Evidence Versus Myths

The Revolution Against Evolution

IX. EVIDENCE VERSUS MYTHS

There are various classifications for scientific evidence. There is "Class A" evidence: facts with little serious challenge from evolutionists. "Class B" evidence is circumstantial evidence. Often, Class B evidence may have an evolutionary explanation, or it may be a creationist explanation for an evolutionary argument. This can be used for supporting evidence, but is not as strong as Class A. I classify "Class C" evidence as explanations that are highly controversial and could be interpreted several ways. But, never use "Class D" evidence, which are myths posing as fact.

We must not be trapped by unsubstantiated stories posing as evidence for creation. It is an old trick of the devil to have his subordinates loudly proclaim the word of God supporting it with hogwash. That is why we must be careful to check out all stories before we repeat them, especially ones promoted by the media. Some of the more controversial ideas have many sides to the issue, and some creationists will believe them to be debunked, only later to find out that new evidence gives additional support to the idea. Some of these issues are fascinating to follow, such as the current debate concerning the Zuyio-Maru carcass that some say was a plesiosaur, others a basking shark or other creature.

In this book, I have laid a foundation for creation using evidence classified in the following categories.

Class A Evidence

1. The laws of thermodynamics are consistent with creation. The Bible pictures a world created perfect, but subjected to the law of death and decay after the introduction of sin. In contrast, evolution pictures a world that gradually grows from simple to complex, from disorder to order. This is a direct contradiction to the second law of thermodynamics.

2. The laws of probability demonstrate that chance does not allow for evolution to take place.

3. Life contains left-handed amino acids, right-handed sugars and cis-lipids exclusively. If life came about by chance, it would be predicted that equal numbers of right and left-handed amino acids and sugars would form life, also more trans-lipids than cis.

4. The activity of proteins and other chemicals in the cell depends upon its weak bonding, three dimensional structure, amino acid sequence and relationships with other chemicals in the cell. Without this, life would not exist. This proves that living systems were created functional from the beginning.

5. There is a wide gap between living and nonliving systems.

6. Mutations are not an answer why there are so many different varieties of living systems on the earth. Mutations are a damage in the genetic code caused by UV radiation or other factors, rendering a process ineffective. Therefore, they are harmful or useless, and not a source of new physical traits.

7. The living cell has repair mechanisms that take control when a gene is damaged. How did that repair mechanism originate, except by God's design?

8. The amounts of enzymes in the cell are regulated by processes that are dependent on the chemical structure of the enzymes produced.

9. Mutations are often reversed.

10. Chromosome number and DNA count vary widely between various species and evolutionary levels.

11. The origin of healing is a mystery, and is contrary to the way the laws of thermodynamics works. It is evidence for direct divine intervention.

12. There are many examples of sedimentary strata found with the "older" evolutionary age on top of the "younger" age.

13. Long periods of time works against the theory of evolution, since the tendency is toward disorder and decay rather than order.

14. Sedimentary rocks, which are fossil bearing rocks, cannot be "dated" directly by radiometric methods.

15. Large gaps are often found between periods in the fossil record.

16. Most of the areas studied where out-of-order strata appear show no physical evidence of movement between the strata.

17. There are many documented cases of large fossils such as trees extending through several layers of strata. This is evidence for quick burial.

18. Human artifacts and footprints are found in strata that represent evolutionary time periods far earlier than expected by the theory.

19. Unconformities, or gaps in the fossil record, are found with strata layers mixed, inter-tongued and shuffled.

20. Fossilization is evidence for quick burial.

21. Coal formation, petrification, and fossilization are all processes that can occur quickly under the right conditions.

22. Radiometric "dating" is dependent upon assumptions of evolution.

23. The quick frozen mammoths found in the arctic suggests sudden catastrophe, which could be an effect of the flood.

24. The theory of evolution does not adequately explain the problems associated with massive die outs of dinosaurs and woolly mammoths.

25. Creatures such as the Coelacanth, whose fossils were found in "ancient" strata and missing in subsequent "younger" strata, were found alive and well, unchanged in their appearance.

26. Pleochroic haloes found in the rocks indicate a sudden and abrupt origin of the earth.

27. There are many examples of animals having characteristics that cannot be explained adequately by evolution. The problems involve transitions from one environment to another, and the numbers of changes in characteristics the animal would have had to make to survive in its new environment. The examples listed in this book were:

a. dolphins and whales

b. the duckbill platypus

c. the koala

d. birds

e. the woodpecker

f. the water ouzel

g. the arctic tern

h. the anableps

i. the archer fish

j. the angler fish

k. the Venus flytrap

l. the frog

m. Mixotricha Paradoxa

Class B Evidence

Fossils unmistakably human were discovered in strata much "older" than the alleged ape-men.

The dating of fossils by evolutionists is based upon where they find them in the strata. But, they date the strata using the fossils found in them. This is using an assumption for proof.

Many fossil "ape-men" found had superior brain capacities to modern man. The Biblical account is a better explanation for this than evolution.

Ecology and interdependence between organisms cause additional problems for evolutionists.

The origin of sexual reproduction is not adequately explained by evolution.

There is much evidence that Noah's Ark is still preserved on top of Mt. Ararat, and has been sighted by over 180 people in the last century.

Historical records of comets disintegrating show that they have a short life span. If comets and the solar system formed at the same time, it would follow that the solar system is young.

Heavy cratering on Saturn's moons and the rings suggests catastrophe.

Binary stars containing two stars of different evolutionary "ages" presents a problem for the idea of stellar evolution.

The magnetic field of the earth is decaying at a measurable rate. Extrapolating this decay rate back, it is evidence that if the earth were more than 10,000 years old, it would have enough energy to be a star.

Experiments have shown that mice live longer in an environment surrounded by a high magnetic field. This may have been a factor in promoting long life before the flood.

The existence of binary star systems containing stars of different evolutionary “ages” is circumstantial evidence against long ages of stellar evolution.

Behemoth and Leviathan mentioned in Job chapter 40 and 41 may have been dinosaurs, which may have still been around after the flood.

Continental drift could have taken place on a major scale during the flood, with rapid reversals of the earth's magnetic field. Uplift and upheaval of the earth's crust would have followed.

Class C Evidence

The "firmament" mentioned in the first chapter of Genesis may have been a water vapor canopy that protected the earth from harmful radiation. This would generate a favorable climate for extended life spans. The idea of a water vapor canopy is one that has been a source of controversy among creationists, and it is unlikely that it could have been the source of all of the floodwaters. Most creationists believe that the majority of the water came from subterranean sources.

Noah's ark would have been of adequate size for the task of preserving life upon the earth. It was to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. This would have had a capacity of 1,400,000 cubit feet, equal to the capacity of 522 standard livestock railroad cars. A total of 125,000 animals the size of sheep could have carried on the Ark.

NASA engineers designed the first spacecraft to land on the moon with large pads that would prevent it from sinking into the moon dust they expected to find accumulated over millions of years. It turns out that the rate of moon dust accumulation had been overestimated; in fact, we have no idea how to estimate this rate over long periods of time. Creationists pointed out that the small amount of moon dust fits well within the theory of a young earth-moon system. This is still true, however, there is little point to this argument.

Did Darwin repent on his deathbed and renounce the theory of evolution? The story comes from articles written about evangelist Lady Hope who visited Darwin, found him reading the book of Hebrews and shared the gospel with him. There have been various articles written about this event. Earlier creationist articles doubted the existence of Lady Hope, and point to letters written by Darwin that show he was an unbeliever to his death. More recently, additional information about Lady Hope has turned up, giving a bit more credence to the story. Darwin was a waffler, and often would say things favorable to the Bible to impress people. One might hope that his heart was turned toward the Lord at the end, but one should not use this as an argument to convince people that Darwin renounced his theory.

Class D Evidence--Myths To Avoid

In contrast to the above arguments, we need to expose the likelihood that some stories that surface from time to time are probably false. Creationists can be guilty of spreading rumors and false information too. These are some examples coming from both sides of the issue, and the strange facts surrounding them.

Around 1970, a story was circulated that a computer project at NASA calculating the rotation of the earth in the past and the future halted when the computer stopped on a missing day that corresponded to Joshua's long day in the Bible. Again, this story simply did not check out with the facts, and it appears that it was a fabrication. Besides, computers are not magic machines that can look backward in time; they can output only what the programmer tells them. The only way this could work is if we had accurate historic eclipse records to work with. Still, Joshua's long day does check out against the historical records of several countries around the world.

Many myths surround the search for Noah's ark. Various reports of the sighting of the ark have turned out to be false. Currently, a boat shaped formation in the Tendurek Mountains has been touted as the ark. Investigation of this formation years ago revealed that it is a lava flow, not the ark. One account used in a recent Noah's Ark TV special was a story that the person simply made up to make creationists look foolish. A NASA satellite photograph though to be the ark turned out to be a fake and a photograph taken by one group was retouched. But both were used as evidence in a popular movie. The unfortunate thing is that if explorers find the ark, these fakes will cast doubt on the credibility of the genuine.

Other suspect or highly doubtful arguments:

1. The “Gospel in the Stars” concept.

2. Equidistant Letter Sequencing.

3. The secret discovery of the Ark of the Covenant covered with the haploid blood of Jesus. (Promoted by Ron Wyatt).

We need to be very careful to circulate information only after it has been checked it out to be true. The worst kind of testimony is one that is fictitious. God does not need us to defend Him, and certainly not with a made up story. He has given man enough evidence to make a decision, and on top of that, He has given His witness within us to help us discern.

Here are some rules:

1. Check out the source. Is the source one of credibility, bearing good fruit? Do they promote themselves, or God?

2. Does the story fit the rules of common sense?

Does the story line up with God's word?

Does the story avoid personal attacks?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Job 9:2-14

Proverbs 15:23

Proverbs 22:17-21

Proverbs 24:26

Proverbs 26:4-5

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY