Letters From Grandpa #8

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 8

Dearest Grandchild,

In our last letter we pointed out that “time” is an essential ingredient for those who “believe” in evolution. Those who “believe” in a young earth therefore are often opposed with the same religious fanaticism that mediaeval monks displayed while hunting down heretics. There is, however, a growing body of evidence that argues for an earth that is “thousands” nor “billions” of years old. Please do not let anyone “smile away” evidence!

One discovery of special interest to our family involves mammoth bones found right here in Carl Junction, Missouri, U.S.A. As you know, this is where your Grandpa has worked and worshiped for more than 36 years. The mammoth bones were discovered in 1892 on the property of S. A. Struckey, whose descendants became our close friends. The Joplin Sunday Herald ran an article on August 7, 1892 about this amazing discovery. On Sunday, August 29, 1892, they ran a sequel explaining that two Joplin men had died while looking at the bones. The victims were Buff Lawrence and Thomas Wright. The 6,400 pounds of bones apparently still had enough flesh buried with them to create the deadly methane gas which killed these two men. The presence of so much flesh indicates that the bones may be much younger than previously “believed”. Our good friend, Marv Dahmen, has created a life size replica of this elephant like creature which is 15 feet high.

Even more interesting is the report from the National Science Foundation on April 12, 2007. This report confirmed the existence of protein in soft tissue from the fossilized bones of a Tyrannosaurus rex. Evolutionists “believe” these bones are 68 million years old. This new discovery calls that date into question. Paul Filmer, program director for the NSF, said that not only was protein detectably present, but the preserved material was in good enough condition to be identified. This discovery was made by Mary Schweitzer and her team of scholars from North Carolina State University. The presence of this “soft tissue” is an embarrassment to evolutionists and those who “believe” in “billions of years” are working feverishly to explain it away.

Two years later, in 2009, Schweitzer’s team made a similar discovery in the fossilized bones of a duck billed dinosaur known as Brachylophosaurus. Evolutionists “believe” these bones are 80 million years old. Yet the team not only managed to recover bone cells, but possibly even blood vessels and collagen protein too. Such tissue normally decays first in bone structures. Again, such discoveries create a panic in those who “believe” in evolution. Since hard core “believers” dare not change their “theory”, creative solutions “must” be discovered to explain away the obvious.

Mark Armitage, a scientists at the California State University, dared to challenge the traditional “belief” regarding eons of time in the evolutionary creed. After examining a triceratops horn discovered in 2012 in the Hell Creek Formation in Glendive, Montana, he postulated that it was “thousands” not “millions” of years old. His scientific conclusion was based on the fact that this fossil also contained soft tissue which even appears to have live bone cells or osteocytes. As a

scientist, he did not “believe” these bones were millions of years old. When he dared to put this heretical postulate in print, however, he alleges that his superior, Dr. Ernest Kwok, stormed into his office and shouted: “We are not going to tolerate your religion in this department”. Shortly thereafter Armitage was fired. So much for academic freedom on campus?

• But the evidence for a young earth is not limited to “anomalies” in dinosaur bones, it is woven throughout the entire fabric of creation. Remember the evidence from Mt. St. Helens that we linked to in letter
• 3. Everyone looks at the same evidence, but what you “believe” leads to different interpretations of the evidence. The presentation of Dr. Sharp regarding Mt. St. Helens, demonstrates among many other things, that layers of strata with petrified logs do not take millions of years to form as previously “believed”.

What you “believe” about creation not only affects your views on the age of the earth, but also only many other decisions made every day. In particular, it determines our daily decisions about right and wrong. Atheist Mao Tse Tung, for example, murdered 50 million people. His “belief” in atheism obviously influenced his actions. If there is no God, what does it matter how many people you murder? Atheism has no rationale for determining right from wrong. Genocide, in fact, is a “rational” response for those who “believe” in the survival of the fittest. That’s why believing the Bible is so important. It provides a star by which to steer when you are seeking to know what is right, and what is wrong.

As you weigh the evidence regarding the age of the earth, do not overlook the testimony of the Scriptures. If the Bible is inspired by God, as I believe it is, it is obviously relevant regardless of what unbelievers may say. We should never be ashamed of the Bible. While the book of Genesis may seem controversial on campus, it was quoted by Jesus, and also by many inspired authors of the Bible. It is also believed today by millions, including many scientists. As you know, however, opinion polls do not determine truth. That’s why Grandpa always wants you to consider the evidence for yourself and not let someone else determine what you believe. While we will not study Genesis at this time, do not disregard this ancient document as a mere collection of fables. There have been many times when critics assumed the Bible to be wrong, only to later discover with new evidence that the Bible was right and it’s critics were wrong! Archeology and truth are a good friends to Scripture. For example, when the Ebla archive was discovered in Syria (modern Tell Mardikh) in the 1970's, many critics of the Bible lost their credibility. Later, in 1975, the excavators found a large library filled with tablets dating from 2400 -2300 BC. These tablets confirmed many of the personal titles and locations in Old Testament accounts once questioned by critics. Please do not ever be afraid of evidence! By comparison with the alternatives, the opening words of Genesis, “In the beginning God”, make more sense than anything else.

The late Dr. Henry Morris in his book Scientific Creationism presents many facts that argue for a young earth. He reminds us to differentiate between historical facts and assumptions. Written records, as you know, only go back 4,000 to 6,000 years. Beyond the reach of written records, we only have assumptions. Again, as you know, there is a great gulf between an “assumption” and a “scientific fact”.

Perhaps you have heard he old joke about the custodian at the museum who told a certain visitor that a dinosaur bone was 60,000,005 years old. When asked how he could be so specific, he replied: “They were 60,000,000 years old when I started working here 5 years ago”. Ha!

Many of the arguments given by Dr. Morris for a young earth are too complicated for me to understand. For example, he argues that the efflux of gases into the atmosphere is evidence for a young earth. Certain radioactive elements produce gases as they decay. Notably Helium 4 in the case of uranium decay, and Argon 40 in the case of potassium decay. Like finding soft tissue in dinosaur bones, the small amount of helium in the atmosphere has perplexed evolutionists for many years. His point is that the “evidence” regarding this helium fits better with the “assumption” of a young earth.

His argument on the mineral content of the ocean was easier for me to understand. For example, at the present time river water carries about 0.75 billion pounds of nickel each year into the oceans. The oceans are estimated to have 7,000 billion pounds of nickel. This could have accumulated in slightly over 9,000 years at the present rate. If the earth were really 5 billions years old, however, then there should be 960 pounds of nickel on every square foot of the ocean floor. Such, of course, is not the case. Similar arguments can be made for other dissolved chemicals in the ocean. The list includes: sodium , magnesium, silicon, potassium copper, gold, silver, mercury, lead, tin, and uranium. In every case calculating the amount of these materials in the ocean indicates that the earth is vastly younger than 5 billion years.

The antiquity of man was also understandable to me. Evolutionists generally believe that man and apes diverged from a common unknown ancestor about 30 to 70 million years ago. Note that a discrepancy of 40 million years is close enough for an evolutionist. Dr. Morris argues that the present population of the earth fits better with “thousands” and not “millions”of years. Population statistics are much more reliable, of course, within the framework of recorded history. Statisticians estimate that world population when Jesus was on the earth was approximately 250,000. It slowly increased to 1 billion by A.D. 1804. Then it accelerated to 2 billion in only 123 years (1927). The next billion came even faster and took only 33 years (1960). The next billion only took 14 years (1974). At the present time world population is over 7 billion (2014). You can easily see that our world population is accelerating exponentially.

When Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel she was the only woman on earth. The Scriptures even call her “the mother of all the living” (Gen. 3:20). Obviously population growth was slow at the start. The more women there are who are having babies, however, the faster the population grows. Today there are billions of women having babies, that’s why population growth is now much faster. Dr. Morris believes that our present world population fits better with a young earth.

To avoid the obvious, evolutionists must argue that population growth was different “then” than “now”. Such an “assumption”, of course, is a matter of “faith”. Please note that the population growth of the last 2,000 years has happened in spite of genocidal wars, famine, and pestilence. Many societies, such as the Aztecs, killed multiplied thousands as human sacrifices. Millions of

babies were also sacrificed throughout history in pagan rituals. Today millions more are killed by abortion. Since 1973, for example, over 56 million babies have been aborted in the United States alone. IN SPITE OF ALL THESE UNTIMELY DEATHS, HOWEVER, WORLD POPULATION IS STILL GROWING AT A PREDICTABLE RATE! THUS OUR PRESENT WORLD POPULATION FITS BETTER IN A FRAMEWORK OF THOUSANDS AND NOT MILLIONS OF YEARS!

As you know, Missouri is known as the “Show Me” state. Our motto fits well into Biblical teaching. Paul instructed the Thessalonians to “test everything” (1 Thess. 5:21). Adam Clarke states that the words used here refer to the assaying of metals. If someone “claims” to have gold for sale, the wise buyer “tests” the ore to see if those claims are true. This Scriptural injunction obviously applies to both religious and secular claims. God encourages all of us to test “everything”.

Thanks for taking time to spend a few minutes with an old man who cares about you very much.

Love,

Grandpa Boyce