Re: Old/new universe perspective contradictions

Thanks, Burgy. You definitely got the drift of my question. I loved your
earlier response re "cooking Noah". I had not thought about the effects
time-compressing all the natural energy dissipation indicated by the
geologic record.
JimA

bivalve wrote:

>>Are there other reasonably easy to articulate and understand instances of contradiction of this sort?<
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>The obvious fact that nuclear power plants, bombs, etc. work today does not avoid the excuse that different factors acted in the past. The observed patterns of nuclear decay in supernova spectra and the Oklo natural nuclear reactors are perhaps stronger evidences of past decay patterns. Perhaps more directly impressive to the average person likely to sypathize with YEC are the use of 14C in archaeological contexts to confirm the Biblical picture against skeptical claims. Recent papers in Science and Nature have used 14C to confirm the material prosperity of Solomon's and Rehoboam's time (by dating the destruction layer from Pharoah Shishak's invasion and observing that there was substantial stuff below it, contrary to claims that all the impressive buildings were later and the united monarchy, if it existed, was local and insubstantial) and to confirm that Hezekiah's tunnel dates from Hezekiah's time. Much earlier work dating Dead Sea scrolls confirms that some of the sec
> tarian
>documents date a couple centuries BC, contrary to a crank claim that the bad guy of Qumran theology was Paul.
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>A direct contradiction occurs in the YEC use of the polonium halo argument. In addition to geological and logical flaws in the argument, the halos can only be identified as polonium if the laws of radiometric decay have not changed. The geological problems relate to the need to identify "primordial", unaltered samples. It's not uncommon for someone to claim that identifying unaltered samples is impossible, disproving radiometric dating, while simultaneously claiming that Gentry is capable of identifying them. Thus, acceptance of the polonium halo argument mandates that radiometric dating is valid.
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>Similar problems are raised by the 2nd law of thermodynamics being invoked incorrectly against evolution while ignoring the problms that the 2nd law poses for flood geology.
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>Attacking old earth claims as "uniformitarian" and therefore inherently atheistic (via a few logical flaws) is popular, yet bad and internally inconsistent uniformitarian arguments are frequently advocated by the same young earth advocates. The amount of salt in the ocean is a classic example. Examination of residence times of various elements yields ages for the ocean ranging from about 200 million years to 0 years. The method is obviously internally inconsistent, and the youngest dates (claimed without justificaiton to be more reliable) give an age for the ocean of less than 2000 years, thus disproving the Bible.
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> Dr. David Campbell
> Old Seashells
> University of Alabama
> Biodiversity & Systematics
> Dept. Biological Sciences
> Box 870345
> Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0345 USA
> bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com
>
>That is Uncle Joe, taken in the masonic regalia of a Grand Exalted Periwinkle of the Mystic Order of Whelks-P.G. Wodehouse, Romance at Droitgate Spa
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Received on Tue Jan 4 16:43:52 2005