Ross, H. The Genesis Question, Navpress, Colorado Springs, Co. 2001
Chap.2 Reasons for resistance: Pride , bitterness form hurt, lust, illiterate-can’t identify 4 books of the bible, 4 apostles, or the 10 commandments. Some secular proofs. Teach that the bible teaches a flat earth or geocentrism; Academy of Science statement: science and religion are separate and mutually exclusive realms; people rejecting blind faith p11-16
Chap . 3 Creation and the Cosmos: Hebrew Bara = created means bringing into existence something new that did not exist before. P18 Heavens and earth, Shamayin and erets have varied meanings heavens =the abode of the stars and galaxies; Frame of Ref shift on Gen. 1:2 to earth, initial conditions, see scientific method p. 20 Earth dark covered with water Ps. 104:6 The Gap theory as taught by Scofield has earth ‘became’ rather than ‘was’ empty and void (correct) and has Satan destroying the creation.
For ‘formless and empty’ Ross implies the earth underwent natural planet formation by dust disc accretion p 24. Land masses then arise by volcanism due to heat of isotope decay, and plate tectonics.p.25 He says the earliest earth was covered by water. It initially had an opaque atm. due to debris. Earth formed at 4.59 billion yrs. P29 Density differences or globe rotation may drive plate tectonics according to Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics “Regarding the driving mechanism of the plates various models co-exist: Tectonic plates are able to move because the Earth’s lithosphere has a higher strength and lower density than the underlying asthenosphere. Lateral density variations in the mantle result in convection. Their movement is thought to be driven by a combination of the motion of seafloor away from the spreading ridge (due to variations in topography and density of the crust that result in differences in gravitational forces) and drag, downward suction, at the subduction zones. A different explanation lies in different forces generated by the rotation of the Globe and tidal forces of the Sun and the Moon. The relative importance of each of these factors is unclear. Plate tectonics is basically a kinematic phenomenon: Earth scientists agree upon the observation and deduction that the plates have moved one with respect to the other, and debate and find agreements on how and when. But still a major question remains on what the motor behind this movement is; the geodynamic mechanism, and here science diverges in different theories.”
Chap.4. Days one and 2: p.27 He maintains that the earliest life was unicellular marine organism identified in marine sediments.p27 They relied on photosynthesis at 3.5-8 billion yrs due to C 13-12 ratios. The O2 for photosynthesis appeared 4.0-1 billion yrs ago.p27 He states there is a lack of any specific info. on dinosaurs in the bible p.28 Day one light comes from clearing of the earths atm. The moon formed at 4.25 billon yrs as a planted collided with earth and knock off a portion to form the moon. He asserts that samples show the moon and earth are chemically different and did not form together. This also blasted off the earth’s atm. which had to reform. P30 The sun shines about 35% more brightly today than it did during the first life forms.(P.33) (Riddle notes that the earth would be frozen with no life at 35% less solar energy). Comets of all sizes rained down on the earths atm. and contributed water that helped the earth’s atm.p.34 More CO2 in early atm. caused global warming with less sunlight. Several authors (Morris, Snelling) and Wikipedia questions carbon dating of more than 80,000 yrs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dating “As of 2007[update], the limiting age for a 1 milligram sample of graphite is about ten half-lives, approximately 60,000 years.[9] This age is derived from that of the calibration blanks used in an analysis, whose 14C content is assumed to be the result of contamination during processing (as a result of this, some facilities[9] will not report an age greater than 60,000 years for any sample). A variety of sample processing and instrument-based constraints have been postulated to explain the upper age-limit. To examine instrument-based background activities in the AMS instrument of the W. M. Keck Carbon Cycle Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory of the University of California, a set of natural diamonds were dated. Natural diamond samples from different sources within rock formations with standard geological ages in excess of 100 my yielded14C apparent ages 64,920 ± 430 BP to 80,000 ± 1100 BP as reported in 2007.[10]”
Chap. 5 Days 3,4:p.35 Land appears Ps. 104:6-9 29%land 71% water present. Plants of Day 3. The Hebrew dasha or produce means abound in vegetation. Ross implies this took some time. But large trees date very early in the fossil record. P37 Archaeopteris 370 mill. Yrs; Flowering plants, also 290 mill. Yrs. P.38 Evidence for kerogen tars and carbonaceous molecules form C 12-13 ratios 3.5-8 mill yrs ago.p38 Recent amino acids left handed for life and nucleotide sugars right handed. P39 Life is not likely to survive cosmic transport. P40 Radio decay sets up release of O2 from oceans. No life with O2 or without due to Ozone shield effect. P41 No plant species radically different form current ones has been observed to arise. Rapid extinction of plants has been observed. This implies many new plants don’t come into being. Atm. from translucent to transparent on day 4 and CO2 dropped. Earths rotation slowed and this gave slower winds and less cloud cover (less sea spray). P42 Plate Tectonics and volcanism driven by radio decay occurred. The advanced species show low tolerance for the prior events. P42 Ross says asa verb dose not require current creation of sun, could have been prior. P43 Moon could have been made on day 1. A problem with the 4th day creation of the sun is more than light(God could have provided his light), also gravity problem for planets and orbits. p44 Ozone was balanced carefully for life. P.45
Creation Days 5,6: Day 5 Water has living creatures and birds fly, large sea creatures and every one that swarms and crawls in water. Dinosaurs 65-250 mill. Yrs. ago, p48 Behemoth a Hippo, and dinosaurs don’t breathe fire. Nephesh soulish creatures, can form relationships and emotional bonds with humans and be trained. P49 Pakicetus, Nalacetus, Ambulocetus and Indocetus fossils sea mammals about 50 mill yrs ago. Freshwater to sea water adaptation requires different internal organs.p50 Whales change slowly due to large size and slow reproduction and numbers.p51-2 Only species with a quadrillion population and generation time of less than 3 mo. Can evolve. P52 Also horses slow to change. He theorized multiple extinction and repopulation of whales by God. Ps. 104:27-30 27 All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. 30 When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
Mat. Henry and John Gills commentaries do not agree with Ross’s view that this means full recreation of species, but more preservation of a few favored ones who multiplied.
Day 6: land mammals and livestock, long legged and short legged quadrupeds from 3 Hebrew words. Man has spirit-5 traits:1. aware of Moral code in conscience.2 concerns about death and life after, 3. tendency to worship and communicate with higher being, 4. consciousness of self, 5. drive to discover and capacity to recognize truth and absolutes. P55 Due to ab and ben father and son several generations genealogies could be 7000 to 60000 yrs to now. 1Chron., Matt 1, Luke 3, and Gen. 11 There is only religious relics for about theses dates. P56 Most anthropologist insist that bipedal primates were human, mainly Neanderthal. But this link of them to humans is now in question. P57
The sun brightens about 8% per billion yrs, and the earths rotation rate lengthens about 4hr/day per billion yrs. Coal, oil and gas deposits formed over millions of yrs with vegetation. P57
Chap. 7 Other stories of creation and myths are not realistic like the bible one.
Chap. 8 Day 7: Ross says the 7th day rest continues into the present and he implies the other days may have been longer as well.p64 He points out that the 6-24hr days creation is a stumbling block for many scientists and those that follow them that needs to be removed. The order of creation does make good sense with Ross’s modifications. Its was good and it was so is stated many times.p67
Chap. 9 Gen. 2 the spiritual whys of creation: Gen. 1 the physical creation. Vegetarianism fits with long lives and healthy diet.p71 4500 Birds and animals named by Adam would take a yr with 30-60 min per animal and 8 hr days. Eve may have come form tissue and not a rib. She was an ally not just a helper. P75-6 Eden was located in Iraq near Babylon. P78
Chap. 10 Modern Criticism History: Jean Astruc in 1753 criticized the 2 accounts of Gen 1,2 as being contradictory. P81 Soon the Germans added that Gen. also violated science and some concluded that the Bible was unreliablep.83. Fundamental protestant’s clung to solo Scriptura and the Bible is true in history and science. Some in the liberal or modernist camp that the bible is only true in doctrines and guide to human practice and not in history and science. P83-4 Some go as far as to deny many miracles. Many scientists either joined with the higher critics or liberals or left the church. Ross states although some theologians say Gen. is poetic or even mythical, this is not true; Gen. is best classified as a historical narrative or prose and not poetry. It does not have the style of poetry as does Ps. 104, which describes creation in a poetic style.p86 Also see Prov. 8:22-31
“The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; 23 I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. 24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water; 25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, 26 before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world. 27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, 28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, 29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. 30 Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. Mat. Henry’s commentary indicates that God’s son Jesus is being referred to here and also as an example of high wisdom. Metaphors are used. Ross notes there have been some excellent reviews of the higher critics that have pointed out flaws in their arguments.p.86
Chap. 11 Creation Science Develops: p.87 Price, G.W. wrote The New Geology in 1923,; this insisted on the global flood. Ramm, B. wrote The Christian View of Science and Scripture in 1955 as a rebuttal to Price. In 1961 H. Morris wrote The Genesis Flood; which was a scholarly work. John Whitcomb, a theologian, also supported it. They formed the Creation Research Society in 1963. This splint in 1970 and ICR was re-founded by Morris in 1972. This book has a young earth and global flood view. Ross challenges that all animals were formed as vegetarians with man; that sufficient animals could get on the ark(30,000 pairs), and that animals could repopulate to so many species after the flood to form all the fossils(1/2 billion species) and the species that presently exist(5 million species). Ross maintains that animals do not diversify that fast into all the species.
Chap. 12 How far the Fall. Ross maintains that the 2nd law or thermo was in effect form the beginning of creation and when Adam ate food, bacteria digested it and some died. The livers and teeth of ancient sharks are design for eating animal matter, as are Trex’s limbs and teeth. With the fall pain and work were increased not started. Adam did some work tending the garden.p95-6 Carnivores perform a beneficial function of eating the weak and sick herbivores animals and keeping their population in check. Herbivores also have precise defense mechanisms to avoid carnivores like camouflage, speed, smell, spines (skunk and porcupine). P98 There is a balance of nature through plants, herbivores and carnivores. Some evil and sin may have existed before Adam as in the fall of the angels and Satan.
Chap. 13 Cain’s wife and City: Critics have questioned God allowing Cain’s murder, Cain’s wife after he was banished and his city. Gods asks Cain questions to draw his conscious, but allows free will. P101-2 Adam and Eve had other children and Cain could have married a sister or a niece. There could have been a huge population growth with the long life ages. Murder may have reduced this some.p103 Josephus notes that the early population became very wicked and God judged it. 104 In Lev. 18:6-18 God rules out marrying close relatives; This was due to gene degradation. Today war & murder is the leading cause of death in the world. P.106 .1/1000 http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_percap-crime-murders-per-capita
Chap. 14 dating the origin of Humanity From early bible genealogies about 4000 BC, Chinese history slightly eariler, others(American Indians 9000 BC, Australian aborigines and europeans25,000-30,000BC). p108 Gaps in genealogies pointed out, Ab and Ben for father and son. p109. Religious relics up to 24,000 yrs; Art with spiritual content 5000 yrs.p110 Biochemical dates: Mitochondrial DNA from mothers- few 1000’s to 10000’s. y chromosome for men-35000-47000BC.p 111-2 Neandertals were dated 30,000-100,000 yrs. (See note from Riddle below#)Earlier studies concluded that Neandertals were humans. However the latest studies showed enlarged nasal cavities and no tear ducts, and major difference in DNA form humans. It has been concluded that they are a different DNA track than humans. p114-5 Ross states that there is no evidence of their spiritual activity. Some animals like bower birds*, elephants, chimpanzees, gorillas, and zebra finches engage in music, tool use, art and even burials.p110
Chap.15 Long Life spans: p.117 The early long life spans appear real. Long life spans could have contributed to knowledge and to evil. After the flood, life spans were shortened, Gen. 6:3. Ross lists factors shortening life.P120 Cosmic radiation and telomerase enzyme activity are discussed further. A supernova, Vela occurred 6000 to 30,000 yrs ago and contributed considerable radiation. Telomere area causes chromosomes to shorten and cells to die. Stimulating telomerase can increase cancers. It is possible that in the pre flood time radiation was low and telomerase could be high and lengthen life. The vegetarian diet also helped.p.123-5
Chap. 17 The boundaries of God’s Wrath:p130 Sin’s damage is real; sins to body may be worse than those outside it. Reprobation is described in Rom. 1:18-32 and 2Pet.2:14-19 Continuing to sin and drawing others in. Defilement spreads in this order: 1. to the sinner, 2 to his progeny, 3. to his soulish animals, 4. to his material goods, 5. to his land p140 Ross gives examples from the bible on how God at times directed only males to be killed, at times all people, and at times also livestock. P143 There is no need to destroy insects, ants or bacteria that are not soulish. To this day Sodom and Gomorrah is laid waste with no crops. The required extent of the global flood would be to humans and their livestock.
Chap. 18 The Flood Global or Local: p.145 Ross makes the point that the bible phrases “the mountains under the entire heavens and over the whole world” could mean the world from the viewpoint of Noah’s sight and view and the human inhabited world. P146 Gen. 41:56; 1Kings 10:24 are cited as examples where over the whole world is stated but not intended.He says the flood was limited to the Mesopotamian valley which could be flooded with 400-500 ft of water. He notes that Gen. 8:5 says the tops of the mountains became visible in the 10th month, which implies visible mountains are being referred to. P150 Also in Gen. 8:1 the wind aided in removing the water which would help in a local flood. In Gen. 8:4 it says the ark landed in the mtns. of Ararat, where mtns. is plural and covers a large area. Also Olive trees do not grow at high mtn. elevations. Ross challenges the plausibility of plate tectonics and volcanism occurring in one yr. during the global flood to cause the mountains and valleys. He states such large plate movements would have caused waves to destroy the ark, and the ashes form the volcanoes would have shut down photosynthesis for yrs. Also Noah began farming after the flood. P154 Ross also questions how all the animal species we see today could have evolved so quickly into millions of species after the flood, into all the horse, and cat kinds from one pair of each. Ross states the carrying capacity of the earth is about 50 million species but there are ½ billion species in the fossils. He also question how the huge amount of biodeposits like coal, oil, gas, and kerogen could have formed form the flood. One covering of the earth is with vegetation is not enough to form this amount p.158. He notes that Mt. Everest has marine fossils near its peak and states that it was uplifted by plate tectonics slowly.p159 He says there are several large alluvial deposits in the Mesopotamian plain.
Chap. 19 The Ark and its passengers: Ross states the ark was larger than any known wooden ship. Noah had time, 100 yrs to build it. The animals taken were mainly birds and mammals.p167 Ross hints that the ark may have landed 50mi north of Nineveh at an elevation of several hundred feet. It then would have been raided for its valuable wood. The numerous flood legends are noted.
Chap. 20 The origin of nations and races: God commands several times that mankind should multiply and fill the earth (Gen. 1:28; 9:7). Ross points out the dangers of large centralized governments. They can spread evil, just as one corporation monopoly can result in poor goods. About 50 million of the Russian people were killed by the government.p 174 He points out that the early peoples from Adam to Noah lived in the Mesopotamian valley and did not spread out as god instructed. Nimrod built 8 cities there after the flood. This problem came to a head at the tower of Babel where God confused the languages to get people to spread out. Ross says Noah and sons lived 20,000-30,000 yrs ago, and the scattering of peoples at Babel occurred about 11,000 yrs ago. p187 A study showed that the Bering strait land bridge appeared 40,000-11,000 yrs ago.p178 Population migration may have occurred at 11,000 yrs ago, after which the land bridge was flooded, isolating the peoples.p188. Ross proposed that God may have changed the genes of the separating peoples slightly along with the languages. Sun sensitivity does not completely explain the dark and light skins. The bible contrasts the dark color of the Nubian and Ethiopians vs. the light complexions of the Egyptians, Jews and Mesopotamians.p181-2 Wheat gene spread has been tracked form southern Turkey 9000BC to Egypt and Russia in 5000-6000BC.p185 Also domesticated goats spread from Iraq and Iran areas 10,000 yrs ago to other countires.p186
Morris, John. The Young Earth, Green Forest AK. Master Books (2007)
Snelling, A. Earth’s Catastrophic Past, Geology, Creation & the Flood, Vol 1-2 ICR 2010
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowerbird
# Riddle, M. The origin of Humans, AIG DVD & study guide
Neanderthal population
o Common dates for Neanderthals are 100,000 to 35,000 years ago
o Neanderthals existed for about 65,000 years (2,600 generations)
o From year 1 to 2,000, our population has grown from about 300 million
to 6-billion (100 generations)
The problem
o There should have been over 50-billion Neanderthals that lived during this time.
o Very few complete skeletons from over 2,600 generations!
o Only located at 30 sites in 65,000 years!
o Where are all the fossils!
What Does Theistic Evolution Involve?*CMI by Werner Gitt.
The following evolutionary assumptions are generally applicable to theistic evolution: The basic principle, evolution, is taken for granted. It is believed that evolution is a universal principle. As far as scientific laws are concerned, there is no difference between the origin of the earth and all life and their subsequent development (the principle of uniformity). Evolution relies on processes that allow increases in organization from the simple to the complex, from non-life to life, and from lower to higher forms of life. The driving forces of evolution are mutation, selection, isolation, and mixing. Chance and necessity, long time epochs, ecological changes, and death are additional indispensable factors. The time line is so prolonged that anyone can have as much time as he/she likes for the process of evolution. The present is the key to the past. There was a smooth transition from non-life to life. Evolution will persist into the distant future. In addition to these evolutionary assumptions, three additional beliefs apply to theistic evolution: God used evolution as a means of creating. The Bible contains no usable or relevant ideas which can be applied in present-day origins science. Evolutionistic pronouncements have priority over biblical statements. The Bible must be reinterpreted when and wherever it contradicts the present.
“The role of phytoplankton is better understood due to their critical position as the most numerous primary producers on Earth. Phytoplankton are categorized into cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae/bacteria), various types of algae (red, green, brown, and yellow-green), diatoms, dinoflagellates, euglenoids, coccolithophorids, cryptomonads, chrysophytes, chlorophytes, prasinophytes, and silicoflagellates.
Zooplankton tend to be somewhat larger, and not all are microscopic. Many Protozoa are zooplankton, including dinoflagellates, zooflagellates, foraminiferans, and radiolarians. Some of these (such as dinoflagellates) are also phytoplankton; the distinction between plants and animals often breaks down in very small organisms. Other zooplankton include cnidarians, ctenophores, chaetognaths, molluscs, arthropods, urochordates, and annelids such as polychaetes. Many larger animals begin their life as zooplankton before they become large enough to take their familiar forms. Two examples are fish larvae and sea stars (also called starfish).
Plant life is widespread and very diverse under the ocean. Microscopic photosynthetic algae contribute a larger proportion of the worlds photosynthetic output than all the terrestrial forests combined. Most of the niche occupied by sub plants on land is actually occupied by macroscopic algae in the ocean, such as Sargassum and kelp, which are commonly known as seaweeds that creates kelp forests. The non algae plants that survive in the sea are often found in shallow waters, such as the seagrasses (examples of which are eelgrass, Zostera, and turtle grass, Thalassia). These plants have adapted to the high salinity of the ocean environment. The intertidal zone is also a good place to find plant life in the sea, where mangroves or cordgrass or beach grass might grow. Microscopic algae and plants provide important habitats for life, sometimes acting as hiding and foraging places for larval forms of larger fish and invertebrates.” source Wikipedia.