Counsels on Secular Worldview

Counsel #3 — Determining When Fossils Formed

Picture: Counsel #3 — Determining When Fossils Formed CSe 43.1

Fossils are real and meaningful. When we find a fossil in rock, it indicates the organism died and was buried when the sediment (mud, sand, etc.) forming that rock was deposited. This sediment, usually carried in and deposited by water, buried the organisms quickly enough to prevent decay. Most fossils formed several thousand years ago, as fossils rarely form under current conditions. Since no one witnessed these events, we can’t know precisely how and when the fossils formed.^[42] However, evidence suggests they were buried during a global flood, meaning there are no fossils of animals or plants from between between creation and the flood. The Bible remains the only reliable written record of early earth history, with fossils providing additional insights. CSe 43.2

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living;” 2 Timothy 3:16 CJB CSe 43.3

“The greatest minds, if not guided by the word of God in their research, become bewildered in their attempts to investigate the relations of science and revelation. The Creator and his works are beyond their comprehension; and because they cannot explain these by natural laws, Bible history is considered unreliable.” Ellen White in Healthful Living, p. 287 CSe 43.4

Reflect: How can fossil evidence be used to challenge the established geological timescale? CSe 43.5

Left to right: trilobite, Eocene coprolite, dragonfly, Permian amphibian CSe 43.6