Readers Respond to Answers, October – December 2014

Featured in Answers Magazine

Is Your Message Up to Date?

In the Oct.–Dec. 2014 Answers article “Is Your Message Up to Date?” an image of a book on “Moon Dust” was given as an example of arguments that are out of date. I am curious about why that topic is considered out of date.

Ervin B., Email

Editor’s Response: The simple answer is that earlier estimates of the rate at which dust accumulates on the moon were much higher than later measurements show. So it appears that the accumulation of dust after billions of years wouldn’t be as thick as originally estimated.

During the 1960s and 1970s many creationists adopted the “moon dust” argument based on early calculations by some secular scientists, but more accurate information is now available.

Here’s a short explanation from an earlier Answers article:

“Only a thin layer of dust covers the moon’s surface. However, this does not prove a young age for the moon. Before the Apollo lunar missions, a few scientists had predicted that a yards-thick layer of dust should have settled on the moon over billions of years.

“Those predictions got a lot of press, yet further satellite measurements of dust in space indicated a much smaller rate of accumulation than previously assumed. This does not mean the moon is billions of years old; modern scientists cannot know the rate of dust accumulation in the past or the amount of dust originally on the moon. Therefore moon dust cannot be used as an age indicator one way or the other” (Don DeYoung, “Far-Out Claims about Astronomy,” Answers, January–March 2008, 45–46).

Destroying the Creation Account

It’s clearly a 24-hour day. God found a way to avoid confusion, and He used the specific language and tenses of the Hebrews to ensure the inerrancy of Scripture. God selected holy men to record His very Word. Knowing that is pure joy!

Rick B., Facebook

Minimizing God?

Don’t you think that when we don’t take God’s Word seriously, it is mankind’s way of minimizing God’s abilities? We don’t want a God we cannot comprehend. To admit the Genesis account is literal 24-hour days means we have a God we cannot grasp.

Laura M., Facebook

Is Science Clearer Than the Bible?

I like to consider, if God were to “mislead” people about how and when he created, would he be more likely to do it in His inerrant Word, or in the supposed “discoveries” of science?

Jim B., Live Author Chat

Author’s Response: While it is inaccurate to say that God “misleads” people, human beings often misinterpret both the general revelation of nature and the special revelation of the Bible because of our finite understanding and fallen nature. Nature is not a series of propositions as Scripture is. Both can be misinterpreted, but it is easier to recognize a direct contradiction of a clear proposition (for instance, when someone says Jesus Christ is not the Son of God) than to recognize when we are misinterpreting an observation of God’s general revelation (see “One Book Is Sufficient” in this issue). When we draw specific conclusions from nature that disagree with God’s special revelation and then reinterpret the meaning of clear Scripture in the light of human “science,” we deceive ourselves by elevating limited human reasoning above God’s perfect Word.

Great Mag!

I just got my first copy of Answers magazine out of the mailbox, and my first impression was “Wow!” The photos, illustrations, paper, layout—everything is first class! Then I skimmed over the articles, and I was even more impressed! I’m so glad I subscribed. My only regret is not finding this wonderful resource sooner.

Tom S., Montevallo, Alabama

Allosaurus—A Creationist’s Best Friend

What a good article. Thank you so much for all that you do to proclaim the truth of The Word of God.

Nancy C., Facebook

First-Hand Genesis

Could Noah, as well as Moses, have communicated what the overlapping generations passed on first-hand?

Et C., Live Author Chat

Author’s Response: It’s certainly a possibility. Cultures that hand down their history orally are often amazingly accurate in the transmission of information from one generation to the next. In addition, some Christians believe that Adam himself may have actually written down an account that accompanied Noah on the Ark and was eventually transmitted to Moses (Genesis 5:1).

Creation on Campus

Correction: The list on page 77 of issue 9.4 (Oct.–Dec. 2014) misidentifies New Saint Andrews College as a Bible college. While the Bible permeates everything at New Saint Andrews, it does not belong in the class of a “Bible college” but rather a liberal arts college, with an academically rigorous program.