All posts tagged Current topic

Rapid ‘Hoodoos’

by Alpha Omega Institute on October 8, 2013 in Johnsons from the Front with 1 Comment

Bryce Canyon

In Bryce Canyon National Park (located in the High Plateaus region of the Colorado Plateau in Utah) are some amazing rock pillars called ‘Hoodoos’. These hoodoos have wondrous, fantastic shapes that a person could spend hours viewing.

How were these hoodoos formed … here is a quote from a web site on the geology of Bryce Canyon: “The chaotic destructive force of water, not wind, is responsible for the fantastic shapes in Bryce Canyon. Bryce Canyon’s Hoodoos formed over thousands of years by the same processes that form the features of surrounding parks.

Water, ice and gravity are the forces at work in Bryce Canyon National Park. These three forces coupled with the differential erosion of the Claron Formation produces a different morphology than that of any other area in the world.” ¹

September 2013 saw much flooding in many western states. On a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, during these heavy rains, we saw much evidence of flooding – rivers and streams overflowing their banks, homes flooded, flooded and muddy roads, washouts, and drainage systems clogged by floating plant debris.

One of the amazing things we viewed were what appeared to be ‘hoodoos’ like those of Bryce Canyon. However, these were made in a very short time … only days! (See Pictures Below)

These new hoodoos were made by water flowing in packed soil. Makes you wonder …

does it really take thousands of years for hoodoo formation?

¹http://www.brycecanyon.com/about-bryce-canyon/bryce-canyon-geology

Lanny Johnson

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Population Estimates – A Major Problem for Evolution

by Alpha Omega Institute on October 1, 2013 in Nuttings from the Front with 2 Comments

When Mary Jo and I were at Northern Illinois University giving Creation programs, a student asked how it was even possible that the 8 people who got off the ark could have reproduced enough offspring to account for the population during the short duration from the Flood to the Exodus, led by Moses, out of Egypt.

Actually there is no issue for Biblical timeframes, but instead, population studies pose a huge issue for evolutionary assumptions. Using the average worldwide figure for population increase (Birth rate – Death rate) during the decades following when I was born (1.8868%), the population at the time of the Exodus (857 years after the Flood) could have been in excess of 54 million. To get a feel of how rapidly population increases, think about the spread of civilization in just the first 400 years of our country to where it is now.

These numbers certainly show the plausibility of the Genesis account. However, if applied to evolutionary assumptions that modern man has been around for 40,000 years, the numbers obtained reveal serious problems for evolution. We would have too many people today! Suppose you have a population increase of a mere ½ of 1 percent (almost 1/4^th of what I used above). The population today after the assumed 40,000 evolutionary years (starting with only 2 people) would be a whopping number: 8.9 x10⁸⁶ . That number is more than can be jammed into the entire known universe! Even if we assume 15,000 years, we would still have 6 x 10³² people.

Further calculations using an unrealistically low growth rate of one tenth of 1 percent and the assumed timeframe of 40,000 years, still gives today’s population to be 4.6 x 10¹⁷. This means that we would have about 1000 people occupying each square foot of land surface on planet earth.

One might argue that plagues, wars, and catastrophes have limited the population. However, assuming only 1.5 percent rate of growth and a catastrophe which wipes out ½ of the total world’s population every 75 years, the population after only 15,000 years (starting with 2 people) would still be in excess of 10³⁵. That means that each of those 1000 people standing on each square foot of Earth would have a stack of people standing on their shoulders that would reach far past Alpha Centauria, our next closest star (which is 25.6 trillion miles away).

Here is the point: Calculations of population numbers do not work to accommodate evolutionary time frames even when we consider unrealistically low population estimates and very high catastrophe rates. However, time frames consistent with the Biblical record work out nicely to what we have now.

*For you mathematicians, the equation that I used is: P_Y = P_o(1 +i/100)^Y(1-d)^Y/dy

Where P_Y = population in year Y; P_o = initial population, i = population increase; d = fraction of decimation; and d_y is the periodic number of years wherein the population is decimated.

Dave Nutting

WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE?

by Alpha Omega Institute on September 27, 2013 in Johnsons from the Front with 1 Comment

Dave and Mary Jo Nutting (directors of AOI) taught me early on, when we joined this ministry, to recognize the pretty pictures, or what we call ARTWORK. We find these everywhere – school textbooks, media, scientific journals, and museums – and it is being shown and used as evidence for evolution. What we always teach in our seminars is ARTWORK is just someone’s personal idea of the evidence. Once we understand that, then we should ask, “What’s the Evidence?” In other words, what was found to get that ARTWORK? “What’s the evidence?” is a good sword to wield against the lies of evolution.

Below is a short article that Pastor Jerry wrote about our talks in his “Running the Race” commentary in the NSCF bulletin for 9/22/13:

One of satan’s favorite tactics is intimidation. He does so in order to restrict our joy and take away our witness. His constant barrage of accusations (see Rev. 12:10) is meant to divert our attention from the greatness of God to our own failure, shame and littleness. I was thinking about this last week while listening to Lanny Johnson [of Alpha Omega Institute] address about 50 upper level Christian School students.

As he exposed the lies of evolutionary teaching regarding the origin of man and the age of the earth, he challenged the young people to ask the other side, “What is the evidence?” In other words, don’t let them intimidate you!

Evolution is an empty lie, refuted by the truths declared to us in God’s Word. We don’t have to be ashamed or embarrassed for believing it. If the enemy accuses us of being simple minded or close, that describes us perfectly! Our attention will not be diverted from the greatness of our God by the little minds that deliver lies and not evidence. “What is the evidence?” It is the evidence of God’s Word, which as Josh McDowell put it in ‘Evidence That Demands a Verdict’.

Lanny Johnson

“Biblical Rains” Flooding in Colorado

by Alpha Omega Institute on September 16, 2013 in Nuttings from the Front with No comments

The flooding in eastern Colorado these last few days certainly has been a devastating event as you likely saw on the news for days and days.

Picture of "Biblical Rains" in a newspaper

The amount of rain there was close to 18-20 inches. That is a whole lot considering that it was somewhere close to the annual precipitation amount and over twice what our hometown in Grand Junction gets in a year!

A lot of rain, but I was amused by the headline in USA Today: “‘Biblical’ Rains Flood Colorado.”

Well, if you have read Genesis 6-8, you will note that the Biblical rains were a WHOLE lot more! In fact, according to the Bible, the Flood-waters covered the tops of the tallest peaks to a depth of at least 22-30 feet. Just think, if the top of Long’s Peak in Colorado was covered with water, along with the rest of the high mountains, there would have been no news stations on earth to report this Flood. All stations would be under huge depths of Flood waters.

Some people have expressed concern about our safety. Thanks for praying for us! Just so you know, AOI is located in Western Colorado. We did get more rain than usual which was a welcome site in this desert area, but not much flooding except for some local creeks.

However, please continue to pray about the Eastern range of Colorado. Also, if you hear about our Grand Junction area of Colorado getting 15-20 inches of rain, or even 5 inches at a time, you can really pray, as most of Grand Junction would likely float down to the ocean.

Dave Nutting

Do Scientists Cheat?

by Alpha Omega Institute on September 6, 2013 in Marianis from the Front with 1 Comment

Here is an interesting documentary from a popular secular source, NOVA. Remember to be skeptical and do your research to study and evaluate the claims that you hear, be a Berean.

Do Scientists Cheat?

By NOVA in 1988

Things to think about:

-Science works on an assumption that scientists are being truthful and their data is true.

-What percentage is acceptable in dealing with how many scientists cheat?

-Is 1% acceptable? .1%? What is the possible true percentage?

-Piltdown Man example

-“People believed in it, because they wanted to believe.”

-It was not until the 1950’s that it was disproven.

-This deceived almost a whole generation.

-“Sometimes cultural bias overwhelms scientific objectivity.”

-Organized skepticism is important.

-Burt’s faked psychology testing.

-Breuning’s work on medicine and the behavior of “mentally retarded” people.

-Sometimes the results are very clear and most often data can be interpreted in many ways.

-You should do further research and more experiments, but you might not want to take that extra time, effort and MONEY.

-“It doesn’t take much to cook the data.”

-You have to rely on the ‘Truthfulness’ of the data that is recorded.

-Fraudulent or sloppy work can still be published through any publisher.

-With over 1 million papers being written each year, most are not read or important.

-repeating studies is not worth it and if you do repeat a study, and the results are different, there are too many variables usually to disprove the previous papers.

-Scientists are not surprised with the idea that fraud is happening.

-90% of the scientists that have ever lived were alive in that time.

-You can’t get ahead, get tenure, or advance if you are unsure of the results of your experiment…so scientists have learned to make their results worth something – often even if their data isn’t conclusive.

-The environment of the scientific community lends itself to making more out of your data than it really says.

-Even young students lied about their results.

-Scientists have signed their names on as many papers as possible so that they can be more advanced.

-Robert Slutsky had many fraudulent and questionable papers.

-Standard deviations (errors) are often made smaller so that the results look better.

-We don’t assume that someone we know is being fraudulent, especially if they are of higher rank than you or if they are well respected.

-Whistle-blowing can be dangerous for your own reputation.

-“We cannot have cheating and fraud in Medical research!”

-This should be ethically required, legally required, and morally required.

The History of the World in 2 Hours – Questions to Consider

by Alpha Omega Institute on September 4, 2013 in Marianis from the Front with 3 Comments

Here is a very interesting documentary (The History of The World in Two Hours) about the naturalistic view of how life has become the way it is today. Even if this is not what you believe, it is interesting and educational to be able to see their perspective in a full overview. Keep thinking as you watch. They will often say things as a matter of fact, because they believe that these various opinions have been validated. So be skeptical and question and research the basis for what you hear.

Note: Be open and respectful. Notice that you will clearly hear their worldview and take note of the assumptions that they make.

Ask: Is there evidence for this? How do they know? How does this fit with the Bible and how is it contrary?

Notice that they don’t believe in the worldwide flood and so the rock layers have formed slowly over time.

13.7 Billion years ago

-“For reasons, we may never know…our universe suddenly erupts…”

-What was before the big bang?

-Why did the big bang happen?

-Why wasn’t the big bang uniform in its explosion?

-How did the big bang create the energy?

-How fast was energy moving at the early stage of the big bang?

-First atoms – 380,000 years after

-How did the energy become hydrogen?

-“Where there is stuff, more stuff can develop…where there isn’t, more…”

-How are stars formed?

-How can gravity overcome temperature and diffusion forces of gasses?

-How does clumping of gas (stars) happen?

-Heavier elements are formed in stars.

-When was the first supernova? (why so soon?)

-Is there observation of heavy elements created in a supernova?

-How do we still have so much Radioactive material on the Earth?

-How did the sun get all of that mass/matter?

-How did the planets form?

-Why are some planets solid rock and why are some gas planets?

-GRAVITY IS NOT THAT STRONG!

4.5 Billion years ago

-How did the Earth and moon stabilize after such a destructive collision?

-How was the moon able to tilt the earth due to the collision – shouldn’t we see after effects of unstable or elliptical rotation?

-How far away from the Earth was the moon at 3.8 billion years ago when oceans formed…what were the tides like?

3.8 billion years ago

-That was a huge jump between chemical compounds and a strand of DNA. How did it do that?

-How simple was the first cell? (How did that gain more DNA –genetic material, and become more complex…we see no evidence of that today?)

2.5 billion years ago

-Do we see evidence today of rusted iron (iron oxide) from the first oceans?

-How do we go from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells?

-How do organisms become multi-celled?

550 million years ago

-Why was the Cambrian explosion so fast?

-Where is the evidence for the transition between Precambrian animals and Cambrian animals?

-Where is the evidence for the transition between Cambrian to modern day organisms?

-Why did the amphibian evolve from a fish? (or how?)

-What is the evolution of bugs?

-How did the egg go from jelly-like to shell-like?

300 million years ago

-Coal is created for us…how?

250 million years ago

-Permian Extinction – more than 70% of all organisms went extinct due to volcanic destruction

-Now the continents divide from one continent – what was Pangaea (or continents) like before this time?

65 million years ago

-Where was this meteorite? What is the evidence? Because this meteorite strike was so big, would this ruin all attempts of dating rock, since that meteorite might spread all over the world?

-Why are the sea shells able to pile up at the bottom of oceans?

10 million years ago

-Mountains disrupt weather patterns and cause the beginning of the ice age.

-Why is grass just now (simultaneously?) taking over? What is the mechanism for more grasslands?

2.6 million years ago

-How do we know when this advancement of rock chipping and tools happened?

-“Earth is unique in its ability to sustain fire”

-“Our ancestors had fire firmly under control around 800,000 years ago.

-How is cooked meat linked to brain capacity?

200,000 years ago

-When did we begin to think and become conscious as compared to animals? How did this evolve?

-“Dispersal is extinction insurance.”

-50,000 years ago glaciers descended from the poles over the continents.

-What caused the ice age?

-How did we get symbolic thought?

-Is there evidence of human remains and building around the coasts as the ocean levels were lower? (ruins now underwater?)

-The emergence of rivers (and therefore river valleys) becomes influential in the settling of humans.

-How did it take us this long to plant seeds?

2,600 years before us

-Why is religion just now happening?

-Was monotheism before or after polytheism?

-The Bible explains that Adam and Eve knew God.

2,000 years before us

-Why is disease getting worse?

-Note: No mention of the name of Jesus Christ or explanation about him…simply about Constantine converting and then Christianity spreading around the west.

500 years before us

-How much did ancient people use boats in the past?

-If they did, how was that technology and knowledge lost?

-Notice the humanistic (almost worship of man) happy ending.

Brian Mariani

Massive Canyon Discovered

by Alpha Omega Institute on September 3, 2013 in Nuttings from the Front with No comments

Frank Sherwin, a friend of mine serving at ICR, sent me a link to an interesting article. According to the online site, a canyon almost twice as long as the Grand Canyon has been discovered under the ice in Greenland by utilizing airborne radar data. ( to read the article – Massive ‘Grand Canyon’ Found Hidden Beneath Greenland’s Ice ; here is another article with additional links and some quick thoughts from a different perspective – Grand Canyon Demoted by New Discovery)

The winding channel is about 2600 feet deep in some places. The article states:

“One might assume that the landscape of the Earth has been fully explored and mapped,” said Jonathan Bamber, professor of physical geography at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and lead author of the study. “Our research shows there’s still a lot left to discover.”

I find that quite intriguing, especially considering the quest to discover Noah’s Ark which some suggest is under a thick blanket of ice in the mountain range encompassing Mount Ararat. Skeptics have maintained that an ark of the Biblical portion (1.5 to 2 football fields in length) should be a piece of cake to locate. They then use that assumption to dismiss the idea that there really was a Biblical Flood. This discovery shows that even massive items or structures beneath ice sheets and glacier fields can certainly go undetected for a long time. Even as large as Noah’s Ark was, it is miniscule compared to the size of the recently discovered canyon.

It is also exciting to think about other features that may lie hidden, either in the depths of the sea or even on land. Some of these may be hidden like this canyon, but other things may be just sitting under our noses waiting for someone to realize their significance. A good starting point could be spending some time with Google Earth images. If you decide to pursue it, have fun exploring!

Dave Nutting

The Mind Boggling Speed of the Human Brain

by Alpha Omega Institute on August 16, 2013 in Johnsons from the Front with No comments

In 1992 Gerald D. Fischbach wrote¹:

‘the most complex structure in the known universe, complex enough to coordinate the fingers of a concert pianist or to create a three-dimensional landscape from light that falls on a two directional retina’ … ‘the current version [of the brain] is the result of millions of years of evolution. It is difficult to understand the brain because, unlike a computer, it was not built with specific purposes or principles of design in mind. Natural selection, the engine of evolution, is responsible.’ [Emphasis added]

20 years later, on August 2, 2013, Tereza Pultarova wrote an article in Engineering and Technology Magazine²:

”Largest neural network simulates 1 per cent of brain

A network consisting of 1.73 billion nerve cells connected by 10.4 trillion synapses has been created using the power of a Japanese supercomputer.

Despite being the biggest neuronal simulation to date, the process requiring 82,944 processors only represented about 1 per cent of the neuronal network of a human brain.

The supercomputer completed in 40 minutes the equivalent amount of activity that is observed to take place in the living brain within one second.

The teams from the Okinawa Institute of Technology Graduate University (OIST), Japan, and the Research Centre in Julich, Germany, ran the advanced simulation software NEST on the Japanese K supercomputer, capable of processing 8 petaflops³ of information per second.

… Overall, the experiment needed memory equivalent to that of 250,000 PCs.” [Emphasis added]

I wonder if today, based on information we know now, Mr. Fischbach can seriously say that the human brain was not built with design in mind … even our very complex brains cannot engineer a computerized brain that even comes close to the mindboggling speed of our brains. The evidence points to a brain that was engineered by a designer, not to a brain that could have happened by random chances and accidents (‘Natural selection’), even given ‘millions of years’ of so-called-time.

¹ Gerald D. Fischbach, ‘Mind and Brain’, Scientific American [Vol. 267, No. 3] September 1992, pg. 24.

²http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2013/aug/nest-neural-network.cfm

³ Petaflop: (computing) measurement of computer speed: one quadrillion (10^15) floating point operations per second.

Lanny Johnson

The Genesis Flood Updates

by Alpha Omega Institute on August 15, 2013 in Books and movies we like, Newsletter, Product Highlights with 1 Comment

The Genesis Flood was written in 1961 by Dr. Henry M. Morris and Dr. John Whitcomb and is truly a classic book. This book has had a huge impact in drawing Christians back to the Truth of the Bible with evidence derived, not only from the Biblical text itself, but also from the science of geology. However, much work has been done in the field of geology since that book was published. We have always wanted to see an update to that book.

Finally, two different publications have been produced. The first, Earth’s Catastrophic Past, is a 1,100 page, semi-technical, 2-volume set written in 2009 by Dr. Andrew Snelling – one of the world’s leading geologists in the creation science movement. According to the Institute for Creation Research, “Earth’s Catastrophic Past provides up-to-date geological evidence that demonstrates the authority and accuracy of the biblical account of creation and the Flood. . . with in-depth scholarly research and insight. Topics covered in this two-volume set include: The Biblical Record of the Global Genesis Flood; Non-Geological Arguments Used Against a Global Genesis Flood; Noah, the Ark, and the Animals; The Framework for a Scriptural Geology; and A Biblical Geologic Model of Earth History.” This is a great book for those willing to devote serious study time. (Hardcover; $60/set)

The second book, however, is the one that I recommend to virtually everyone. Make sure you get this book. It is what I would have tried to write but Dr. John D. Morris saved me a whole lot of time! Anyone who has been to one of my seminars knows I like pictures and lots of them. Well, so does John Morris! His book, The Global Flood, Unlocking Earth’s Geological History, is chock-full of wonderful photos and illustrations. It is easy to read, yet concise enough to engage even casual learners.

This 176-page book fills a need, not only for geologists, but for the lay person who wants to know about geologic and Biblical evidence for the Flood and its related issues. Dr. John C. Whitcomb, who co-authored the original classic book, writes this in his Forward to The Global Flood:

“For some, the thought of a worldwide flood is ludicrous. But for serious scientists who research the various formations of the earth and the catastrophic processes that shaped the world we see around us today, the evidence of a global flood is indisputable. The Global Flood presents that evidence in a way that clearly demonstrates why the biblical account of the Flood matters to all of us who want to understand and communicate the truth of the Genesis Flood with confidence. The Global Flood helps to meet a great need today. It is comprehensive. It is aimed at those who are not experts in earth sciences. People everywhere need to understand the true significance of the year-long, mountain-covering Deluge that buried and fossilized trillions of marine and land animals and plants only a few thousand years ago.”

This book not only gives evidence for the Flood, but also answers many of the objections to the Flood. It is a great resource for pastors and Bible teachers, as well as students and laymen. I believe this 8.5” x 11,” hardcover book will have a big impact on a lot of people. I recommend that you invest in the lives of your friends and family by getting a stack of them to give out for Christmas gifts. ($20)

For anyone ordering either of these books or giving a donation to AOI, we will include a high-gloss, full-color booklet showing the authenticity of the Bible from actual archaeological discoveries. Make sure you ask for this free gift,“50 Proofs for the Bible (Old Testament),” when you order or donate. This offer expires September 30th, 2013.

Dave Nutting

Biblical Reliability Confirmed Again

by Alpha Omega Institute on August 14, 2013 in Nuttings from the Front with 5 Comments

Biblical Reliability Confirmed Again. FoxNews.com (July 18, 2013) reported on an archaeological discovery which once again supports the existence of the Biblical King David as well as the reliability of the Biblical record. In the very region where King David (Israel’s second king, 1010-970 BC) killed Goliath, a 10,000 plus square foot palace has been discovered. The palace is thought to be one of King David’s palaces and dates to the Biblical timeframe of his reign in Israel.

Why is this discovery important? Many Bible skeptics have claimed that the existence of King David and his slaying of Goliath was purely fictional. However, King David’s existence was previously confirmed by archaeological discoveries as David’s name was inscribed in two ninth century BC texts, the Tel Dan Inscription and the Moabite stone pictured here. The latest discovery is very important as it clearly shows David’s stature as the ruler of Israel. Some have questioned that it belonged to David, but this large palace was found in the ruins of what is considered to be the Biblical city of Sha’arayim. After David killed Goliath, the Philistines ran away and were slain on the “road to Sha’arayim” (1 Sam 17:52). Sha’arayim is also mentioned as one of the cities “unto the reign of David” (1 Ch 4:31). So this discovery certainly fits the Biblical record.

What about David’s slaying Goliath with a sling? Slings are known from both archaeology and written historical records as very important military weapons. Sling cords were up to 3 or 4 feet long and a typical sling stone was about 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter. (See the picture of a typical stone in my hand which I picked up in the very valley of the Philistine battle site.) When the sling is rotated rapidly, the stone is hurled at a great velocity which can easily drop a “Goliath.”

Are slings accurate? Oh, yes. As a kid, my brother and I made slings and practiced with them. Our practice was cut short one day after my brother let go too soon and his rock was propelled backwards right through the window of our house. It was a good thing my dad wasn’t watching out the window that day!

Since it is known also that men of great stature (giants) have existed in the past and today, the account of David killing Goliath with a sling is not only believable, but is, as the Bible indicates, what helped to propel David to the position of the King of Israel and later to build one of his palaces in Sha’arayim.

Dave Nutting

All posts tagged Current topic

Rapid ‘Hoodoos’

WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE?

“Biblical Rains” Flooding in Colorado

Do Scientists Cheat?

The History of the World in 2 Hours – Questions to Consider

Massive Canyon Discovered

The Mind Boggling Speed of the Human Brain

Biblical Reliability Confirmed Again

Discover Creation Blog

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