The Prelapsarian Ostrich: Paradise Lost or Portrait of a Good Creation?
What was the ecological state at the beginning of creation? Were perfectly suited plants and animals created for a perfect world, did these plants and animals adapt to a fallen world, or were they all created in a way that anticipated a fallen world? Put another way, did animals physically adapt to a postlapsarian (after the fall) world or were … [Read More...]
Recent Articles
Pulling Teeth and Plucking Feathers – Ancient Birds and Young-Earth Creationists
A few weeks ago I criticized Ken Ham and several of his Answers in Genesis' colleagues for stating that some living birds have teeth like those of … [Continue reading...]
Consider the Ostrich—Comparing Theistic Models of Biological Origins
Some passages of scripture contain detailed natural history information about animals. The book of Job, in particular, records many physical and … [Continue reading...]
Consider the Ostrich: Job 39 and God’s Commentary on His Creation
The book of Job contains the most descriptive language about the natural world in all of Scripture. In Job 39 alone, we find God (1) describing the … [Continue reading...]
Fossil Footprints Discovered on the Roof of a South African Cave: Geological Context of Human Fossils VI
Can human footprints made in wet sand dunes be preserved as fossils? The discovery of up to thirty-five human (1) footprints on the roof of a small … [Continue reading...]
If it Walks Like a Duck… Ken Ham Doubles Down on His Misunderstanding of Bird Fossils
Not long ago I wrote this post criticizing Ken Ham and his research team for their outright errors and misinformed understanding of ancient fossil … [Continue reading...]
NH Favorites
An Ancient and Alien Forest Reconstructed: A Fossil Challenge for Young-earth Creationists
Fossils often provide us with only a fragmentary view of the distant past but sometimes collections of fossils record ancient and seemingly alien worlds in stunning clarity. In the past decade … .
On the Origin of Thorns: The Prelapsarian Acacia and the Good Creation
Thorns, prickles, spines and needles provide an effective means of protection for plants against many herbivores which would otherwise find them to be a source of nourishment. A common perception of … .
Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter to Usher in a Modern Day Reformation?
Ken Ham would have us believe that the modern reincarnation of the young-earth creationist movement, which he claims began only 55 years ago, is the real deal this time. Unlike previous attempts over … .
My Letter to the Host of a Local Creation Conference
For many pastors and their congregations, questions about the intersection of science and faith are difficult because of their unfamiliarity with the scientific evidence and the extensive theological … .
A 60,000 Year Varve Record from Japan Refutes the Young-Earth Interpretation of Earth’s History
Do places on Earth exist where annual records have been stored for tens of thousands of years and can be accessed today? Ice-cores and tree rings can preserve long records of yearly events but some … .
A 60,000 Year Varve Record from Japan Refutes the Young-Earth Interpretation of Earth’s History
Do places on Earth exist where annual records have been stored for tens of thousands of years and can be accessed today? Ice-cores and tree rings can preserve long records of … [Read More...]
The Frequently Overlooked Geological Context of Hominid Fossils
The human fossil record is probably one of these least understood yet frequently discussed topics in the Christian church. I have neither the expertise nor the desire to attempt … [Read More...]
Finding Mars on Earth: A Conversation about Martian Meteorites
Maybe you missed it last week with all the excitement of the pictures from Curiosity and its analysis of the rocks on Mars (See my last post: Curious Geology: Stunning Images … [Read More...]
Juvenile Dinosaurs Found Huddling in a Nest: A Local or Global Catastrophe?
We live in a new golden age of fossil discoveries. It seems that every week a new and dramatic fossil find is revealed. This fossil renaissance can be attributed to the opening … [Read More...]
The Toba Super-Eruption: The Global Catastrophe that Creationists Ignore
Sudden catastrophic events are not unknown in Earth’s history. Large craters are evidence of past cosmic impacts. Widespread layers of volcanic ash are a testimony of massive … [Read More...]
The Universal Design Intuition—Undeniable or Unreliable? Reviewing ‘Undeniable’ by Douglas Axe
Last year I was invited to write an essay reflection on Douglas Axe’s book Undeniable: How Biology … [Read More...]
Young-Life Creationists—Who are the People that Believe they can Replace Darwin?
Young-earth creationists (YECs) are actively promoting a radical new model of the origin of the … [Read More...]
Penguin “Teeth” and “Modern” Birds: Ken Ham’s Misinformed Understanding of Fossil Birds
Errors repeated often enough take on the appearance of truth. This is what makes fake news so … [Read More...]
A Flock of Genomes Reveals the Toothy Ancestry of Birds
A tidal wave of genomic information seems to wash up on shore each year. In 2014, an especially … [Read More...]
Postcards from Colorado Past: What Bones Buried Beneath an Alpine Lake Have to Tell Us
The accidental discovery of a wealth of bones and plant remains preserved in ancient sediments of a … [Read More...]
Creationism and the Church
The Prelapsarian Ostrich: Paradise Lost or Portrait of a Good Creation?
What was the ecological state at the beginning of creation? Were perfectly suited plants and animals created for a … [Read More...]
Consider the Ostrich—Comparing Theistic Models of Biological Origins
Some passages of scripture contain detailed natural history information about animals. The book of Job, in particular, … [Read More...]
Consider the Ostrich: Job 39 and God’s Commentary on His Creation
The book of Job contains the most descriptive language about the natural world in all of Scripture. In Job 39 alone, we … [Read More...]
Estimating Ark Encounter Attendance from Data Provided by Ken Ham
Ken Ham continues to beat the drum over record-breaking attendance at the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. On a … [Read More...]
A Million and Counting: Assessing the First Year of the Ark Encounter
The young-earth inspired attraction, the Ark Encounter, opened one year ago near a small town in Kentucky. When it … [Read More...]
Natural History Notes
Interpreting Genesis
Wisdom from the Past
John Ray in 1695: The Flood, Fossils, and Extinction
John Ray, one of England's greatest 17th century natural theologians, spent much time pondering the meaning of fossils or "formed stones" as they were called then. I have shared some of his thoughts … .
Testing Book-smarts with Observation: John Ray (1735) on the Value of Knowledge Creation
Should professors at Universities be active participants in generating and testing ideas or should they be content to be teachers of what is already known? Most higher educational institutions, such … .
John Ray on Flood Geology in 1695: Words that Still Apply Today
Modern young-earth creationism has deep roots. The essential elements of flood geology were established in the 1600s though much of what passed as flood geology at that time might be difficult to … .
NH Notes: John Ray on the Purpose of Creation in “The Wisdom of God”
The Englishman and natural historian John Ray is best known for his book, The Wisdom of God. Like many other books of the 18th century, he continually revised and reissued his book until the time of … .
NH Notes: The Scientific Enterprise and Paradise Gained
I’m sitting in the Boston Airport on my way to a conference at Gordon College but I have enough time for a natural history note while I wait for a colleague to arrive. On my flight from Ohio I read … .
