Download October 2010 PDF - Institute for Creation Research

Celebrating our 40th anniversary, we share with you one of ICR founder Dr. Henry Morris’favorite pieces of encouragement during his lifetime.“Others May, You Cannot”If God has called you to be really like Jesus, He willdraw you to a life of crucifixion and humility, andput upon you such demands of obedience, that youwill not be able to follow other people, or measureyourself by other Christians, and in many ways He willseem to let other good people do things which He will notlet you do.Other Christians and ministers who seem very religiousand useful may push themselves, pull wires, andwork schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot doit; and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure andrebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.Others may boast of themselves, of their work, oftheir success, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will notallow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He willlead you into some deep mortification that will make youdespise yourself and all your good works.Others may be allowed to succeed in making money,or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God willkeep you poor, because He wants you to have somethingfar better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence onHim, that He may have the privilege of supplying yourneeds day by day out of an unseen treasury.The Lord may let others be honored and put forward,and keep you hidden in obscurity, because He wantsyou to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His comingglory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may letothers be great, but keep you small. He may let others doa work for Him and get the credit of it, but He will makeyou work and toil on without knowing how much you aredoing; and then to make your work still more precious, Hemay let others get the credit for the work which you havedone, and thus make your reward ten times greater whenJesus comes.The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, witha jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings,or for wasting your time, which other Christians neverseem distressed over. So make up your mind that Godis an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do as He pleaseswith His own.He may not explain to you a thousand things whichpuzzle your reason in His dealings with you. But if you absolutelysell yourself to be His…slave, He will wrap youup in a jealous love, and bestow upon you many blessingswhich come only to those who are in the inner circle.Settle it forever, then, that you are to deal directlywith the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilegeof tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closingyour eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others.Now when you are so possessed with the living Godthat you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delightedover this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianshipand management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you willhave found the vestibule of Heaven.George Douglas Watson, 1845-1924(public domain)

FROM THE EDITORPioneering a Global MovementThis month the Institute for CreationResearch marks the 40th anniversaryof this ministry, looking back withgratitude for four decades of God’sfaithfulness and looking forward to the plansand projects that lie ahead according to His will.We’ll come together on October 7 for a joyouscelebration of this significant milestone at ourbanquet in Dallas, featuring special guest Dr. R.Albert Mohler, president of the Southern BaptistTheological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.Read his feature article this month on the age ofthe universe.In the early 1970s, I lived in San Diego,where our founder Dr. Henry Morris launchedICR along with Dr. Tim LaHaye, who was mypastor at the time. What I didn’t know then washow many years earlier Dr. Morris had begunwriting and teaching on the subject of creationscience, even back to 1948!Those today who declare they’ve come upwith a “new” way of looking at the Genesis narrativeor creation science are really just buildingon the concepts developed by Henry Morris,John Whitcomb, Duane Gish, and others whopioneered creation science many decades earlier.The Genesis Flood, that seminal work by Whitcomband Morris, was published in 1961 andhas been in continuous publication for nearly 50years! Dr. Morris, even while serving as chairmanof Virginia Tech’s engineering school, continuedto teach and write on the issues of science andthe Bible, helping Christians understand thatGenesis is just as true as the rest of Scripture andhelping scientists understand that they don’tneed to compromise their belief in the Bible asprofessionals. For more than two decades beforeICR was founded, Henry Morris pioneered theunderstanding of modern science and the Bible,for which he is remembered as the father of themodern creation science movement, even by hisdetractors.And yet, what did Dr. Morris reveal thatwas new? King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes1:9 that “there is no new thing under the sun.”I think Dr. Morris would be the first to say“Amen!” to this.Perhaps we could say that he highlightedrecent science data in light of Genesis, helping usall to see 1) that the Bible is true and can be trusted,and 2) that science, studied and interpretedproperly, fits the creationist understanding oforigins and earth history. He taught us that theWord of God always trumps the words of men,even learned men with Ph.D.’s like himself. Hereminded us that despite Darwin’s influence overmodern science, God is not an evolutionist andHis Word does not contain evolutionary ideaslike the Big Bang, millions and billions of years,common ancestry, death before sin, etc.A pioneer? Absolutely! But I think Dr. Morriswould be the first to admit that he was simplypointing us all back to an unshakeable faith in theWord of God.While we remember the life and legacy ofour founder, we honor the object of his affections,our Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, for whom Dr.Morris spent a lifetime in service.Lawrence E. FordEx e c u t i v e Ed i to rCONTENTS4WhyDoes the UniverseLook So Old?R. Albert Mohler, Jr., Ph.D.8 PresuppositionalResearch and theDefinition of KindNathaniel T. Jeanson, Ph.D.Similar Features Show10 Design, Not DescentRandy J. Guliuzza, P.E., M.D.12Greatest Earthquakes ofthe BibleSteven A. Austin, Ph.D.Dinosaurs According16 to Their CreatorJohn D. Morris, Ph.D.1719Survival of the Fitted:God’s ProvidentialProgrammingJames J. S. Johnson, J.D., Th.D.40 Years of BlessingHenry M. Morris IVLetters to the Editor2021An Inconvenient TruthHenry M. Morris III, D.Min.Published byInstitute for Creation ResearchP. O. Box 59029, Dallas, TX 75229214.615.8300www.icr.orgExecutive Editor: Lawrence E. FordManaging Editor: Beth MullAssistant Editor: Christine DaoDesigner: Dennis DavidsonNo articles may be reprinted inwhole or in part without obtainingpermission from ICR.OCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS3

Wh y Do e st h e UniverseLo o k So Old?The Theological Costs of Old-Earth ThinkingR . A L B E R T M O H L E R , J r . , P h . D .The mention of Genesis 1:1 in today’s academic circles, whethersecular or Christian, evokes far more heated responses thanone might assume in our science-saturated culture. Secularatheists are confident that the question of origins is a matteranswered only by approaching the evidence through naturalistic science.There is no room for God in their conclusions. Christian intellectuals, onthe other hand, are even now wrestling with this subject in the contextof trying to discover harmony between science and faith, between theassured results of empirical scientific pursuits and the bedrock doctrinesof biblical Christianity. Can there be harmony between the two? And ifso, at what cost?The question that brings focus to the conversation between scienceand the Bible is one that highlights several key issues regarding the trustworthinessof science, the reliability of the Scriptures, and the worldviewsthat govern our understanding of both. The question is: Why does theuniverse look so old?Our answers are limited. Maybe the universe looks so old becauseit is so old. Perhaps it is not actually as old as it looks. Somemight simply say, “We can’t answer the question,” or even, “The questionisn’t important.”On the contrary, the question is extremely important and one forwhich Christians should be ready to give an answer. That answer, however,must satisfy both the text and the grand narrative of Scripture.The straightforward and direct reading of Genesis 1:1–2:3 describesseven 24-hour days—six days of creative activity and a final dayof divine rest. It is clearly a sequential pattern of creation. This view, whilenot absolutely unanimous or without controversy, was the untroubledconsensus and traditional view of the Christian church until early in the19th century.Over the last 200 years, four great challenges to the traditionalreading of Genesis have emerged.The first challenge was the geological record, which revealed topost-Enlightenment explorers, scientists, and Christians a story aboutfossils and strata around the globe that gave them pause when attemptingto understand this new data in light of the traditional, biblical accountof early earth history.4 ACTS&FACTS • OCTOBER 2010

Secondly, the emergence of Darwin’stheory of origins by means of natural selection,which has since become the bedrock for evolutionarytheory across the sciences, presented adirect challenge to the traditional interpretationof Genesis.The third great challenge came with thediscovery of ancient Near Eastern parallels tothe Genesis account, such as the Enuma Elishand the Epic of Gilgamesh. As scholars beganto study these documents, some began to seeGenesis as just one more ancient Near Easterncreation story.Finally, higher criticism played a majorrole in challenging the authenticity, accuracy,and, ultimately, the authority of the Genesisaccount of origins and earth history. Predominantlyseen through the use of the DocumentaryHypothesis (or JEDP theory), theologicalcriticism at this level sought to castdoubts on the authorship of the OldTestament books, which led thesescholars to view the books of Mosesand other writers as merely humandocuments.The answer to the question“why does the universe look so old?”must be considered with these challenges inmind.So, just how old does the universe look?Currently, the scientific consensus suggeststhe earth and our own solar system areapproximately 4.5 billion years old. The ageof the universe is now said to be about 13.5billion years old, which is essentially a mathematicalextrapolation of data from radiometricdating evidence, the estimated start of a BigBang, and theories related to the expansion ofthe universe.The major scientific assumption controllingthe long ages of the earth and the universeis the idea of uniformitarianism, a theorymade in the early 19th century by Charles Lyelland others that suggests the processes we observetoday are a constant guide to how physicalprocesses have always operated. If processesappear slow and gradual today, and if theseprocesses have always operated in this manner,then the earth must be much, much older thanreligious texts, such as Genesis, suggest.In contrast, the inference and consensusof the church through all of these centuries isthat the earth and the universe are very young,only several thousand years old.Thus, the disparity between evolutionarytheory and the biblical account on the age of theuniverse is no small matter. Rather, it is one thatcomes with huge theological consequences.Baptist professor William Dembskispeaks of our current mental environmentshaped by the intellectual assumption that theworld is very old. Thus, to speak in confrontationto this environment, it is implied, comesat a significant cost.For example, renowned theologian BruceWaltke recently became a focus of controversyafter appearing on a video where he arguedthat, unless evangelical Christians accept thetheory of evolution, we will be reduced to theThe di s pa r i t y be t w e e n ev o l u t i o n a ryt h e o r y an d th e bi b l i c a l ac c o u n t on th ea g e of th e un i v e r s e is no sm a l l mat t e r.Ra t h e r , it is on e th a t co m e s wi t h hu g et h e o l o g i c a l co n s e q u e n c e s .status of a theological and intellectual cult.Bernard Ramm, a well-known evangelicaltheologian of the 20th century, also arguedthat there must be an acceptance of evolutionarytheory among evangelicals.The four horsemen of the new atheism—Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris,and Christopher Hitchens—argue that evolutionis the final nail in the coffin of theism. The“assured” findings and conclusions of modernscience make not only the book of Genesis, butalso theism, untenable.Richard Dawkins, in particular, testifiesthat Darwinism is what allowed him to becomean intellectually-fulfilled atheist. In hisnew book The Greatest Show on Earth, Dawkinsgoes so far as to suggest that deniers ofevolutionary theory should be as intellectuallyscorned and marginalized as Holocaust deniers.Evolution, he says, is a fact no intelligentperson can deny.And yet, there is a panic among the culturaland intellectual elites, who scratch theirheads in incredulity that after 150 years of theDarwinist revolution, a majority of Americansstill reject the theory of evolution.There is also panic among evangelicals.Bruce Waltke is just the tip of the iceberg. FrancisCollins, Peter Enns, Karl Giberson, DarrelFalk, and other thinkers at the BioLogos Forum,for example, are pushing back against thetraditional view of Genesis, offering seeminglyscholarly arguments that the Bible must beread in light of evolutionary science.Francis Collins, founder of BioLogos andPresident Obama’s choice to head the NationalInstitutes of Health, makes the point in hisbook The Language of God that we will actuallylose credibility sharing the Gospel of Christ ifwe do not shed ourselves of anti-intellectualism,which the elites will judge to be ours if wedo not accept the theory of evolution.In light of this, what are our majoroptions? There are essentially four maintheories of interpreting Genesis in relationto creation and the age of the earth.The first, of course, is the traditional24-hour calendar day view. This isthe most straightforward reading of thetext. The pattern of evening and morning,the literary structure, the testimony of therest of Scripture—all point to 24-hour dayswhen studied in a common sense fashion.The second option is the day-age theory.In this view, the Hebrew word yom is seen torefer to a much more indefinite and presumablyvery long period of time. These “age-long”days are described as overlapping and not entirelydistinct, and they are not to be taken as24-hour calendar days. Of the long-age theories,the day-age approach is much less problematicon exegetical grounds, involving farfewer entanglements and issues. But its problemsgo beyond mere exegesis.The third option is the framework theory.Here, the reader leaps over the question ofthe length of the days and concludes that theGenesis account is only a literary framework,a way of telling a story about the providentialcreation by God. It assumes long ages and hasno need of a sequential ordering of creationevents. However, this is indefensible in light ofthe text of Scripture, in which God reveals as-OCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS5

The ex e g e t i c a l co s t —th e co s t oft h e in t e g r i t y an d in t e r p r e tat i o no f Sc r i p t u r e —to re n d e r i n g th e te x tin an y ot h e r w a y is ju s t to o hi g h .But th e th e o l o g i c a l co s t is ac t u a l lyf a r hi g h e r .tounding historical detail and divine order.The fourth option is to essentially takeGenesis 1–11 as literary myth, similar to otherancient Near Eastern creation stories, given forthe benefit of the new Hebrew nation. Thisview must be rejected out of hand as a directcontradiction to the inerrancy and infallibilityof Scripture.Of all of these options, only a 24-hourday creation necessitates a young earth. Therest of them allow for, if not directly imply, avery old earth.What is most lacking in the evangelicalmovement today is a consideration of thetheological cost of holding to an old earth.This entire conversation is either missing ormarginalized. The exegetical cost—the cost ofthe integrity and interpretation of Scripture—to rendering the text in any other way is justtoo high. But the theological cost is actually farhigher.As we are looking at the Scripture, weunderstand it to be as it claims, the inerrantWord of God—every word inspired by theHoly Spirit. This is an inscripturated revelationof the one true and living God who hastold a story through the text, a grand narrativeof creation, Fall, redemption, and consummation,to which we are all ultimatelyaccountable.The biblical record of creation is morethan just a statement of fact. It is a purposefulaccount of why the universe was created bya sovereign, holy, and benevolent God as thetheater of His own glory. It reveals purpose notonly in creation, but also as part of redemptivehistory. The doctrine of creation is absolutelyinseparable from the doctrine of redemption.The account of the Fall in Genesis 3 describeshuman sinfulness and Adam’s headship,and, consequently, why this story has affectedthe creation ever since, why things arebroken today, and how it happened. The worldwe know and observe is a Genesis 3 world—it is a fallen creation. More importantly, it isclear that if all we had were merely these firsttwo movements of Scripture’s redemptive historicalnarrative, we would be lost and foreverunder the righteous judgment and wrath ofGod.But the narrative of God’s revelationdoes not leave out the remarkable plan of redemption,which God prepared before theuniverse was created. Scripture presents thisin terms of the person and work of Christ, themeaning of His atonement, and the richness ofthe Gospel.And finally, Scripture points us towardconsummation, a final judgment, the newJerusalem, a new heaven, and a new earth. Itpoints to the reign of God at the end of historyand the conclusion of this age. In the newcreation, God will be known not only as Creatorbut also as Redeemer, His glory being infinitelygreater by our beholding, by the fact thatwe know Him now as those who have beenbought with a price, redeemed by the blood ofthe Lamb, and ushered into His presence.Our accountability to this grand narrativeof redemptive history involvestwo crucial issues: the historicityof Adam and Eve, and the historicityof the Fall.In Romans 5:12 we read,“Therefore, just as sin came intothe world through one man, anddeath through sin, and so deathspread to all men because allsinned.” Paul bases his understanding of humansinfulness and of Adam’s headship overthe human race on a historical Adam and ahistorical fall.The inference of an old earth is basedupon certain evidences that also tell a story.The fossils, for instance, are telling a story ofsupposedly millions and billions of years ofcreation before the arrival of Adam. But thescientific consensus of the meaning of thatevidence goes much further, suggesting theexistence of hominids and pre-hominids inthe hundreds of thousands. Holding to an oldearth as well as to the historicity of Adam andEve requires an arbitrary intervention of Godinto a process of billions of years of biologicaldevelopment in which He acts unilaterally tocreate Adam and Eve.The contemporary conversation regardingthe biblical account of creation and theage of the earth has led some to redefine whoAdam was. In his commentary on the bookof Romans, John Stott actually suggests thatAdam was an existing hominid that God adoptedin a special way, implanting His imageon a Homo sapien already in existence. Theologically,this requires that the other Homosapiens alive on the earth were not the imagebearers of God.Denis Alexander in his new book Creationor Evolution: Do We Have to Choose? suggeststhat “God in his grace chose a couple ofneolithic farmers to whom he chose to revealhimself in a special way, calling them into fellowshipwith himself so that they might knowhim as a personal God.” A couple of Neolithicfarmers? Is that in any way a possible, legitimateexegetical reading of Genesis? More disturbingis not the contents of the book, but the endorsementfrom J. I. Packer on the front cover,who says, “Surely the best informed, clearest,and most judicious treatment of the questionand title that you can find anywhere today.”Peter Enns, a fellow at the BioLogosForum, wrote a series of articles on “Paul’sAdam,” in which he states, “For Paul, Adamand Eve were the parents of the human race.This is possible but not satisfying for those familiarwith either the scientific or archaeologicaldata.” He suggests that we must abandonPaul’s Adam; Paul, as far as he refers to Adam,was limited by his dependence on primitiveunderstandings.Karl Giberson, a professor at EasternNazarene University and Vice President of BioLogos,says, “Clearly the historicity of Adamand Eve and their fall from grace are hard toreconcile with natural history.” He continues:One could believe, for example, that atsome point in evolutionary history God“chose” two people from a group of evolvinghumans, gave them his image, andput them in Eden, which they promptly6 ACTS&FACTS • OCTOBER 2010

corrupted by sinning. But this solution isunsatisfactory, artificial, and certainly notwhat the writer of Genesis intended.Dr. Giberson is not someone attemptingto defend the book of Genesis; his goal is to defendthe theory of evolution.An old earth understanding is difficultto reconcile with a historical Adam in terms ofGenesis and Romans. It entangles many difficultiesin terms of both exegesis and a redemptivehistorical understanding of Scripture. Thisbecomes clearer in view of the second great issueat stake, which is the Fall.From Genesis 3 and the entire narrativeof Scripture (e.g., Romans 8), what we knowin the world today as catastrophe, as naturaldisaster, earthquake, destruction by volcaniceruption, pain, death, violence, predation—allof these are results of the Fall. Attempting toreconcile this doctrine with an old earth createsenormous problems, perhaps most clearlyillustrated by how Adam’s sin is handled.Was it true that, as Paul argues, when sincame, death also came? If we attempt to inferthat the earth is old because of scientific consensus,we must recognize that this consensusalso claims that the effects of sin—death bythe millions and billions—were present longbefore the emergence of Adam (or a first human),and certainly long before there was thepossibility of Adam’s sin. These effects are biblicallyattributed only to the Fall. No Christianreading the Scripture alone would ever cometo such a conclusion—ever.In Romans 1, Paul writes not only thatGod has revealed Himself in nature, but alsothat in nature—in what some call the book ofnature—even His invisible attributes shouldbe clearly seen. We learn a lot of commonsense observational truth from looking at thebook of nature. We are given the intellectualresponsibility to know our world because Godhas revealed nature to be intelligible. But clearlythere is a problem, one that takes us back tothe Fall.Paul makes clear that, even though Godhas revealed Himself in nature—so that no oneis with excuse—given the cloudiness of our visionand the corruption of our sight, we canno longer see what is clearly there. The heavensare telling the glory of God, buthuman sinfulness refuses to seewhat is plainly evident.Theological disaster ensueswhen the book of nature (generalrevelation) is used to trump God’sspecial revelation, when scienceis placed over Scripture as authoritative andcompelling. And that is the very heart of thisdiscussion. While some would argue that theScriptures are not in danger, the current conversationon this subject is leading down a paththat will do irrevocable harm to our evangelicalaffirmation of the accuracy and authorityof God’s Word.Kenton Sparks, for example, writing forBioLogos, suggests that any rendering of theBible as inerrant makes the acceptance of theisticevolution impossible. Certainly implausible.Evangelicalism, he says, has painted itselfinto a corner—we have put ourselves into anintellectual cul-de-sac with our understandingof biblical inerrancy. He suggests that the Bibleindeed should be recognized as containing historical,theological, and moral error.Peter Enns, one of the most frequentcontributors to BioLogos, suggests that wehave to come to the understanding that, whenit comes to many of the scientific and historicalclaims, the writers of Scriptures were plainlywrong.Thus, each time the scientific establishmentissues a consensus understanding of whatis found in nature, should Christians rethinktheir views on other issues of biblical importance,such as the virgin birth or Christ’s resurrectionfrom the dead? Are we going to takeour cosmology or the redemptive historicalunderstanding of Scripture and submit theseto interrogation by what we are told are the assuredresults of modern science? Doing so willcertainly lead to disaster, to a head-on collisionthat should compel Christians to understandjust what is at stake theologically and to be preparedto give biblically-sound answers.Why does the universe look so old? First,the most natural understanding from Scriptureon the age of the universe is this: The universelooks old because the Creator made it whole.When He made Adam, Adam was not aThe o l o g i c a l di s a s t e r en s u e s wh e n th eb o o k of nat u r e (g e n e r a l re v e l at i o n) isu s e d to tr u m p Go d ’s sp e c i a l re v e l at i o n,w h e n sc i e n c e is pl a c e d ov e r Sc r i p t u r ea s au t h o r i tat i v e an d co m p e l l i n g.fetus; Adam was a man. He had the appearanceof a man, which by our understanding wouldhave required time for Adam to get old. Butnot by the sovereign creative power of God. Heput Adam in the garden. The garden was notmerely seeds; it was a fertile, fecund, maturegarden. The Genesis account clearly claimsthat God creates and makes things whole.Secondly, the universe looks old becauseit bears testimony to the effects of sin,and thus the judgment of God seen throughthe catastrophe of the Flood and catastrophesinnumerable thereafter. The world looks oldbecause, as Paul says in Romans 8, it is groaning.It gives empirical evidence of the realityof sin. And even as this cosmos is the theaterof God’s glory, it is more precisely the theaterof God’s glory for the drama of redemptionthat takes place here on this planet in tellingthe story of the love of God. Is this compatiblewith the claim that the universe is 13.5 billionyears old?In our effort to be most faithful to theScriptures and most accountable to the grandnarrative of the Gospel, an understanding ofcreation in terms of 24-hour calendar days anda young earth entails far fewer complications,far fewer theological problems, and actually isthe most straightforward and uncomplicatedreading of the text as we come to understandGod telling us how the universe came to beand why it matters.The universe is telling the story of theglory of God, the Ancient of Days.Adapted from Dr. Mohler’s speech “Why Does the UniverseLook So Old?” given on June 19 at the Ligonier Ministries 2010National Conference. To viewDr. Mohler’s entire presentation,visit www.christianity.com/ligonier.Dr. Mohler serves as presidentof the Southern Baptist TheologicalSeminary. Author ofnumerous books, Dr. Mohleraddresses issues in light of biblicaltruth. Read more atwww.AlbertMohler.com.OCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS7

RESEARCHPresuppositional Researchand the Definition of KindN a t h a n i e l T . J e a n s o n , P h . D .What is best way to classifycreatures? One of theresearch focuses of the ICRlife sciences team is thequestion of biblical taxonomy. 1 A debate existsover the definition of the key scriptural termrelevant to this subject, the word translatedas kind. The ICR team is employing a specificmethodology to resolve the question.We practice biblical textual researchin the same way we practice origins biologyresearch—presuppositionally. When we doscience, we presuppose (assume) that the Bibleis accurate in its descriptions of nature, andthen we perform experiments to fill in detailsthat the Bible omits. In biblical research, wepresuppose that the Bible itself is the best toolto understand the biblical text. This seeminglycontradictory statement entails that when wewant to understand the meaning of a word orpassage in the text, we consult other scripturalpassages that use the word, or other verses thatcomment on the passage in question. We donot rely on science or extra-biblical sourceswhen trying to understand the meaning of atext like Genesis 1-11, or of a term such as kind.Thus, the first step of our research inquiry is topresuppose that Scripture is sufficient to revealthe definition of kind.This presuppositional approach toBible research makes biblical sense. First, thisapproach honors Scripture as the ultimatesource of truth. If we use extra-biblical literatureto inform the meaning of the scripturaltext, we tacitly elevate the extra-biblical texts toa place of authority higher than the Bible itself.This undermines the very reason we consultthe Bible first—the fact that it is the only completelyreliable source of truth about the past.Second, our methodology honors theunity of the Bible and the omniscience andomnipotence of God. Though the Bible waswritten by many human authors, it has a singledivine Author who knows the end from thebeginning and who chose exactly what materialHe wanted in the Bible for a purpose thatspans all of history.This is illustrated by the following example.To discern the meaning and purpose ofGenesis 1-3, let us ask a few questions of thetext: Why did God include so much detail inGenesis 1-3? Why not just say, “God createdeverything perfect, and then humans messedit up”? When trying to answer these questionspresuppositionally, by consulting other versesin Scripture, we discover a fantastic truth: Godknew and planned that, at the end of time,there would be a people “born” 2 to whom Hewould give dominion and rule. 3 This is an exactrecovery of the primeval mandate to be fruitfuland to have dominion, 4 commands that werefrustrated as a result of mankind’s rebellionagainst God. 5 Thus, one of the reasons thatGod included the detail that He did in Genesis1-3 was to instruct us about His eternal cosmicplan. This conclusion is in stark contrastto the parochial speculations reached by somewho insist on interpreting the passage in lightof extra-biblical literature. 6For this presuppositional research inquiryinto the definition of the biblical term kind, theICR life sciences team will benefit from one ofICR’s apologetics professors, Dr. Jim Johnson.He has previously done a presuppositional biblicalresearch study on Peleg 7 and will be applyingthe same methodology to the study of kind.Please keep us in prayer as we embark on thisimportant and fascinating task.References1. Jeanson, N. 2010. Common Ancestry and the Bible—Discerning Where to Draw the Line. Acts & Facts. 39 (6):6.2. John 3:3.3. Matthew 25:21, 23; Luke 19:17, 19.4. Genesis 1:28.5. Genesis 3:16-19.6. Some claim that Genesis 1-11 was written as a polemicagainst Egyptian or Mesopotamian gods and that, therefore,the meaning of the text is best understood in light ofthis local historical context.7. Morris, J. D. and J. J. S. Johnson. 2009. Rightly “Dividing”the Word about Peleg.Paper presented to theCreation Research Society,Lancaster, South Carolina,July 10, 2009. Available onwww.icr.org.Dr. Jeanson is Research Associateand received his Ph.D. inCell and Developmental Biologyfrom Harvard University.8 ACTS&FACTS • OCTOBER 2010

EVENTSICREventsn October 1-2Everett, WANew Life Foursquare Church(J. Morris) 206.465.1635n October 2-3Maywood, ILWoodside Bible Chapel(Thomas) 708.345.6563n October 7Dallas, TXInstitute for Creation Research40th Anniversary Banquet800.337.0375n October 7-8Orlando, FLFlorida Association of ChristianColleges and Schools ChristianEducators’ Convention(Sherwin) 954.517.9500n October 10Fairbanks, AKBible Baptist Church(Guliuzza) 907.452.1407n October 10Fairbanks, AKMcGrath Road Baptist Church(Guliuzza) 907.457.4611n October 11-15Fairbanks, AKUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks(Guliuzza) 907.474.6019n October 13Fairbanks, AKBible Baptist Church(Guliuzza) 907.452.1407n October 13Fairbanks, AKHamilton Acres Baptist Church(Guliuzza) 907.456.5995n October 14-16Fort Worth, TXTrue Woman ’10 Conference877.966.2608n October 17-18Jacksonville, TXJacksonville College(Jeanson) 903.721.4821n October 22-23Westby, WILiving Waters Bible Camp(Sherwin) 608.634.4373n October 24La Crosse, WIBethany Evangelical FreeChurch(Sherwin) 608.781.2466n October 28-29Sacramento, CAAssociation of Christian SchoolsInternational Convention(Guliuzza) 719.528.6906For more information on theseevents or to schedule an event,please contact the ICR EventsDepartment at 800.337.0375 orevents@icr.org.For information on attendingACSI conventions, visitwww.acsi.org or call 719.528.6906De m a n d t h e Ev id e n c eCo n f e r e n c e in Ce d a r Hi l lLast fall, the Institute for Creation Research presented threeDemand the Evidence conferences in Jacksonville, Florida;Sun Valley, California; and Dallas, Texas. These major creationapologetics conferences presented scientific evidenceand scriptural insights to answer questions such as:• Can Genesis be trusted when it says God created the world in 6days?• What does belief in evolution say about the character of God?• Is the earth really millions or billions of years old?• Who has the last word on interpreting what God said anddid—scientists or Scripture?ICR is continuing this vital outreach in cities across America. OnAugust 22, Hillcrest Baptist Church in Cedar Hill, Texas, hosted a specialDemand the Evidenceconference designed aroundtheir normal Sunday services.In the first and secondworship hours, Dr. HenryMorris III presented “TheControversy Over Creation:Why does creation createsuch strong reactions?”During the same time periods,Dr. Randy Guliuzzaaddressed the combined adult Sunday School classes on “The Importanceof the Doctrine of Creation.”Dr. John Morris taught the children’s Sunday School on the everpopularsubject of dinosaurs, while Lalo Gunther—former Californiagang member and current ICR Special Events Coordinator—sharedhis insights on “The Genesis Worldview” with junior and senior highschoolers. Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson brought “The Bible and BiologicalChange” to the college class, and after lunch Dr. Randy Guliuzza spoketo a combined audience on the engineering wonders of the humanbody in “Made in His Image.”After his morning talks, Dr. Guliuzza was approached by a congregantwho said, “In 30-some years of following creation, Demand theEvidence was the first time there was an exposition from a Bible passagethat showed how it fit into science and was totally true.” Three highschool students commented that it was like getting a science lesson inchurch, “except I learned more science here than in school.”This is one of a number of events that ICR can bring to your area.If you would like to schedule a Sunday event like this, or to find outmore information about the other events we offer, contact 800.337.0375or events@icr.org.OCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS9

elated to George Washington,” Cataloging common attributes is generallyan acquaintance announced after objective scientific inquiry, but explaining theirsearching his genealogical record. origin through common ancestry is subjective.“I’mHe also believes he is closely related Before Darwin, the common attributes sharedto chimpanzees. Though he doesn’t really by different types of, say, fish or birds were usefulfor classifying the living things of nature.look like either, all three do share a lot of similarfeatures.But they were only that—common attributes.So, are similar looks or features enough When discussing the similar featuresto establish whether these three are related of organisms with friends, it is important toclosely, remotely, or not at all in regard to their first point out that all that can be definitivelyancestry? No. Similar looks and features can be claimed about them scientifically is that they arevery deceiving. A true relationship is actually afact-based connection. A line of connectedbirth certificates is factualevidence that can be verified.Just comparing similar features—oreven DNA—todetermine related ancestryis always an inferencewith a probabilityof being right rangingfrom high to zero.If all organismshad completely differentfeatures, there might notbe any discussion of thembeing related by commondescent. However, evolutionistshave effectively soldthe idea that when peoplesee similarities, they actually“see” remnants of commonancestry. Seeing somethingcarries emotional links. Sopersuading an evolutionist,who feels deep down insidethat all life is somehow connected,to replace his inference-basedaccount of similaritieswith a design-based R a n d y J . G u l i u z z a , P . E . , M . D .explanation is challenging.similar—which may or may not be relevant. BeThe good news is the Bible’s assuranceprepared to avoid getting sidetracked and staythat the Lord’s designs in nature are “clearlyon topic. The issues are explaining where structuresoriginally come from, and whether thereseen” (Romans 1:20), which means that Hiscreative witness has real power to cause blindedis a scientifically plausible mechanism that canminds (2 Corinthians 4:4) to see truth.change one kind of creature into a fundamentallydifferent kind of creature.Homology: Another Circular EvolutionaryNext, point out that for Darwin and hisConceptfollowers, it is only self evidence that similarRelated—a word that could mean sharingcommon attributes or common ancestry. them, this is an axiom—an obviousfeatures are explained by common descent. Fortruth—not needing outside experimental validation.In 1859, Darwin’s explanation was more likedogma: “The similar framework of bones inthe hand of a man, wing of a bat, fin of theporpoise, and leg of the horse…and innumerableother such facts, at once explain themselveson the theory of descent with slow and slightsuccessive modification.” 1 In even today’s bestscientific journals, the treatment is unchanged.Thus, common ancestry is the explanation forcommon attributes and common attributes arethe evidence of common ancestry.Just like “natural selection” and“survival of the fittest,” commonancestry is the self-apparentexplanation for commonfeatures only becausethe thinking is circular.Circular argumentsare naturally selfcertifying.In this case,circularity has evenadvanced to the pointof definition: “Althoughancestry was at firstviewed only as an explanationfor homology [similarfeatures], it soon was incorporatedinto the definition.” 2Similar Features MeanCommon Ancestry…Except When They Don’t“Inconsistent” is thebest word to stress in conversationsto describe how evolutionistscompare similarfeatures among organisms.This is because similar featuresare just that—similar—and the myriad of combinations that organismspossess does not necessarily fit branching evolutionarytrees. If evolutionists believe a similarfeature is from a common ancestor, it is due to“divergent evolution.” And if organisms share asimilar feature not due to common ancestry, itis conveniently called “convergent evolution.”Scientific-sounding lingo is substitutedfor data to explain why organisms with essentiallyno common ancestry have extraordinarilysimilar features, like the camera-like eye shared10 ACTS&FACTS • OCTOBER 2010

y squids and humans. At the same time,other facts are selectively deemphasized aboutorganisms that are presumed to be very closelyrelated and yet do not share some surprisinglyimportant features, such as humans having amuscle that moves the thumb’s tip that chimpanzeesdon’t have.The main point is that explanations forthe presence or absence of similar features aretotally arbitrary. For example, evolutionistsassert that whales’ distinctivebody shape evolved froma lineage of land mammalsthat slowly readapted toaquatic life. Consider howthe leading journal Scienceelected to pick-andchoosebetween conflictingfeatures, either molecular orshapes of parts (called “morphology”),to support this theory:Despite this evidence that cetaceans[whales] evolved from artiodactyls [eventoedmammals like deer, sheep, and pigs],substantial discrepancies remain. If cetaceansbelong to artiodactyls, then similaritiesin the cranial and dental morphologiesof mesonychians [extinct carnivorousmammals] and cetaceans must be a resultof convergent evolution or must have beenlost in artiodactyls. Furthermore, moleculardata favor a sister-group relationshipbetween whales and hippopotami. Thisconflicts with the conventional viewbased on morphology that hippopotamiare closer to other artiodactyls than theyare to whales. 3If features do not conform to preconceivedthinking, that is because they could represent“divergence,” “convergence,” “characterreversals,” “vestiges,” “rudiments,” “independentlosses,” “one-time gains,” “parallel derivatives,”or any of the jargon tagged to subjectiveevolutionary explanations. Comparing fossilsbased on similar features suffers from the sametrap of circular reasoning, and gene sequencecomparisons suffer from the same prejudices,inconsistencies, and excuses. In fact, comparingdifferent sequences from the same organismcan lead to very different presumed evolutionaryrelationships. These facts provide a conversationalopportunity to highlight the plasticlikeattribute of evolutionary theory to absorball observations—even ones that are totallycontradictory.Learning a Short ExampleDo evolutionists really approach similarfeatures inconsistently? Consider a report ongenetic research for the trait of echolocation:The discovery represents an unprecedentedexample of adaptive sequenceconvergence between two highlydivergent groups....[Studyauthor Stephen Rossiterstated] “it is generallyassumed that most ofthese so-called convergenttraits have arisenby different genes ordifferent mutations.Our study shows thata complex trait—echolocation—hasin fact evolved byidentical genetic changes in bats anddolphins.”… [I]f you draw a phylogenetic[relationship] tree...based on similaritiesin the prestin [a hearing gene] sequencealone, the echolocating bats and whalescome out together rather than with theirrightful evolutionary cousins….[Rossiteradded], “We were surprised by...the sheernumber of convergent changes in the codingDNA.” 4So, based on conflicting similarities inshapes of body parts, fossils, or genes, are deer,sheep, pigs, extinct wolf-like animals, hippopotami,or bats the bona fide “rightful evolutionarycousins” of whales? Also note how thegene sequence similarities—which have nothingto do with common ancestry—are utterlydismissed as a simple convergence of fortuitousmutations.Pulling It All TogetherArmed with facts, believers can provideopen-minded listeners with informationregarding similar features that they will neverget from evolution-based textbooks, teachers,or television. A brief conversation may gosomething like this:Granted, humans do look more likechimpanzees than horses. That is why evolutionistsregularly claim that we are cousins.Similar features are probably the best evidencefor evolution, but they really turn out to be abig problem. First, only focusing on similar featuressidetracks discussion from the main issueevolutionists have failed to explain, which iswhere the complex information and molecularconstruction machinery to make any featureon any creature originated. Simply claimingthat they got it from their “older relative” begsthe question and is not an explanation. Thisleads to the next problem.Evolutionists assert the self-evidence thatsimilar features show relationships. By assumingthe truth of a claim that they should beproving, evolutionists end up in this inescapabletangle of circular thinking: Similar featuresare derived from common ancestry and thebest evidence for common ancestry is similarfeatures. Darwin disregarded the circularity ofhis argument, just as his followers do today.Even more revealing is that evolutionistsnever tell us that there really are not tidy, logicalthreads of traits from a common ancestordown all the paths to different types of creatures—forcingthem to pick and choose whichtraits to showcase or to make excuses. In truth,creatures share some traits with other creatures—“related”or not. Comparing organisms’traits actually shows patchwork similarity. Thatis why humans have some traits that are similarto chimpanzees, but other traits just as—ormore—similar to orangutans, gibbons, guineapigs, other animals, and even plants.Given the failure of evolution to proveyou are related to chimpanzees, shouldn’tyou consider starting a worthwhile relationshipwith your Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ?For those related to Him by faith, He prayed,“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hastgiven me, be with me where I am; that they maybehold my glory” (John 17:24).References1. Darwin, C. 1872. The Origin of Species By Means of NaturalSelection, 6th ed. London: John Murray, 420, emphasisadded.2. Donoghue, M. 1992. Homology. In Keywords in EvolutionaryBiology. Keller, E. F. and E. A. Lloyd, eds. Cambridge, MA:Harvard University Press, 171.3. Rose, K. D. 2001. Evolution: The Ancestry of Whales. Science.293 (5538): 2216-2217.4. In Bats and Whales, Convergencein EcholocationAbility Runs Deep.ScienceDaily. Posted onsciencedaily.com, accessedAugust 10, 2010. A reporton research published inCurrent Biology.Dr. Guliuzza is ICR’sNational Representative.OCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS11

IMPACTGreatestEarthquakesof the BibleS T E V E N A . A U S T I N , P h . D .The Holy Land is a region where earthquakes occur frequently.By one means or another, big earthquakes have been documentedin the Holy Land for a period exceeding 4,000 years. 1Many are known from history and literature, especially theBible. Holy Land earthquakes are also evidenced fromarchaeological excavations. No other region of the earthhas such a long and well-documented chronology of bigearthquakes.Recently, geologists have investigated the 4,000-year chronology of earthquake disturbances within theuppermost 19 feet of laminated sediment of the DeadSea. 2 Hypersaline waters preserve seasonally laminatedsediment because organisms cannot live or burrow in thebed of the lake. As a result, only a nearby earthquake (orvery large distant earthquake) can homogenize the lake’suppermost sediment layers, producing a “mixed layer”devoid of laminations. 3 A sketch of a sediment core fromthe west side of the Dead Sea appears in Figure 1. Thesketch shows the depth of the “mixed layers” within thelaminated sediment sequence. 4 Two deeper mixed layersin the Dead Sea are datable from historical, archaeological,and geological associations with faulting—theearthquakes of 31 B.C. (the Qumran earthquake) and12 ACTS&FACTS • OCTOBER 2010Depth 0 feetDepth 5 feetDepth 10 feetDepth 15 feetDepth 20 feet750 B.C. (Amos’ earthquake). Other earthquakes are represented in theDead Sea sediment core with dates approximated by assuming a steadyrate of sedimentation.Consider 17 of the most important earthquakes that relate to theBible. The earthquakes are listed in chronological order.Today1927 A.D.1837 A.D.1712 A.D.1458 A.D.1033 A.D.33 A.D.31 B.C.750 B.C.~1010 B.C.~1400 B.C.~2050 B.C.Figure 1. Dead Sea SedimentCore, shoreline at En GediWe begin with creation and go through to the SecondComing of the Lord Jesus Christ.1. Day Three of Creation WeekOn the third day of the creation week, the watersof the earth were collected into the oceanic basins as continentsappeared (Genesis 1:9-10). Before Day Three, thewaters had been over the whole earth. Continents seemto have been uplifted and the ocean floor was depressedduring a great faulting process that established the“foundations of the earth.” We are told that angels sawand praised the omnipotent God as the earth-shakingprocess occurred (Job 38:4-7; Psalm 148:1-6; possiblyPsalm 104:5-6). Today, the earth’s continental crust (41percent of the earth’s surface, including the continentalshelves) has an average elevation of 2,000 feet abovesea level, whereas the oceanic crust (59 percent of theearth’s surface, excluding the continental shelves) has

an average elevation of 13,000 feet below sea level. Can anyone properlycomprehend the colossal upheaval that formed continental crust on DayThree? Angels must have watched in awe!2. Noah’s FloodThe year-long, global Flood in the days of Noah was the greatestsedimentary and tectonic event in the history of our planet since creation(see Genesis 6-9). One of the primary physical causes of this great judgmentwas the “fountains of the great deep,” all of which were “broken up”on a single day (Genesis 7:11). The verb for “broken up” (Hebrew baqa)means to split or cleave and indicates the faulting process (Numbers16:31; Psalm 78:15; Isaiah 48:21; Micah 1:4; Zechariah 14:4). The enormousupheaval (probably associated with faulting of seafloor springs)unleashed a year-long global flood. God’s purpose was to begin the humanrace again from the family of Noah.3. Destruction of Sodom and GomorrahA disaster called an “overthrow” was delivered in about 2050 B.C.on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-28). That eventwas so spectacular, swift, and complete that it became proverbial for theseverity of judgment that God’s righteous anger could deliver. 5 Jesusspoke “woes” exceeding those spoken against Sodom and Gomorrah onGalilean cities that rejected His teaching (Matthew 10:15; 11:23-24; Luke10:12). The swiftness of Sodom’s judgment was used by Jesus to illustratehow sudden His return will be (Luke 17:28-30).Of the five “cities of the plain” (Genesis 13:12; 14:8), only Zoar isdescribed as surviving the catastrophe. Zoar is the site to which Lot andhis family fled with the approval of the angels (Genesis 19:20-23). Asa city, it flourished through the time of Moses and the kings of Israel,even being described as a city of the region of Moab by the prophets. 6Arab historians in the Middle Ages refer to Zoar and identify the cityas modern Safi southeast of the Dead Sea in Jordan. Because Lot andhis family made the journey by foot in just a few hours (Genesis 19:15,23), Sodom must be less than about 20 miles from Zoar (modern Safi).Two Early Bronze Age archaeological sites southeast of the Dead Sea(Bab edh-Dhra and Numeira) reveal evidence of catastrophic collapseand burning along the eastern border fault of the Dead Sea TransformFault. These two sites are likely the remains of Sodom and Gomorrah. 7A thick disturbed zone within the Dead Sea sediment core, assignable tothe Sodom and Gomorrah event, occurs at a depth of about 18.5 feet.4. Moses on SinaiBefore God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and gave the Ten Commandments,a great shaking of the mountain occurred (Exodus 19:18).No doubt the earthquake prepared both Moses and Israel for the importanttruths the Lord was going to communicate. This awesome shakingevent continues to be remembered in the New Testament as the contextfor God’s delivery of His Law (Hebrews 12:18-21).5. Korah’s Rebellion in the WildernessA crisis of leadership developed among the children of Israel inthe wilderness (Numbers 16:1-40). Korah and all his men were killedand their possessions taken, as the land on which they were camped splitapart and closed back upon them (Numbers 16:31-33). God destroyedthem because they rebelled against Him.6. The Fall of JerichoThe wall of the fortified city of Jericho collapsed suddenly afterthe Israelites marched around the city seven times (Joshua 6). The biblicalaccount does not specifically mention an earthquake, but the earthwould have been shaken by the wall’s collapse. Archaeological excavationsat Jericho confirm that the massive wall made of mud bricks didcollapse at the time of the conquest, about 1400 B.C. The site of the ancientcity of Jericho sits directly on top of a very large fault associatedwith the Jordan Rift Valley. Surprisingly, the Dead Sea sediment core hasa distinctive mixed sediment layer at a depth of 15.1 feet that is evidenceof a big earthquake at about 1400 B.C.7. Philistine Camp near GebaIsrael conquered the Philistines near Geba after an earthquake occurredin their camp (1 Samuel 14:15). Jonathan and his armor bearerwere separated from their army and would otherwise have been killed bythe Philistines. Is this event at 1010 B.C. seen in the thinner “mixed layer”within the Dead Sea sediment core at a depth of 13.5 feet?8. Elijah on Mount HorebGod spoke to Elijah at Mount Sinai (Horeb) as He did before toMoses after the occurrence of an earthquake (1 Kings 19:11). Elijah, whohad been hiding in a cave, realized that the Lord does not need to use amighty earthquake to speak, but can, in His meekness, reveal Himselfsimply in a “still, small voice.”9. Amos’ Earthquake of 750 B.C.The prophet Amos predictedthe “Day of the Lord” (Amos5:18-20) and a great earthquake(1:1; 2:13; 3:14-15; 6:11; 8:8; 9:1,5). When the magnitude 8.2 earthquakeoccurred two years later in750 B.C., Amos was propelled tonotoriety as the earliest writingprophet at the time of the explosiveemergence in Israel of writingprophets. Other prophets that livedthrough the big earthquake wroteabout “the Day of the Lord” andExcavation of the north wall ofGezer, showing 750 B.C .earthquakedamage.OCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS13

IMPACTearthquakes (Isaiah 2:10-21; 5:25; Micah 1:3-6). Archaeological excavationsat numerous Iron Age cities show earthquake destruction debris atlayers assigned to the middle of the eighth century B.C. 8 Dead Sea sedimentcores indicate a persistent, two-inch-thick earthquake-disturbedlayer at a depth of about 12 feet in the floor of the lake. Analysis of thedamage regionally indicates Richter magnitude 8.2 with the epicenter inLebanon. That makes Amos’ earthquake the largest yet documented inthe Holy Land in the last 4,000 years.10. Qumran Earthquake of 31 B.C.About sixty years before the ministry of Christ, a small group ofLevites copied Scripture onto scrolls at the small village of Qumran in thedesert northwest of the Dead Sea. In 31 B.C., a large earthquake occurredalong the Jericho Fault on the western side of the Dead Sea. The earthquakedried up Qumran’s main spring and severely cracked the architecture.Spectacular evidence of the earthquake is seen at recent excavationsat Qumran in cracked stair steps within the ritual baths. Grooved faultsurfaces (what geologists call “slickensides”) and ground rupture withinlake sediment can be observed just south of Qumran. Josephus wrote ofthe regional devastation from the earthquake, and he said 30,000 menperished. 9 The survivors buried the Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran layabandoned after the earthquake. The Bible, of course, is completely silentconcerning this earthquake and other events during the intertestamentalperiod. No doubt, everyone in New Testament times knew of ancestorskilled in that event.11. The Crucifixion in Jerusalem, April 3, 33 A.D.After three hours of darkness at midday on April 3, 33 A.D., theLord Jesus exclaimed the words “It is finished!” as He died on the cross.Immediately, the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn, a greatearthquake occurred, rocks were broken, and many dead saints were resurrectedfrom their tombs (Matthew 27:51-54). The earthquake uponthe death of Christ called attention to the great salvation that had beenaccomplished that day on the cross. The barrier between God and manwas not removed by the earthquake tearing the Temple’s veil, but by HisScale in feetLaminatedAragonite and ClayMixed Layer — 33 A.D.LaminatedAragonite and ClayMixed Layer — 31 B.C.LaminatedAragonite and ClayFigure 2. Sketch of the layering in a lake sediment deposit in Wadi Ze’elim,southwest corner of the Dead SeaSon being offered as “the Lamb of God” for the sin of the world. The centurionand his soldiers, who were given the task of crucifying the Lord Jesus,saw the sky grow dark at noon, followed by the earthquake as Christdied at 3:00 p.m. They recognized that Jesus was indeed the Son of God.An outcrop of laminated Dead Sea sediment can be seen at WadiZe’elim above the southwestern shore of the modern Dead Sea near thefortress of Masada. In this sediment outcrop is a distinctive one-footthick “mixed layer” of sediment that is tied strongly to the Qumran earthquake’sonshore ground ruptures of 31 B.C. (see Figure 2). 10 Thirteeninches above the 31 B.C. event bed is another distinctive “mixed layer”less than one inch thick. The sedimentation rate puts this second earthquakeabout 65 years after the 31 B.C. earthquake. It seems that the crucifixionearthquake of 33 A.D. was magnitude 5.5, leaving direct physicalevidence in a thin layer of disturbed sediment from the Dead Sea.12. The Resurrection in Jerusalem, April 5, 33 A.D.No human agency rolled away the stone blocking the opening ofour Lord’s tomb (Matthew 28:2). It was the earthquake in the presenceof the angel. God’s sovereign action was obvious in both the earthquakeand in our Lord’s resurrection. The purpose of the stone being rolledaway was not to permit the resurrected body of Jesus to exit. The purposewas to allow people to see that the tomb was empty!13. Jerusalem Prayer Meeting, Summer 33 A.D.Following the day of Pentecost, the assembled church in Jerusalemreceived the report of threats and persecution from the Jewish leaders.That compelled them to pray that the outreach of His servants and thespread of the Gospel would continue. After the prayer, the place wherethey were gathered was shaken by an earthquake as believers spoke boldly(Acts 4:31).14. The Prison at PhilippiAn earthquake not only released Paul and Silas from the Philippiprison (Acts 16:26), but it authenticated their testimony. The jailer whowitnessed the event recognized the Lord’s hand and believed in the LordJesus Christ. That earthquake draws our attention to how God was usingHis apostles to minister in the early days of the church.15. Today’s EarthquakesWhen Jesus was asked by His disciples what the sign of His comingwould be, He talked of wars, famine, epidemic disease, and earthquakes.Jesus said, “These are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8; Mark13:8; cf. Luke 21:10-11). The word “sorrows” is the Greek word meaning“birth pangs.” 11 Seismograph analysis reveals that the frequency andenergy of large earthquakes was not constant throughout the twentiethcentury. According to a popular urban legend, big earthquakes have beenincreasing in both frequency and energy. This legend is not supported14 ACTS&FACTS • OCTOBER 2010

y the seismograph data. 12 There appears tobe about a 30-year cycle of increasing and decreasingearthquake frequency, suggesting the“beginning of birth pangs” theme. Furthermore,seismographs demonstrate that earthquakesare indeed distributed throughout theglobe (the “divers places” as described by Jesusin Matthew 24:7 and Mark 13:8).16. Gog’s Future Earthquake in IsraelEzekiel 38 and 39 describe a northernconfederacy of nations, commanded by aleader called Gog, that invades the land ofIsrael. A supernaturally directed naturaldisaster of colossal scale will occur (earthquake,slope failure, mountains overturned,dwellings collapse, rain of hailstones, rainof burning sulfur, and plague). This colossaldisaster will result in the destruction of theinvading armies (38:18-23), in God’s greatnessand holiness being seen in the sight ofthe nations (38:23), and in the national conversionof Israel back to her sovereign Lord (39:25-29). Gog’s earthquakeoccurs after Israel has been dwelling in the land in perceived“safety” (38:8; 39:26) upon the northern confederacy’s unexpectedinvasion, whereas “Messiah’s earthquake” (Revelation 16:16-20) occursafter Israel has been afflicted with judgments at the site where“the kings of the earth and of the whole world” are gathered for battle(Revelation 16:14, 16).17. Messiah’s Earthquake in the FutureThe apostle John wrote of a “great earthquake” in the future associatedwith the opening of the “sixth seal” (Revelation 6:12). Thisearthquake will be the precursor to the greatest earthquake since menhave been on the earth. This greatest earthquake will occur in associationwith the “seventh bowl” at a place called Armageddon (Revelation 16:16-20). This future “Armageddon earthquake” or “Messiah’s earthquake”will be associated with the return of Christ to Jerusalem (Acts 1:9-11;Zechariah 14:1-11) and is described as inflicting severe topographic andgeologic changes on a global scale. Scripture appears to look forward tothe monumental changes associated with this future earthquake (e.g.,Psalm 46). After God’s voice shakes the earth mightily (Haggai 2:6, 7, 21,22; Hebrews 12:26) and fully accomplishes these extraordinary geologicchanges, His saints will receive a “kingdom which cannot be moved”(Hebrews 12:27-29).ConclusionAn active oil seep within the Dead Sea fault.A review of the 17 earthquakes listed above shows that virtuallythe entire story of the Bible can be summarizedby its association with earthquakes.Biblical events emphasized by earthquakesare creation, Noah’s Flood, separation ofAbraham and Lot from judgment of thewicked cities, the giving of the Law onMount Sinai, authentication of the leadershipof Moses, God’s provision in the conquestof Canaan, vindication of the messagesof Hebrew prophets, the crucifixionof our Lord in Jerusalem, the resurrectionof our Lord, the ministry of the apostlesand the church, the modern “birth pangs”sign of the end times, the national conversionof Israel, and the Second Coming ofthe Lord Jesus Christ. History, archaeology,and geology appear to confirm independentlymany earthquakes mentioned in theBible.Earthquakes have been used distinctivelyby God to highlight some of the mostimportant events of the Bible. The threemain purposes for biblical earthquakes are judgment, deliverance,and communication. The lesson is obvious—God does not do anythingreally big without emphasizing it with an earthquake! In ourfast-paced, man-centered, technology-based society of the twentyfirstcentury, God would have us pause and consider His sovereignnature and the program He has been accomplishing in the world.References1. Ben-Menahem, A. 1991. Four Thousand Years of Seismicity along the Dead Sea Rift. Journal ofGeophysical Research. 96 (B12): 20195-20216.2. Ken-Tor, R. et al. 2001. High-resolution Geological Record of Historic Earthquakes in the DeadSea Basin. Journal of Geophysical Research. 106 (B2): 2221-2234; Migowski, C. et al. 2004. RecurrencePattern of Holocene Earthquakes Along the Dead Sea Transform Revealed by Varvecountingand Radiocarbon Dating of Lacustrine Sediments. Earth and Planetary Sciences Letters.222 (1): 301-314; Agnon, A., C. Migowski and S. Marco. 2006. Intraclast Breccias in LaminatedSequences Reviewed: Recorders of Paleo-earthquakes. In New Frontiers in Dead Sea PaleoenvironmentalResearch. Enzel, Y., A. Agnon, and M. Stein, eds. Geological Society of America SpecialPaper 401, 195-214.3. Fine-grained lake sediment is disrupted and homogenized by high frequency p-waves. Thesewaves break up sediment floccules and liquefy sediment layers. These waves attenuate quickly, solarger earthquakes near the Dead Sea cause the most sediment disturbance.4. Migowski et al, Recurrence Pattern of Holocene Earthquakes. Data from this paper were plottedto make the 4,000-year sediment chronology. The sediment core was drilled at the shore of thepresent lake near En Gedi.5. Deuteronomy 29:23; 32:32; Isaiah 1:9-10 (1:9 quoted in Romans 9:29); Isaiah 13:19; Jeremiah23:14; 49:18; 50:40; Lamentations 4:6; Ezekiel 16:46-50; Amos 4:11; Zephaniah 2:9; 2 Peter 2:6;Jude 7; Revelation 11:8.6. Deuteronomy 34:1-3; Isaiah 15:5; Jeremiah 48:34.7. Is there any evidence for the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction by fire andbrimstone (sulfur)? Posted on christiananswers.net.8. Austin, S. A., G. W. Franz and E. G. Frost. 2000. Amos’s Earthquake: An Extraordinary MiddleEast Seismic Event of 750 B.C. International Geology Review. 42 (7): 657-671; Austin, S. 2010.The Scientific and Scriptural Impact of Amos’ Earthquake. Acts& Facts. 39 (2): 8-9.9. Josephus. 1961. The Wars of the Jews. Thackeray, H. St. J., trans.Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1.19.3 [§370].10. Observations of Dead Sea sediment made by Steven A. Austin in2001.11. See Austin, S. A. and M. L. Strauss. 1999. Are Earthquakes Signs ofthe End Times?: A Geological and Biblical Response to an UrbanLegend. Christian Research Journal. 21 (4): 30-39.12. Ibid.Dr. Austin is Senior Research Geologist, Logos Research Associates,Santa Ana, CA.OCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS15

BACK TO GENESISDinosaursAccording to Their CreatorJ o h n D . M o r r i s , P h . D .Dinosaurs have long been an effectivetool for teaching evolutionarydogma. However, sinceall things were created by theGod of the Bible during the creation week notlong ago, and He didn’t use evolution to do so,there must be a better understanding of them.Let’s go to His account and adopt His view.The dinosaurs were (by definition) landanimals and thus were created on Day Six,probably within the category “beast of theearth” (Genesis 1:24-25). There were also largemarine reptiles and flying reptiles created onDay Five (v. 21), but these were technically notdinosaurs since they did not have the right hipstructure. Along with all animals and mankind,they were created to be plant eaters (vv. 29-30),for there was no death of conscious life beforeAdam and Eve rebelled against God.Of the many dinosaur fossils found,almost all give evidence of having been planteaters. Several of the dinosaur fossil types, however,do possess sharp teeth, sharp claws, spikes,armor plates, etc., perhaps used for a variety ofoffensive or defensive purposes. Of course, scientistscan never be certain about a creature’slife habits when they only have bits of deadones to study, and most dinosaur fossils are extremelyfragmentary, usually consisting of partof a single bone. And many animals alive todaythat have sharp teeth and claws use them forstrictly peaceful ends. But some dinosaur fossilsare found with partially digested animals intheir stomachs, leading to the conclusion thatsome of them ate meat.The Bible doesn’t give the details of howthese dinosaurs gained carnivorous habits, butit does give us a clue. When Adam and Everebelled, God pronounced the awful curse ofdeath on all of creation. In doing so, He notonly fulfilled His promise that they wouldbegin to die (Genesis 2:17, “dying, thou shaltdie”), but evidently He actually changed the geneticmakeup of many “kinds” so that all theirdescendants would forever be different. Hechanged Eve’s body structure (3:16), the plants(v. 18), and animals, as well (v. 14). Perhaps atthis time some dinosaurs and other animalsacquired or began to acquire a taste for meat,as well as body parts designed for aggression orprotection. This may be over-speculation, butsin ruins everything, and before long the entireplanet was corrupt (6:11-12).God told Noah to bring pairs of eachkind of unclean, air-breathing land animal onboard the Ark, including, evidently, the dinosaurs(7:2). Recognizing that as reptiles, dinosaurswould have continued to grow as long asthey lived; and implying that the largest wouldbe the oldest, the dinosaurs on the Ark probablywould have been young adults, no bigger thana cow perhaps. Thus, there was plenty of roomon board the Ark. But the world after the Floodwas much different than before, with muchless vegetation and a colder, harsher climate.Evidently the dinosaurs gradually died out.Perhaps they were even hunted to extinctionby humans, as would be indicated by the manylegends of people slaying dragons, the descriptionsof which closely resemble dinosaurs.At any rate, biblical history has an explanationfor dinosaurs,their creation, lifestyle,and extinction. Christianparents are encouragedto use them to teach biblicaltruth.Dr. Morris is President of theInstitute for Creation Research.16 ACTS&FACTS • OCTOBER 2010

Real World ApologeticsTaking the Initiative to Communicate TruthSurvival of the Fitted:God’s Providential ProgrammingJ a m e s J . S . J o h n s o n , J . D . , T h . D .Birds display God’s providential programming. Thatmeans God carefully planned them before He createdtheir original ancestors on Day Five of thecreation week. He planned their genetics, their biodiversitypotentials and limits, their developmental biologies,and the bioengineering needed to accomplish all the details,and He has been actively participating in and regulating theirworld ever since.Providential Programming, Displayed in Bird MigrationImagine how inconvenient it would be for a bird to arriveat the South Pole during May or June, when the weatheris freezing cold and food is scarce. Or imagine a similar scenarioat the North Pole during November or December, whenthe weather there is harshest. Thankfully, arctic terns followthe opposite schedule, synchronizing with temperature andseasonal food availability.Why? These birds are purposefullypreprogrammedto operate by these schedules;God fitted them todo so. This programmingis critical for these migratorybirds to travel over the Atlantic Ocean from the Arctic tothe Antarctic, and vice versa, every year. At more than 40,000miles round trip, they are the ultimate frequent fliers! A recentstudy pointed out:Arctic terns, like all birds, survive becausethey are divinely fitted to survive all ofthe interactive factors in their diverse andgeographically extensive environments.The study of long-distance migration provides insightsinto the habits and performance of organisms at the limitof their physical abilities. The Arctic tern Sterna paradisaeais the epitome of such behavior; despite its small size(50,000 miles] annually for someindividuals).…Arctic terns clearly target regions of highmarine productivity both as stopover and wintering areas,and exploit prevailing global wind systems to reduceflight costs on long-distance commutes. 1Ecologically speaking, it’s all a demonstration of “survivalof the fitted.” Arctic terns, like all birds, survive because theyare divinely fitted to survive all of the interactive factors in theirdiverse and geographicallyextensive environments.Providentially,thearctic terns select seasonsynchedflight times thatrepeatedly avoid the harshwinter months at both theNorth and South Poles. Likewise, the terns select flight plansthat take advantage of global wind patterns and incorporatehelpful stopovers for rest and refueling. Timing factors areinteractive throughout this cyclical migration: the seasonalOCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS17

Real World Apologeticsweather cycle, wind patterns influenced by daily rotation of the earth,food availability influenced by annual seasons, and the reproductive cycleof the terns themselves. In all of this, providential programming is bothcomplicated and critical!Providential Programming, Displayed in Bird ReproductionAll birds reproduce, or their kinds would not be here. Yet reproductionitself depends on purposeful, preprogrammed timing. Considerthe baby chick, hatching from an “ordinary” chicken egg:By the nineteenth day, the chick is too big to get enough oxygenthrough the pores in the shell. It must do something or die. Howdoes it know what to do next? By this time, a small tooth called the“egg-tooth” has grown onto its beak. It uses this little tooth to pecka hole into the air sack at the flat end of the egg.…The air sack providesonly six hours of air for the chick to breathe. Instead of relaxingand breathing deeply, with this new-found supply of air, thechick keeps pecking until it breaks a small hole through the shell togain access to outside air in adequate amounts. On the twenty-firstday, the chick breaks out of the shell. If one step in the developmentof the chick is missing or out of order, the chick dies. Timing is absolutelycrucial! 2Providential Programming Displayed in Other Life FormsProvidential programming is not limited to birds. Among mammals,one example of God’s purposeful programming is the delayed implantationof embryos in the wombs of some cold-climate mustelid mammals(like mink, martens, longtail weasels, fishers, and river otters) so thatbirth occurs in spring (April or May) when food availability is optimal. 3Purposeful programming is also found in other forms of life.Among plants, one example is the vanilla bean, which has a short floweringcycle (less than one day!) during which the pollinating Melipona beesmust act or else vanilla reproduction fails. 4 The list of nature’s illustrationsof purposeful programming is endless.Indeed, God’s providential care is not just for plants and animals.He providentially cares for the needs of His favorite creature, mankind.This is proven by His providentially provided “fruitful seasons” that blesshumans with the food production needed to prolong their mortal lives,a “clearly seen” proof of God’s creatorship. The apostle Paul once arguedthis proof of providence to a group of Lycaonians:Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he didgood, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling ourhearts with food and gladness. (Acts 14:17)In the world of nature, creation itself universally testifies to Godthe Creator’s intelligence. Yet it reveals so much more! Nature, even inits fallen state, 5 demonstrates that God’s creative intelligence is universallyblended with His good and purposeful providence. God is infinitelysmart, yet He also genuinely cares for His creation, and He prepares forHis creatures in ways that show His goodness.Providential Programming Produces “Survival of the Fitted”Providential programming is a very important reality that has alltoo often been obscured by the phrase “natural selection.” What scientificliterature has labeled “natural selection” (or “selective pressure”) isactually a pattern of providentially orchestrated biodiversity. In the realworld (putting evolutionary imaginations aside), plants and animalsimplement God-designed biosoftware as they seek to inhabit variousgeophysical environments, and the interaction results in “survival ofthe fitted.”God has providentially preprogrammed plants, animals, and humanswith built-in traits, providing the potential for interactively pioneeringnew habitats, as well as for defending old habitats. Some built-in(i.e., divinely preprogrammed) traits fare better or worse than others,depending on which geophysical habitat is being pioneered or defended.The ecological complexity of all this interaction skyrockets as each lifeform employs its built-in traits to interact with all of its neighbors in anyparticular habitat. And, as birds illustrate, some creatures migrate fromone geophysical habitat to another as a programmed solution for successfullydealing with habitual habitat inhospitality problems (such aswinter cold).Biodiversity Displays Creatures “Fitted to Fill,” Not “Natural Selection”As Dr. Randy Guliuzza has recently analyzed, Charles Darwincleverly coined his phrase “natural selection” to foist a misleading label,switching “nature” for God the Creator. 6 The phrase “natural selection”routinely promotes confusion and deceit (and has for 150 years), as it isprimarily used as a “bait and switch” ploy in evolutionary storytelling.However, God’s providentially purposeful programming is responsiblefor whether a creature can survive (much less thrive) in a given habitat,so a more accurate phrase (as Dr. Guliuzza has shown) is “survival ofthe fitted.” 7 God Himself commanded His original creatures to “fill” theearth with their kind of progeny, so He obviously fitted them with theneeded genetic software and hardware to do what He decreed so thatthey can fill the earth:And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill thewaters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. (Genesis 1:22)So, how does the Bible explain biodiversity? Life forms were fittedto fill the earth. It was all a wonderful work of God’s providentialprogramming, aptly enabling “survival of the fitted.” Surely earth’s hugeinventory of creatures amply display that they are skillfully fit to fill diversehabitats, demonstrating (for those “with eyes to see”) how well thedivine Tailor has “suited” His creatures.References1. Egevang, C. et al. 2010. Tracking of Arctic terns Sterna paradisaea reveals longest animal migration.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 107 (5): 2078-2081. Some arctic terns fly>50,000 miles in their pole-to-pole migration.2. Martin, J. 2004. The Evolution of a Creationist, rev. Rockwall, TX: Biblical Discipleship Publishers,210, emphasis added.3. Burt, W. H. and R. P. Grossenheider. 1980. A Field Guide to the Mammals. Boston: HoughtonMifflin, 53-68.4. Martin, J. 2004. Melipona Bees. In Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution, vol. 3, chapter XII.DVD. Reel Productions.5. Johnson, J. J. S. 2010. Misreading Earth’s Groanings: Why Evolutionistsand Intelligent Design Proponents Fail Ecology 101. Acts& Facts. 39 (8): 8-9.6. Guliuzza, R. 2010. Natural Selection Is Not “Nature’s Intelligence.”Acts & Facts. 39 (5): 10-11.7. “It is not survival of the fittest, it is really survival of the ‘fitted.’Creatures came designed with innate abilities to diversify, multiply,and fill environments.” Ibid, 11.Dr. Johnson is Associate Professor of Apologetics at the Institute forCreation Research.18 ACTS&FACTS • OCTOBER 2010

STEWARDSHIP40 YearsofBlessingPrayerfullyConsiderSupportingICR(Galatians 6:9-10)Throughn Online Donationsn Stocks and Securitiesn Matching Gift Programsn CFC (federal/military workers)n Gift Planning• Charitable Gift Annuities• Wills• TrustsWhen the Institute for CreationResearch began in1970, very few organizationsfocused on the ministry ofcreation science. Now there are numerous creationministries—probably one or more in everystate, and at least one in 20 other countries.Yet the ICR complex of ministries remains essentiallyunique in the world of Christendom.ICR is not a church, but in a very real senseit is an arm of the church. The foundationalmessage of true creation is vital for churches ifthey are really to teach “all the counsel of God”(Acts 20:27), and we have brought a creationorientedmessage to churches and schools ofjust about every denomination.Of course, creation is not the wholedoctrinal structure of Christianity. But it is thefoundation on which the other doctrines mustbe based if they are to be truly biblical, sinceapart from Genesis 1:1, the rest of Scripture ispointless. Thus, as an arm of the church, ICRhas a vital evangelistic ministry through themessage of creation as the foundational elementof the saving gospel of Christ (note Colossians1:13-23; Revelation 14:6-7).As part of Christ’s commission that includes“teaching…all things” (Matthew 28:20),ICR is preeminently a ministry of education,applying the primeval Dominion Mandate(Genesis 1:26-28) in the context of the completegospel from creation to consummation.H e n r y M . M o r r i s I VThis teaching ministry was founded on ouruniquely creationist graduate school programs,and supplemented through conferences, debates,seminars, and other public ministries.Along with ICR books, many of which havebeen used as resources in schools and colleges,these other ministries have been an importantfactor—possibly the most important factor—contributing to the revival of biblical creationismaround the world in the past 40 years.God has indeed blessed the work of ICRin marvelous ways, in spite of a low-key fundraisingapproach that does not employ professionalfundraisers, phone solicitations, orother methods that many organizations use.Our ministries have mainly been supportedthrough contributions from concerned, prayingbelievers who receive our Acts & Facts magazineand Days of Praise devotional quarterly,free publications that are not, in themselves,fundraising publications. They are intendedto be a source of inspirational Bible study andfaith-strengthening information, and judgingby the thousands of testimonies we have receivedover the years, they have indeed beenjust that.Yet the most important distinctive ofICR—and which must continue if God is tocontinue to bless—has been our commitmentto the absolute authority of Scripture. Whilewe emphasize all true science, the main reasonfor our scientific defense of special creation isVisit icr.org/give and explorehow you can support the vitalwork of ICR ministries. Or contactus at stewardship@icr.orgor 800.337.0375 for personalassistance.ICR is a recognized 501(c )(3)non-profit ministry, and allgifts are tax-deductible to thefullest extent allowed by law.our conviction of the truth of biblical creation,as found all through God’s inspired and inerrantWord.In this age of evangelical compromise,our continuing commitment to full biblicalinerrancy and authority, to literal recent creationismand the global Flood, and to lowkeyfundraising may seem outdated. But webelieve God has blessed and will continue tobless the ICR ministries because of this commitment.With continued prayer and financialhelp from our supporters, it is our fervent hopethat the next decade—if the Lord does not returnsooner—will seean even greater harvestfrom the seed sown thisfirst 40 years.Mr. Morris is Director ofDonor Relations.OCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS19

LETTERS TO THE EDITORThank you for putting articles on Facebook—I enjoy reading them….I read magazine articles to the kids at lunch from time to time. Theyenjoy the articles also, and it gives us a chance to discuss logic in arguments.Thanks for what you do. It’s very important.— S.C.The animosity and institutional opposition to genuine Christianityseems to be growing exponentially in our generation—not unexpectedfrom a literal biblical perspective. We may well be a transitionalgeneration and this makes the continuing battle to uphold the Wordand its integrity all the more vital….May the Lord bless you and yourfamily and all who carry on the work at ICR.— T.P.It is clear from the Word that our stand on the authority and accuracyof Genesis is correct and necessary. Though there may be setbacks, weknow that God’s work will never be thwarted. Our prayers are withyou as you continue to stand against opposition in both the secularand Christian spheres. God is faithful and God will be victorious.— B.J.Our God and Creator is truly an awesome God. When I ponder theintricacies of His handiwork and the marvels of this world, I am filledwith amazement and appreciation. Moreover, when I reflect on howHe has enabled us to explore and discover just how things are created,I am overwhelmed. The skeptics who question the Genesis accountand the creation story have certainly denied themselves of the wonderof it all.— B.W.I have collected the “Made in His Image” articles by Randy J. Guliuzza,P.E., M.D. for some time and found them fascinating with medicalinformation. Also, in the August 2010 issue, the article about therecurrent laryngeal nerve by Jerry Bergman, Ph.D. was great. Beinga physician and born-again Christian, I commend all the writers forthe information presented, as well as the emphasis on a Creator as thesource of all— G.M.Editor’s Note: Dr. Guliuzza’s articles on the amazing complexity of thebody are available in the book Made in His Image, along with additionalarticles and special study questions for use in the classroom. Forthis and other ICR educational materials, visit www.icr.org/store.I have been a long-time supporter of [your] organization/ministryand became a believer back in March1980 because of the ministry. I had the great honor ofbriefly meeting Dr. Morris Senior in his office in Californiasometime around 1986. Creation science booksand pamphlets sit on my bookshelf and Acts & Facts sitsamongst the other magazines in my medical office waitingroom. These displays provide significant opportunitiesfor me to witness the Gospel.In the spring of 2007, [BioLogos founder Francis] Collinswas giving some kind of talk at MIT here in Boston—through the “ministry” of Veritas. My daughter…attendeda high school in Boston that promoted the lecture.That is another whole story in itself of a high schoolsupported by [a church that] stopped believing most ofthe Word some time ago and is a full-bore supporter oftheistic evolution. My daughter, likely one of the few trulysaved and doctrinally sound students at the school, wasconstantly at odds with her teachers over the Truth, notonly creation science, but the veracity of the Word in somany other areas as well.During the lecture, Collins went on a tirade about creationists,at which time my daughter pulled my hand andwe walked out. She was subsequently chastened by herscience teacher—to which she simply responded that shewas not going to listen to someone denigrate the Scripturesunder the guise of Christian authority. He also gavehis testimony, which is frankly silly and provides no reasonto believe that he made anything more than a guiltconversion, not a conversion to a saving knowledge ofJesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I trust you will not seeme as mean-spirited, but righteously angry. The mannerin which he attacked creation scientists was with a kindof hatred that stunned me….I really don’t think we have time much left before thetrumpets sound. Keep up the great work as we wait andlisten for the blast.— K.L.Have a comment? Email us at editor@icr.org. Or write to Editor, P. O. Box 59029, Dallas, Texas 75229.20 ACTS&FACTS • OCTOBER 2010

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEWAnIn c o n v e n i e n tTr u t hH e n r y M . M o r r i s I I I , D . M i n .With apologies to Al Gore for the use of hismovie title, the ongoing debate over creationversus evolution just will not go away. Mostof academia, the majority of science practitioners,and (disappointingly) many theologians embrace evolutionas “fact.” In spite of evolution’s dominance among theseeducated leaders, over half of respondents in a 2007 USA Today/Gallup poll agreed that it was either “definitely” or “probably”true that “God created human beings pretty much in their presentform at one time within the last 10,000 years.” 1An earlier CNN/USA Today Gallup poll found that “fiftythreepercent say God created humans in their present form theway the Bible describes it, essentially endorsing a strict creationistexplanation.” 2 These statistics have not changed much overthe past two decades, leading Karl Giberson, Vice President ofthe BioLogos Forum, to lament that about half of the countryagrees with Al Mohler, whose stalwart stance on recent creationis vehemently opposed by BioLogos. 3What Has Changed?ICR’s founder, Dr. Henry Morris, began his early creationistefforts in the Intervarsity group at Rice Institute (nowRice University) during the 1940s. Evolution was the dominanttheme in most universities and the bulk of Christianity eitherembraced theistic evolution, the day-age allegory, or the gaptheory. Evidence for a recent creation was almost unheard ofamong technically trained Christians before The Genesis Floodwas published in 1961.That book started the modern creationist revival, givingbirth to the Creation Research Society and the Institute forCreation Research. Over the next 30 years, thousands of scientificallyand technically trained Christians had their evolutionarydoubts cleared away, beginning a huge groundswell amongconservative Christianity to embrace a tighter view of Scripture.Many were trained through seminars, debates, and summer institutes,resulting in an explosion of proponents for a recent, fiatcreation—just as the Bible teaches.Still simmering, however, were two major ideologies thatopposed the biblical model. Although initially stunned by thewealth of scientific evidence supporting a recent creation anda global flood, the academic world began to combat “scientificcreationism” with overt ostracism from the “inner circle” oftechnical journals and scientific graduate programs. Then, astheir favor grew, it began to weed out those professors who eitherIn the beginningGod created the heavenOCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS21

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEWopenly espoused or just merely tolerated anyform of creationism, or who were proponentsof implied “intelligent design.”Secondarily, a number of Christian organizationsdeveloped in the 1980s that opposeda recent creation in favor of varioushybrid models embracing both an old earthand a local flood. These different groups beganto coalesce into a movement whose commondenominator was the assumption that sciencehad proven the mechanistic model of evolutionarydevelopment and the long ages duringwhich that development had taken place. Theonly real difference from the standard evolutionarymodel was their belief that God hadeither guided the evolutionary processes orhad progressively created over the long ages insuch a way to bring about the good plan Godintended to develop.The late 1990s and the opening decade ofthe 21st century have witnessed the strengtheningof several key groups. It is important tounderstand the ideals that each holds and thefocus of their efforts to influence others.Evolutionary AtheistsDominated by best-selling authors likeChristopher Hitchens, Jerry Coyne, RichardDawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett(among others), the “new atheists” are bothaggressive and intensely hostile toward anythingChristian. Although their aim is to scornand belittle anything that promotes “religion,”their particular target is Christianity, and moreespecially any form of creationism. Their vehemencewould be irrelevant were it not for theirinfluence and following in academia.Evolutionary CreationistsThis group’s name is something of acontradiction in terms, but it is nonetheless anaccurate description of a growing following.Essentially, these people are predominatelytheistic evolutionists, those who teach “thatevolution is how God created life. Because theterm evolution is sometimes associated withatheism, a better term for the belief in a Godwho chose to create the world by way of evolutionis BioLogos.” 4Founded by Francis Collins with fundingfrom the Templeton Foundation, the BioLogosForum has become a widely followedwebsite. 5 Its president, Darrel Falk, and vicepresident, Karl Giberson, and their associatesare avid evolutionists and strong opponents ofbiblical inerrancy. Although many of their advocatesinsist that they believe in the “historicChristian faith,” a quick perusal of their websitereveals such statements as “in what sensecan we say with a straight face that Scripture isGod’s word?” 6This forum wouldbe not much more than aplace for anti-creationistand anti-inerrant proponentsto sound off if it werenot for BioLogos’ aggressiveefforts to “train” pastorsand “help” students and teachers come toharmony between faith and evolutionary science.The BioLogos Forum is a co-sponsor ofThe Vibrant Dance of Faith and Science, a seriesof seminars and a growing forum for “conversations”about the compatibility of evolutionaryscience with biblical faith. Peter Enns,fired from Westminster Theological Seminaryin 2008 for his heretical views on Scripture, isnow a major contributor on BioLogos and isworking on a new Bible curriculum, “TellingGod’s Story,” to be marketed among homeschoolchildren. The influence of theistic evolutionand anti-inerrant thinking is gaining abroader hearing among evangelicals.The Intelligent Design MovementUnder early impetus from the writingsof Phillip Johnson and Michael Behe, theIntelligent Design movement gained rapidattention among intellectuals. The contributionsof microbiology were and are quitevaluable, not the least being the quantifyingof the “irreducible complexity” concept thathas caused an enormous stir among evolutionarygradualists.The ID movement’s approach is to refrainfrom identifying the “designer” in publicwritings and speaking opportunities, trustingthat the evidence alone will drive a wedgeinto the evolutionary bulwark and drawmany people to faith in God. That hoped-forsuccess, however, has not materialized. Evolutionistsand various court judges have alldeclared that the ID movement is nothingmore than “creation in disguise,” and it hasMos t o f a c a d e m i a, t h e m a j o r i t y o f s c i e n c ep r a c t i t i o n e r s, a n d (disappointingly) m a n yt h e o l o g i a n s em b r a c e e v o l u t i o n a s “f a c t .”been rejected out of hand by the very institutionsand proponents that the movement wassupposed to challenge.Today, the ID “tent” has become verybroad, incorporating a wide spectrum of beliefs.And although many, if not most, of IDproponents are sincere Christians, the commondenominators among their stronglyheldbeliefs are a multi-billion-year-old earth,eons of death and natural development priorto Adam and Eve, and a local or regional floodduring the days of Noah.Recent CreationistsYoung earth creationists, as they are frequentlycalled, are represented by the Institutefor Creation Research (ICR), Answers in Genesis,Creation Ministries International, andthe many societies and local associations that22 ACTS&FACTS • OCTOBER 2010

The ac a d e m i c wo r l d be g a n t o co m -b at “scientific cr e a t i o n i s m ” w i t ho v e r t os t r a c i s m fr o m th e “i n n e rc i r c l e ” o f te c h n i c a l j o u r n a l s an dscientific gr a d u a t e pr o g r a m s .embrace the biblical record of recent creationand the worldwide Flood. Common to all ofthese groups is an unwavering commitmentto the authority and inerrancy of the biblicaltext. That commitment necessitates an insistencethat the creation of the universe wasaccomplished by an omnipotent and omniscientCreator in six 24-hour sequential days,less than 10,000 years ago.The book of Genesis is a historical narrativedocument, not an allegorical or poeticcollection of ancient stories. Adam and Evewere the first human beings, created as functioningadults by the hand of the Creator.Genesis 3 records an actual event in whichAdam and Eve rebelled against the Creator,bringing the Creator’s judgment on the earth.All humans now begin life “dead in trespassesand sins” 7 and the “whole creation groanethand travaileth in pain.” 8 Were it not for thesalvation and redemption provided by thatsame Creator, neither man nor the earthwould ever escape eternal damnation.Less than two millennia after the rebellionof Adam and Eve, man had grownso wicked “that every imagination of thethoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”9 This brought about the total destructionof the earth and every land-based creature exceptNoah, his family, and sufficient pairs ofair-breathing animal kinds to preserve life afterthe Flood. Thus, “the world that then was,being overflowed with water, perished.” 10What Are the Consequences?Those who claim atheism as their faithare “strangers from the covenants of promise,having no hope, and without God in theworld.” 11 Some who had professed atheismhave since found deliverance through a faithfulwitness and by the grace of God. Most,however, who have embraced the anti-Godworldview of evolutionary naturalism have“changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshippedand served the creature more thanthe Creator.” 12It is unlikely, at least from a human perspective,that atheists will convert. It is tempting,therefore, to ignore their blustering.However, their best-selling books and mediaexposure will dull the reception of many toGod’s truth. We who are able to give an answershould be prepared to respond.The evolutionary creationists, on theother hand, are more dangerous. Their wellfundedagenda appears to be designed to“convert” evangelicals from a mere toleranceof divergent views of biblical foundations toa wholehearted embracing of evolutionarynaturalism and a disdain for “literalists.” Allof their writings and appeals to “conversations”(the new term for open dialogue) arewrapped up in scholarly “good words and fairspeeches” 13 that have “a form of godliness,but [deny] the power thereof.” The simple admonitionof Scripture for these kinds of falseteachers is: “From such turn away.” 14 The majorvoice for evolutionary creationists is theBioLogos Forum.The Intelligent Design movement issomething of a mixed bag. Many of its adherentsare active Christians who maintaina strong personal testimony of their faith inChrist. Although the movement has becomesomewhat amorphous and some of its leadersare now identifying the “Designer” of creation,the core philosophy is still centered onusing science and the evidence for design asthe means for persuasion—without stressingthe obvious need for recognizing the omnipotentand omniscient Designer.Two serious problems continue toweaken the effectiveness of the IntelligentDesign movement. By consciously excludingthe identity of the Creator from its message,the least that can happen is that the CreatorHimself will not identify with its message. 15Further, by deconstructing the clear teachingsof Scripture of a recent creation and aworldwide flood, ID proponents are placingthe teachings of secular science over the writtenWord of God, “teaching for doctrines thecommandments of men.” 16Amidst this matrix and milieu of “everywind of doctrine,” 17 ICR and its sister organizationsmaintain an unwavering stance onthe authority and accuracy of the biblical text.ICR has, from its inception 40 years ago, researchedand displayed the scientific evidencethat demonstrates biblical inerrancy, and hasconcentrated its public efforts on challengingChristian leaders to grow in their trust in andknowledge of these foundational truths.The spiritual battle rages on and appearsto be intensifying. God’s power has notabated, nor has His truth altered one iota. Godhas, however, committed the responsibility todeclare His truth to His sons and daughtersin the faith. ICR has both a specialized anda “frontline” assignment. Please support uswith intercessory prayer and with financialhelp as the Lord enables.References1. Gallup poll results. USA Today. Posted on usatoday.comJune 7, 2007.2. Jones, J. M. Most Americans Engaged in Debate AboutEvolution, Creation. Gallup News Service. Posted on gallup.com October 13, 2005.3. Giberson, K. Storm Clouds on the Horizon: The Future ofScience and Religion. Patheos. Posted on patheos.com August4, 2010.4. How is BioLogos different from Theistic Evolution, IntelligentDesign and Creationism? The BioLogos Foundationwebsite.5. Dr. Francis Collins now serves as Director of the NationalInstitutes of Health under President Barack Obama.6. Sparks, K. After Inerrancy: Evangelicals and the Bible in aPostmodern Age. The BioLogos Forum. Posted on biologos.orgJune 10, 2010.7. Ephesians 2:1.8. Romans 8:22.9. Genesis 6:5.10. 2 Peter 3:6.11. Ephesians 2:12.12. Romans 1:25.13. Romans 16:18.14. 2 Timothy 3:5.15. Luke 9:26.16. Matthew 15:9.17. Ephesians 4:14.Dr. Morris is Chief ExecutiveOfficer of the Institute for CreationResearch.OCTOBER 2010 • ACTS&FACTS23

NEW!P. O. Box 59029, Dallas, TX 75229www.icr.orgCreationProclaimsFlight and Spike——— DVD ———Join Dr. Jobe Martin and Dan “The AnimalMan” Breeding on a spectacular journeyfrom deep inside the earth…to jungles anddeserts…and to the farthest reaches of space.In Creation Proclaims – Flight and Spike, you’lldiscover how creation is proclaiming the character,majesty, power, and glory of our Creator God,the Lord Jesus Christ. In each feature, you’ll learnhow God is reaching out to mankind in unmistakableways by making Himself known through:• Owls – The Silent Raptor• Bats – The Mysterious Flying Mammal• Dinosaurs – The Kingly Beast• The African Crested Porcupine• Horned Toad Lizards – The Desert’sThorny Reptile• Naica Crystals – Mexico’s Crystal Palace• Earth – Created for LifeSo grab your night vision goggles and telescope,and get ready to encounter God through thewild wonders of His creation. You’ll be inspiredthrough biblical insights and invigorated by theadventure!Only $19.95(plus shipping & handling)To order, call 800.628.7640 orvisit www.icr.org/store