Young Earth Today - Did Disraeli Deny Darwin? (& other cool topix)

Here's our latest video:

https://youtu.be/1vBfTnvRDh4

We tackle a potpourri of topics:

• Thunder ... Lightning ♫ & C-14
• How Old is the Earth?
• Tree Rings & Ammonites
• Norman Macbeth (Darwin Retried) & OMNI magazine
• Censorship
• George Bernard Shaw & more!

One interesting paper in Nature from some Japanese researchers last year showed that lightning can produce gamma rays which can lead to the formation of Carbon-14.  Of course, this would require some revisions in radiocarbon dating which does not consider this source.  When was the last time you dated some coal or a dino bone using the C-14 method?  My prediction is that you will get thousands of years and not millions.

"Photonuclear reactions triggered by lightning discharge"

by Teruaki Enoto et al

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature24630

Can anyone explain this video to me?

Thunder/Lightning - Imagine Dragons ♫

https://youtu.be/fKopy74weus

  Dragon = Dino
Let me know what you think!

Al Mohler, Jack Collins, Francis Collins & YES

In February of last year, Al Mohler and John “Jack”Collins (OT Prof @ Covenant Seminary) had a debate on "Genesis and the Age of the Earth."  The debate did not follow the traditional formal structure, but the interaction was very engaging.  Here's more info on the event.

Dr. Mohler on the question of whether Old Earth Fallacies (OEF's) constitute heresy (@ 20:00 mark).  He pointed out that some doctrines are more essential than others - "theological triage."  We do not need to separate from a brother because he denies the young earth view.

Church leaders throughout history have mostly held that we live in a youthful world (@ 46:30).  Mohler concluded that OEF's may have "potentially dangerous consequences" (@ 40:00).  He also admitted that much of the data argues for an ancient earth yet at the same time pointed out that the basis for many scientists view on the age-of-the-earth controversy is based on a Darwinian framework with its billions of years.  I hold that one can make a strong cases for a relatively new planet based on history, philosophy and science and have written a book on this, YES - Young Earth Science.

Is there a connection between Francis Collins and Jack Collins?  Francis Collins founded BioLogos, led the Human Genome Project and is director of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda (where I was born).  As you see there is a connection, but the last man on the list is probably a different Jack Collins (☺).  We responded to Francis Collins' views on origins here. 

  

Andrew Kulikovsky has written an excellent review of Jack Collin's Science and Faith: Friends or Foes.  Jack should listen to the Duke.  John Wayne's character finally realized that Jesus was the Son of God indeed, but what did Jesus have to say on this issue?  He clearly supported the young earth view (Mk. 10:6, Mk. 13:19, Lk. 11:50,51).  Furthermore, God's sovereignty demonstrates consilience with the young earth position.  Collins seems to endorse some form of the gap theory which has serious flaws.

There was discussion of the scientific consensus, but is should not be forgotten that there have been frauds in science as well as undue political influence.

Is it Heretical to Deny Young Earth Science (YES)?

Justin Derby is the purveyor of the Truth: The Objective Reality (TTOR) blog.  We recently did a video with Justin on Christian leaders who take a compromising stand on the age of the earth.  But is it heresy?

Derby has written Another Inconvenient Truth - What Secular America Hates.   

He tackles a number of worldview issues:  atheism, same-sex controversy, church-state relations, the historicity of Christ and eschatology.

We should heed the warnings of Harold Lindsell (The Battle for The Bible) who told us that forsaking the authority of Scripture can lead to a slippery slope of compromise.  Where do Mike Licona and Frank Turek stand on the young earth?

When it comes to heresy, here are a few verses to consider:

1 Cor. 15:3,4

3)  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

4)  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

Galatians 2:16, 21

16)  ... a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

21)  I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Heb. 6:1,2

1)  Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

2)  and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

What is the basis for unity?

   Apostles Creed

   Nicene Creed

   Creed of Chalcedon

Early ecumenical councils focused on the Trinity and the nature of Christ: one person with two natures.  Jesus was fully human and fully divine.

The Slippery Slope is real!  Many in the BioLogos crowd deny the reality of Adam, this is surely dangerous ground (Rom. 5, 1 Cor. 15, 1 Chr. 1).

Let us know what you think:  ned_oa_1657@yahoo.com

Deuteronomy 4 and the Age of the Earth

When did human history start?  A reasonable estimate by mainstream dating takes us to around 2500 BC. [1]  This only goes back to the post-Babel era.  Noah went into the Ark 1656 years after Creation Week.  Thus, a 6K year old world makes sense. 

Let's give thought to Deuteronomy 4: 32-35,

Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other.  Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?  Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived?  Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?  You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other.

Because of the signs and wonders, the Israelites had assurance that the Lord was the true Guardian of the Universe.  How could the Jews verify this?  Look at history, "Ask now about the former days, long before your time."  Is seems most likely that Adam, Noah and the other patriarch's wrote Genesis and then Moses edited their writings.  That is, history goes back to Adam.      

The famous Library of Alexandria was founded around 300 BC and had 200K to 400K books by some estimates.  Did some of these works contain pre-Flood history?  If so, there may have been a number of ancient chronicles that went back to the first human generation.

Christians who hold to a long chronology sometimes put Adam as far back as 150K years ago.  Where is all that history?  According to a report in NewScientist, writing may go back 35K years.  What happened to the missing historical accounts?  Some propose that the Sumerian King List takes us back 7K years before the Global Flood - that's far short of 150K years! [2]

Another problem for old earth supporters is all the millions of years of death and suffering before the Fall.  In Genesis 3 we read of the curse of the Earth.  Death and thorns came after the Fall in a straightforward reading of the text.  And later, the planet itself was destroyed because the world was wicked (Gen. 6:13).  That man's sin can have negative consequences in nature is repeated in Deuteronomy 28:

... if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you ...  You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it.  You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.  You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off. (Deut. 28:15, 38-40)

Notes:

1)  YES - Young Earth Science by Jay Hall (IDEAS, Big Spring, TX, 2014), pp. 30-33.

2)  Ibid., p. 33.

*illustration:  Sargon of Akkad & the tree of life

Age of the Earth Poll (C-Fund)

There's a great crowd funding effort for a national survey on the age of the Earth.  Please support this worthy project.  Get more info here.

How old is the Earth?
A) 4,000 years
B) 6,000 years
C) 8,000 years
D) 10,000 years
E) more than 10,000 years

Most surveys do not focus on the age of the earth to this detail.  It is often assumed that an anti-evolution belief is linked to Young Earth Science (YES), but this is not the case.  Just consider the Intelligent Design (ID) movement.  William Dembski has accepted a Global Flood; however, to the best of our knowledge he has not adopted YES yet.  Phillip Johnson, the father of ID, is also sympathetic to YES.  ID as a movement has not rejected Old Earth Fallacies (OEF's). [1]  They should read the Wikipedia page defending a young planet from history and science.  Or better yet, get the book on Young Earth Science (YES):

Note:
1) Darwin's Doubt by Stephen Meyer (HarperCollins, NYC, 2014), p. 72.

THE INTERVIEW – Martian Edition

What does Kim Jong-un think about the age of the world?  Does Kim Jong-un know everything?  Consider this truth from Holy Writ:

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.  Who is like me?  Let him proclaim it.  Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people.  Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. (Is. 44:6, 7, ESV)

Investigate the truth, study the powerful evidence for Young Earth Science (YES)‼  Search  YES Jay Hall  in Amazon to find this science packed exciting new book on the age of the Earth.  How old is your favorite planet?

              *** UPDATE ***

Be sure to catch our latest video.  We tackle a potpourri of topics:  Thunder & C-14, Tree Rings & Ammonites,  Norman Macbeth (Darwin Retried), OMNI magazine & censorship ... #Rubio #NormanMacbeth #Darwin #AltMed #TreeRings Hotep = B @ ☮

 Martin, how old is your Favorite Planet? Why Tim, that’s a Hulk of a question! This is a Scientific Earth Time Holomnesicon invented by the great Martian physicist Dr. Rogen.  You got it, SETH – Rogen. These instructions are too abstruse, what does your device say about Deep Time? Deep Time is a myth, the earth is thousands of years old, we can iron out the details later. [Pr. 27:17] Wow!  What does Kim Jong-un think about the Age of the Earth? Super question!  I don’t know, but  I hope Kim Jong-un reads this new book on Earth’s age.

What’s in Your Study Bible?

All good evangelical study Bibles teach that we are saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5-7).  The Henry Morris Study Bible (formerly The Defender’s Study Bible) and The MacArthur Study Bible are highly regarded, but how can we spot a pro-Creation study Bible?  The next time you go to your Christian bookstore and browse look for the following:

1)  Is Genesis 1:1 the beginning?

2)  Creation in Six Days (CISD)

3)  Global Flood

4)  Gen. 5&11 implies a Young Earth

5)  Are Behemoth and Leviathan dinos or large reptiles?

6)  What does Mk 10:6 imply about a Young Earth?

The Wayfinding Bible (NLT, Tyndale) has a version of AiG’s ark similar to this,

However, the comments are fuzzy as to whether the Global Flood had significant geologic effect.  If your Bible has a map of Eden, that is an error – Noah’s Flood wiped out the pre-Flood geography.  Does your study Bible skip Exodus 20:11, which clearly teaches Creation in Six Days (CISD)?  In Job 40 & 41, Behemoth is surely a dino and Leviathan was most likely a large water-dwelling reptile (such as a mosasaur).

Ken Mathews in the Apologetics Study Bible (p. 15) says, “… this genealogy [Ge 5&11] cannot be used to the reconstruct the age of the earth.”  The chronology of Genesis does help us validate the Young Earth view.  Ted Cabal (p. 877) states that the “… old-earth interpretations arose due to the … discovery of enormous numbers of extinct animals such as dinosaurs.”  This is a non sequitur – fossils point to the Flood.  Terry Mortenson has shown in The Great Turning Point that Old Earth Fallacies (OEF) are founded on the work of Deist and atheist scholars using anti-biblical PreSuppositions.   

The New Geneva Study Bible has a chart of the ages of the patriarchs from Adam to Joseph (p. 17).  This would seem to favor the Young Earth interpretation, but the OT editor is Bruce Waltke who supports BioLogos.  The Framework Hypothesis is given consideration (p. 7).  The commentary on Ge 6:17 says, “A worldwide flood seems to be in view …” (p. 20).  R.C. Sproul now endorses The Reformation Study Bible.

Near the front of the NIV Study Bible there is a Chronological Chart:

The world is roughly about six millennia old – we don’t need a bunch of question marks.  Arguments for both a local and Global Flood are given (p. 15).  Behemoth is a hippo or elephant and Leviathan is a crocodile (p. 769).

Terry Mortenson describes Bible commentaries and systematic theologies that support the Young Earth perspective. [1]

After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.  The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed (Dan. 9:26, NIV).

Note:

1) Coming to Grips with Genesis ed. by Terry Mortenson and Thane Ury (Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2008), pp. 327-329.

Perfectly Clear Podcast - Junk Science (Dan Agin)

On today's Perfectly Clear Podcast we take a look at Dan Agin's book Junk Science.
You can find it here.

References:
Science Week (ed. by Dan Agin)
Junk Science website (opposes Global Warming hysteria), not affiliated with Agin
Szent-Gyorgi quote
Augustine quote
Sacred Cows In Science (No Objectivity Allowed)
Moon Rocks 10K
Round Earth
Bible Astronomy
James Irwin (creationist astronaut)
Mortimer Adler, see Persuaded by the Evidence by Doug Sharp and Jerry Bergman (Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2008), pp. 283-288.
Books on the Age of The Earth (BATE)     ;-)

We’re Jamin, but are we certain? (AgeOfEarth)

Jamin Hubner, author of The Portable Presuppositionalist, has a most excellent site on apologetics. He has recently written on the topic of the age of the earth. Stephen Boyd’s research on the verbs in Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 is referred to, but Thousands … Not Billions by Don DeYoung is not. Neither is the second volume produced by the RATE team which contains the details of Dr. Boyd’s work.

Hubner is ambiguous on Genesis and states that it’s narrative in a “general sense” and that the events recounted occurred “one way or another.” In contrast, Stephen Boyd’s results on preterite verbs is aptly summarized by Andrew Kulikovsky, “In the case of Genesis 1:1-2:3, it was statistically classified as narrative with a probability of 0.9999. This is an extraordinary level of confidence that amounts to virtual certainty.” [1]

Hubner states that, “No one denies that Genesis 1 fits with the rest of the book … ;” whereas, Bernhard Anderson, Emeritus Prof. of OT at Princeton, admits, “There is increasing agreement that the creation account belongs to the genre of story, not history. Even conservative ‘evangelical’ scholars are moving in this direction …” [2]

One also wonders how familiar Hubner is with the following creation periodicals:
Creation Research Society Quarterly
Acts & Facts
Answers Research Journal
Journal of Creation
Creation (CSM, UK)
A more complete list may be found here.

Hubner is under the false impression that the 10 toledoths (“generations,” “historical account”) in Genesis appear at the beginning of a section. They actually occur at the end. [3] Many of Hubner’s concerns are dealt with in the festschrift for John Whitcomb (co-author of The Genesis Flood, 1961) – Coming to Grips with Genesis, ed. by Terry Mortenson and Thane Ury. Also, Refuting Compromise by Jonathan Sarfati is a relevant resource.

Hubner claims that, “The only citation of Gen 1 in the NT is of man being made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27 in Matt 19 and Mark 10), a strongly theological point; there is no reference to chronology of Gen 1 in any of the NT …” Both Matthew and Luke contain a genealogy which implicitly yields a chronology. The NT uses the Seven-Day-Week which derives from the original Creation In Six Days (CISD) and the one day of rest. Time IS important in the NT, “… when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Gal. 4:4, ESV). Jesus came to earth according to God’s timetable (Daniel’s 70 weeks) – time does matter. In 2 Cor 4:6 we read, “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ …” citing Ge 1:3. According to Andrew Snelling, “There are at least 100 quotations or direct references to Genesis 1-11 in the New Testament.”

Hubner brings out the issue of forming and filling during Creation Week. When we make things, we do so in an orderly manner. Building a house involves days of forming and days of filling. We are God’s image-bearers and imitate the work of Creation Week. When we build a house we do so in an orderly manner – first the foundation (with electric and plumbing lines), then the framing, windows, skylights, insulation, drywall, roofing and siding. We put plants, pets, an aquarium, ceiling fans and maybe some reptiles on the inside of the house – a virtual jungle.

Regarding the 3 days of forming and 3 days of filling, Hubner comments, “This could just be irony and genius in the creative order and have no conflict with chronology, but it is central to the account and it must be given attention” (emphasis added). Actually Day 3 of Creation Week was a day of filling since plants and trees were created then. According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism what is central about creation?

Q. 9. What is the work of creation?
A. The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.

Hubner posits, “… if we have a question specifically about chronology, Gen. 2 would probably be the first place we should go …” Ge 1 shows that Adam was made on Day 6 of Creation Week – that is Adam is 6 days younger than the universe and Ex 20:11 makes it clear that these are regular days. Chronology is found in Ge 5&11.

Hubner makes this shocking admission, “… I am hesitant to say ‘I'm a literal 24-hr 6-day young earth creationist’ even though much of what I believe falls into that camp.” Even non-creationist scholars admit to the 144 hour framework. Gerhard von Rad said that, “The seven days are unquestionably to be understood as actual days and as a unique, unrepeatable lapse of time in the world.” [4] Hubner admits to gaps in the chronology of Ge 5&11 and holds that mankind may be as old as 15,000 years. There are no gaps.

Hubner confesses, “I really doubt if there is adequate information in Scripture to plainly tell us how old our expanding and mind-boggling universe is.” Possibly he is unaware of the proposed solutions of the distant starlight problem provided by Russell Humphreys, John Hartnett and Jason Lisle.

Orthodox Protestants who take Genesis as Historical Narrative (OPGHN, “opgane”) should take Genesis as teaching creation in six standard days about six thousand years ago (Y6K). Francis Turretin proclaimed, “Nor does the sacred history written by Moses cover any more than six thousand years …” [5]

Notes:
1) “Higher Critical Hogwash” by Andrew Kulikovsky, Journal of Creation, Vol. 22, No. 3, 2008, p. 33, emphasis added.
2) quoted in Kulikovsky, emphasis added.
3) Coming to Grips with Genesis ed. by Terry Mortenson and Thane Ury (Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2008), pp. 152, 295.
4) quoted in “Can Deep Time Be Embedded in Genesis?” by Trevor Craigen in Coming to Grips with Genesis ed. by Terry Mortenson and Thane Ury (Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2008), p. 203.
5) quoted in “A Brief Overview of the Exegesis of Genesis 1-11: Luther to Lyell” by David Hall in Coming to Grips with Genesis ed. by Terry Mortenson and Thane Ury (Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2008), p. 71.