Bad Thinking about the Pre-Flood World

As regular readers have noticed, the Christian worldview makes sense of what is seen in the world. Logic, science, mathematics, and other necessary but intangible things are impossible without God. It is often easy to dismantle spurious arguments from professing atheists, but Christians are called to a higher standard.

Deluge (II) by Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis, 1904

A professing Christian decided to slap leather with Dr. Jason Lisle regarding the lengths of the days before the Genesis Flood and why days are longer now. It did not go well. The challenger acted like an atheist in several ways by using logical fallacies, uninformed conjectures, exceeding what was written in the Bible — and lying. Dr. Lisle corrected him with Scripture, reason, and mathematics. This guy, like atheists, seemed to resent being kept on topic.

We here examine some assertions made by Troy, a young earth creationist who has made some very unorthodox claims about conditions before the Genesis flood.  He believes that the length of a day was much shorter before the flood, only 18 to 20 hours per day, and that the flood somehow changed this.  As errors go, this is a fairly mild one, and there is nothing heretical or theologically damaging about such a speculation. But the way in which Troy attempted to defend his conjectures involved serious errors in reasoning, in science, and in biblical interpretation.  And these are the same kinds of errors that often lead to bad theology and even heresy.  It is crucial that Christians “accurately handle the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).  And sometimes the best way to learn to reason properly, and to interpret the Scriptures correctly, is to see how someone else fails to do these things properly.  Thus, by examining Troy’s many errors, we can become better thinkers, and more accurately handle the Word of Truth.

This continues in a pair of rather long articles. (You may want to see mine, "How to Deal with Long Posts and Videos".) What appears above is continued in "Faulty Speculations on the Pre-Flood World: Part 1", and there is another, "Faulty Speculations on the Pre-Flood World: Part 2".

Bad Science, Bad Theology, and Grasshoppers

Unbelievers often look for any excuse to mock the Bible, thinking that if they can find a meaningful error, the entire Bible is wrong. (That is the fallacy of composition.) One of these alleged errors is when Moses wrote that grasshoppers were four-legged insects. Waitaminnit!

Credit: Unsplash / Natália Dudás

Scoffers as well as honest enquirers find something that seems wrong at first glance, but resourceful people tend to dig deeper instead of using superficial readings to "settle" the matter. (Skeptics try to find alleged contradictions, but those are easily dispatched.) Sometimes it's a matter of the scoffer misquoting a verse.

We have frequently considered context here, and there are several ways consider that:

• The immediate context of the verses above and below the one in questions
• Larger context, including chapters
• Context including other books of the Bible
• Historical and cultural contexts
• Linguistic context
• Science (some owlhoots have complained about the Bible not using scientific classifications that would not be invented for centuries)

Most people should be able to take care of things by checking if a verse is quoted accurately (including the wording of the King James compared to modern translations). Commentaries and online searches from reliable Bible-believing sites can help a great deal.

In the matter of Moses allegedly writing in Leviticus 11:20-23 that a grasshopper has four legs, well, no. A closer reading, plus a basic knowledge of science, is helpful. Grasshoppers have six legs, but the condition is based on how they use their main four legs.

The secular world blasts and bombards students everywhere—as it does all of us—with the false claim that science (an all-too-often-misrepresented term) somehow proves the holy Bible is unreliable on scientific topics. Trumpeting such disparagements, secular platforms taunt Bible believers. No surprise there—this is what Peter and Paul predicted: “scoffing” by ungodly unbelievers (2 Peter 3:3) and “science falsely so called” (1 Timothy 6:20, KJV).

But how do you face and fend off pseudo-intellectual bluff-and-bluster bullying? By carefully studying what God actually said in Scripture (Acts 17:11). So-called clashes between Scripture and science routinely reduce to sloppy science, sloppy theology, or both.

You can read the full article after the jump (heh!) at "Grasshopper Apologetics: No Need to Get Jumpy".

All Education is Religious!

It may come as a shock to many people, but all education is religious in nature. If you commence to cognating on it, everyone has a worldview. It is formed through the values and presuppositions that we use to make sense of the big questions in life. People who teach operate from their worldviews.

Modified from a photo at Freeimages, original from Jeramey Jannene

Studying on it further, we see that worldviews are religious in nature. Some people claim that secular means neutral, but that is not the case: it is impossible to be neutral. It has been clearly demonstrated that secular schools are most definitely not neutral. They are, in fact, operating from atheist naturalism and even persecute Christian teachers who oppose anserine values.

In an interesting twist, this indoctrinator maintains that so-called "neutral" science is anything but. She is unhappy about "science" that may omit things that she perceives to be "facts", but are actually leftist and atheistic propaganda points! Gotta include those in "education", you betcha!

Christian parents have a tough row to hoe. In the formerly United States, children are under the control of secularists for several years. It takes a great deal of work and guidance to counteract anti-Christian and anti-creation indoctrination that is done through prime hours of each day. Parents have less time, and most certainly should not leave teaching to the church and Sunday School.

One alternative is Christian schooling, but those need to be carefully vetted because some are CiNO (Christian in Name Only), and are expensive. Another alternative is homeschooling. However, there are some insidious curricula (such as the one discussed in these links), so discernment is necessary. We need to make use of the time available to us with wisdom, discretion, and prayer.

According to National Center for Education Statistics, the range of days that states mandate for in-class instruction for kindergarten through 12th grade is 160–180 days per year. Taking the average of the range, that gives us 170 days/year or 2,210 days for 13 years of K–12 education, not including preschool. . . .

Your son or daughter will learn biology, grammar, algebra, history, art, physical education, sports, social skills, geography, and many other useful things. But underlying whatever education your child receives is a worldview. A worldview is a lens through which your children will look at the world. It addresses origin, morality, meaning, and destiny among other areas. The worldview in the education they absorb, either directly or subtly, becomes the foundation for the rest of their life. And this worldview, by its nature, is religious.

I hope you'll read the full article. It is found at "Christian Education vs. Public School".

Video Miniseries: UFOs, Aliens, and Genesis

There is a four-part miniseries by biblical creationist Ian Juby that originally aired on the Miracle Channel in North Texas — I mean, Canada — and when it became available on his Wazooloo YouTube channel, I shared the episodes on The Question Evolution Project. The episodes are about half an hour each, so I wanted to do this post and make the links convenient.

Title added to a screenshot from one of the videos. Used without permission.

For a long time, flying saucers or unidentified flying objects were considered the stuff of someone who was crazy as a loon. While there were legends of aerial phenomena long ago, it took off (heh!) in about the 1950s. While some were hoaxes, mistakes, and occasional insanity, not all can be easily dismissed.

Reporter and radio announcer commenced to doing some investigating, and I remember reading his 1966 book Flying Saucers — Serious Business (which Amazon is disingenuously marketing as a 2017 publication, fifty years after Edwards died). In this book and others back then, space aliens and their craft had disparate manifestations. While the vessels are still recalcitrant to uniformity, it seems that the alleged occupants have settled into the elongated shapes that are reported today.

Reports of strange craft and entities have been greatly increasing in recent years (probably due to global warming). Although respectable people in the past admitted to seeing UFOs (now in the formerly United States, called UAP), it is becoming commonplace:

"You see that alien thing last night, Luke?"

"Nope, missed that one, Wyatt. Did I tell ya about that big 'un me and my pals saw last month?"

People from all walks of life, and many in very respectable (and responsible) positions are discussing them.

An unpleasant aspect is abductions. While there were stories fifty years ago about going on board a flying saucer, modern abductions are traumatic for people. They are not just, "We'll drop you off here" events. Victims often have repeated encounters. Interestingly, "walk the talk" Bible-believing Christians can stop them in their tracks by calling out to Jesus. That smacks of demonic activity, old son, not technologically advanced and "more highly evolved" life forms. Indeed, they speak against Jesus and the Bible, and push evolution. 

Barry McGuire nailed it back in 1978.

Enough of the introduction. I'd take it mighty kindly if you'd watch these four videos. Mr. Juby explains that some technology of aircraft that has been the subject of experimentation, the rise in popularity, how some UFO investigators are very uneasy about what's happening. More than that, there is an important spiritual aspect, and even how the whole shootin' match ties in with the creation-evolution controversy! Also, I recommend the book and movie of Alien Intrusion. Ian also recommends this book.

1. UFOs, Aliens, and Genesis Part 1
2. UFOs, Aliens, and Genesis Part 2
3. UFOs, Aliens, and Genesis Part 3
4. UFOs, Aliens, and Genesis Part 4

Animals and Dinosaurs on Noah's Ark

There are people who promote compromise views against creation and in favor of an old earth. However, the מַבּוּל (mabbul, the Hebrew word that is used only for the Genesis Flood) was very destructive and caused what is seen in geology today. Secularists and churchian compromisers adhere to uniformitarianism (slow and gradual processes), so they cannot have the global deluge in their paradigms.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Cimerondagert (CC by-SA 4.0)

The Bible makes it clear that the earth was created in six literal days, and that the Flood was global, not local. Those who ridicule biblical creationists have problems with biblical authority, and since we know believers by their fruit, they need to examine themselves to see if they are indeed in the faith. That's right, I said it! Atheists, Deists, and old earthers ride for the same brand. Why is that? Mayhaps they prefer the praise of men over the praise of God. It may come as a shock, but the global Flood had both punishment and the grace of God!

We have two somewhat related articles for your consideration.

First, a simple but profound problem for local flood proponents: animals. Aside from the obvious considerations about such a flood (such as Noah could have simply moved, no need to build a huge Ark in the first place, water seeks its own level, etc.), God brought animals to be transported on the Ark. Eight people and a passel of critters were confined for over a year.

Promoters of compromise views such as old earth creationism, progressive creationism (i.e., the viewpoint of Hugh Ross), as well as theistic evolutionists (a.k.a. “evolutionary creationists”) all have one thing in common: their adherence to secular views of history and geology forces them to discount the possibility that Noah’s Flood was a global event. They all postulate that Noah’s Flood was a local/regional event that could somehow be harmonized with secular gradualistic views of geology, even if they have wildly differing ideas on how exactly that harmonization is supposedly achieved.

. . . 

In a local or even a regional flood, with 120 years’ advance notice, both Noah and all the animals could have simply walked to safety. This has of course been pointed out many times by biblical creationists, and as a result the various compromise camps have had to come up with explanations for why God would have chosen to instruct the building of an Ark with animals on it.

To read the full article, see "Animals on the Ark — A troubling conundrum for compromise views", and I hope all y'all will come back for the next section.

A big question for many people is how dinosaurs (who lived at the same time as humans) were on the Ark. It is a simple fact that people operate from their presuppositions, not only for interpreting evidence, but for making models. Of course, we must be careful to get accurate details and not work from assumptions and what we think we remember. Both secular scientists and creation scientists use speculations, but creationists tend to avoid the principle of Making Things Up™ that is common in the evolutionary science industry.

What follows is a discussion on the feasibility of dinosaurs on the Ark. Reasoning from science as well as Scripture, pieces of the puzzle are assembled. Also, some of the care and feeding aspects could be applied to other animals on the Ark.

People often wonder how all of the animals could have fit on the ark. Often, “bathtub arks” are loaded down with various species of animals, rather than the biblical kind, which is approximately at the family level of biological classification. Noah didn’t need to bring lions, leopards, and tigers onto the ark, just a single pair from the cat kind. We see so many illustrations of large creatures packed tightly into a little boat. But this image is inaccurate too. Noah’s ark was so much larger than it is usually depicted, and many of the animals were probably smaller than are shown in popular pictures.

. . . 

Due to evolutionary indoctrination, many people can’t picture man living alongside dinosaurs, or if they do, they think of the Jurassic Park/World movies and view all dinosaurs as wanting to trample or eat people. Even if they overcome or set aside this stumbling block, we still get questions of how dinosaurs could even fit on the ark, particularly when considering the massive dinosaurs, especially the sauropods.

To read the article in its entirety, visit "Dinosaurs on the Ark: How It Was Possible".

Sinkholes in Christian Life Foundations

This post will have some informative material before moving on to more serious matters, and I enjoyed putting it together. While there is a similarity between potholes and sinkholes, the two should not be confused — even though the potholes New York, Michigan, and other places can probably be seen from the International Space Station.

Cover-collapse sinkhole in limestone near Frederick, MD
Image credit: US Geological Survey / Randall Orndorff (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents)

Sinkholes vary in size and are found worldwide, but most often in areas where the water remains below the surface and erodes underlying rock. The process is usually gradual and may not be noticed for a long time. Eventually, they collapse, such as the one on Washington Street in Kingston, NY — which troubled residents for five years. They can also occur quickly due to factors like when a water main breaks, heavy rainfall, and others.

Let's talk about the power of water for a bit, which some people tend to underestimate. When flash flood warnings are issued, pay attention! They may start as a trickle, but can become overwhelming. Those people giving weather advisories say not to drive through running water in the roadway, and you'll know they're right after it's too late and your vehicle is carried away.

Water can be made to move faster when its pathway narrows. The typical hand-held sprayer at the self-serve car wash typically runs at around 1,200 PSI, but I learned the hard way that putting the sprayer very close to the vehicle can start to remove the paint. Crank water pressure up to 10,000 PSI and see what it does to watermelons (which would easily remove your hand). Or you can cut rocks and just about anything else with a 60,000 PSI waterjet.

Although the above information is interesting and some is useful (again, respect moving water), we need to circle back to sinkholes. The damage is being done out of sight, and the foundation fails — sometimes destroying structures that are built upon them. Part of the foundation for Christians is the inerrancy of the Bible, and another is Genesis, which is the source of all major Christian doctrines.

These are extremely important for the individual Christian's life and go with sound biblical instruction, but the problem with compromise is affecting churches and institutions that profess to be Christian. One example is the vile curriculum all gussied up as being something legitimate. We must use discretion about what we allow into our minds and spirits.

As we examine nature closely, parallels can be found between what we observe physically and what we observe spiritually (Matthew 7:24-27). Recently, one ICR scientist met with leaders of a well-known Christian education institution. In previous generations, this prestigious seminary was famous for training men and women in God’s truth and equipping them to serve Him responsibly all over the world. Although the number of students at this school has grown impressively over recent decades, the school’s distinctively Christian educational quality has diminished just as noticeably.

Sadly, that school is now compromised theologically, socially, and academically. It flies a flag of Bible-based Christian education, yet its programs now deliver predominantly worldly wisdom (1 Corinthians 3:19-20). Its educational courses focus on the academic equivalent of what C. S. Lewis called “being like [secular] folks.”

To read the full article, click on "Beware Sinkholes and Other Failing Foundations".

Days of Noah, Days of Sodom, Future Judgment

It has been often pointed out how Jesus said that the world at the time of his return would be like the world before the Flood, where people were doing what they wanted until the watery judgment came (Luke 17:26-27). In the experience of this child, teachers tend to just touch on the following verses about Sodom. There are some similarities, however, there are important differences.

Lot and his family leaving Sodom, Peter Paul Rubens, 1625

The world before the Flood was full of evil. Later, Sodom and the cities of the plain were full of wickedness as well, including sexual sins. Today, people are increasingly callous to their wretched behavior and are proud of their perversions. Interestingly, some people appeal to cherry-picked verses to say that the sins of Sodom had nothing to do with sex. These instances of eisegesis and scripture twisting are handily eliminated.

We have two judgments that Jesus used as instructions and warnings for us today. People need to repent for salvation, and professing Christians need to repent and draw closer to God.

Although critical scholars, because of their naturalistic mindset, view the account of Sodom’s destruction as just another legend or folk tale, the Bible clearly teaches it was a genuine historical event. Just as Jesus and the apostle Peter pointed to the flood as a guarantee of future judgment, so they both also pointed to God’s judgment of Sodom by fire as a guarantee of future judgment. . .

Just as with the days before the flood, Jesus spoke of the days before the destruction of Sodom as a time when people were indifferent and solely concerned with the things of this life: eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. In other words, people were caught up with material things of life, which caused them to have a lack of concern for the things of God. Then the destruction by fire and sulfur came quickly and unexpectedly, destroying them all.

Likewise, when Peter spoke of the judgment that took place at Sodom and Gomorrah, turning it to ashes, it was to foreshadow the coming future eschatological judgment by fire (cf. 2 Peter 3:7). This final eternal judgment, however, will not engulf everybody. Just as God preserved Noah and seven others in the judgment of the flood, and Lot in the judgment of Sodom, he will also spare the godly while judging and destroying the ungodly (2 Peter 2:9).

Given the significance that both the Old and New Testament place on the destruction of Sodom as a warning of future judgment, it is important to understand this event.

You can take pride in reading the entire article at "The Destruction of Sodom and the Future Judgment". Also, you may like to see "Geology and the Doomed Cities of the Plain".