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.

Crevo – James Montgomery Boice

The host of the Bible Study Hour, James Montgomery Boice (d. 2000), produced a fascinating video series on Creation or Evolution?  Boice had one of the greatest radio preacher voices of all time.  Those who

don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.  This video series helps us understand why so many Christians tolerate progressive creation (God created over long ages).  Boice takes a strong stance against theistic evolution.  The Gap Theory is also discussed.

One wonders if Boice read Starlight and Time by Russell Humphreys which uses relativity to deal with the light travel issue (if stars are billions of light years away, how can Earth be young?).  Humphreys’ book came out in 1994.

Most traditional creationists place creation around 4000 BC (Ussher was close).  Boice says that creationists claim the world is between 12K to 20K years old.   

Boice brings up the topic of fossil order as a challenge to Flood Geology, specifically plant fossils.  The vertical arrangement of plant fossils does not necessarily teach us the story of evolution.  As Robert Spicer explains,

Both fluid and biological sorting of potential plant megafossils during transport and deposition processes produce a pattern that has previously been overlooked. ... Vertical differences in species composition need not necessarily reflect temporal changes in vegetation. [1]

The two-dimensional nature of plant materials (leaves, some seeds etc.), changes in density (e.g. waterlogging), fragmentation and bacterial decay are issues that models of depositional sorting must consider.  This is very consistent with a Global Flood.

Henry Morris provides 64 biblical reasons for the global nature of the Flood and 36 scientific, historical and cultural arguments. [2]  Boice, though not holding to all the tenets of Flood Geology, held that much geologic data “must be explained by a flood of worldwide dimensions.” [3]  He also said that, “a flood of that duration [377 days] is not a local flood!” [4]  Boice wrote a whole chapter on Flood Traditions and concluded that, “Hundreds of flood stories abound throughout the world in various cultures and are therefore evidence not merely of the historicity of the flood but of its universal extent.” [5]  John Byl rightly states, “… since animals were originally vegetarian, there was no animal death before Adam’s fall.  Thus all animal fossils must post-date Adam’s fall.”  Once one accepts a Global Flood, such as ID leader William Dembski, Young Earth Science (YES) is not far behind. 

We heard Dr. Boice in Oklahoma City just a few blocks away and a few days before the bombing of the Federal Building.  Boice’s legacy includes his influential work with Bible Study Fellowship.

Notes:

1)  "The Importance of Depostional Sorting to the Biostratigraphy of Plant Megafossils" by Robert Spicer in Biostratigraphy of Fossil Plants ed. by David Dilcher and Thomas Taylor (Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Stroudsburg, PA, 1980), pp. 171, 181, emphasis added.

2)  The Genesis Record by Henry Morris, (Baker Book House, 1976, Grand Rapids, MI), pp. 199-205, pp. 683-686. 

3)  Genesis: An Expositional Commentary (Vol. 1) by James M. Boice, (Baker Books, 1998, Grand Rapids, MI), p. 366. 

4)  Ibid., p. 349, emphasis in original. 

5)  Ibid., pp. 354, 355.