The Collapse of Evolution Study No. 172

This belief of ours allows, but does not require, the earth to be billions of years old. Indeed, I have found no scriptural indication, nor hint at all, for a long period of time between the rebellion of Lucifer (who became Satan) and the renewal of the earth in six literal days of (re)creation. The so-called "gap" between Genesis 1:1 and verse 2 is of undetermined length.

However, the religious faith of evolutionism absolutely requires eons of time for evolution to occur. Given billions of years, evolutionists reason, species can gradually evolve into other life forms. Does scientific evidence indicate a relatively young earth, or an ancient earth? Mario Seiglie, in the November/December, 1998 issue of The Good News, disputes the claims of creation scientists. Seiglie says that there are "scientific discoveries indicating that the earth is up to several billion years old." He attacks creation scientists who "believe the entire geologic column with its millions of fossils is the result of catastrophism." Seiglie claims that there are "fossilized life forms an average of a mile deep in the earth’s crust." He says "radioactivity and other scientific findings" prove the earth and the stars are billions of years old. Most creation scientists reject the correct interpretation of Genesis 1:1-2, and attempt to prove that all fossils are the result of Noah’s Flood. Is the Truth somewhere in between these views?

After digging for fossils this past summer in western Wyoming with my daughter Barbara, I have become very interested in science and creation. Wyoming is a fossil paradise. Wyoming probably has more fossils than any place in the world. One of the largest dinosaurs, brontosaurus, was discovered at Como Bluffs, Wyoming. The famous tyrannosaurus rex, or "T-Rex," and triceratops, and many others are found here. At the new dinosaur museum in Thermopolis, Wyoming, you can watch scientists dig and prepare dinosaur fossils. Truly, Wyoming is a "Jurassic Park."

I work in the coal mining business. Wyoming’s Powder River Basin is the world’s largest easily-mined deposit of coal. Our company annually mines one hundred million tons of clean burning, low-sulfur coal each year, which is shipped to electric power generating plants in places like Michigan, Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma. Coal is fossilized plant material. How was it formed? Evolutionists would say it took millions or billions of years for primeval swamps to produce decaying material, which gradually became compacted and fossilized into our sub-bituminous coal. Is this view correct?

I have known our company’s chief geologist for over twenty years. He is nationally recognized, and frequently gives scientific lectures and research papers to schools and other geologists. After reading page 69 of the book, The Collapse of Evolution by Scott M. Huse, I wanted to test some of the statements in this creation science book with a working mineral geologist.

"John," I said, "In your experience with exploring for and mining coal, have you ever seen polystrate fossils in coal seams?" Now, a polystrate fossil is one that spans multiple layers, or strata. These fossils are embarrassing to evolutionists, for they prove sudden, catastrophic depositing of sediment. John said such fossils were not uncommon in our coal seams. He referred to a forty-foot fossilized tree he had found in one of our coal beds. It was standing upright. Since the main seam is forty to seventy-five feet in thickness, this tree spanned most of the depth of the main seam, which supposedly is composed of gradually deposited decomposed plants. "Now John," I said, "what does this fossil tell us about the formation of the coal?" He replied, "The coal was formed as the result of a catastrophic flood, a once in a thousand-year flood or once in a ten thousand-year flood." He also told me that frequently, whole leaves and twigs are found, which indicate sudden formation of the coal seam. One of the world’s leading mineral geologists admitted to me that coal was NOT formed gradually, over millions of years, but suddenly, as the result of a gigantic flood! Powder River Basin coal today is 30% water!

Now it was time to test Mario Seiglie’s statement that there is an average of a mile of fossil deposits in the earth’s surface. "John," I said, "I know that we can only mine one or two seams by surface mining techniques, maybe seventy-five to one hundred feet at best. There are more coal seams, deeper than the ones we can currently mine. If you were to add up all the coal seams here in the Powder River Basin, what is the average depth of all the coal seams put together?" He said, "about 200 feet." Here in Wyoming, fossil country, the average depth of all the fossil material in all seams is only about 200 feet, not one mile!

The book, The Collapse of Evolution, gives scores of proofs for a young earth. The sciences of geology, astronomy, anthropology, and physics, all provide solid evidence for a rather young earth, no more than about 6,000 to 10,000 years.

What about the "geologic column" that evolutionists and Mr. Seiglie believe in? This supposedly is the fossil record, which shows "primitive" life forms at the lowest strata, on up to "higher" life forms at the top strata. However, the "geologic column," as explained by evolutionists, exists nowhere in the world! It is a mental concept, based upon circular reasoning. It is NOT supported by the fossil record. The Grand Canyon contains less than half the supposed geologic eras. And, what is most embarrassing to evolutionists, the layers are often inverted, overthrust, or shuffled like a deck of cards! Fossils are often found in the "wrong" stratigraphic order. In Glacier National Park in Montana, there is a block of Precambrian limestone (supposedly one billion years old) on top of Cretaceous shale (supposedly only one hundred million years old). Evolutionary geologists propose that this "misplaced" rock was forced into its present position by shifts of the earth’s crust. Dr. Henry Morris has demonstrated that this 350-mile long, 35-mile wide, 6-mile thick block of limestone could not have slid above the Cretaceous rock. The obvious conclusion is that the Precambrian rocks were actually deposited after the Cretaceous rock. So much for the "geologic column" theory.

Radioactive dating methods have proven to be unreliable. Hawaiian lava flows, known to be less than 200 years old, have been dated by the potassium-argon method at up to three billion years old! Did you know that the moon is receding (moving away from) the earth? The rate of recession has been calculated, and again proves a young earth. If the earth and moon were four to five billion years old, the moon should be much farther away from the earth than it is. These are only some of the scientific proofs for a young earth given in The Collapse of Evolution.

On the other hand, many creation scientists ignore evidence of multiple catastrophic floods. If they understood Genesis 1:1-2 correctly, they would see that scientific evidence indicates there was more than one universal, catastrophic, flood.

One of the basic principles of debate is to never give an inch to your opponent. Evolutionists need billions of years to make their theory plausible. Even if they are correct, as The Collapse of Evolution shows, evolution is nevertheless mathematically impossible! Why do we need to agree with evolutionists in their assertion that the earth is billions of years old, when there is real scientific proof that the earth is rather young?

Most of us do not personally know a "creation scientist." In the popular press, this term is an oxymoron. However, one of my daughter Barbara’s graduate study professors at the University of Southern Mississippi is a well-known creation scientist, Dr. Robert Allen. A former evolutionist himself, Dr. Allen now engages evolutionists in public debates, and has expounded creationism on American Family Radio. He has introduced Barbara to other creation scientists, which, in her view, are top-notch scientists, as well as professing Christians. Organizations such as the Institute for Creation Research, and Answers in Genesis, regularly conduct and publish scientific research proving creationism. To work for them, one would have to first earn an accredited doctorate in the sciences. The number of creation scientists is growing. Typically, scientists are not well-paid. They love their work, and are fascinated by the wonders of the Creation. Seekers of Truth will, as Dr. Allen did, discover in the marvels of creation proof of the Creator God.

The current, widespread, belief in uniformitarianism, as evidenced in the "geologic column," was predicted by Bible prophecy, II Peter 3:3-9. Until the middle of the Nineteenth Century, almost all Christians and scientists believed in Noah’s Flood. After Darwin, almost all scientists and many religionists came to accept evolution. They now scoff at Noah’s Flood, and creation of the world by God. As uniformitarians, they believe "all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation [big bang]," II Peter 3:4. Belief in a geologic column of gradual, uniform, deposits is totally contrary to belief in a Creator, and is contrary to scientific fact. How sad that even some in the Church have accepted these views.

What difference does it make? Peter tells why there are uniformitarian evolutionists, scoffers at Noah’s Flood. They know the Bible indicates the Flood was God’s judgment against sinners of that day (just as the Flood after Satan’s rebellion was judgment against him). Sinful man today does not want to be judged for his evil actions. So, to put off in their minds the fact that God will soon judge the world by fire, II Peter 3:6-7, they put forth concocted evidence that the Floods never occurred, that there is no Creator God. The coming day of fiery judgment will suddenly fall upon sinful man, verse 10. The message for us is that we should be living righteously, "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting the coming [margin] of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" verses 11-12.

We need to get our noses in the Bible, as well as validate the Bible by science. The Collapse of Evolution, by Scott Huse ($11.99 retail), is one helpful tool. It is available from Giving & Sharing, PO Box 100, Neck City, MO 64849, for a suggested donation of $10.00 postpaid.

— written by Richard C. Nickels W

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