Piltdown Superman

People have concepts about Noah's Ark, but most of them probably come from cutesie books for children. Mayhaps they imagine those floating bathtub things with giraffes sticking their heads out. Atheists (and many Christians) laugh at Noah's Ark because of what the Bible does not  teach. It may come as a shock that paintings and such showing animals going on the Ark were modern animals, and are probably wrong. The artists worked from what they knew. What Noah carried were the biblical kinds from very long ago. Ark Encounter, Pixabay /  Michael Wysmiersk Several articles have been featured on this site from Answers in Genesis regarding several aspects of the Ark, how it was seaworthy, the way it may have been built, how many animals, and more. But the critters themselves? They researched that aspect as well, presupposing the truth of the Bible but also incorporating paleontology and other sciences. Several things to think about are presented. Formerly a zookeeper at Answers in ...

There are many reptiles with venom, most of which are snakes. People think of rattlesnakes, cobras, and others. Ever hear of the gaboon viper? The bite is often fatal, and if not, tissue damage may necessitate amputation. Narrowing the list, there are lizards with venom. Unlike snakes, they do not have injection mechanisms. The Gila monster (pronounced HEE-la) in the American Southwest and down Mexico way a mite, latches on and chews its venom in. Rarely dangerous to humans. It is fair to wonder why these exist when creation was very good (Gen. 1:31). Gila monster, Wikimedia Commons / Josh Olander ( CC BY 4.0 ) The question becomes more challenging for biblical creationists because we maintain that in the beginning, everything was vegetarian (Gen. 1:29-30). But some critters are built to be fatal. God created everything with genetic diversity, and one possibility is that when Adam sinned and brought on the curse, genetic switches were activated so they could survive in the changed wor...

Stevia Dolce, the baker at the Darwin Ranch, made one of her stealth visits to my place. (This is because she does not dare show doubts about evolution for fear of her job.) As I chewed on a croissant she brought, Stevia said that her questions may have been tolerated by foreman Rusty Swingset, but she was not sure. The first question is quite reasonable for believers and unbelievers alike: In the Genesis Flood scenario creationists describe, how could the Ark avoid capsizing? Second, why were the animals punished and called "corrupted?" Ark Encounter, Pixabay /  Michael Wysmiersk Those are  good questions. After complimenting Stevia about her thinking (and baking), I admitted that I had a bit of work to do because I had not considered either question very much. Now, I don't think the Ark was the very first ship built, ever; Noah and his sons would have had shipbuilding skills . Also, while the Flood and many aspects of it were miraculous, not everything involved was . Co...

As stated before, when comparing worldviews it is necessary to see if they are consistent within their own frameworks. Christians claim to believe that the Bible is the written Word of God. Biblical creationists go further by declaring that Genesis is a record of recent creation, so written details are accurate. Many people know that the people at Answers in Genesis have the Ark Encounter , which is a theme park featuring a full-sized replica of Noah's Ark built according to biblical specifications. This raises questions about the Bible and the Ark itself. AI-generated Noah's Ark image, Pixabay / dlsdkcgl For the Ark Encounter, Answers in Genesis has conducted a great deal of research. In this first of two articles, the feasibility of the number of animals on the Ark is considered. They did not use the easiest or safest numbers. Mockers will say something like, "The Ark couldn't have held all those animals. Because atheism," or words to that effect. They don't...

A spell back, we examined characteristics of Noah's Ark and saw that the entire process was not just an series of miracles (see " Noah's Ark and the Miraculous " for those article links). Answers in Genesis has spent considerable time on the logistics of the Ark. Here are two more articles of interest. It has been a dogma of Darwinism that early humans swung down from the trees but had not yet evolved intelligence. Numerous examples of their genius ruins evolutionary presuppositions. That is because humans were created with intelligence from the beginning. Grinding peanuts with ox power, Wikimedia Commons / Michael Gunther ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) Indeed, the Bible mentions skills of people before the Genesis Flood which included metalworking and the like. (Some people speculate that Noah and family could have hired people to help build the Ark, even though they would have thought it was foolishness.) They lived a mighty long time, and after the Flood, Noah reached a total o...

Last week, I was riding back from a men's conference on creation with some fellows. As I was making the coffee one morning on the campfire (boil the water in the pot, take it off the heat, scoop in ground up coffee, simmer a spell, add clean, crushed eggshells and all that good stuff), one of the boys asked about Noah's Ark. After I had the coffee done right, I joined the conversation. One fellow said there must have been a passel of miracles to get everyone through. Was the whole Flood a series of miracles? Noah's Ark, Pixabay / Jeff Jacobs (modified at PhotoFunia ) Because of uniformitarian science and evolutionism, people have wondered if the Genesis Flood and Noah's Ark are just myths or parables meant to convey spiritual truths. As discussed before, compare biblical accounts with mythology and huge differences are obvious (for example, the  Māori myths vs. the creation narrative ). Indeed, the Bible is a historical record giving names, times, and other details mi...

Before the chaos of today, young people would eventually grow comfortable in the sexes they were born with. There was therapy for them if needed. Not all that long ago, people were not demanding to have so-called gender reassignment surgery and to be called by pronouns of their choosing. Worse, children are being given puberty blockers which adversely affect their health. Medical professionals are causing harm and making big money doing it. Transsexuals are having regrets over their devastating life-changing choices. Daylily, Pixnio / Bicanski Rebellion against God's design for marriage and authority have been increasing for the past few years, and there is a great deal of pride and selfishness involved. At the beginning of creation, marriage was to be one man and one woman. Marriage has been redefined by courts and legislation by uppity humans. Also, it is impossible  to actually change genders. Hormones, laws, surgeries — but the reality of the sex one was born with persists all ...

A spell back, we used the expensive word anthropomorphize , which basically means to assign human traits to animals and other things . It is also a very common thing to do. Charles Darwin saw evil in the insect world and wondered how a loving God can allow this. Others have wondered about similar things. Evil is actually rebellion against God and his Word, and critters are doing what they know without considering morality. In discussing biology, however, their predatory behavior is often called  natural evil . Wasp on grape, Pixnio / Bicanski We tend to think of the big wasps that sting just about anything, but smaller species escape our attention because they cannot sting us. Wasps often go after each other. After all, they want to survive and reproduce. Their methods are often brutal and even disgusting to us. The source of this behavior is not found in natural science, but theology — go back to Genesis. Who hasn’t had a picnic ruined by angry, stinging wasps coming out of nowher...

As explained previously, this biblical creation science site upholds the authority and accuracy of Scripture, so it is helpful to discuss archaeological and other material on occasion. For example, David, Saul, and Solomon  have been validated, and an ancient Egyptian monument mentioned Judah . Then we encounter tinhorns who say that the early chapters of Genesis are not written as history: The creation week is some kind of framework, or it is mythology used to teach some kind of lesson. Wrong! There are effective ways to determine that Genesis is intended to be read as history. Dame's Rocket, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob When examining claims, doing a internal critique is helpful (similar to how presuppositional apologists show that atheism is incoherent). People can set up questions to see if the Bible is consistent, but also how the rest of the Bible authors treat Genesis. For example, since Jesus said that he came to speak the truth, he referred to Genesis as authoritative and histori...

There are professing Christians that cannot accept the book of Genesis as written, so they insert huge amounts of time between the first two verses of Genesis , say that the creation account was a "framework" , and more. Why these jaspers feel the need to add atheistic interpretations of geology to the Word of God is baffling. It seems that some people grab onto practically anything, no matter how silly, if it makes them feel better. How about a Flood that did not disturb anything? No torrential waters, no flood deposition (which biblical creationists have abundantly documented), but it was tranquil . Leaf floating in water, Pexels / Mathias Reding The theological aspects of a tranquil Flood are easily dispensed by looking at both the Old and New Testaments. Let's consider the physical. Granted, there was not a passel of physics and hydrology back when the idea was proposed like we have today. Even so, it should have been laughed away. Such an amount of water leaving no m...

Wait, what? Malaria has been eradicated in these parts for decades. Well, not really. In a way, it is not entirely surprising for infections to show up. Folks go to countries where it still exists, get bitten by an infected mosquito, then exhibit symptoms later. What is disconcerting is when malaria is locally acquired. On this big continent, conditions have to be right for it to spread. Someone can be a carrier, get bitten by a mosquito, then that  noxious critter bites someone else and gives the gift of malaria. It is not always fatal, and is a disease involving four different parasites. Plasmodium vivax schizonts, CDC / Dr. Mae Melvin It is apparent that Plasmodium vivax has been designed. This touches on an area where creationists have to be ready to explain themselves. Yes, everything was created, and it was very good  at the end of creation week. When Adam sinned, things began to fall apart. Death and disease showed up. Like other things like viruses and bacteria, Plas...

It is a fact of life that, barring medical conditions or accidents, people grow old and eventually take a dirt nap. There have been many efforts to try and find ways to stave off aging, and to find out what causes it in the first place. There is a movement to upgrade ourselves with transhumanism , even to the point of living forever. (There are cautionary tales about regretful immortals who long for death.) It is a good thing to cure illnesses and counteract aging, no need for transhumanism. Old Couple , Vladimir Makovsky, 1889 Those of us who believe the Bible know that aging and death entered into the world when Adam sinned. In Genesis 2:17, God told Adam that the day he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would surely die. People have said the Bible is wrong because Adam and Eve didn't die. However, the more literal translation is dying you shall die . The deterioration began and was passed down to everyone, physically and spiritually. Negative effects of all t...

One of the strongest evidences for the existence of God is specified complexity, whether on the cellular level or living things. Some sidewinders who claim to believe in science latch onto the unscientific opinion  that things only appear  designed. Frankly (mind if I call you Frank?), that is just plain stupid. Evidence for God is all around (Rom. 1:18-24). A spell back, we looked at how honeybees are clearly engineered . Now we will consider how beehives also show engineering, and that beekeeping is an example of stewardship. Honeybee brood frame at Wright-Patterson AFB (public domain, but endorsement is not implied) A bit of terminology. We hear the word brood  frequently used regarding birds and their nests, but it also applies to bees. A brood refers to the eggs and various stages of the development of the young'uns. Briefly, God gave us dominion over the earth,  we are given stewardship to take care of things (Gen. 1:26, 28). You savvy? While beekeeping may be...

With the possible exception of Darwinistic laissez-faire capitalists , most people think it is a good idea to take care of the environment. Today is Earth Day. (No coincidence that it is also Lenin's birthday .) Good work for the environment was hijacked by leftists, but now they are more concerned with foisting anthropogenic climate change on the masses. Some are so weird, they want to give rivers and lakes personhood status ! These people are evolutionists, but ironically, caring for the environment is in keeping with biblical creationist principles. Cattle, Pixnio / Hagerty Ryan, USFWS Back in Genesis, God gave Adam and Eve responsibilities to care for the Garden. This is called the dominion mandate . We are stewards and receive many of the benefits, but ultimately, God is the owner (see Psalm 50:7-15). It is not an exact comparison, but Mark 12:1-12 has the Parable of the Tenants. They worked for the owner and received some of the goods, but he retained all the rights — even a...

As noted by many, historical disciplines such as origins science, geography, archaeology, and other things are forensic in nature . To reconstruct the past (with or without Gil Grissom and people like that), procedures similar to law enforcement detective work are utilized. The Bible is a historical document that has never been refuted in any way, and there are numerous clues in the texts to help researchers go all Lt. Columbo. Genesis includes details about Joseph, for instance. Connect those with other historical facts, archaeology, and science, pictures of the past emerge. Sphinx and pyramid, RGBStock /  Michal Zacharzewski Someone was able to know that a certain mummy was of an Egyptian nobleman because of the smell. The better processes and perfumes for embalming were utilized by families that could afford them, so chemistry as well as history and culture provide clues to the bigger picture. Indeed, some of the containers were labeled as to ingredients and purposes, others we...

Scorpions have a reputation for being fierce killers, but only a few deserve it. Most are like snakes, wanting to go about their business, only striking at humans when they feel threatened. Few have venom that is dangerous, but this child still prefers to keep them at a distance. Some folks  consider them pests  (even though they eat other pests). In warmer climates, desert scorpions have their limits and will enter homes to cool off in the air conditioning. Much obliged, Pard! The dangerous bark scorpion is fond of climbing, so that is a problem in someone's home. Scorpion, WikiComm / Marshal Hedin ( CC BY-SA 2.0 ), modified at remove bg , Pixlr Apparently nobody knows why they show up under UV light, but that is to our advantage. Another interesting fact is that scorpion venom is used to fight cancer . In the Southwest of the formerly United States, the Mojave Desert claims territory in four states. Desert scorpions go out at night to hunt for food. Physicists can describe ...

Try a different kind of relativity. Kingston, New York has a corner in town where four buildings exist that were built around the time of the Revolutionary War. Quite a bit older than apartment complexes in the area. St. Augustine was established in 1565. Pretty old, but that would make someone from Europe yawn because they have some very old areas. Rome, Italy is thought to have been founded in 753 BC. Do we have a winner? Not yet. Take a look at Jerusalem, that  is old! But then...Babylon. Tower of Babel  by Lucas van Valckenborch, 1594 Babylon is the oldest city. Period. The Bible is the primary historical document, and Genesis tells us that after the global Flood, people weren't interested in obeying God and dispersing around the world. Nimrod was a bad dude  (even worse than Corn Pop ). He was a tyrant, organizer, city founder, and built the Tower of Babel. Nimrod was the Devil's quockerwodger . We have the Bible as history, and there are other historical and archaeo...

Unlike Mt. Sinai , the location of Mt. Hermon seems to be undisputed. (Certain things about its ownership are contested by nations, but never mind about that now.) As it is with other mountainous areas, it is difficult to identify  that one ; Mt. Hermon has three distinct peaks. It is significant in the Bible for several reasons , such as a border marker and probably the place of Jesus' transfiguration. It has also been sacred to other people for a mighty long time. Perhaps there is something to the idea that it was home to the Nephilim? Mount Hermon, Library of Congress , 1905 People have long been interested in end-times prophecy, and it seems to be increasing because of the state of the world today. Mt. Hermon is a focal point for some views. This child is mostly convinced about the identity of the Nephilim, but people have differing views from their own reasons. I have no interest in presenting my beliefs here. Instead, there are things to consider when people who erroneo...

Imagine you are the near-earth asteroid Didymos, going through space and making chin music with Dimorphos about why neither of you is named after a false god. Suddenly, bam ! Your moon takes it on the chin from a human space vehicle that was designed to crash into it. To add insult to injury, the orbit of Dimorphos was noticeably changed.  Actually, this rude behavior was planned by NASA to see if it was possible to deflect a menacing asteroid headed toward Earth. Dimorphos, NASA / Johns Hopkins APL (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Yes, there have been big meteorite and asteroid strikes on Earth in the past, and there's a passel of 'stroids out yonder. One of significant size striking could be devastating to life here. Scientists wondered if they could make an impact (heh!) and possibly redirect this one through the DART project. The Italian Space Agency spiced things up by furnishing a spacecraft that rode along on DART, detaching a few days before the col...

People may wonder why creationists discuss archaeology so often, since it does not seem to have any bearing on creation evidence. While archaeology does not have direct  application to the creation account, it provides useful evidence used for creation science. It also supports biblical history. Archaeology is a relatively young science, obviously having inherent difficulties because of the time involved. E.g., some places are thousands of years old, possibly buried in sand, people have built homes or cities on sites of interest. When something like the location of Sodom and Gomorrah of Genesis 18-19 is announced, people tend to take notice. Landscape with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah / Joachim Patinir , 1520 Sodom was not just a hick town, but rather a region that included a large city, its sister city Gomorrah, and several other cities. Because of the tremendous amount of time, ideas as to its location that have been proposed for its location are conflicting. Here we con...