The Polar Bear Test—An Identification Key of Christian Views of Origins
YEC, GT, AoA, OEC, ID, PC, EC, TE? These acronyms refer to theistic models of earth’s biological and physical history. Do you know which models each of these letter combinations refer to? If so, do you know which one best characterizes your view? If you don’t—or if you don’t know, or are not sure, into which category your beliefs fit —take the … [Read More...]
Recent Articles
Are Differences more than Skin Deep? Ken Ham’s Confusing Message about Biological Variation
It is said that beauty is only skin deep and that you can’t judge a book by its cover. These sayings seek to communicate our understanding that the … [Continue reading...]
Pando, the World’s Heaviest Organism, is an Ever-Growing Witness of an Ancient Earth
Evidence of the antiquity of the Earth is everywhere we look if we have our eyes open and are pondering what we see. One such place is central Utah … [Continue reading...]
A Young-Earth Mystery: If Dinosaurs and Humans Lived Together Before the Flood, Where are the Fossils?
If a global Flood destroyed all humans except Noah and his family just 4350 years ago, why don’t we find human fossils in the same layers of rock … [Continue reading...]
The Ark Encounter Sits on a Foundation Made of Trillions of Fossils
The Ark Encounter theme park in Kentucky is literally built on trillions of dead things. This fact would seem to support Ken Ham's popular … [Continue reading...]
The Lost World of South American Ungulates: A YEC Ungulate Problem
Life is incredibly diverse. Millions of species fill the seas, land and skies of our planetary home. It seems as if there is no end to the discovery … [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 … .
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...]
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...]
The YDB Event: The Most Recent Global Catastrophe in Human History?
Remember the meteor that exploded over Russia earlier this year? A 50 foot diameter object exploded 14 miles above the surface of the earth and created a shock wave that injured … [Read More...]
William Buckland: Minister and Geologist Grappling with Fossil Feces, Deep Time and the Age of Reptiles
The Reverend William Buckland (1784-1856) was one of the last in a line of influential natural theologians following in the footsteps of John Ray (late 1600s) and William Paley … [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...]
Dragon Tales, Dinosaurs, UFOs and the Creation Museum
Since its inception, one of the Creation Museum’s most provocative exhibits has been one that places … [Read More...]
Ken Ham’s Darwinism: On The Origin of Species by Means of Hyper-Evolution Following Noah’s Flood
Young life creationists, or baraminologists as they prefer to be called, have experienced a paradigm … [Read More...]
Fossil Insect Borings in Dinosaur Bones: Ecosystem Preservation During a Global Flood?
Every day dozens of articles are published that contain evidence that runs contrary to the … [Read More...]
When Flightless Birds Ruled the Land: The “Terror” Birds of the New World
Dinosaurs and large mammals, like mammoths, get all the attention, but the fossil record is full of … [Read More...]
Canine Transmissible Tumors: Seeking Immortality By Becoming a Parasite
Cancers are composed of cells that have forgotten who they are supposed to be. They become … [Read More...]
Creationism and the Church
The Polar Bear Test—An Identification Key of Christian Views of Origins
YEC, GT, AoA, OEC, ID, PC, EC, TE? These acronyms refer to theistic models of earth’s biological and physical history. … [Read More...]
Dragon Tales, Dinosaurs, UFOs and the Creation Museum
Since its inception, one of the Creation Museum’s most provocative exhibits has been one that places dinosaurs and man … [Read More...]
Ken Ham’s Darwinism: On The Origin of Species by Means of Hyper-Evolution Following Noah’s Flood
Young life creationists, or baraminologists as they prefer to be called, have experienced a paradigm shift over the past … [Read More...]
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...]
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 … .
