THE PERFECT BALANCE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM - Astronomers are puzzled that other recently discovered planetary systems look so different from ours. Our sun is remarkably even-tempered and well-mannered — it doesn’t flare or pulse like other stars. When solar flares do occur, they are not so violent as to vaporize our oceans… or worse. Our moon is equally amazing. The moon and sun appear exactly the same size in Earth’s sky — making precise solar eclipses possible. The Moon’s orbit is difficult to explain, moving as it does around a rotating Earth, which together form a ‘double-planet’ system that orbits around the Sun. It is a classic example of a three-dimensional, gravitational three-body problem - our solar system was designed complete, intact, and perfectly balanced by the Creator, for the full benefit of us His creatures, during the creation week just thousands of years ago - it has been somewhat of a mystery to secularists as to why our solar system is structured the way it is: the four gas giants — Saturn and Jupiter, composed mainly of helium and hydrogen, and Uranus and Neptune — orbiting far away from the sun, and the four smaller rocky planets, the terrestrials — Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars — orbiting much closer to the sun. Astronomers are puzzled that other recently discovered planetary systems look so different from ours. Exceptional star systems require an exceptional star.

 

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The Perfect Balance of Our Solar System

Astronomers are puzzled that other recently discovered planetary systems look so different from ours. Our sun is remarkably even-tempered and well-mannered — it doesn’t flare or pulse like other stars. When solar flares do occur, they are not so violent as to vaporize our oceans… or worse. Our moon is equally amazing. The moon and sun appear exactly the same size in Earth’s sky — making precise solar eclipses possible. The Moon’s orbit is difficult to explain, moving as it does around a rotating Earth, which together form a ‘double-planet’ system that orbits around the Sun. It is a classic example of a three-dimensional, gravitational three-body problem - our solar system was designed complete, intact, and perfectly balanced by the Creator, for the full benefit of us His creatures, during the creation week just thousands of years ago

BY FRANK SHERWIN, M.A.  

 

For decades it has been somewhat of a mystery to secularists as to why our solar system is structured the way it is: the four gas giants — Saturn and Jupiter, composed mainly of helium and hydrogen, and Uranus and Neptune — orbiting far away from the sun, and the four smaller rocky planets, the terrestrials — Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars — orbiting much closer to the sun.

Astronomers are puzzled that other recently discovered planetary systems look so different from ours.

One evolutionist stated, “There are so many surprises in this field — almost nothing is turning out as we expected.” 

Indeed, for the secular astronomer, basic planet construction is caught on the horns of a dilemma.

The predicament is this: Planet formation must occur quickly before the protoplanet is pulled into the star it’s orbiting, but getting tiny bits of protoplanet dust to join up into nice, round spheres and thence into a proper planet has not been found to work.

Many stars in our Milky Way possess spinning disks of matter — orbiting gas and dust — but there are three significant problems in forming planets from these ingredients: death spirals, accretion (the gradual growth of planets by the accumulation of debris), and turbulence. 

The building of planets large and small is an enigma, and “many aspects of the formation of the giant planets remain unresolved.”

An evolutionist writing in the prestigious Nature journal stated,

“The discovery of thousands of star systems wildly different from our own has demolished ideas about how planets form. Astronomers are searching for a whole new theory.”

But even if our neighboring planets somehow formed quickly from accumulating space dust, recently discovered exoplanets (extrasolar planets) have changed secular solar system formation theory.

Ours is certainly unique: “Today we know that planetary systems are quite common, but in many cases the ones we see differ significantly from our own.”

Finkbeiner concurs, stating, “Perhaps the biggest question is why our Solar System is so different.”

Exceptional star systems require, well, an exceptional star:

There are many factors that would make a star system too hostile for life to even get started, let alone survive for any period long enough to evolve.

So, what sort of star provides the perfect conditions for a habitable planet elsewhere in the universe?

It so happens our sun provides the perfect conditions. It’s not too small (i.e., too dim or too cool) or too big (producing unfortunate charbroiled results from simply being too hot).

Compared to the intense and violent activity seen on other stars, our sun is remarkably even-tempered and well-mannered — it doesn’t flare or pulse like other stars.

When solar flares do occur, they are not so violent as to vaporize our oceans… or worse.

On the local level, our moon is equally amazing, leading two secular authors to ask, “Who built the Moon?”

Knight and Butler state, “The Moon is 400 times smaller than the star at the centre of our solar system, yet it is also just 1/400th of the distance between the Earth and the Sun.”

Consequently, the moon and sun appear exactly the same size in Earth’s sky — making precise solar eclipses possible.

The authors also say, “By some absolutely incomprehensible quirk of nature, the Moon also manages to precisely imitate the perceived annual movements of the Sun each month.”

Another secular author expressed surprise at the moon’s amazing orbit:

The Moon’s orbit is fiendishly difficult to explain, moving as it does around a rotating Earth, which together form [essentially] a ‘double-planet’ system that orbits around the Sun.

It is a classic example of a three-dimensional, gravitational three-body problem.

After seeing the precise placement of our planets with their right distances, masses, gravitational attractions, and orbital characteristics, is it any wonder one evolutionist said,

You might also think that these disparate bodies are scattered across the solar system without rhyme or reason.

But move any piece of the solar system today, or try to add anything more, and the whole construction would be thrown fatally out of kilter.

So how exactly did this delicate architecture come to be?

Move any piece and it throws the whole solar system fatally out of kilter?

Sounds like it must have been set up in a delicate balance — a precisely orchestrated cosmic dance, if you will — from the very beginning.

A French astrophysicist confirms the remarkable precision of our outer planets’ relationship to Earth:

Jacques Laskar discovered that the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn keep the earth’s orbit from becoming chaotic. Without the orbital stability produced by Jupiter and Saturn, the earth’s orbit would make extreme changes, causing instability in our climate and making the earth uninhabitable.

To conclude, our solar system is so unique that Mike Brown, a secular astronomer at Caltech, bemoaned, “It really is something that I find deeply weird... What does it all mean? I don’t know.”

“Almost nothing is turning out as we expected,” “astronomers are searching for a whole new theory,” “by some absolutely incomprehensible quirk of nature,” “fiendishly difficult to explain,” “fatally out of kilter,” “deeply weird” — these comments don’t seem very scientific.

They reflect the desperation of the secular scientists’ worldview.

The satisfying answer to the question of our solar system’s origin is found in the opening pages of Genesis.

Our solar system was designed complete, intact, and perfectly balanced by the Creator, for the full benefit of us His creatures, during the creation week just thousands of years ago.

 

Mr. Sherwin is Research Associate, Senior Lecturer, and Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) wants people to know that God’s Word can be trusted in everything it speaks about—from how and why we were made, to how the universe was formed, to how we can know God and receive all He has planned for us.

After 50 years of ministry, ICR remains a leader in scientific research within the context of biblical creation. Founded by Dr. Henry Morris in 1970, ICR exists to conduct scientific research within the realms of origins and Earth history, and then to educate the public both formally and informally through professional training programs, through conferences and seminars around the country, and through books, magazines, and media presentations.

https://www.icr.org/article/perfect-balance-our-solar-system

THE YOUNG EARTH - The Bible indicates that the creation of all things was accomplished in a six-day period just a few thousand years ago. The earth was created on Day One while the sun, moon, and stars were created on Day Four - since thousands is less than billions, the term "Young Earth" has come to describe the recent creation position - According to the mainstream Big Bang idea, our universe abruptly sprang into existence some 15 billion years ago, sending matter careening through space. After millions of years it had cooled enough to coalesce into billions of rotating proto galactic-discs, and much later into stars. Over the billions of years, some stars underwent super nova, spewing material back into space, which later coalesced into second generation stars, some of which likewise exploded, leading to third generation stars like our sun. The planets are comprised of left-over star dust which didn't fall into the sun. Even though our earth and its solar system is thought to be about 4.6 billion years old, it is much younger than the first and second generation stars, the galaxies, and sub-atomic particles shooting everywhere through space. Indeed, hardly anything is younger than earth. Conversely, the Bible indicates that the creation of all things was accomplished in a six-day period just a few thousand years ago. The earth was created on Day One while the sun, moon, and stars were created on Day Four. Since thousands is less than billions, the term "Young Earth" has come to describe the recent creation position. If the earth is young, then everything else is as young or even younger. Only by comparing a few thousand years with over four billion years as the age of the earth we rationalize the idea that the earth is "young."

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The Young Earth

How Young Is the Young Earth?
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The Bible indicates that the creation of all things was accomplished in a six-day period just a few thousand years ago. The earth was created on Day One while the sun, moon, and stars were created on Day Four - since thousands is less than billions, the term "Young Earth" has come to describe the recent creation position

By John D. Morris, Ph.D.

According to the mainstream Big Bang idea, our universe abruptly sprang into existence some 15 billion years ago, sending matter careening through space.

After millions of years it had cooled enough to coalesce into billions of rotating proto galactic-discs, and much later into stars.

Over the billions of years, some stars underwent super nova, spewing material back into space, which later coalesced into second generation stars, some of which likewise exploded, leading to third generation stars like our sun.

The planets are comprised of left-over star dust which didn't fall into the sun.

Even though our earth and its solar system is thought to be about 4.6 billion years old, it is much younger than the first and second generation stars, the galaxies, and sub-atomic particles shooting everywhere through space.

Indeed, hardly anything is younger than earth.

Conversely, the Bible indicates that the creation of all things was accomplished in a six-day period just a few thousand years ago.

The earth was created on Day One while the sun, moon, and stars were created on Day Four.

Since thousands is less than billions, the term "Young Earth" has come to describe the recent creation position.

At a recent seminar, my friend, Mr. Tom Godfrey challenged me on the use of the term "Young Earth" for the following reasons:

First, according to our creationist perspective, nothing in all of creation is older than the earth, because it was created "in the beginning" (Genesis 1:1).

Consequently, if the earth is young, then everything else is as young or even younger.

According to the Big Bang idea, the universe itself is much older than the earth, so in their model the earth could be considered young in comparison.

So for them, the descriptor has real meaning.

Only by comparing a few thousand years with over four billion years as the age of the earth in two distinct perspectives can we rationalize the idea that the earth is "young."

The validity of the term depends entirely on the existence of the two perspectives, both of which are assumed to be viable.

Second, consider a "new" building. Can we also call it a "young" building?

I do not think so.

A building can be old, but it cannot be young.

We reserve the term young for things that are alive and growing toward maturity.

Inanimate objects do not qualify, because they are at their best and full sized when first constructed.

So what term would be more appropriate than young?

Terms like new and recent avoid the second problem, but not the first.

If the earth is new, what can be old? What came into existence less recently from our perspective?

The creation of the earth is the least recent event in history.

A dilemma indeed.

I am not proposing we drop the terms young earth and old earth, for they are descriptive and well established. 

Tom suggests we call ourselves "historic-earth creationists," not only because it is accurate, but it acknowledges the true history of Scripture.

Meanwhile, considering the term helps reinforce an important truth.

The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) wants people to know that God’s Word can be trusted in everything it speaks about—from how and why we were made, to how the universe was formed, to how we can know God and receive all He has planned for us.

After 50 years of ministry, ICR remains a leader in scientific research within the context of biblical creation. Founded by Dr. Henry Morris in 1970, ICR exists to conduct scientific research within the realms of origins and Earth history, and then to educate the public both formally and informally through professional training programs, through conferences and seminars around the country, and through books, magazines, and media presentations.

http://www.icr.org/article/18/275

JESUS AND RECENT CREATION - Not all who consider themselves Christians really believe the Bible, especially its unpopular teachings. Many who think they are Bible-believing Christians have become adept at “twisting” the Scriptures even the recorded words of Jesus and the apostles, to make them conform to the scientism of evolutionary speculation. There is not the slightest suggestion of millions and billions of years anywhere in the Bible when it is taken simply to mean what it says. When the teachings of men conflict with the Word of God, it would be wise to go with God.

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Jesus And Recent Creation

Did Jesus Teach Recent Creation?

BY HENRY M. MORRIS, PH.D. *

Editor’s note: Despite the decade since this article’s initial publication, its timeless message stands: Perhaps the single most important reason to believe in recent creation is the fact that Jesus Christ believed in it.

Most everyone has been taught all through their school years that the earth, life, animals, and man have all been developing from primordial beginnings over billions of years of natural evolution.

Many have tried to “baptize” this process, so to speak, by calling it “theistic evolution” or “progressive creation,” saying that God may have used evolution as His process of creation.

Because of this ubiquitous indoctrination, even many evangelical Christians have felt they must conform to this evolutionary worldview, especially in relation to the so-called deep time that is so essential to evolutionism.

One respected leader of the Intelligent Design (ID) movement, for example, recently wrote to me that he would prefer to believe in a young earth but that science had proved the earth was very old, so he had to go with science.

Two other leaders of this ID movement told me personally on two separate occasions that they could not even afford to listen to my arguments for a young earth because they were afraid they would be convinced and that this would halt their opportunities to speak to college groups and others about Intelligent Design.

So I have written this brief article to show once again that the Lord Jesus Himself believes in recent creation and the young earth.

Assuming that a Christian is a person who believes in the deity and inerrant authority of Christ, it would seem that this fact alone should be sufficient to convince him.

What I will do here, therefore, is list three key reasons for concluding that our Lord Jesus Christ believed and taught literal recent creation of all things essentially instantaneously by the omnipotent command of God, who “spoke, and it was done” (Psalm 33:9).

1. The Bible nowhere allows for long ages.

One can search the Scriptures (see my book Biblical Creationism for proof) from beginning to end without finding even a hint of evolution or long ages.

To Jesus, every “jot or one tittle” of Scripture was divinely inspired (Matthew 5:18), and He warned us severely against adding any other words to it (Revelation 22:18).

The Bible, therefore, would certainly not leave the vital doctrine of creation open to human speculation.

2. The Bible explicitly states how and when creation took place.

Although many evangelicals have long equivocated as to the meaning of the “days” of creation, this type of ad hoc handling of Scripture is never justified in the context, and Christ Himself would never have interpreted them as indefinite ages of some kind.

Not only is “day” (Hebrew yom) defined in this context the first time it is used (Genesis 1:5), but the writer conclusively restricted its interpretation to the literal meaning by numbering the days (“first day,” “second day,” etc.) and by indicating their boundaries (“evening and morning”), both of which restrictions elsewhere in the Old Testament limit the meaning to literal days.

The question seems to be even more firmly settled when God wrote with His own finger that “in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the [seventh] day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11), thereby basing our calendar’s seven-day week on this primeval creation week.

Jesus referred to this divine example when He said that “the Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27) to meet our weekly need of rest from work.

3. The Lord Jesus recognized that men and women existed right from the beginning.

The current opinion is that the cosmos evolved about 16 billion years ago, the earth about 4.6 billion, primitive life perhaps two billion, and human life about one million years ago.

The Lord Jesus, on the other hand (who was there, having Himself created all things - note John 1:1-3), taught that men and women were made essentially at the same time as the cosmos itself when He said that “from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female’” (Mark 10:6).

“The beginning” obviously was a reference to Genesis 1:1, and Christ was specifically citing Genesis 1:27.

On another occasion, speaking especially of Adam’s son Abel, He referred to “the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world” (Luke 11:50-51), thereby acknowledging that Abel was the first prophet, martyred in the very first generation - not 4.6 billion years after the formation of the earth.

Jesus also said that Satan, using Cain to slay Abel, “was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44).

Note also that the father of John the Baptist, prophesying when filled with the Holy Spirit, said that God’s holy prophets had been predicting a coming Savior “since the world began” (Luke 1:70).

Then the apostle Peter later preached that the second coming of Christ and the ultimate removal of the great Curse on the earth had even been events that “God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21).

The apostle Paul wrote that evidence of God as Creator should have been “clearly seen” (by men, of course) ever since “the creation of the world” (Romans 1:20).

There can be no reasonable doubt that Jesus was what evolutionists today (both theistic and atheistic) would call a “young-earth creationist.”

It would seem that this should settle the question for all true Christians, who should certainly - on the authority of Christ Himself - completely reject the notion of vast geologic ages.

But they don’t! For one thing, not all who consider themselves Christians really believe the Bible, especially its unpopular teachings.

Unfortunately, many who think they are Bible-believing Christians have become adept at “twisting” the Scriptures (note 2 Peter 3:16-17), even the recorded words of Jesus and the apostles, to make them conform to the scientism of evolutionary speculation.

As noted above, there is not the slightest suggestion of millions and billions of years anywhere in the Bible when it is taken simply to mean what it says.

That is why we young-earth creationists have to keep on reemphasizing the pervasive Bible teaching of just thousands of years of Earth and cosmic history.

But what are we supposed to do when the Bible disagrees with the majority of scientists on such matters?

We are to believe the Bible - that’s what! When the teachings of men conflict with the Word of God, it would be wise to go with God.

Furthermore, there are now thousands of scientists, fully credentialed with post-graduate degrees from accredited universities, who have become convinced believers in recent creation.

No doubt we are still a minority, but it is a growing minority.

There is also a rapidly growing body of scientific data that not only shows the impossibility of macroevolution but also much that repudiates the so-called evidences of billions of years.

Creationist geologists have been developing an abundance of evidence of global catastrophism instead of uniformitarianism in Earth history - thus confirming the biblical record of the great Flood as the major explanation for the fossil-bearing rocks in the earth’s crust, instead of having to invent imaginary long ages of evolution to account for them.

It is possible now even to amass a list of dozens of worldwide natural processes (e.g., accumulation of salt in the sea) which, even on uniformist assumptions, will yield ages much too brief for evolution.

Thus, even without referring to the Bible at all, it is possible to make an impressive case for recent creation.

One cannot determine the exact age of the earth by science, of course, and these various processes may yield various values, but all prove too small for evolutionism to be possible.

With the supposed exception of radiometric dating, that is.

The decay of uranium into lead, rubidium into strontium, and a few other such processes can be made to show extremely long ages, so radioactive decay processes have been considered by evolutionists to be firm proof of the billions of years.

But Christians need to remember that such calculations, like all the others, are based on the arbitrary assumption of uniformitarianism, which not only is unprovable but contrary to the Bible.

The apostle Peter calls it “willing ignorance” (note 2 Peter 3:3-6, KJV) when this assumption ignores the world-changing impact of special creation of all things in the beginning and the worldwide geologic impact of the global Deluge in the days of Noah.

Furthermore, the publication of the ICR/CRS RATE Initiative shows strong scientific evidence that even these radioactive decay processes really provide convincing arguments that the earth is thousands of years old - not billions!

Therefore, we plead once again with our Christian theistic evolutionists, progressive creationists, gap creationists, and Intelligent Design minimalists to come back to the Bible for their view of the world and its history.

We should most certainly believe the words of our Lord Jesus Christ on this vital subject. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’” He might well say, “and [believe] not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Adapted from Dr. Morris’ article “Did Jesus Teach Recent Creation?” in the June 2005 issue of Acts & Facts.

* Dr. Morris (1918-2006) was Founder of the Institute for Creation Research.

https://www.icr.org/article/9396/