Best of the GeoChristian

Under construction — not yet complete

Here’s my attempt to organize my favorite posts on The GeoChristian:

Young-Earth creationism — geology

Six bad arguments from Answers in Genesis (part 6) — Solid rocks really can fold; they don’t have to be soft (and mushy).

Six bad arguments from Answers in Genesis (Part 5) — Which explains erosional gaps in geologic history better: young-Earth flood geology, or standard geological explanations?

Paleontologists visit the Answers in Genesis museum — Perhaps not a single geologist or paleontologist has ever come to faith in Christ through young-Earth creationism, and the Creation Museum shows why this is true.

Six bad arguments from Answers in Genesis (Part 4) –Long distance transport of sand, not explainable by flood geology.

Six bad arguments from Answers in Genesis (Part 3) — Despite what the young-Earth creationists say, sedimentary layers covering hundreds of thousands of square kilometers cannot be explained by Noah’s flood.

Six bad arguments from Answers in Genesis (Part 2) — “Fossil graveyards” — more problems for the young-Earthers.

Six bad arguments from Answers in Genesis (Part 1) — Fossils at the top of mountains not evidence for a global flood.

Stegosaurus in Cambodian temple? — It sort of looks like a Stegosaurus, but it ain’t.

Dinosaur footprints part 3 — The very presence of these footprints speaks against the whole flood-geology model advocated by young-Earth creationists.

Following more wrong footprints — A human footprint in Permian rocks? Sigh.

Following the wrong footprints — The leading young-Earth organizations have rejected the idea that human footprints are found alongside dinosaur footprints in Cretaceous rocks along the Paluxy River, Texas. That doesn’t stop a whole bunch of young-Earthers from continuing to use this “evidence.”

The Bible rocks — endorsements — The book The Bible, Rocks, and Time gives a crushing analysis of young-Earth creationism from the point of view of two geology professors who uphold the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy.

The Bible rocks — a preview of The Bible, Rocks, and Time by Christian geologists Davis Young and Ralph Stearley.

Bad apologetics and the search for Noah’s Ark — Every few years someone else finds the real Noah’s Ark. Sort of like finding a true piece of the cross of Christ back in the middle ages.

Young-Earth creationism — age of the Earth

Aluminum and the 100-year old oceans — Answers in Genesis and other young-Earth creationists continue to use a really, really, bad argument for the age of the Earth.

Mixed marriages and the age of the Earth — A letter to a former student.

Young-Earth creationism — misc.

The tragedy of “creation evangelism” — Some people are drawn to Christ through “creation evangelism,” but many are also driven away. It isn’t because of “spiritual warfare.”

Dr. Dino still in prison — Some young-Earth creationists are more wrong than others. Kent Hovind is both very wrong and very popular.

YEC B.S. in geology program — My thoughts on Cedarville University’s new degree in geology.

Christian leaders who advocate old-Earth interpretations of the Bible (or acknowledge that the Bible could allow for an old Earth)

William Jennings Bryan — the prosecutor at the Scopes trial hated evolution, but had no problem with a very old Earth.

J. Gresham Machen on the age of the Earth — Machen was a staunch defender of Christian orthodoxy and Biblical inerrancy, and had no problem with the idea of an old Earth.

Another fundamentalist for an old Earth — R.A. Torrey

John Piper and the age of the Earth — Here’s what is important: God created the universe, Adam and Eve were real, the creation is good.

The Reason for God — interview excerpt — Timothy Keller

Augustine and Darwin — well, we really don’t know what Augustine would have said about some things, but here’s some speculation

Spurgeon distorted — Answers in Genesis has a hard time swallowing the fact that the great preacher Charles Spurgeon accepted an old Earth

Fundamentalism and creationism — B.B. Warfield, James Orr, and William Jennings Bryan (of Scopes trial fame) were all old-Earthers.

Augustine: The Literal Meaning of Genesis — Augustine didn’t read Genesis in the same literal way that the young-Earthers do.

Spurgeon 0n science — In Spurgeon’s mind, both the “irreligious scientist” and the “unscientific Christian” are wrong.

Derek Kidner on Genesis — From the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary series.

Francis Schaeffer on the age of the Earth — from his book Genesis in Space and Time.

Biblical case for an old Earth

Is accepting an old Earth heresy? — Some place young-Earth creationism up there with (or perhaps above) the doctrine of the Trinity in importance.

Death before the fall — an old-Earth perspective — Young-Earth creationists commonly say that the Bible says there was no animal death before Adam’s fall into sin. This concept isn’t found in the Bible.

All truth is God’s truth — God tells the truth in all areas, not just in the Bible.

Day-age time chart — A nice summary of one of the old-Earth options, from Reasons to Believe.

Evolution

Darwin’s birthday #2 — Scientists reject Christianity because of young-Earth creationism. Christians reject evolution because some use it as an excuse to not believe. It doesn’t have to be so.

Christianity and the environment

Evangelism or the environment? — This is sort of like asking “Should we do evangelism or raise our children well?” The answer is obviously “both.”

Pollution and the Death of Man — Francis Schaeffer’s book on the environment. Francis Schaeffer recognized long ago that the ecological crisis is real, but few have listened.

Nature’s enduring value is not in what it can provide us — A Biblical perspective is that nature is good, period.

Why don’t we get it? — Evangelicals are often perceived as being anti-environmental as well as anti-science. A few thoughts from Dean Ohlman at Restoring Eden.

“I looked at the Christian community and saw ugliness” — Francis Schaeffer visits some hippies and looks across the way to the Christian school.

For the Beauty of the Earth — Quotes from the book by Steven Prediger-Bouma. This book develops a Biblical view of creation care that is neither Earth-centered nor man-centered, but God-centered.

Compassionate conservatism vs. plunder the Earth — The Bulldoze-the-Everglades-and-Kill-the-Whales side of conservatism is no more Biblical than the Worship-the-Earth-Goddess-and-Humans-are-a-Cancer side of the environmentalist movement.

Good conservative quotes on the environment — There is nothing conservative about allowing pollution and degradation of the Earth.

Wendell Berry — Stewardship. Live within boundaries.

Green elephants — Republicans for Environmental Protection.

Hot air and thin ice — A bad argument against human-induced climate change.

Earth Day 2008 — stewardship of the environment — A statement from the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy regarding stewardship of the environment.

Earth Day 2008 — Christian environmentalism — Quotes from Ray Bohlin of Probe Ministries.

Pollute the air, God doesn’t care — Using the doctrine of God’s sovereignty to make excuses for sin.

Apologetics (the defense of the Christian faith)

Dealing with an apparent Bible contradiction — John tells us that the first disciples were called through the ministry of John the Baptist. Matthew tells us that it occurred while they were fishermen at the Sea of Galilee. Which one is correct?

Bad arguments for Christianity — I believe Christianity to be true, but there are good reasons to believe it is true, and some not-quite-so-good reasons.

Ten arguments for God’s existence — Some of the arguments that work for me might not work as well for you, and vice versa.

The moral argument for God’s existence — The only way to be a logically consistent atheist is to deny that actions can be classified as good or evil. That is a rather poor foundation for life or society.

Batty arguments — How does one respond to the statement “the Bible cannot be true because it classifies bats as birds?”

More thoughts on the cosmological argument — There are only three possible explanations for why the universe exists: 1)It has always existed. 2)It created itself. 3) It was created by something outside of itself.

God is alive and well — “The so-called New Atheism lacks intellectual muscle.”

Anne Rice on faith — There are many reasons people come to faith in Christ. Author Anne Rice describes her journey from Christianity to atheism and back to Christianity.

Unicorns, the Bible and education — How do you reply to the skeptic who says he cannot believe the Bible because it has dragons and unicorns?

Atheism

More atheist quotes on Dawkins and the new atheists — There are good reasons why some atheists find Dawkins to be embarrassing.

The new atheists: summary of arguments — Somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Or maybe not.

Not quite so bright — part 2 — Atheist philosopher Michael Ruse rips into the best-selling author of The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins

Not quite so bright — the shallow thinking of the “new atheists.”

Christian to atheist to Christian — testimony of A.N. Wilson.

The abyss of atheism — not all atheists go to the extremes of Peter Singer, but what is stopping them?

Atheist: Africa needs God — Atheist says, “In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.” I think he’s right.

Christianity—protection against superstition and the paranormal — Rejecting Christianity doesn’t necessarily lead to an enlightened society; it seems to lead to an increase in astrology and palm reading instead.

Quotes on atheism 2 — a few quotes from C.S. Lewis.

Quotes on atheism — this post generated a good number of comments.

Geology

Rare Earth? — The rare Earth hypothesis — interesting but not proven

Christianity

Spiritual growth in this life — a brief quote from Martin Luther.

The foolishness of our own atheism — sometimes we Christians act as if God were not there.

Happy New Year with a Bonhoeffer quote — What can God do with evil?

Bible reading in 2009 — Download my Bible reading checklist.

Life Together quotes #2 — From chapters 3-5 of Life Together by Bonhoeffer.

A Christ-centered message — Preaching as it ought to be, from the pastor of Red Rocks Fellowship in Littleton, Colorado.

Life Together quotes — From chapters 1-2 of Life Together by Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a bit liberal theologically, but the Christ-centeredness of his writings puts to shame much of what goes on in Evangelicalism today.

A model for youth ministry — Depth and hard work; a quote from Richard Foster.

The bad news of the gospel — It may help to understand the Bad New before you hear the Good News. A ten-question quiz I always fail.

Getting the gospel right — The gospel is all about what God has done for us in Christ, not about what we do for him.

The thirteen critical problems facing contemporary Evangelicalism — from the Internet Monk.

The great exchange — Christ gets my sins, I get his holiness.

White Horse Inn — My favorite radio program. Christ-centered Christianity.

Maps

A Montana native’s perception of New York City — I’ve been there, so I ought to know.

About me

Where I’ve been — maps showing the countries (9) states (46), and even counties (900)  in which I have been.

Resolving the tension — a brief account of how I got to be where I am.

complete back to 10/1/07