Christian views on prehistoric animals

ilovejcsog said:

Is there an easy answer to the existence of prehistoric animals for you?

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Yes.

Dinosaurs predated humans.

Dave-W said:

But there are many today who hold to a 6 day (of 24 hours) creation approximately 6000 years ago. Especially in the fundamental and evangelical parts of Christendom.

Whatever "Christian" view is put forth has to include something for those people.

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There is no monolithic Christian view. If a Christian gives their personal view or the view of their denomination, as Yarddog has, that should be sufficient without need for including those views of other Christians that Yarddog does not hold. If someone has a view of prehistoric animals that differs from Yarddog's , whether it is based upon YEC or something else, they can express that view themselves and do not need Yarddog to do it for them. Neither one would be required to give every possible views of every possible Christian denomination or Christian individual and attempting to do so would be just about impossible given the vast variety of opinions among Christians.

fat wee robin said:

Maybe it's time to find out !!

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and how would you advise me to go about finding out what question is being asked by the existence of Prehistoric animals? I attempted asking for clarification but none was forthcoming. If you know of another way to find out what the question is let me know.

ilovejcsog said:

I said Christian because I figure all else would be Evolution.

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If you meant to ask how does a YEC Christian respond to the scientific evidence that there were living creatures and an earth and a physical universe prior to 6000 years ago , you did not do a good job of it. Additionally, YEC Christians are not alone as there are also a number of Muslims that believe evolution is contradictory to Islamic belief. There are also ultra Orthodox Jews that reject evolution. So all else is not evolution and Christians are no more a monolithic group of like thinkers than Muslims, Jews or any other religious grouping.

HTacianas said:

They are animals that existed pre-history.

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Prove it.

Dave-W said:

There is no answer, easy or otherwise, since the bible does not address that issue at all.

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Sure it does, did you miss Genesis 1 & 2?

Richard T said:

Yes, you should look at the gap theory of creation. That there was an earth that became formless and void, then God recreated it. Thus, the first earth could have easily been billions of years old with dinosaurs etc. The more famous scholars that included this are Scofield and Dakes. Here is a brief description. Gap creationism - Wikipedia

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Genesis doesn't ever refer to that or imply it. That's a guess at best. And it's wrong.

Dave-W said:

But there are many today who hold to a 6 day (of 24 hours) creation approximately 6000 years ago. Especially in the fundamental and evangelical parts of Christendom.

Whatever "Christian" view is put forth has to include something for those people.

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Who made you the OP? Many hold a 6 day creation but many more do not.

Almost all of the carnivorous dinosaurs were Arminian in theology, and Partial Preterists in eschatology.

ilovejcsog said:

Is there an easy answer to the existence of prehistoric animals for you?

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The simplest answer is as I stated, we don't know Gods time table in creation. Going with what we do know, that His time is not our time, then a day could have been a billion or more years ( actually He has no time, He always was and always will be present in every age). We put the limits on it by going with a time table we made in our limited understanding and apply that to the work of a creator with limitless understanding..

DavidFirth said:

Sure it does, did you miss Genesis 1 & 2?

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Where does Gen 1&2 talk about dinosaurs or woolly mammoths?

Yarddog said:

Who made you the OP? Many hold a 6 day creation but many more do not.

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That was my point. The "easy answer" has to include both viewpoints.

Dave-W said:

Where does Gen 1&2 talk about dinosaurs or woolly mammoths?

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Day 6, in particular.

Where does Genesis exclude them, in your opinion?

DavidFirth said:

Where does Genesis exclude them, in your opinion?

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I am not saying it specifically EXCLUDES them, just that there is no mention of them one way or the other.

That means including them is pure conjecture.

Dave-W said:

I am not saying it specifically EXCLUDES them, just that there is no mention of them one way or the other.

That means including them is pure conjecture.

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Wrong. Genesis specifically states that all animals and creeping beasts were created on Day 6. Unless, of course, scientists have since decided that they dont qualify as animals or beasts that dwell on the dry Earth. Scientists are not the final authority with Christians but they are for you. How unfortunate.

DavidFirth said:

Scientists are not the final authority with Christians but they are for you. How unfortunate.

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My final authority is the bible., I do not see woolly mammoths or dinosaurs in the bible.

Did they even exist?

Dave-W said:

That was my point. The "easy answer" has to include both viewpoints.

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Not really. The easy answer was to answer the OP. Now if you want me to give my understanding of how Genesis is really prophesy about Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, and future events, that would take quite a bit writing.

Yarddog said:

Now if you want me to give my understanding of how Genesis is really prophesy about Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, and future events, that would take quite a bit writing.

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All Hebrew scripture, and especially poetic and prophetic passages have several different levels of meaning, ALL TRUE. We are talking about the peshat (simple or plain meaning) level.

You are referring to either the drash (teaching) or the sod (mystical) levels.

Dave-W said:

All Hebrew scripture, and especially poetic and prophetic passages have several different levels of meaning, ALL TRUE. We are talking about the peshat (simple or plain meaning) level.

You are referring to either the drash (teaching) or the sod (mystical) levels.

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Yes, but God meant for it to be veiled, as when Moses came down from the mountain and they put a veil over his face, so they could not see the glory of what was fading away. (age of Faith) They then were put under the Law, which is the Tree of Knowledge.

God then had Moses write and he began with Genesis, which is prophesy about Jesus, the Light, and so much more.

Yarddog said:

God then had Moses write and he began with Genesis, which is prophesy about Jesus, the Light, and so much more.

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It is both prophecy and accurate history.

Dave-W said:

It is both prophecy and accurate history.

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Maybe it is accurate history but maybe history wasn't the point. It is God's truth though. I have no doubt that God can do all things.