his influence his interpretationinterpretation of the facts. of the facts.• Assumptions are Assumptions are falliblefallible..

If you weren’t there and you don’t know If you weren’t there and you don’t know everything, you either have to make everything, you either have to make falliblefallible

assumptionsassumptions, or accept the word of , or accept the word of someone who was there.someone who was there.

SummarySummaryHave you put your faith in the infallible Have you put your faith in the infallible

God? God? Do you accept all of His Word for your Do you accept all of His Word for your

life?life?