{"id":20351,"date":"2024-09-09T13:31:33","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T13:31:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/?p=20351"},"modified":"2024-09-09T13:31:33","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T13:31:33","slug":"challenging-the-lens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/challenging-the-lens\/","title":{"rendered":"Challenging the Lens"},"content":{"rendered":"

30 August 2024 | Belgrade, Serbia [Marcos Paseggi with tedNEWS<\/em>, and Adventist Review]<\/p>\n

\u201cOur faith is not just a theological concept; we believe it\u2019s tied to real history,\u201d said Birgir \u00d3skarsson, a Seventh-day Adventist geologist from Iceland who works in a secular environment in his native country. \u201cBut today, the conventional scientific view is very different from the biblical view.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00d3skarsson, whose job includes volcano eruption mapping and monitoring for a government entity, led a breakout session at the 2024 European Pastors\u2019 Council (EPC) on 29 August in Belgrade, Serbia. During his presentation, he talked about current geological issues and urged Bible-believing Christians to keep exploring and questioning the evidence for a worldwide flood.<\/p>\n

Uniformitarianism vs Catastrophism<\/strong><\/p>\n

The current scientific view is based on uniformitarianism \u2014 the idea that changes in the earth\u2019s crust happen through steady, ongoing processes \u2014 and ‘deep time,’ meaning small changes over millions of years. Bible-believing Christians, on the other hand, adhere to catastrophism, which the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as \u201ca geological doctrine that changes in the earth\u2019s crust have in the past been brought about suddenly by physical forces operating in ways that cannot be observed today.\u201d<\/p>\n

The challenge with catastrophism, \u00d3skarsson explained, is that catastrophic events on this scale have never been observed. \u201cSo, we have to study what we see today,\u201d he acknowledged, \u201cand through mapping and geological observations, try to understand what we are seeing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Birgir<\/a>
Birgir \u00d3skarsson’s workshop explored “Where are Geological and Biological Sciences Heading on Origins.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Volcanic Eruptions and Lava Sheets<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00d3skarsson explained that large-scale volcanic eruptions are common in the geological record, rather than rare. This allows scientists to study the lava flows and layers from the past. Often, the analysis shows massive, uniform lava sheets stacked one on top of the other, with no signs of erosion or life between the layers. This makes it harder to explain them as a result of slow, uniform processes. ‘The current consensus reflects a shift,’ \u00d3skarsson noted, ‘away from strict uniformitarianism towards some form of catastrophism, although scientists still believe these events are separated by millions of years.’<\/p>\n

Regarding sedimentary layers, \u00d3skarsson explained that it’s very common to find large burial sites \u2014 essentially graveyards \u2014 of animals and plants in the geological record, which suggests rapid formation. \u201cAnd usually, the preservation of these fossils is so exquisite\u2026 even soft shells are perfectly preserved, which implies a rapid burial, a rapid deposition to preserve them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The same is true for signs of paleocurrents in the sediments, \u00d3skarsson explained. \u201c’In many of these layers, we find markers that show the direction of the currents that shaped them,\u201d he said. Supracontinental paleocurrents (megatrends), he noted, ‘likely can’t be explained by conventional models,’ and ‘a global catastrophic flood fits these observations and deserves further consideration.'”<\/p>\n

Asking Relevant Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00d3skarsson highlighted the importance of questioning current interpretations of sediment chronology, by asking, ‘Do I see the time you are suggesting?’ He noted that scientific claims should align with observable evidence.”<\/p>\n

In practice, he explained, considering how time affects sediments reveals that significant changes can occur in just 100 years due to weather and other factors. \u201cHow is it possible to have two layers (with supposedly one million years between them) with no major sedimentary activity?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\"Birgir<\/a>
“How is it possible to have two layers (with supposedly one million years between them) with no major sedimentary activity?\u201d Birgir \u00d3skarsson asked.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00d3skarsson cited Surtsey Island, which appeared suddenly in 1963 due to volcanic activity. He explained that erosion is now exposing trees and other organisms, as driftwood has been carried in from the ocean, just 60 years after the eruption. Lava flows also exhibit a similar pattern and composition, which, according to \u00d3skarsson, is inconsistent with long periods between lava sheets.<\/p>\n

In summary, a careful analysis of lava sheets, sedimentary rocks, and other geological phenomena led \u00d3skarsson to conclude that, \u201cthe time assigned to them simply does not exist. We just don\u2019t see the time [suggested].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00d3skarsson acknowledged that there are still questions for those who advocate a catastrophic view involving shorter periods of time. However, he believes that observations are consistent with a rapid succession of events that cannot be explained by applying a uniformitarian model spanning millions of years.<\/p>\n

Where Science Is Heading<\/strong><\/p>\n

Concluding his presentation, \u00d3skarsson explained that current analysis of scientific trends in catastrophism reveals a cyclical movement in consensus. Scientists once accepted the idea of a great cataclysm, such as the biblical flood, but over time shifted to multiple catastrophisms, and later to the uniformitarianism of the 19th century.<\/p>\n

Recent scientific studies have led to a resurgence of what is known as neo-catastrophism, although these catastrophic events are still believed to be separated by millions of years. \u201cAnd perhaps we might return to a perspective that better addresses the contradictions observed in the geological record,\u201d \u00d3skarsson said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

[Photos:\u00a0Tor Tjeransen, Adventist Media Exchange CC BY 4.0]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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