The Missing Link is Still Missing
The Genesis Flood
The Ark of Noah
The Importance of Truth
The report of "Java Man" came about when a man named Dubois discovered a human femur in the same general location where the skull cap of an ape was also found. While failing to report that he also found human skulls in the same area, Dubois proceeded to convince the scientific world that he discovered a genuine link between man and apes. Before his death, however, Dubois confessed that his "Java Man" was nothing more than a large gibbon ape. (14)
It appears that in their eager desire to produce the missing link, evolutionists have been guilty of dishonesty and erroneous conclusions. The retraction of careless reports, however, never seems to receive sufficient publicity to erase the impression that such pronouncements leave upon the public mind.
The original report establishing "Peking Man" as a link between man and ape was strangely enough based upon the discovery of a single tooth. The Peking story also made a big impact upon the public. However, it, too, appears to be based upon careless and over-anxious reporting.
About the same time, a tooth was discovered in Nebraska which again led to hasty documentation. The publcation of this find resulted in the designation of an intermediate know as "Nebraska Man." However, upon further investigation it was determined that the famous tooth belonged to an extinct pig.
Another case in point involves a jawbone discovered in England which resulted in the designation of "Piltdown Man". This specimen was estimated to be about 500,000 years old. Authorities becme convinced that "Piltdown Man" was indeed a positive link to the evolutionary past of modern man. However, when the jawbone was tested to determine a relative age, it was discovered to be no fossil at all but was only slightly older than the day it was found.
Further examination revealed that the specimen had been chemically treated to make it look old, and scratch marks on the teeth indicated that they had been filed. The find was a complete hoax, but it had succeeded in fooling the world's greatest experts!
This fraudulent report appeared in our textbooks for fifty years and resulted in the printing of 500 books and periodicals. Dr. Duane Gish summed up this fraud by stating, "The success of this monumental hoax served to demonstrate that scientists, just like everyone else, are very prone to find what they are looking for whether it is there or not."(15)
"Neanderthal Man", which we hear so much about as a link to man's past, is also a misconception. He was actually nothing less than a normal man. Again Dr. Gish summariezes a popular report. "It is now known that Neanderthal man was fully erect and in most details was indistinguishable from modern man, his cranial capacity even exceeding that of modern man."(16) It is now believed that the stooped posture of Neanderthal man was the result of a crippling disease probably arthritis or rickets.
A lot of guesswork goes into the reconstruction of primate models which are based on embarrassingly few fossil fragments. In conclusion, it appears obvious that evolution scientists desparetely attempted to manipulate the discovery of organic remains to fit their preconceived ideas about the origin of man.
Before moving on to another topic, consider one final area in which evolutionists reported false information. For many years evolutionists contended that the presence of vestigial organs in man proves that man evolved from lower life forms. Vestigial organs are defined as the useless vestiges of organs that were necessary at some previous stage of evolutionary development.
At one time evolutionists claimed a list of approximately 180 vestigial organs in man. Thanks to modern science, that list is now diminished to practically zero! Among some of the more common organs that were claimed to be vestigial are the thyroid gland, the thymus, the coccyx, the pineal gland, the tonsils, and the appendix. All of these are now known to have a very useful if not essential function of the human body.
The Genesis Flood
The first book of the Bible presents a detailed account of a great flood that once covered the entire earth. The Biblical concept of a world-wide flood is flatly rejected by the evolutionist because it strongly contradicts his humanistic philosophy. Therefore, let us focus, for a moment, on the flood tradition and see what interesting conclusions we can draw.
The presence of sedimentary rock formations throughout the world is strong evidence of flood activity because, by definition, this type of rock is formed by water action. The fact that sedimentary rock deposits exist upon mountain ranges world-wide suggests to us that water must have covered the mountains at one time in the past.
Another interesting rock formation that has been discovered on various mountains is a type known as pillow lava. This is a formation that results when lava is cooled and hardened under water. Evidence such as this strongly suggests that the concept of a global flood may actually be more than just a tradition.
As we have already mentioned, fossil formation must have occured over a very short period of time in order to avert organic destruction by decay. For example, the discovery of fossilized fish with scales intact seems to provide support for the rapid time element of fossil formation.
According to what we know about fossils, the conditions of a world-wide flood, as described in Genesis, would have been ideal to produce the fossil remains that exist today. If a great flood occurred on this planet with the magnitude and intensity as indicated by the Biblical record, then the argument for evolution has no support at all, because it depends solely on the fossil record interpreted in terms of vast geologic ages.
If indeed the Genesis flood is responsible for our fossil deposits, we might expect to find massive fossil graveyards, indicating that great herds of animals were destroyed during a very brief time period. Such is the case with the Karoo formation in Africa which contains an estimated 800 billion fossilized vertebrate animals. This and many other massive fossil deposits serve as proof that a catastrophic event such as a global flood brought massive destruction to plant and animal life forms during a short time segment, thus lending strong credibility to the Genesis account.
The historical records of many ancient cultures serve to confirm the reality of a world-wide deluge of water. Almost every known culture has maintained a traditional account of a great flood similar to the one described in Genesis.
Our fossil fuels of coal and oil speak to us of the massive death, burial, and compression of plant and animal remains. Coal is formed by plant material, whereas oil is produced from animal material that is subjected to high pressure and temperature under the proper conditions. It is important to note that this process does not require vast periods of time as evolutionists suggest. It is commonly believed, by the proponents of the great flood, that these very important resources are a direct result of the historic global cataclysm recorded in the bible.
This massive fossil graveyard is found at Agate Springs, Nebraska, where is is estimated that over 9,000 animal carcases were buried simultaneously by some major catastrophic event of the past.
There is no mistaking the physical evidence of our world that cries out in favor of the historical accuracy of the Genesis record.
Dr. Henry Morris sums up the evence in the following statements. "There was never such an opportunity for production of fossils as in the great flood. Neither was there ever, before or since, such an opportunity for the formation of vast beds of sediment and for their rapid conversion into sedimentary rock, as in the great flood."(17) Most creationists are convinced that the key to the real understanding of the fossil-bearing sedimentary rocks is nothing less than the great flood of the days of Noah. The fossils speak, not of the gradual evolution of life on earth over vast ages, but rather of the sudden extinction of life, all over the world, in one age."(18)
"And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the foul of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth; and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark" (Genesis 7:23);
The Ark of Noah
Genesis 8, verse 4, tells us that, following the flood, Noah's ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat, this will confirm the Genesis record as an accurate account of history and will all but destroy the shallow evidence upon which modern evolution is based. Let us turn our attention to the subject of Noah's ark and the possibility of its preservation in the glacier fields of Mount Ararat.
This map shows the location of Mt. Ararat in remote eastern Turkey near the Soviet border (see arrow).
L. Ikenberry
We notice in Genesis 6:14 that God instructed Noah to cover the ark inside and out with pitch. Now, anyone who knows about boats can tell you that this would not have been necessary to water-proof the bessel because wood swells and becomes automatically water tight when exposed to moisture. Why, then, would God instruct Noah to cover the ark with pitch? Could it be that God wanted the vessel preserved through the ages of time as a testimony to the accuracy of his word?
This ancient altar discovered at the foot of Mt. Ararat was evidently used to present animal sacrifices unto God. We are reminded of the significance of this discovery when we read what the Bible records about Noah after he departed from the ark. "Aand Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean foul, and offered burnt offerings on the altar" Genesis 8:20
J. Morris
Mount Ararat is a 17,000 foot peak in remote Eastern Turkey, near the Soviet border. The ark is believed to be resting at about the 14,000 foot level of this mountain. Evidence that this was the landing place of Noah is abundant throughout the region around Ararat. The names given to rivers and towns in the surrounding area make reference to Noah and his family, as well as the ark itself.
According to Genesis 8:20, the first thing Noah did after his exit from the ark was to build an altar upon which to make sacrificial burnt offerings to the Lord. It is interesting to note that researchers discovered an ancient altar near the base of Mount Ararat.
Another interesting feature of Mount Ararat is a cave in the rocky cliffs encompassed on either side by carvings that depict animal sacrifice. Still another rock formation in the region displays eight carved crosses which may be representative of the eight survivors of the great flood.
According to the dimensions recorded in Genesis, the ark had a capacity equal to about 520 standard railroad box cars, which was more space than would be necessary to accommodate two of every known species of land animal that ever lived.
In 1840 a severe earthquake shook the region of Mount Ararat. The quake may have dislodged the ark making it somewhat more visible, because, since that time, numerous sightings of the ark have been reported.
The following list includes some of the major reported signtings since the 1840 earthquake. (19)
Many efforts have been made, in recent years, to obtain permission to climb Mount Ararat in search of the ark. However, the Ararat region has been restricted by the Turkish government because it is a sensitive military zone. Recent political unrest and the change to a new coalition government have contributed to a decision that forbids the issue of climbing permits to foreign research teams.
It seems remarkable, indeed, that the ark of Noah could have survived for almost 4,500 years. However, the abundant evidence seems to indicate that it has. The search will continue, and perhaps one day soon the final proof and documentation of Noah's ark will be completed.
There seems to be little doubt that the ark exists upon the slopes of Mount Ararat, which serves as dramatic evidence in support of the Biblical account of a catastrophic world-wide flood. This, in turn, rudely contradicts the teaching of modern science on the subject of evolution. Unfortunately, however, many individuals still refuse to renounce evolution no matter what proof is presented to them.
Archaeologists have unearthed evidence to confirm the historical record of the Bible back as far as the time of Abraham. The final and complete documentation of Noah's ark on Ararat will serve as conclusive proof for the historical accuracy of the first eleven chapters of Genesis, wherein lies God's own record of the origin of life on earth.
The Importance of Truth
It is apparent to me that the physical evidence in our world lends much more credibility to the creation model of origins than to the evolutionary account. It can be stated categorically that no contradiction exists between the Biblical record and any proven fact of science. The more knowledgeable man becomes, the more evident it is that creation is the correct explanation for the origin of life. Certainly the degree of complexity and order which we discover in our universe is not mearly the product of chance.
Since scientific observation clearly supports the Genesis account of origins, it is truly unfortunate that so many people are still clinging to the dying philosophy of evolution. Ultimately, belief in evolution leads to a form of self worship or humanism which maintains that there is no power greater than man.
The Bible speaks of such things in Romans chapter one, beginning with verse twenty-two. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man... Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator...And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind..."
People are eager to accept the philosophy of evolution because it helps them justify a self-centered life style. Evolution assures people that they will have no one to answer to except themselves.
However, the real danger of evolution is that it ultimately leads to rejection of the authority of the Bible as the devine word of God resulting in a failure to appropriate the promises leading to salvation and eternal life.
It is certain that the creator had a definite purpose in his creation and it is apparent that his purpose was centered primarily in man.
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"(Genesis 1:1).
"So God created man in his image..."(Genesis 1:27)