News to Note, October 9, 2010

1. Fossilized Footprints and History of Dinosaurs

Evolutionists claim that fossilized footprints found in Poland give clues as to the history of dinosaurs.

2. Variety in Penguins

While structures found in fossilized penguin feathers make evolutionists reconsider their ideas about these early aquatic birds, creationists can enjoy the variety God has put within this fascinating animal kind.

3. Druidry Recognized as Charity in Britain

Druidry, a pagan religion that once dominated the British Isles, is now recognized as a legitimate charity in Britain.

4. Kill a Handicapped Child?

An advice columnist in the UK says that a good mother would kill a handicapped child rather than force it to live in suffering.

5. PhysOrg: “Archaeologists Shed New Light on Adaptability of Modern Humans’ Ancestors”

Recent discoveries in Papua New Guinea upset the evolutionary idea that early man was primitive and unintelligent.

Archaeologists from the University of Otago, studying ancient campsites in Papua New Guinea, have found evidence that the early inhabitants of the island understood agriculture and even crafted tools to help them alter the landscape and encourage the growth of useful plants. The team leader, Professor Glen Summerhayes, says that “all this is unprecedented evidence of careful, intentional colonisation over thousands of years, rather than people just wandering around foraging and moving on. These are unique footprints of humanity that challenge some current notions regarding at what stage humans can be truly said to have become ‘modern’ in their thinking and behaviour.”

This discovery should be no surprise to those who accept the Bible’s account of human history. Genesis 4:20–22 recounts the accomplishments of three brothers who lived a mere seven generations after Adam: The first brother, Jabal, was “the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.” The second brother, Jubal, “was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.” The third brother, Tubalcain, was “an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron.” Noah and his sons would likely have carried at least some of the knowledge and expertise of these men with them on the Ark and passed it on to the post-Flood world. After the Flood, man demonstrated his architectural ingenuity by building the tower of Babel, and, even after the confusion of languages, many ancient societies had highly advanced technology that often baffles evolutionist scientists today.

Evolutionary thinking requires the belief that early humans were ignorant ape-men barely able to speak or think logically, so evolutionists are often surprised to discover evidence of intelligence in early humans. However, the fact that the early settlers of Papua New Guinea were clever enough to adapt to new environments and cultivate land for efficient agriculture lines up perfectly with the biblical portrayal of early society.

And Don’t Miss . . .

• Two photographers in Kenya were surprised to look up from their breakfast to see a pink hippopotamus trying to avoid sunburn by the banks of the Mara River. Although arguably “cute,” this is caused by a developmental problem and makes the animal more prone to sunburn. A reminder of a sin-cursed world, despite retaining some of the beauty and diversity of the original creation.
• According to a recent article in National Geographic, the tramping of water buffalo and other large animals may skew the ages traditionally assigned to ancient tools. This small study reveals some of the erroneous presuppositions often used to date artifacts.
• Uniformitarian beliefs cannot explain the dramatic features of the Grand Canyon and its surrounding areas. In an attempt to explain the origin of the Canyon, some geologists now speculate that the Colorado River once flowed backwards. However, the best explanation for the Canyon is still the global flood of Noah’s day and its after-effects.
• In a limestone cave in Brazil, scientists have discovered a skull that resembles that of an Australian Aborigine. They say this discovery may “rewrite” evolutionary concepts of human history . . . again.
• A rock formation resembling a tree has been discovered in New Brunswick. The provincial paleontologist from the New Brunswick Museum said, “I knew right away it wasn’t going to be a fossil tree because it’s about 500 million years old. We know trees don’t appear in the geological record until about 360 million years ago, so it’s much too old to be a tree.” Whether or not this rock formation actually turns out to be a tree, the circular argument of this paleontologist reveals his evolutionary presuppositions.

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