| Created Fossils? Has God Deceived Us? by Warren Krug (November-December, 1997) |
An envelope arrives in the mail. Your name is printed in big letters on the front with the message “guaranteed
winner of a million dollars”. In small print elsewhere in the mailing is the qualification: “if you have and return the
winning number.” Deception? Most of us would agree it is, even though we’re probably getting quite used to
attempts like this to sell products or obtain donations.
winner of a million dollars”. In small print elsewhere in the mailing is the qualification: “if you have and return the
winning number.” Deception? Most of us would agree it is, even though we’re probably getting quite used to
attempts like this to sell products or obtain donations.
Now there is a rumor going around that God may also be fooling us.
Specifically, the fossils of dinosaurs and other creatures people have been
digging up all over the world may not have come from real animals as we
would expect. These fake fossils may have been directly created and
placed into the ground by God. To be sure, any Christian who supports this
belief would not use the big “D” word, but “if the shoe fits, wear it.”
Specifically, the fossils of dinosaurs and other creatures people have been
digging up all over the world may not have come from real animals as we
would expect. These fake fossils may have been directly created and
placed into the ground by God. To be sure, any Christian who supports this
belief would not use the big “D” word, but “if the shoe fits, wear it.”
Is God capable of deception? Surely the armies of God’s Old Testament people, Israel, used deception - for
instance, at the battle of Ai. But this kind of deception isn’t the same thing. Deception is expected, even admired,
in warfare. It also, by the way, is expected and admired in sports such as football and basketball.
Some people have pointed to the creation of Adam as an adult person as an example of deception. When he
was but an hour old, Adam would have appeared to be a mature adult. But if this is deception, it isn’t the same
thing either. God’s tells us in His Holy Word exactly what He did when he created the first people. In addition,
rational people can figure out that Adam likely wouldn’t have been created as a newborn baby. There would
have been nobody around to have cared for him.
What about the starlight that reaches us from stars millions or billions of light years away? Is this not deception,
since the Bible strongly suggests that the world is but a few thousand years old? Many creationists (not all) hold
to the theory that God created starlight in transit at the same time He created the stars. Also, other theories
(and that’s all they are) have been proposed to explain scientifically how starlight from stars millions of light
years away (if indeed they are that far away) could be reaching us in a universe only thousands of years old.
We don’t know the facts on this one, so we can’t call this one deception either.
Why would anyone propose that the fossils in the ground might not have come from real animals? That is a
good question. Simply put, there doesn’t seem to be any good answer. According to Creation magazine
(September/November, 1997) the idea that God created fossils inside the earth ready-made has been around
for more than 100 years. More recently it appears that a single individual is pushing the same theory.
According to his view, the Flood was too tranquil to have done what creationists say it has done. Also, he
believes the geologic record in the rocks is too neatly laid out to have been placed there by a catastrophic
worldwide flood.
We at the Lutheran Science Institute have tried to make clear the difference between the sure word of Scripture
and the uncertain theories of scientists, even creationists. Whenever we devise possible explanations for what
may have happened in the past history of the world apart from Scripture, we are walking on shaky ground since
we weren’t there when these past events supposedly happened. In view of the continuous flow of new
discoveries that overthrow longheld “scientific facts”, such a statement is no “cop out” argument. Even some
creationists have revised some of their ideas (e.g. the Paluxy River tracks; the moon dust) when new information
has caused them to state things in more relative terms.
Yet, it can be profitable for our inquiring minds to form theories about the past as long as we keep the
aforementioned caveat in mind. For instance, we do know from Scripture (Gen. 1:6-7) that God created an
expanse above which were waters (fact) that may have been the source of the rainfall during Noah’s Flood
(theory).
We do know from Scripture (Gen. 2:5-6) that the early earth did not experience rainfall (fact), a situation that
may have lasted until the Flood (theory, but likely if Noah saw the world’s first rainbow - Gen. 9:13).
We do know from Scripture (Gen. 7:11-12) that one day “all the springs of the great deep burst forth” (NIV) and
rain began falling for at least 40 days and nights (fact) that surely would have led to catastrophic conditions
(fact, since St. Peter verifies this in 2 Peter 3:5-7 when he groups the Flood with the Creation and also the
ultimate destruction of the world on the Last Day).
We do know from Scripture (Gen. 7:23) that every living thing left on earth was wiped out (fact), an event which
likely would have left fossils (theory, but likely since the remains of these creatures had to be deposited
somewhere).
instance, at the battle of Ai. But this kind of deception isn’t the same thing. Deception is expected, even admired,
in warfare. It also, by the way, is expected and admired in sports such as football and basketball.
Some people have pointed to the creation of Adam as an adult person as an example of deception. When he
was but an hour old, Adam would have appeared to be a mature adult. But if this is deception, it isn’t the same
thing either. God’s tells us in His Holy Word exactly what He did when he created the first people. In addition,
rational people can figure out that Adam likely wouldn’t have been created as a newborn baby. There would
have been nobody around to have cared for him.
What about the starlight that reaches us from stars millions or billions of light years away? Is this not deception,
since the Bible strongly suggests that the world is but a few thousand years old? Many creationists (not all) hold
to the theory that God created starlight in transit at the same time He created the stars. Also, other theories
(and that’s all they are) have been proposed to explain scientifically how starlight from stars millions of light
years away (if indeed they are that far away) could be reaching us in a universe only thousands of years old.
We don’t know the facts on this one, so we can’t call this one deception either.
Why would anyone propose that the fossils in the ground might not have come from real animals? That is a
good question. Simply put, there doesn’t seem to be any good answer. According to Creation magazine
(September/November, 1997) the idea that God created fossils inside the earth ready-made has been around
for more than 100 years. More recently it appears that a single individual is pushing the same theory.
According to his view, the Flood was too tranquil to have done what creationists say it has done. Also, he
believes the geologic record in the rocks is too neatly laid out to have been placed there by a catastrophic
worldwide flood.
We at the Lutheran Science Institute have tried to make clear the difference between the sure word of Scripture
and the uncertain theories of scientists, even creationists. Whenever we devise possible explanations for what
may have happened in the past history of the world apart from Scripture, we are walking on shaky ground since
we weren’t there when these past events supposedly happened. In view of the continuous flow of new
discoveries that overthrow longheld “scientific facts”, such a statement is no “cop out” argument. Even some
creationists have revised some of their ideas (e.g. the Paluxy River tracks; the moon dust) when new information
has caused them to state things in more relative terms.
Yet, it can be profitable for our inquiring minds to form theories about the past as long as we keep the
aforementioned caveat in mind. For instance, we do know from Scripture (Gen. 1:6-7) that God created an
expanse above which were waters (fact) that may have been the source of the rainfall during Noah’s Flood
(theory).
We do know from Scripture (Gen. 2:5-6) that the early earth did not experience rainfall (fact), a situation that
may have lasted until the Flood (theory, but likely if Noah saw the world’s first rainbow - Gen. 9:13).
We do know from Scripture (Gen. 7:11-12) that one day “all the springs of the great deep burst forth” (NIV) and
rain began falling for at least 40 days and nights (fact) that surely would have led to catastrophic conditions
(fact, since St. Peter verifies this in 2 Peter 3:5-7 when he groups the Flood with the Creation and also the
ultimate destruction of the world on the Last Day).
We do know from Scripture (Gen. 7:23) that every living thing left on earth was wiped out (fact), an event which
likely would have left fossils (theory, but likely since the remains of these creatures had to be deposited
somewhere).
We do know from Scripture (Gen. 9:13) that God
pointed out a rainbow to Noah and his sons following the
flood (fact) which may have been the first rainbow ever
seen by man (theory, but likely because of the
significance attached to this sign).
It will be up to each person to decide for himself or
herself what to believe in regards to “creation science”
and “Flood geology”. Still, why would we want to believe
an unprovable thesis that makes God out to be a
deceiver? After all, “God is not a man, that he should
lie.” Numbers 23:19) And that is a fact! LSI
pointed out a rainbow to Noah and his sons following the
flood (fact) which may have been the first rainbow ever
seen by man (theory, but likely because of the
significance attached to this sign).
It will be up to each person to decide for himself or
herself what to believe in regards to “creation science”
and “Flood geology”. Still, why would we want to believe
an unprovable thesis that makes God out to be a
deceiver? After all, “God is not a man, that he should
lie.” Numbers 23:19) And that is a fact! LSI