Fossils: Evidence Of God's Law Broken

Fossils are the preserved remains of organisms from the past. They are important to Christians because they reveal truths about the world and point to the wisdom and qualities of its Creator. According to the Bible, fossils were caused by the flood, a result of sin, and serve as reminders of God's character and the penalty of man's sin.

Fossils are evidence of God's judgement through a global flood

Fossils are evidence of God's judgment through a global flood, as described in the Bible. This belief is held by people of the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths. The flood was a result of sin and God's sorrow at having created mankind, as stated in Genesis 6:5-7.

The flood geology theory suggests that the Biblical Flood of Noah is responsible for burying all the fossils within a year's time, several thousand years ago. This theory interprets the Bible's account of the flood as a historical reality. While it accepts the miracles mentioned in the story, the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) suggests that God used these sparingly, allowing the flood to operate according to natural laws.

The ICR's version of flood geology describes a pre-flood Earth with a water vapor "canopy" in the upper atmosphere, creating a tropical paradise with no wind circulation or rain. To start the flood, God performed miracles, such as making the animals seek Noah's Ark and "breaking the fountains of the great deep." The violence of the rains and volcanic waters during the flood would have catastrophically scoured and dumped sediments, burying creatures and forming fossils.

The global flood described in the Bible provides a model for the occurrence of millions of fossils. The rapid and massive deposition of sediments and the burial of millions of fish and other organisms are consistent with the fossil record. The study of fossils gives clues about the geological processes during the flood.

However, there are several criticisms of flood geology. Firstly, it requires the rejection of established geological dating methods and the assumption that most geological processes occurred during the flood, which lasted only about a year. Secondly, it does not account for the existence of fossils in specific orders or locations, such as marine fossils found above those of land animals. Finally, the amount of water required to cover the highest mountains would have been immense, leading to challenges in explaining where all that water drained.

Fossils are a reminder of the penalty of man's sin

Fossils are the remains of once-living things, formed through catastrophic circumstances. The majority of fossils can be attributed to the worldwide flood of Noah's time, during which countless creatures were killed and rapidly buried. This is evidenced by the discovery of fossilized feces, or coprolites, which indicate that something must have happened to bury these remains very quickly, preserving them within 24 hours.

The Bible asserts that God created life forms to reproduce within their own kinds, and this is reflected in the fossil record. All fossilized creatures appear suddenly and fully formed, with no clear evolutionary transitions. This sudden appearance of fossils is consistent with the idea that they were formed during a global catastrophe, such as the flood of Noah's time.

The study of fossils is important for Christians as it provides insight into the history of life, earth history, and the biblical account of Creation and the Flood. It also challenges evolutionary theory and long ages for life on Earth, supporting a young Earth creationist perspective.

Through the study of fossils, Christians can learn about the ancient world and the consequences of sin. It is a reminder of God's righteousness and holiness, and His judgment of sin.

Fossils are a result of Noah's flood

The flood geology theory suggests that the Biblical Flood of Noah is responsible for burying all the fossils within a year. This theory accepts the miracles mentioned in the Biblical Flood story, but also maintains that God uses miracles sparingly. The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) suggests that God let the flood operate according to natural laws to produce the geological features that are now seen in the earth's crust.

The ICR's flood geology theory describes the events of the Biblical Flood as follows:

> Before the Flood, a water vapour "canopy" in the upper atmosphere created a greenhouse effect, making the entire earth a tropical paradise. The oceans were shallower, the lands lower and more extensive than today. Because the greenhouse effect kept temperatures the same throughout the earth, there was no wind circulation and no rain, only a mist that watered the ground daily. Underneath the earth lay vast underground water reservoirs. To start the Flood, God performed some miracles: He made the animals seek out Noah's Ark, "opened the windows of the heavens" to empty the vapour canopy on to the earth, and "broke the fountains of the great deep" to overwhelm the continents with volcanically heated brines. During the course of the flood, the violence of the rains and volcanic waters catastrophically scoured and dumped sediments, burying all sorts of creatures as fossils in the process.

The flood is thought to have ended when God performed another set of miracles, making the continents rise and the ocean basins sink along vertical faults.

The flood geology theory is supported by the fact that very few fossils are forming today, and then, only in cases of rapid burial by water. For example, when a fish dies, it usually floats to the surface or sinks to the bottom, where it decays and is eaten by scavengers. However, many fish fossils are so well-preserved that even the scales and organs remain intact. This suggests that there was no time for decay and bacterial action, and that something extraordinary, like a flood, must have occurred to form the fossils.

Most fossils occur in huge fossil graveyards, where things from different habitats are mixed together. The predominant type of fossil is that of marine invertebrates, but these are found on the continents within catastrophically deposited rock units. The different kinds of fossils that exist, such as mineralization, carbonization, impressions, and ephemeral markings, all require rapid burial and circumstances that are seldom, if ever, seen today.

The global Flood described in the Bible provides a good model for the occurrence of millions of fossils in the fossil record, and the study of fossils can give us clues about how the Flood occurred in terms of geological processes.

Fossils are a record of God's judgement

The Bible states that God saw the wickedness of man was great on Earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And so, God decided to destroy mankind and the creatures of the Earth, sparing only Noah and his family, and two of every kind of animal.

Fossils are the remains of once-living things. They are formed very quickly, before the animal or plant completely decays or is scavenged. This means that fossils are formed through catastrophic circumstances. Most fossils can be attributed to the worldwide catastrophe of Noah's Flood, in which countless creatures were killed and then rapidly buried, or to its residual effects.

The fossil record, billions of dead things buried in rock layers laid down by water all over the Earth, is dramatic evidence of the historicity of Noah's Flood.

Fossils are a reminder of God's character

The Bible says in Genesis that God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So, the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things, and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."

The fossils we see today are a reminder of God's judgment and the global Flood. They are a reminder of the penalty of man's sin and should motivate people to prepare for death.

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