Creation vs. Evolution: Part 1
By Ben Jones
Continued from previous Creation study...
Gen. 8:22- Reassurance of how world will not end; not global warming, etc
Gen. 9:2- Reason for animals reaction to humans
The Flood
Gen. 6:1-4, Nephilim
Gen. 6:12, 17
Gen. 7:11-12
Waters from above → Water Canopy
Water from below → Fountains of the deep, wells, etc
Waters around → Oceans
Water canopy that served as a kind of 'hyperbaric chamber' came down in the Flood.
Heard of Pangaea? (Gen. 1:9 seems to indicate this is true)
“Fountains of the deep bursting open” could have created higher mountains (Gen. 7:19)
and caused Pangaea to break apart. The whole earth was in turmoil!
Evidence of a worldwide flood? (people probably only lived from Persian Gulf up to the
Caspian Sea):
• V. 19- all high hills were covered, V. 22- all that was on the dry land died
• God didn’t need ark if it was only local; He could have moved 8 people to a new
location
• Gen. 9:8-11 – God would have been making the covenant with Noah to never
again send a local flood?
• Worldwide flood tradition comes from around the world, and in almost every
ancient culture
• What sort of miracle kept all water in local area? (Mt. Ararat is 17,000 ft- and
water was 15 cubits higher than this)
• Other scriptures on the flood include: Job 12:15; 22:16; Ps. 29:10; 104:6-9; Is.
54:9; Matt. 24:37-39; Luke 17:26,27; Heb. 11:7; 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5; 3:5&6.
• Worldwide flood also accounts for many of the so-called evidences of evolution
Flood Timeline: Gen. 7:11 (start)- Gen. 8:14 (end) = 1 year, 11 days (Noah's time in ark)
Rock Strata and the Fossil Record
Fossil- A remnant or trace of an organism of a past geologic age, such as a skeleton or
leaf imprint, embedded and preserved in the earth's crust.
Sediment- matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid
Explain sedimentary layers...
Evolutionary view → layers, each layer represents millions of years, fossils are found in
every strata, typically smaller to larger.
Fossils require tremendous pressure to be formed.
When an animal dies, it immediately begins to rot- scavengers eat the animal and bacteria
destroys it. Then the bones are either dissolved in the sea or weathered away on land.
This is why it is extremely hard to find fossilization today because it doesn't happen
naturally. And if you do find it, you can almost always point to a specific event that
caused it.
For fossilization to occur, you must take away two agents:
1) Biological scavengers
2) Weather
Thus, to create a fossil, three conditions MUST be met:
1. Must be buried deep enough where scavengers and oxygen-dependent bacteria
can't get to it (no oxygen)
2. Must be buried immediately or shortly after death
3. High amount of pressure
Most liberal typical rate of deposition is .024 in/yr (evolutionists claim it was even slower
in the past). This is not nearly deep enough. Also, doesn't provide the pressure needed.
Take a fish- lots of fish fossils (ironically, these are the ones that don't fit as well into the
evolutionary model because sea life is found in all the sedimentary layers). To cover a
fish with 2.5 in. of sediment would take 100 years. Even then, worms can get to this
depth bringing bacteria and oxygen.
Looking at current fossils (especially large ones, like dinosaurs), tremendous amounts of
sediment was required to preserve.
Examples of fast fossilization:
1) Derek Ager, paleoecologist- lobster from Solenhofen Stone in Germany which
was fossilized in the act of catching a small fish
2) Charles Schuchert, Carl Dunbar- great slab of Hamilton Stone, found at Mt.
Marion, NY. Now in State Museum at Albany. Preserves starfish who died
hovering over clams they were in the act of devouring.
What about footprints?
Animal footprints preserved in the fossil record. As soon as footprints are left, wind, rain,
etc, begin to destroy them- especially on a sandy beach or sand dune with waves and
wind.
Obviously, they must be covered quickly by another material, and done so quickly, until
the sand or mud (in which the footprint lies) turns to stone.
Let's look at the flood:
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Provides the pressure needed- lots of force along with gravity associated with
massive amounts of water coming from the sky and gushing out of the earth
Lots of sedimentary deposition in a short time, this would provide the depth
necessary to keep away biological scavengers and weathering. Like dinosaurs,
who would need lots of sediment to cover them.
Accounts for the speed of burial and fossilization. You can show in lab that fossils
can form very quickly with rapid burial, ground water and minerals. (Human
Finger- can see fossilized cartilage and blood vessels)
Circulating water of flood (along with gravity) would naturally bury smaller
organisms first and lower in layers and more mobile organisms, with the ability to
temporarily avoid the flood, to be buried closer to the top
Accounts for fish fossils found high in mountains. Sea life is found in strata all
over the continents, even at high elevations and the tops of every major mountain
range.
Better accounts for sedimentary layers. Boundaries between strata are straight and
abrupt. This would not be at all expected if each layer represented millions of
years, with the continents being raised up and down hundreds of times. This is
hard to believe! No evolutionary based uniformitarian model can properly answer
the fact that the layers are sedimentary layers with abrupt boundaries.
Widespread strata- continent-wide sedimentary layers are visible (flood)
Sedimentary- the strata are mostly sedimentary. This means that each layer was
laid down by water.
Major mountain ranges are all found on the continents parallel to the ocean ridges.
In other words, they are found exactly where we would expect had the flood
caused Pangaea to break up.
Polystrate Fossils- Fossils that cross two or more sedimentary layers (strata). How
could these trees have been fossilized if it took millions of years for each strata to
form as evolutionary timeframes dictate? Yet, these are found on every continent
all over the world. Some eroding mountainsides have exposed thousands of these
together covering large numbers of strata which clearly had to be buried at one
time. Whale found through layers of diatoms.
Grand Canyon- supposed to represent the deepest exposed strata layers in the
world. Supposed to be the best representation of rock layers. It’s interesting that
less than half of the strata are actually seen and it’s not in the order science says it
is and there are gaps where there are no strata from a presumed era. All over the
earth, depending on where you go, there are strata layers missing, they are in
completely different orders from one place to another, and some places have
certain layers that others do not. There are layers, certainly, but the “column” is
not evident or complete as it is taught anywhere on the planet. The Grand Canyon
and other canyons supposedly took millions of years to be carved by the rivers
running through them. Mud from the Mississippi river is dumped into the Gulf of
Mexico at the rate of 80,000 tons per hour. Where is the mud from the Colorado
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River as it carved the Grand Canyon for millions of years? It didn't take a lot of
time, it took a lot of water.
Oil, Natural gas, coal – the fossil fuels that we use today are remnants of the
flood. They are the remains of vegetation and animals buried during the time of
the flood. The pre-flood earth is now buried by as much as two miles of water
born sediment.
Note: Laboratory test have shown that buried plant material and moderate pressure
and a little bit of heat can create coal in weeks, not millions of years.
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Tropical remains at poles- Tropical remains are found frozen at the poles,
including Northern Alaska and Siberia, There are no forests containing these types
of trees and vegetation even close to these areas. These are clearly remains of the
flood that had been frozen or buried until they were washed to shore.
Additionally, palm trees, pine trees, and tropical foliage in great amount are found
frozen in the northern regions. They’ve found 90 foot plum trees frozen in the ice
600 miles north of the Arctic Circle. They have ripe plums and healthy leaves, all
frozen.
Flood was necessary for fossilization- nothing else could have caused it to occur.
The flood and the old earth view are mutually exclusive- if you believe in the
flood, then you would expect lots of sedimentation. Can't believe in both.
[Other: typical answer is that the organisms slowly sank into ocean, covered with other
sediment. No! This is done through erosion, waves would have wiped them away.
Response: Maybe they hardened before entering wave zone, but waves erode solid rock,
much more incomplete lithified sand or mud.
Quotes: 217-218 (218 first)
End with Coconino Footprints- Permian Coconino; Sandstone in northern Arizona- quote
End with pg. 224-227]
No Transitional Fossils
If all organisms have arisen by slow, small modifications, we should find some of these
transitional fossils! We have never found a creature with half-formed feet or a halfformed wing.
Evolutionists just say that the fossil record is incomplete. This is also what Darwin said.
He proposed his theory of evolution on the basis that these transitional fossils would
eventually show up. Evolutionists say that these half-evolved monstrocities lived, but
were not preserved.
Darwin, Origin of Species, “We have seen in the last chapter that whole groups of
species sometimes falsely appear to have abruptly developed; and I have attempted to
give an explanation of this fact, which if true would be fatal to my views.”
Many paleontologists are starting to believe that we have a complete fossil record
because none of these supposed gaps have been filled in a century after Darwin's time.
Two choices:
1) If it's complete, there's a large % preserved, evolution is not supported
2) If it's incomplete, small fraction preserved. What right does science have to fill
these gaps with imaginary animals for which there is no evidence?
Many evolutionists now believe that evolution had to happen suddenly. WHAT??
There are no transitional links and intermediate forms in either the fossil record or the
modern world. Therefore, there is no actual evidence that evolution has occurred either in
the past or the present.
[A word about Neandertal (used to be “Neanderthal”) Man:
Called hominids, there were creatures that evolutionists believed to have been in-between ape and
human. There were twelve original specimens they found. Nine were found to be extinct
apes/monkeys. Three were actually modern human beings. Human skulls naturally vary in size
and many other characteristics. They are also misshapen by certain diseases such as rickets,
arthritis, Paget's disease, congenital syphilis, and starvation. Variation or disease could lead many
to think they are less than human. Also, entire sets of differing human structures (such as the
varying body structures of Neandertals) could have died out in the Flood, thus only preserving the
'body structure' of Noah and his immediate family.
Neandertal Man- history:
First skull found in 1848- Forbes Quarry in Gibraltar. (Not recognized as Neandertal until 1956,
when another partial skeleton found near village of Neander in Germany.) Evolution was just
being proposed, so scientists jumped on this as the missing link. Lots of doubt raised, but main
one was renown scientist Rudolf Virchow (expert in disease and fossils), who diagnosed rickets
in the Neandertal bones, which accounted for seemingly simian cast.
In 1888, Galley Hill Skull, very modern-looking skull was found in rock strata believed older
than Neandertal. Other similar discoveries in 1855 in Ipswich, 1863 in Abbeville, 1932 in Kenya.
Authenticity always questioned.
1939- Prof. Sergio Sergi proved that Neandertal man walked erect as we do, not with ape-like
crouch.
1947- Discovery was made that a Neandertal was found to have lived in a cave after a modern
man had inhabited it. Thus finally proving Neandertal is not ancestor. Currently considered
homo-sapien.]
The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
Law of science- basic, unchanging principle of nature; a scientifically observed
phenomenon which has been subjected to very extensive measurements and
experimentation and has repeatedly proved to be invariable throughout the known
universe (e.g., the law of gravity, the laws of motion).
This is one of three Laws of Thermodynamics. This is a branch of physics which studies
the efficiency of energy transfer and exchange
Thermo = “heat”, dynamic = “power”
1st Law- Matter/energy cannot be created nor destroyed. It may change forms, but the
quantity remains the same in a closed system.
2nd Law (Law of Increased Entropy) - While quantity remains the same, the quality of
matter/energy deteriorates gradually over time.
"Entropy" is defined as a measure of unusable energy within a closed or isolated system (the universe for
example). As usable energy decreases and unusable energy increases, "entropy" increases. Entropy is also a
gauge of randomness or chaos within a closed system.
Emmett Williams, Ph.D:
"It is probably no exaggeration to claim that the laws of thermodynamics represent some
of the best science we have today. While the utterances in some fields (such as
astronomy) seem to change almost daily, the science of thermodynamics has been
noteworthy for its stability. In many decades of careful observations, not a single
departure from any of these laws has ever been noted."
As far as we can tell, these Laws are absolute. All things in the observable universe are
affected by and obey the Laws of Thermodynamics.
Usable energy is inevitably used for productivity, growth and repair. In the process,
usable energy is converted into unusable energy. Thus, usable energy is irretrievably lost
in the form of unusable energy. As usable energy is irretrievably lost, disorganization,
disorder, randomness and chaos increase.
2nd Law describes basic principles familiar in everyday life. It is known as the universal
law of decay; it is the ultimate cause of why everything ultimately falls apart and
disintegrates over time. Material things are not eternal. Everything appears to change
eventually, and chaos increases. Nothing stays as fresh as the day one buys it; clothing
becomes faded, threadbare, and ultimately returns to dust. Everything ages and wears out.
Even death is a manifestation of this law. The effects of the 2nd Law are all around,
touching everything in the universe.
Decaying buildings. Massive structures may appear to be capable of lasting almost
forever, but they will not. The need for ongoing repairs. Each year, vast sums are spent to
counteract the relentless effects of this law (maintenance, painting, medical bills, etc.).
Ultimately, everything in nature is obedient to its unchanging laws.
This law observes the fact that the useable energy in the universe is becoming less and
less. Ultimately there would be no available energy left. Stemming from this fact we find
that the most probable state for any natural system is one of disorder. All natural systems
degenerate when left to themselves. Outside forces can increase order for a time (through
the expenditure of relatively large amounts of energy, and through the input of design).
However, such reversal cannot last forever. Once the force is released, processes return to
their natural direction - greater disorder. (painting a house regularly)
Creates a problem for evolution
Universe is constantly losing usable energy. We logically conclude that the universe is not
eternal. The universe had a finite beginning- the moment at which it was at its most
ordered possible state ('zero entropy'). Like a wind-up clock, which is winding down.
Evolutionism claims that over billions of years everything is basically developing
UPWARD, becoming more orderly and complex. Naturalistic Evolutionism requires that
physical laws and atoms organize themselves into increasingly complex and beneficial,
ordered arrangements. Thus, over eons of time, billions of things are supposed to have
developed upward, becoming more orderly and complex.
2nd Law says the opposite. It is well known that, left to themselves, chemical compounds
ultimately break apart into simpler materials; they do not ultimately become more
complex. The trend is towards simplication and disorder. Ultimately, when all the energy
of the cosmos has become unusable, all molecules will move randomly, and the entire
universe will be cold and without order. All experimental and physical observation
appears to confirm that the Law is indeed universal, affecting all natural processes in the
long run.
Evolution is simply not feasible. In fact, it is one of the most important reasons why
various evolutionists have dropped their theory in favor of Creationism, or at least that
there is a Grand Designer. A number of scientists believe the 2nd Law, when truly
understood, is enough to refute the theory of evolution.
[Objection: The universe may be a closed system, but the earth is not. Evolutionists maintain that
the 2nd Law does not prevent Evolution on Earth since the planet receives energy from the Sun.
They say that the sun's energy helped create life on this planet.
True that open systems exchange heat, light, or matter with their surroundings. Earth is an open
system, primarily because it receives outside energy from the Sun.
Is Energy the Key?
Compare a living plant with a dead one. Can the addition of energy make a completely dead plant
alive again.
A dead plant contains the same basic structures as a living plant. It once used the Sun's energy to
temporarily increase its order and grow and produce stems, leaves, roots, and flowers - all
beginning from a single seed.
If there is actually a powerful Evolutionary force at work in the universe, and if the open system
of Earth makes all the difference, why does the Sun's energy not make a truly dead plant become
alive again (assuming a sufficient supply of water, light, and the like)?
What actually happens when a dead plant receives energy from the Sun? The internal
organization in the plant decreases; it tends to decay and break apart into its simplest components.
The heat of the Sun only speeds the disorganization process.
Certainly, the sun's energy is not a sufficient explanation for life on earth.]
Mountains
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If earth was anywhere close to being 4.5 billion years old, all mountains would be
eroded into the sea. (explain erosion)
Lowest/slowest estimate for erosion is 2.4 cm per 1000 years.
◦ Continents eroded to sea level in 34 million years
◦ All ocean basins filled in 340 million years
◦ More likely it's 6 cm per 1000 years- 13 million
Evolutionists can't accept this, so they state there must have been consistent continental
uplift and mountain building to keep up with erosion rate.
See problems?
• Bias causes them to assume propositions that have no evidence whatsoever to
back it up, no explanation as to why this or that happened at all
• Opposite direction! Evolution bases most of its theories on sedimentary layers,
smaller fossils deeper in the layers- doesn't fit with deposition.