What Is The Christian View On The Dinosaur?

[Essan]

On which day of the week did God create bacteria and viruses? Only I don't think they're mentioned either ......

[+Paranoid Android]

Bacteria was created on Saturday. It was first created in a substance known as "beer" which was consumed in large quantities over this two-day period - a tradition still held by many today in the modern world, actually.

The virus was created on Sunday night/monday morning as a direct response to the bacteria ingested on Saturday and Sunday as people all over the world succumb to Monday-itis

Hope that helps

Edited October 14, 2006 by Paranoid Android

[artymoon]

I think many Christians try to side-step this issue, for the simple fact that many(not all) of them believe the earth is around 10,000 years old or so, and also the bible does not mention dinosaurs. Some will argue a few verses mention them, but those can easily be interpreted as animals we see today(crocs, hippos) in those parts of the world. If the dinosaurs we knew to exist, existed in those times, surely there would be more mention of them. The creation story is obviously a myth IMO, it has all the elements of one. There is nothing gradual about it, 6 days is all it took... the ones who say that a day could have been 1000 to 1,000,000 years are only trying to validate a myth.

[Method]

Most christians as myself take a different look at Genesis, we look at it as a short story. Creating the earth took much longer then seven days. As for the crackpot's who say dinosaurs never existed well ... who knows?

[artymoon]

Most christians as myself take a different look at Genesis, we look at it as a short story. Creating the earth took much longer then seven days. As for the crackpot's who say dinosaurs never existed well ... who knows?

Why not mention the creation in a more literal sense then, instead of relying on a fable format.

[Essan]

Just shows the value of a decent education. If only them Canaanite shepherds has bothered to study geophysics at university, instead of missing school altogether, they'd have come up with a much more credible creation story

[Stardrive]

The existence of dinosaurs in the earths history contradicts the events in the bible. In the Genisis stories God created earth with modern day animals.

I'm looking for the "oficial" christian explanation on this. I didn't post this in the Skeptic forum because I'm trying to start that debate...just an answer if there is one and if there is not maybe a debate between christians(or bible historians).

I don't consider myself an "official christian" but I'll give you my take on it.

According to Genesis, the first terrestrial animals that came into existance were the birds in air, and the fish in the sea. They are finding out now that dinosaurs had many bird-like properties and there are theories now that say dinosaurs evolved into birds. If true, then Genesis isnt to far off base.

[artymoon]

Just shows the value of a decent education. If only them Canaanite shepherds has bothered to study geophysics at university, instead of missing school altogether, they'd have come up with a much more credible creation story

True, you have a point.

[artymoon]

I don't consider myself an "official christian" but I'll give you my take on it.

According to Genesis, the first terrestrial animals that came into existance were the birds in air, and the fish in the sea. They are finding out now that dinosaurs had many bird-like properties and there are theories now that say dinosaurs evolved into birds. If true, then Genesis isnt to far off base.

Yeah, they only missed that whole evolving into birds part.

[JLS]

Umm, just for reference could you point me to a single Bible-verse where humans are created before animals?

Read Genesis chapter 2. Man created first, then the animals.

[Furnacewhelp]

I haven't read everything everyone has posted but this is the Mormon view on dinosaurs.

God knew that we would need the fossil fuels so he created the dinosaur remains for us.

As for the "7 Days," God created the sun near the end of the 7 days so we know there that they are talking about days in heaven (which are thousands of years in earth time).

[hetrodoxly]

I haven't read everything everyone has posted but this is the Mormon view on dinosaurs.

God knew that we would need the fossil fuels so he created the dinosaur remains for us.

As for the "7 Days," God created the sun near the end of the 7 days so we know there that they are talking about days in heaven (which are thousands of years in earth time).

Fossil fuels not made of dinosaur's

[+Paranoid Android]

Read Genesis chapter 2. Man created first, then the animals.

I think you'll find that the creation of animals in Genesis 2 is written in the past tense - now God had made the animals. It's not a present tense as in "humans have just been created now I am making animals".

Edited October 15, 2006 by Paranoid Android

[draconic chronicler]

I don't consider myself an "official christian" but I'll give you my take on it.

According to Genesis, the first terrestrial animals that came into existance were the birds in air, and the fish in the sea. They are finding out now that dinosaurs had many bird-like properties and there are theories now that say dinosaurs evolved into birds. If true, then Genesis isnt to far off base.

I don't believe that it specifically states that the "Tannyn" (Great Monsters) are sea or land creatures. Actually there were both in the Mesozoic era. These tannyn are sometimes thought to be whales, but are often translated to the word "dragon", and they are NOT sea creatures in many bible passages. These "later" dragons seem to be confusesed with giant winged reptilian creatures called Seraphim that sing praises to God in the book of Isaiah. In the book of Psalms, the praise singing creatures are called Tannyn-Dragons, but are obviously the same creatures.

[Reincarnated]

Dinosaurs is a conspiracy against Christianity!

[Lone Owl]

Dinosaurs is a conspiracy against Christianity!

Not really, the Bible was witten because it would help Christians in the way they lived their lives, and help out in their morality and in the way they stood before God. Also, it also served as a history book, telling christians what happens when a person disobeyed God and what happens when your obediant. The dinosaurs were of no importance in the bible, so they were generalised under beasts.

One more thing, if the bible says the world was created in 6 days, then it was created in 6 days. What you see is what you get. If you don't believe in God I encourage you watch T.B.N ( Trinity Broadcasting Corporation) try watching the 700 club! . After watching the programme don't tell me all those miracles are concidences... There is a God, he exists... don't try to be smart and deny the facts.

They might say that ignorance is bliss... but for how long, until judgement day?

[Ziggy Stardust]

I think it's pretty obvious the accounts of Genesis have been proven wrong by science and thus are not true, but that doesn't mean to say the whole bible is a lie! The New Testament in particular talks of many events which have been historically backed up. The first few lines of the bible could be written like that for a reason - to convey hidden ideas?

[draconic chronicler]

Not really, the Bible was witten because it would help Christians in the way they lived their lives, and help out in their morality and in the way they stood before God. Also, it also served as a history book, telling christians what happens when a person disobeyed God and what happens when your obediant. The dinosaurs were of no importance in the bible, so they were generalised under beasts.

One more thing, if the bible says the world was created in 6 days, then it was created in 6 days. What you see is what you get. If you don't believe in God I encourage you watch T.B.N ( Trinity Broadcasting Corporation) try watching the 700 club! . After watching the programme don't tell me all those miracles are concidences... There is a God, he exists... don't try to be smart and deny the facts.

They might say that ignorance is bliss... but for how long, until judgement day?

Apparently you haven't bothered to read all the posts. The time periods cited in the genesis epic could mean six time periods, not days. and the Tannyn (dragons) created in the period between fish, and modern beasts are a remarakable indication that the bible writers understood there was an age of dinosaurs. Some scientists marvel at this as a sign of the existence of God, yet many Christians ignore this and would have us believe dinosaurs rode on Noah's Ark.

The fact of the matter is that these supposed Christians, who through their idiocy make Christianity seem foolish with ridiculous notions like ark riding dinosaurs and a world only 10,000 years old which any child could now dispute, may be guilty of blasphemy and punished accordingly. God gave these people brains, presumably, and when it is possible for evolution and the Bible to be compatible, real Christians should embrace the fact, rather than make all christians seem stupid with their fundamentalist nonsense.

So in the final analysis "ignorance is not bliss" and todays fundamentalist Christain leaders may be called to judgement for their very ignorance. And if these fools actually understood the real Bible, and not their man-created mythology, they would know that God's Chief Prosecutor is Satan himself, who will probably delight in showing how these leaders drove millions of people away from Christianity by turning it into ridiculous, unbelievable nonsense, when in truth, great scientists can attest to its remarkable compatibility with evolution.

And dinosaurs, or more correctly, the Tannyn and Seraphim "dragons" are far more important to this story than you know, for it is they who are to destroy billions of people if we are to take the Revlation tribulations literally.

[itsnotoutthere]

Apparently you haven't bothered to read all the posts. The time periods cited in the genesis epic could mean six time periods, not days. and the Tannyn (dragons) created in the period between fish, and modern beasts are a remarakable indication that the bible writers understood there was an age of dinosaurs. Some scientists marvel at this as a sign of the existence of God, yet many Christians ignore this and would have us believe dinosaurs rode on Noah's Ark.

The fact of the matter is that these supposed Christians, who through their idiocy make Christianity seem foolish with ridiculous notions like ark riding dinosaurs and a world only 10,000 years old which any child could now dispute, may be guilty of blasphemy and punished accordingly. God gave these people brains, presumably, and when it is possible for evolution and the Bible to be compatible, real Christians should embrace the fact, rather than make all christians seem stupid with their fundamentalist nonsense.

So in the final analysis "ignorance is not bliss" and todays fundamentalist Christain leaders may be called to judgement for their very ignorance. And if these fools actually understood the real Bible, and not their man-created mythology, they would know that God's Chief Prosecutor is Satan himself, who will probably delight in showing how these leaders drove millions of people away from Christianity by turning it into ridiculous, unbelievable nonsense, when in truth, great scientists can attest to its remarkable compatibility with evolution.

And dinosaurs, or more correctly, the Tannyn and Seraphim "dragons" are far more important to this story than you know, for it is they who are to destroy billions of people if we are to take the Revlation tribulations literally.

As i said earlier, you can interpret the bible to mean anything you want or indeed nothing.

''days really mean decades'' etc.

Pure fiction.

[itsnotoutthere]

Dinosaurs is a conspiracy against Christianity!

What the hell doe's this mean? Take a visit to the natural history museam.

[Cadetak]

Dinosaurs is a conspiracy against Christianity!

::sniff sniff:: do i smell sarcasim?

[AtlantisRises]

Here's a laid out view of Christians on the dinosaurs... Remember what you've learned in school when reading this... Link

To all the idiots who don't think there are any transitional fossils read up on the Archaeopteryx the link between Reptiles and birds. This like much evidence to thier detriment is ignored by many creationists.

And I have to ask: How does one know which parts of the Bible are allegorical, which parts factual, and which parts are "god inspired"? Seems that even those concepts are rather elastic.

I'd like to know that to. It seems when ever something is pointed out as wrong in the Bible people scream Context. And yet at other times they say it is to be taken literally. Yet it is they and they alone who have the right to say which is which.

I think many Christians try to side-step this issue, for the simple fact that many(not all) of them believe the earth is around 10,000 years old or so, and also the bible does not mention dinosaurs. Some will argue a few verses mention them, but those can easily be interpreted as animals we see today(crocs, hippos) in those parts of the world. If the dinosaurs we knew to exist, existed in those times, surely there would be more mention of them. The creation story is obviously a myth IMO, it has all the elements of one. There is nothing gradual about it, 6 days is all it took... the ones who say that a day could have been 1000 to 1,000,000 years are only trying to validate a myth.

I have to say that the fact that the bible doesn't specifically mention Dinosaurs is damning in itself.

I mean the fact that it doesn't talk about the 13 meters long and 5 meters tall monster that was eating them or the 35 meter long creature that was stepping on them. Thats just ludicrous.

Edited October 16, 2006 by AtlantisRises

[Cadetak]

It seems christians consider the OT to be mostly symbolic then historic and the NT to be more historic then symbolic.

Either way...it can't be considered a real history book. Mainly because its biased, partial symbolic, arguably inaccurate, etc.

If the bible was written today in a non christian world nobody would even consider it in comparisn to anything.

[+Paranoid Android]

I'd like to know that to. It seems when ever something is pointed out as wrong in the Bible people scream Context. And yet at other times they say it is to be taken literally. Yet it is they and they alone who have the right to say which is which.

Just to note - whenever I say something is out of context, I state my reasons, using the text itself to back up my claim. Then I ask the other person to give me their reasons to tell me why their reasoning is more appropriate. Most of the time, I'm ignored or fobbed off ("oh, the apologist response"). I've even had non-Christians I've argued with go as far as say "what was written in the verses beforehand is irrelevant, let's just read this on its own". Very rarely does a person answer me with their own contextual interpretation.

Just thought I'd put that in.

Edited October 16, 2006 by Paranoid Android

[draconic chronicler]

To all the idiots who don't think there are any transitional fossils read up on the Archaeopteryx the link between Reptiles and birds. This like much evidence to thier detriment is ignored by many creationists.

I'd like to know that to. It seems when ever something is pointed out as wrong in the Bible people scream Context. And yet at other times they say it is to be taken literally. Yet it is they and they alone who have the right to say which is which.

I have to say that the fact that the bible doesn't specifically mention Dinosaurs is damning in itself.

I mean the fact that it doesn't talk about the 13 meters long and 5 meters tall monster that was eating them or the 35 meter long creature that was stepping on them. Thats just ludicrous.

Obviously you never bothered to read the bible. It is full of giant, man eating reptilian creatures called Tannyn. When the King James Version of the Bible was produced everyone knew what a dragon was, but the word dinosaur hadn't been invented. So these creatures are sometimes called dragons, and sometimes called sea monsters, usually depending if the account suggests they are in water or on land.