- Friday, November 4, 2016
- 3:30 PM–5:00 PM
- Science Building Lecture Hall 010
Christian Perspectives in Science seminar; Geology, Geography, and Environmental Studies seminar
The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River: Monument to Catastrophe? OR a Monument to an Ancient Earth?
Many professional scientists and many people with a strong Christian commitment believe that some sort of ideological war exists and perhaps must necessarily exist between these two subcultures. The geologic record, including that of the history of life, has often been a focal point for tragic-comedic pronouncements. Paleontologic practitioners who wish to help advance public awareness of the protracted history of life must defuse the warfare paradigm while simultaneously eliminating simple ignorance. Since the 1960’s, the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River has been employed by Flood Geologists as a showcase for their interpretation of Earth history. In their model, the sedimentary layers of the canyon are divided into pre-Flood, and Flood layers. The Flood layers — thousands of feet of sedimentary rock — would have been deposited in one year’s span and then quickly eroded while yet soft, to form the present canyon in a few years. Fossils were deposited as ancient biotic communities were overwhelmed and buried. This talk will examine the fossil record to evaluate some of the claims of Flood-geologists for the Grand Canyon and will discuss the necessity to defuse the warfare paradigm. The new (summer, 2016) volume, “Grand Canyon: Monument to an Ancient Earth” (subtitle: “Can Noah’s Flood Explain the Grand Canyon?”), published by Kregel Press, will be available for purchase.
