Now Streaming: Fossils and the Flood

When did your passion for fossils begin and where have you studied them?

It really started when I was around 13–14 years old. But it grew when I started working at a geologic park during college. This park is located in one of the most famous geologic areas in Brazil. It is known for amazingly preserved fossils.

Are you currently working on any research projects?

Yes, I am working on a few projects, including studying the so-called relationship between dinosaurs and birds. The Bible teaches that birds and dinosaurs are separate created kinds and therefore not related. Some evolutionary scientists believe that birds are dinosaurs and that some dinosaurs had feathers. I am studying this topic and analyzing the related claims and research.

What is the atmosphere like for a young earth creationist among secular paleontologists?

It is difficult, because secular paleontologists are often hostile toward Christians, especially young earth creationists. Many doors can be closed to you; for example, at university, some evolutionist professors don’t want to work with you and won’t allow you to work in their lab or be part of their research. They think you are not capable of being a good scientist. In college, most of my colleagues didn’t know about my belief in creation. I heard them making fun of creationists many times. I even heard one of them say that creationists should be burned. I did have one colleague who knew about my belief. He was very friendly and nice to me. We disagreed about many things, but we managed the situation well.

What are some of the hardest unanswered questions for evolutionary scientists in your field?

One of the hardest unanswered questions for evolutionary paleontologists is why the fossils we find are so similar to the organisms that we still have in our world today. We call them living fossils. From an evolutionary perspective, basal (original) creatures should look different from their supposedly evolved descendants. Another dilemma is the presence of soft tissue found in fossils. How could those soft tissues be preserved for millions of years? This is one of the greatest challenges for evolutionists, but it makes sense from a biblical creationist’s belief in a young earth.

In your opinion, what are the strongest creationist arguments that fossils are powerful evidence of the worldwide flood?

For me, the most convincing fossil discovery I have seen is the presence of soft tissue in the fossil record. But some other creation-affirming evidences include living fossils, the presence of fossils everywhere, and fossils showing mass mortality of animals.

How are fossils and the worldwide flood important to the gospel message?

They confirm the authority of God’s Word and reveal God’s judgment. The fossils show that a catastrophic event happened around the whole world. The flood was God’s punishment because he saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth (Genesis 6:5). But God also preserved Noah, his wife, their sons, their sons’ wives, and the animals on the ark. God provides justice, mercy, grace, love, and salvation for us. He gave us his son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for us on a cross that we might be saved. God’s justice was satisfied in Christ’s sacrifice, so if we repent and believe in Christ alone, we are saved. In the same way that God saved Noah and his family on the ark, we are saved in Christ.

If the evidence is so clear for a recent worldwide flood, why do so many scientists in your field believe the earth is billions of years old?

Often, they haven’t looked at the evidence from a biblical perspective. But on a deeper level, most don’t want to admit the flood really happened like the Bible says because that would mean the Bible is true. And if God’s Word is true, that means they must admit to being sinners. Ultimately, they want to keep their sinful lifestyles. They don’t like the idea of admitting there is a loving God who judges sin because of his justice. Keeping their selfish way of life allows them to praise themselves and be their own god.

What are some practical ways for laypeople to use fossil evidence to argue for a global flood and the authority of Scripture and to share the gospel?

You can find fossils everywhere—in backyards, on mountaintops, and in the deep ocean. This is evidence that a catastrophic flood did happen, and it was global. We can find soft tissue in fossils, evidence they were formed recently, not millions of years ago. What the Bible says is true because it is God’s infallible Word, and these evidences confirm what the Bible says about the Genesis flood. Since the first book of the Bible can be trusted, we know that we can trust the rest of the Bible, including the gospel message.

In this way, you can use fossils and the flood as a starting point to share the gospel. Start by saying that fossils show how something catastrophic happened in the whole world, and the Bible tells us what happened. God punished sin with a worldwide flood, but he also provided a salvation plan for those who believe. Noah and his family were saved by the ark, and we can be saved by Christ’s death and resurrection.