This is the online edition of In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood, 8th Edition (2008), by Dr. Walt Brown. It is designed to be read online.
Copyright © 1995–2008, Center for Scientific Creation. All rights reserved.
Click here to order the hardbound print edition of this online book.
Table of Contents
Preface
Part I:
The Scientific Case for Creation
Astronomical and Physical Sciences
The Theory of Organic Evolution Is Invalid.
Organic Evolution Has Never Been Observed.
Codes, Programs, and Information
Compatible Senders and Receivers
The Arguments for Evolution Are Outdated and Often Illogical.
Convergent Evolution or Intelligent Design?
Life Is So Complex That Chance Processes, Even over Billions of Years, Cannot Explain Its Origin.
Barriers, Buffers, and Chemical Pathways
The Elephant in the Living Room
Astronomical and Physical Sciences
The Universe, the Solar System, the Earth, and Life Were Recently Created.
Evolution of the Solar System?
Star Births? Stellar Evolution?
Stellar Nursery, or Is the Emperor Naked?
Techniques That Argue for an Old Earth Are Either Illogical or Based on Unreasonable Assumptions.
Radiometric Dating: Contradictions and Key Assumption
Old DNA, Bacteria, and Proteins?
Most Scientific Dating Techniques Indicate That the Earth, Solar System, and Universe Are Young.
The Earth Has Experienced a Worldwide Flood.
Many of the Earth’s Previously Unexplained Features Can Be Explained by a Cataclysmic Flood.
The Seemingly Impossible Events of a Worldwide Flood Are Credible, If Examined Closely.
Part II:
The Hydroplate Theory: An Overview
The Hydroplate Theory: Key Assumption
Phases of the Hydroplate Theory: Rupture, Flood, Drift, and Recovery
The Origin of Ocean Trenches and the Ring of Fire
Theories Attempting to Explain the Origin of Ocean Trenches
The Origin of Earth’s Powerful Magnetic Field
Evaluation of Evidence vs. Theories
Evidence Requiring an Explanation
Liquefaction: The Origin of Strata and Layered Fossils
Liquefaction During the Compression Event
The Origin of the Grand Canyon
The Great Denudation: Time or Intensity?
Evidence Requiring an Explanation
Proposals for the Origin of the Grand Canyon
Evaluation of Evidence vs. Proposals
Details Relating to Brown’s Proposal (Hydroplate Theory)
Details Relating to Powell’s Proposal
Details Relating to Gilbert’s Proposal
Details Relating to Emmons’ Proposal
Details Relating to Blackwelder’s Proposal
Details Relating to McKee’s Proposal
Details Relating to Hunt’s Proposal
Details Relating to Lucchitta’s Proposal
Details Relating to the Meek/Douglass Proposal
Eight Observations Explained by This Scenario
Why Did It Get So Cold So Quickly?
Evidence Requiring an Explanation
Theories Attempting to Explain Frozen Mammoths
Evaluation of Evidence vs. Theories
Details Relating to the Hydroplate Theory
Details Relating to the Lake Drowning Theory
Details Relating to the Crevasse Theory
Details Relating to the Mud Burial Theory
Details Relating to the River Transport Theory
Details Relating to the Extinction-by-Man Theory
Details Relating to the Bering Barrier Theory
Details Relating to the Mild Ice Age Theory
Details Relating to the Shifting Crust Theory
Details Relating to the Meteorite Theory
Were Mammoths Frozen after the Flood?
Gravity: How and Why Most Things Move
Details Requiring an Explanation
Theories Attempting to Explain the Origin of Comets
Evaluation of Evidence vs. Theories
Details Relating to the Hydroplate Theory
Detecting the Hidden Mass That Comets Feel
Details Relating to the Exploded Planet Theory
Details Relating to the Volcanic Eruption Theory
Details Relating to the Original Oort Cloud Theory
Details Relating to the Revised Oort Cloud Theory
Details Relating to the Meteor Stream Theory
Details Relating to the Interstellar Capture Theory
The Origin of Asteroids and Meteoroids
Meteorites, Meteors, and Meteoroids
Are Some Meteorites from Mars?
Part III:
Why Are Creation and the Flood Important?
How Can the Study of Creation Be Scientific?
Have Scientific Tools Detected Adam and Eve within Us?
Galaxies Are Billions of Light-Years Away, So Isn’t the Universe Billions of Years Old?
Why Does the Universe Seem to Be Expanding?
Expansion: Big Bang or Stretching?
What Predictions of the Hydroplate Theory Have Been Confirmed?
If the Sun and Stars Were Made on Day 4, What Was the Light of Day 1?
How Old Do Evolutionists Say the Universe Is?
How Accurate Is Radiocarbon Dating?
How Could Saltwater and Freshwater Fish Survive the Flood?
Is Global Warming Occurring? If So, What Causes It?
Have Planets Been Discovered Outside the Solar System?
Did the Flood Last 40 Days and 40 Nights?
Is the Hydroplate Theory Consistent with the Bible?
How Was the Earth Divided in Peleg’s Day?
Did a Water Canopy Surround the Earth and Contribute to the Flood?
Arguments for a Canopy—and Brief Responses
Scientific Arguments Opposing a Canopy
A Study of Some Key Hebrew Words
Genesis 1: 8a — Two Interpretations
If God Made Everything, Who Made God?
Something to Think About: “Fire in Waters”
How Did Human “Races” Develop?
According to the Bible, When Was Adam Created?
Why Did the Flood Water Drain So Slowly?
Is There a Large Gap of Time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2?
Is Evolution Compatible with the Bible?
Does the New Testament Support Genesis 1–11?
How Can Origins Be Taught in High School or College?
What Are the Social Consequences of Belief in Evolution?
How Can I Become Involved in This Issue?
What Questions Could I Ask Evolutionists?
How Do Evolutionists Respond to What You Say?
How Do You Respond to Common Claims of Evolutionists?
Why Don’t Creationists Publish in Leading Science Journals?
What Is the Written Debate Offer?
What Is the Recorded and Transcribed Telephone Debate Offer?
Technical Notes
How Long Would It Take the Moon to Recede from Earth to Its Present Position?
How Much Dust and Meteoritic Debris Should the Moon Have If It Is 4,600,000,000 Years Old?
Did the Preflood Earth Have a 30-Day Lunar Month?
Can Overthrusts Occur? Can Mountains Buckle?
Energy in the Subterranean Water