T285 Bringing the Horse to Water and Getting It to Drink: Obstacles and Innovative Ways of Getting the Religious Public to Consider Scientific Evidence

Wednesday, 28 September 2016
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room 503

GRAND CANYON: MONUMENT TO AN ANCIENT EARTH: WHY THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN

Paper number: T285-5
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:05 AM – 9:20 AM

Authors

Abstract

The Young Earth Creationist (YEC) movement has not gone away after over 40 years of infiltrating American churches and society. Their presence is evident in politics and public policy on important issues such as global warming. They are now leading river trips through Grand Canyon and "prayer van" tours along the South Rim of the canyon, and they recently opened the $100-million Ark Encounter in Kentucky. YEC not only claim that the Earth and universe are 6000 years old (10,000 max), they also claim that their "Creation Science" is as good as modern science when interpreting the geology of Grand Canyon. Flood geologists (FG) - YEC who believe Noah's flood was global - teach the public that almost all of the sedimentary rock in Grand Canyon (and on planet Earth) formed during the one year of Noah's flood, and that fossils are the remains of creatures that died in the flood.

The purpose of this book is: (1) To explain to lay persons in simple terms they can understand, why Noah's flood - as portrayed by flood geology - cannot explain Grand Canyon or any other geologic landscape on Earth. (2) To teach the basic principles of geology to lay persons by using the most beautiful photos possible. (3) To teach why flood geology is NOT science. (4) To use as a beginning geology text for non-geology students in secular and Christian colleges and universities. (5) To use in seminary workshops to equip pastor students to deal with future congregations.

The 11 authors, including professors of geology and paleontology, were selected both for their professional expertise (some have done original research in the canyon) and for their experience dealing with YEC. This book was written especially for people who have been so influenced by YEC that they no longer know what to believe. We end our book with the question: Does it really matter? Our answer is: “Truth always matters.” That is why we wrote the book.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 48, No. 7

doi: 10.1130/abs/2016AM-281565

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