What Do Fundies Think of Dinosaurs and Fossils ?

[Turning-A-New-Leaf]

Quick Thought Today:

I wonder what fundies think about dinosaurs and fossils. Are there any teachings about this topic and are there any discussions ?

Former fundies / current fundies / everyone else welcome to comment, really interested in the viewpoint to understand it better.

Also, after I had this thought.....a flashback of one of the Duggar episodes came to mind....the one where they were panning for gold in a field.

Jim Bob gave a discussion on carbon dating, was surprised about how it was explained. Any one else see this ?

This further adds to my curiousity about the views in this area.

[synchroswimr]

While I can't speak to the beliefs of all fundies, they tend to be creationists with the idea that dinosaurs and man coexisted. I know this has been discussed recently, too.

[Mais Pourquoi]

I think along the carbon dating lines, Boob said that "carbon dating has been shown to be inaccurate"- so, in his view (and likely fundie view in general) they're just 6000 year old bones. It came out of Jim Bob's Book O' Facts, along with the anecdote that the entire human population can fit within the city limits of Jacksonville, FL.

[synchroswimr]

I'm a person with a huge interest in creationists and I've studied a lot of what they teach (I'm a geologist and chemist who had to deal with too many unsolicited "lessons" from well-meaning fundies). I'm also not the only one here -do you have a more specific question? I can't answer your question about Jim Bob because I've never watched the show

[OohLaLa]

Growing up (fundie-lite I suppose, and homeschooled) it was whatever Answers in Genesis told my parents to tell me to think.

[0KidsAndHappy]

I know there are some who believe that dinosaurs existed along with humans and that carbon dating is wrong, but I've come across quite a few who think dinosaurs never existed and god put those things in the ground to test their faith.

[emmiedahl]

I've come across quite a few who think dinosaurs never existed and god put those things in the ground to test their faith.

This is the version I have heard also. My homeschooling group had a field trip to a museum and several moms made a point of telling their children that the museum is wrong about dinosaurs, they never really existed.

We were there to see the Dead Sea Scrolls, but you did have to walk by a giant dinosaur skeleton to get to the exhibit.

[alba]

I know there are some who believe that dinosaurs existed along with humans and that carbon dating is wrong, but I've come across quite a few who think dinosaurs never existed and god put those things in the ground to test their faith.

I've heard similar: that either the dinosaurs or apparently-ancient fossils were planted by Satan to tempt people away from God.

[synchroswimr]

I've heard similar: that either the dinosaurs or apparently-ancient fossils were planted by Satan to tempt people away from God.

I always thought that was an exaggeration by non-creationists to make fun of the creationists! Interesting

[snarkbillie]

Growing up I was told they were demons that were killed in the flood. The party line now seems to be that they co-existed with humans.

[Deleted07]

I've heard the whole carbon dating is inaccurate thing before!

[Iamthatbean]

I've heard similar: that either the dinosaurs or apparently-ancient fossils were planted by Satan to tempt people away from God.

Yep, we were taught that. The devil did it to turn us away from God.

[ladypuglover]

I was raised creationist and still am one but I know what is religion and what is science. I personally do not know any creationist that believes that dinosaurs and man coexisted as all the creationists I personally know are more educated than that. Being a creationist doesn't mean you are like the Duggars and like ilk and refuse science or facts. Anyway, when I was tiny I asked if God made the dinosaurs and if He did then why wasn't it mentioned in the Bible? I was told that yes, God made the dinosaurs but man wasn't made until billions of years after they disappeared and early man had no knowledge of them to write about. I was also then told that maybe when early man did find fossils that that might where stories of dragons and like were made. But I was also raised that it took 7 of God's days* to creat the earth and life not 7 man days. Just remember that most creationist are very accepting of science and feel that science and God mesh very well together. It is the ones like the Duggars who give us all a very bad name. Not all Christians are fundies and not all fundies are christian. :think:

*A man is talking to God.

The man: "God, how long is a million years?"

God: "To me, it's about a minute."

The man: "God, how much is a million dollars?"

God: "To me it's a penny."

The man: "God, may I have a penny?"

God: "In just a minute."

[BravaAmica]

The fundies/evangelicals I know believe God put fossils on the earth to test their faith. But these are the same people that believe the moon landing was faked and that the earth is the center of the universe.

[doggie]

I just googled dating methods and there are a lot of "christian" sites that claim scientific methods are inaccurate. Though using a flawed 2000 year old book is far more accurate it is hard to understand.

[Deleted07]

I just googled dating methods and there are a lot of "christian" sites that claim scientific methods are inaccurate. Though using a flawed 2000 year old book is far more accurate it is hard to understand.

heehe precisely! :clap:

[doggie]

There is so much pressure to deny what people have discovered in the 2000 years since the bible came about the internet makes it so much easier. We see fundamentalists trying to keep ignorant because the truth would destroy their faith. But it is like a blind person using a white cane claiming they are not blind and all people like them reinforcing that belief. but when you show them a braille book they say it is not a real book since they can't read it.

They use science but deny it at the same time.

[trebello]

ladypuglover, I'm not sure you are so much a "creationist" as a person who believes that God created the universe. The term "creationist" generally refers to a person who believes that the universe, and Earth, is less than 10,000 years old. Creationists also tend to believe in the literal translation of the seven days of creation as seven, 24-hour, days, ala Ken Ham.

For instance, Catholics believe that God created, but generally have no problem with evolution. "Creationists" do.

[ADoyle90815]

I've heard from some Mormons that the dinosaur fossils were from some planet that existed before this one was created, and that God was once a person, so someone who was a good Mormon would be able to become a God of their own planet in the afterlife. Obviously, I've met Mormons who have no problem with evolution, even if they believe that God created everything.

[ladypuglover]

ladypuglover, I'm not sure you are so much a "creationist" as a person who believes that God created the universe. The term "creationist" generally refers to a person who believes that the universe, and Earth, is less than 10,000 years old. Creationists also tend to believe in the literal translation of the seven days of creation as seven, 24-hour, days, ala Ken Ham.

For instance, Catholics believe that God created, but generally have no problem with evolution. "Creationists" do.

:? Maybe your right as I believe that the earth is billions of years old and that mankind has been here for at least 40,000 years. I believe God created all things good or bad but I sure as heck don't believe the fundy "science". So, what the hell am I then if not a creationist?

And boy did I open the door for that one! :lol: No mean name calling now, I want to know what the term is.

[Deleted07]

Yeah I was actually just thinking is there a term for someone who believes in all the science and proof we have, but still believes there is a God. Its something that interests me!

[snarkbillie]

:? Maybe your right as I believe that the earth is billions of years old and that mankind has been here for at least 40,000 years. I believe God created all things good or bad but I sure as heck don't believe the fundy "science". So, what the hell am I then if not a creationist?

And boy did I open the door for that one! :lol: No mean name calling now, I want to know what the term is.

You're an "old Earth" creationist. The other kind are "young Earth".

Even among YEC there are divergent opinions on things like dinosaurs, ice ages, hominid species, etc.

[DarkAnts]

I've heard similar: that either the dinosaurs or apparently-ancient fossils were planted by Satan to tempt people away from God.

I was told by the pasture at the LCMS high school I went to that they were put on the earth by god to test our faith. He wanted to separate out the true believers from the fake ones.

[trebello]

So, building on snarkbillie's comment...

Ladypuglover, you are either an Old Earth Creationist, or a person who believes God started it all. No name-calling. The way to tell the difference is if you agree evolution occurs. If you think God put all species here more or less exactly as they are, you are an Old Earth Creationist. If you agree that evolution has occurred since God created everything, you are a person who believes God started it all.

As a biology professor, I can say that I don't care which way anyone leans, as long as they accept that it is their faith that leads them to the belief. When someone starts spouting that science somehow supports a young Earth, or that nothing has changed, then I get rollie-eyed and annoyed. One of the best things that a student ever told me (she was a YEC) was that she understood that science did not agree with her views, but that it was her faith that mattered. Fortunately for me, she was a chemist, so I could just accept her answer for what it was, and appreciate her honesty. :)

[Conuly]

I was told by the pastor at the LCMS high school I went to that they were put on the earth by god to test our faith. He wanted to separate out the true believers from the fake ones.

Aside from the fact that this is a dick move, I don't get why these people don't understand the concept of omnipotence. Surely God knows what you believe without having to pull silly tests, right?