> At 04:32 PM 10/22/97 -0400, Steve wrote:
>
>> The problem is you're 150-200 years too late. The flood hypothesis was
>> considered early on in geology and found sorely lacking. For example,
>> read any introductory geology textbook to learn about the work of Louis
>> Agassiz in the Alps. He showed the material being called "drift" and
>> thought to originate during Noah's flood was, in actuality, material
>> deposited by glaciers. This was around 1836.
>
> Whoa! So we have learned that geologists prior to 1836 had some wrong
> ideas. Well surprise, surprise. Some geologists today have wrong ideas as
> well. Science is not supposed to be into dogmatism, but I sure hear a lot
> of it from geologists who have abandoned the Biblical account of earth
> history (yourself and a few others excepted).
I'm just saying that anyone claiming geologists haven't wrestled with the
idea of a global flood is ignorant of the history of geology. Agassiz
wasn't an atheist, he actually was one of the last prominent scientists
to reject Darwin's ideas because they conflicted with his religious beliefs
(S.J. Gould wrote an interesting essay about Agassiz and his opposition to
Darwinism).
Of course we have some wrong ideas today, I would never deny that or
become dogmatic about modern science. But the global flood idea really
is in the dustbin of history (the ONLY people who want it to be true are
Biblical-literalists and it isn't because they studied geology and found
compelling evidence but rather because they read Genesis 1-11 literally
and want nature to support their Biblical exegesis.
>> I could cite numerous other examples from the history of geology.
>> That's why modern geology rejects the idea of a global flood.
>
> They may have to reconsider that idea someday, but lets hope it is not in
> the judgment.
I am confident that when I die and stand before the judgement seat of
the Father, He is NOT going to ask me "Son, did you or did you not believe
in a geologically-recent global flood?" I too take the Bible seriously
and know the important issue is my acceptance of the Salvation offered by
the sacrifice on the cross made by Jesus Christ.
-- Steven H. Schimmrich KB9LCG s-schim@uiuc.edu Department of Physical Sciences Kutztown University 217 Grim Science Building, Kutztown, PA 19530 (610) 683-4437 http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/s-schim Fides quaerens intellectum