The Final Proof of God’s Nonexistence?

Feedback: The Final Proof of God’s Nonexistence? 

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, September 4, 2025 (Donate) 

Original Letter Unedited: 

I just watched an episode of Answers News on YouTube. It showed up in my recommended videos presumably because I follow Bill Nye and watched the debate with Ken Ham. Anyway, it was clear in the episode that you believe in God. But I just don't understand how that is possible. There is SO much evidence that effectively makes the God and creation story an impossibility. SO much evidence that evolution is just as solid a fact as gravity. It's the evidence that I'm hung up on, because if you educate yourself on the natural history of life on this planet it is simply impossible to come away still believing an old book written by people who thought the earth was flat is true. It. Is. Simply. Not. True. The evidence is everywhere. As soon as we are able to recreate how non life became life on this planet it's over. Since we have already proven evolution as fact and occurring to this day, the only missing link is the non life to life transition. When that day comes we will officially be able to show that life as we know it on this planet was able to arise without the need of a God that created it. Do you at all agree with what I'm saying? Curious if you do or not. Sorry to take your time. 

Response, Point-By-Point Style: 

It is nice to hear from you. In my response, I’m going to be bold and challenge you in the interspersed responses below. But in all of this, I want you to understand that I’m saying these things in kindness. 

I just watched an episode of Answers News on YouTube. It showed up in my recommended videos presumably because I follow Bill Nye and watched the debate with Ken Ham. Anyway, it was clear in the episode that you believe in God. But I just don't understand how that is possible. 

I do. But not just any God. I believe in the God of the Bible—the true God. And according to the all-knowing God of the Bible so do you; but God also points out that there are some people who unrighteously try to suppress that knowledge (Romans 1:18-32). 

There is SO much evidence that effectively makes the God and creation story an impossibility. 

Such as? Creation is what happened in history, and God, who created all things, was there to eyewitness it and affirmed it in His Word. This modern story of evolution is a false, make-believe tale for the religion of naturalism (think atheism, materialism) to try to explain how all things came about from nothing. 

SO much evidence that evolution is just as solid a fact as gravity. 

What evidence are you referring to again? I can observe and repeat experiments regarding gravity (i.e., dropping things) but no one has observed or repeated the changing of single-celled organism like unicellular algae and turned it into anything else. This is a false analogy fallacy.  

It's the evidence that I'm hung up on, 

Once again you mention evidence and have presented none. One must realize a simple reality: I have the same evidence you do. I look at the same rock layers. I look at the same fossils, continents, solar bodies, cells, DNA, etc. The difference is the interpretation. 

Image from Presentation Library

because if you educate yourself on the natural history of life on this planet 

And what makes you think I haven’t been educated on this subject? This is a presumption fallacy. I have been taught the naturalistic religious story since a small child in state schools through my educational years at the state university. 

I’ve been through several books on the subjects as well (including Charles Lyell, the father of naturalistic geology, and Charles Darwin, the father of modern naturalistic evolutionary biology, and the late Stephen Hawking among many others). 

Do you think Bill Nye was not educated well enough in the natural history of life on this planet? I have the same degree as Bill Nye but one level higher. I’ve even written an entire book refuting the claims of Nye’s naturalism. You need to understand that the natural history of life is part of the fictional story associated with the religion of naturalism.    

it is simply impossible to come away still believing an old book written by people 

And yet, you just professed a belief in natural history which comes from old books written by people? That is double standard fallacy. The Bible, unlike these works of fallible men that you adhere to without question, was written by the inspiration of God, the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t err like imperfect men.  

who thought the earth was flat is true. 

The Bible nor Bible writers propound a belief in a flat earth. This is straw man fallacy.  

It. Is. Simply. Not. True. 

God disagrees with you regarding the truthfulness of the Bible. God repeatedly affirms the Bible is true, and God, being the truth, is why truth exists in the first place. Truth is a Christian concept. In naturalism, truth shouldn’t exist since truth is not material. 

Subsequently, your objection to the truth of God’s Word is simply because you say so. That is arbitrary. But this outlines the classic argument between Christianity and the religion of humanism (i.e., man is seen as the ultimate authority)—God’s authority vs. man’s authority. [For the readers, naturalism is one form of humanism that says nature is all that exists. In other words, only material things like matter and energy (i.e., no spiritual no God(s), nothing immaterial exists) are all that is in existence.] 

The evidence is everywhere. 

Once again, you appeal to evidence, but don’t mention any evidence to present your case. And to reiterate, I have the same evidence that you do.    

As soon as we are able to recreate how non life became life on this planet it's over. 

So the one piece of evidence you appeal to (trying to refute the scientific Law of Biogenesis), is actually evidence that the naturalistic worldview is false. See below. 

Since we have already proven evolution as fact 

How so? Who was able to change a single-celled organism like an ameba into a goat? We’ve not observed this nor repeated this. Clearly, this is not a scientific fact. 

With all seriousness, I realize you believe in the religion of evolutionism and naturalism (which go hand-in-hand) without question in all likelihood because you’ve been told to believe it over and over again. Repeatedly, you profess to say there is evidence for it—because you have been told there is. 

Consider just one facet of naturalism: millions of years. We have no observational or repeatable scientific evidence of millions of years. And yet, many processes that people profess takes millions of years do not.  Without evidence of millions of years, evolution has no possibility (we don’t hear people say that all life on earth evolved from a single-celled organism beginning about 6,000 years ago).  

Evidence	Time to form (observed)	Scientific evidence for millions of years
Diamonds (vapor deposition)	A few days[1]	No
Diamonds (pressure and temperature method)	3-4 days[2]	No
Diamonds (from loved ones and pets ashes)	Three months[3]	No
Coal	Months[4]	No
Oil from Sewage	Days[5]	No
Oil from Animal waste	Days[6]	No
Oil from Brown Coal	2-5 Days[7]	No
Oil from Algae	30 minutes[8] - 60 minutes[9]	No
Petrified Wood (heat and chemical method)	Days[10]	No
Petrified Wood (chemical method)	Hours[11]	No
Petrified Wood (natural elements)	Less than 360 years[12]	No
Opals	Weeks[13]	No
Gemstones (volcanic origin)	Upon eruption[14]	No
Gemstones (lab origins, synthetic)	Days[15] with Flame Fusion, Melt Process, Solution Process	No
Fossils	Less than 24 hours[16]	No
Stalactites	Days[17], less than 100 years[18]	No
Stalagmites	In one summer[19]	No
Rock	Less than 150 years, Bell encased in rock[20] Less than 125 years, Tarawera Items[21] Less than 50 years, Petrified Hat[22] 3 months, Yorkshire Bears[23]	No
Rock layers (Catastrophes)	Mt. St. Helens	No
Rock layer lamina (lab; Air + Water)	Almost immediately[24]	No
Canyons	Days, Canyon Lake Gorge[25] Days, Little Grand Canyon[26] Six days, Burlingame Canyon[27] Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon[28]	No

and occurring to this day, 

What we observe today are small changes that only produce variations in existing animals within created kinds—exactly as the Bible predicts. We aren’t observing evolutionary changes (onward and upward) but degenerative changes (mutations and filtering of already existing information) to the genome 

the only missing link is the non life to life transition.  When that day comes we will officially be able to show that life as we know it on this planet was able to arise without the need of a God that created it. 

Besides the Law of Biogenesis, as mentioned above, perhaps you don’t have a good grasp on the problems in an evolutionary worldview—and I want to encourage you in this. Consider the missing observations of onward and upward evolution, information-gaining mutations, missing links, missing rock layers[29], 2^nd law of thermodynamics, Horizon problem, etc. 

Image from Presentation Library

And do you realize the argument you just made? You are arguing that we have many brilliant minds trying to make life because we don’t observe life come from non-life naturalistically (spontaneous generation). So you openly appeal to the requirement of an intelligence to make life. I’m here to tell you the name of that intelligent Creator: Jesus Christ. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again on the third day (Acts 10:40)—the infinite Son took the infinite punishment from the infinite Father that we deserve for sin—and that makes salvation possible from this sin-cursed and broken world. 

Furthermore, if someone shows that life could be made by man, it wouldn’t prove that God did not create things in the beginning. If people succeed in mimicking what God did to create life—with the building blocks he created no less—that only proves that intelligence is a prerequisite to life, not naturalism (a great confirmation of what God did at creation). 

Do you at all agree with what I'm saying? Curious if you do or not. Sorry to take your time. 

Obviously not. I simply do not take people’s word for it when they say God doesn’t exist and evolution is true. And neither should you. Rather, I take God’s Word for the truth of his existence and creation.   

Since you really struggle with the existence of God and had watched a debate, I suggest you consider listening to a debate (back from the “old days”) between Dr. Gordon Stein (professing atheist) and Dr. Greg Bahnsen (a Christian). This became known at The Great Debate and is one of the most influential debates in the 20^th century. 

Dr. Stein was arguably one of the brightest atheists of his day and knew about the classical arguments for a “generic” God’s existence and how to argue against them. When Christians used these arguments, he was very effective at destroying them. But his debate with Dr. Greg Bahnsen stopped him in his tracks (echoed here). To his dying day, Dr. Stein could not effectively respond to Dr. Bahnsen (they actually wrote letters back and forth after the debate). It is worth a listen. 

Image modified from Presentation Library

In conclusion, you may be thinking deep down that God is wrong about you believing he really does exist and that you are suppressing that knowledge, as mentioned above. But consider the letters you’ve written to people who discuss the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus or suggest that yoga meditation will bring people closer to nirvana. And yet, you took the time to write to us about God’s existence. You are trying to suppress the God of the Bible in your heart. Please consider this sincerely. 

Bodie

 

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children. 

Originally at Answers in Genesis in 2018; Edited; Republished by permission.

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[1] Greg Hunter and Andrew Paparella, “Lab-Made Diamonds Just Like Natural Ones,” September 9, 2015, ABC News Internet Ventures, produced for Good Morning America, http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=124787.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Rae Ellen Bichell, “From Ashes To Ashes To Diamonds: A Way To Treasure The Dead,” NPR, January 19, 2014, http://www.npr.org/2014/01/19/263128098/swiss-company-compresses-cremation-ashes-into-diamonds.

[4] R. Hayatsu, R.L. McBeth, R.G. Scott, R.E. Botto, R.E. Winans, Organic Geochemistry, vol. 6 (1984), p. 463–471.

[5] Australian Stock Exchange Release, Environmental Solutions International Ltd, Osborne Park, Western Australia, Oct. 25, 1996. Media Statement, Minister for Water Resources, Western Australia, October 25, 1996.

[6] Dr. Andrew Snelling, “The Origin of Oil,” Answers 2, no. 1, p. 74–77, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n1/origin-of-oil

[7] Ibid.

[8] Christopher Helman, Green Oil: Scientists Turn Algae Into Petroleum In 30 Minutes, Forbes.com, 12/23/2013, http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2013/12/23/green-oil-scientists-turn-algae-into-petroleum-in-30-minutes/.

[9] B. Thomas, “One-Hour Oil Production,” ICR, January 13, 2014, https://www.icr.org/article/7874/

[10] Editors, “Instant Petrified Wood,” Physics.org, January 25, 2005, http://phys.org/news/2005-01-petrified-wood-days.html.

[11] Hamilton Hicks, Sodium silicate composition, United States Patent Number 4,612,050, September 16,1986, http://www.google.com/patents/US4612050.

[12] Andrew Snelling, “ ‘Instant’ Petrified Wood,” Creation, vol. 17, no. 4, September 1995, p. 38-40, online September 1, 1995, https://answersingenesis.org/fossils/how-are-fossils-formed/instant-petrified-wood/.

[13] Dr. Andrew Snelling, “Creating Opals,” Creation ex nihilo 17, no. 1, Dec. 1994: 14–17.

[14] Editors, Mount St. Helens Gift Shop Website, http://www.mt-st-helens.com/obsidianite.html, downloaded April 7, 2014; Editors, “How Gemstones Are Formed,” GemSelect, accessed August 18, 2015, http://www.gemselect.com/other-info/gemstone-formation.php.

[15] Synthetic Ruby http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Synthetic-Ruby.html.

[16] Ben Coxworth, Lab-made fossils cram 1000s of years into 24 hours, New Atlas, July 25, 2018, https://newatlas.com/lab-made-fossils/55619/.

[17] Marilyn Taylor, Descent, Arizona Highways, January, 1993, p. 11.

[18] Emil Silvestru, The Cave Book, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2008, p. 46.

[19] Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, A Flood of Evidence, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2016, p. 125.

[20] Bell-ieve It: Rapid Rock Formation Rings True, Creation, vol. 20, no. 2, March 1998: 6, https://answersingenesis.org/geology/catastrophism/bell-ieve-it-rapid-rock-formation-rings-true/.

[21] Renton Maclachlan, “Tarawera’s Night of Terror,” Creation, vol. 18, no. 1, December 1995: 16–19, https://answersingenesis.org/geology/catastrophism/taraweras-night-of-terror/.

[22] John Mackay, “Fossil Bolts and Fossil Hats,” Creation Ex Nihilo, vol. 8, Nov., 1986, p. 10.

[23] M. White, “The Amazing Stone Bears of Yorkshire,” Answers in Genesis, June 1, 2002, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v24/n3/stone-bears.

[24] Guy Berthault, Experiments on Lamination of Sediments, Creation, Vol. 3, No. 1, April, 1998, pp. 25-29, https://answersingenesis.org/geology/sedimentation/experiments-on-lamination-of-sediments/. 

[25] Michael P. Lamb and Mark A. Fonstad, “Rapid Formation of a Modern Bedrock Canyon by a Single Flood Event, Nature Geoscience, June 20, 2010, p. 4, DOI: 10.1038/NGEO894.

[26] John Morris and Steven A. Austin, Footprints in Ash, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2003, p. 70-75.

[27] John Morris, “A Canyon in Six Days,” September 1, 2002, https://answersingenesis.org/geology/natural-features/a-canyon-in-six-days/.

[28] Rebecca Gibson, “Canyon Creation,” September, 1, 2000, https://answersingenesis.org/geology/natural-features/canyon-creation/.

[29] Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, A Flood of Evidence, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2016, pp. 105-112.

Doctrine of Inerrancy

Doctrine of Inerrancy

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, September 3, 2025 (Donate)

The doctrine of inerrancy, holds that the 66 books of Scriptures, in their original manuscripts, are without error in all that they affirm. This belief is rooted in the Bible’s own claims about its nature, origin, and authority.

Image from Presentation Library

Inerrancy And Its Significance

Inerrancy is the conviction that the Bible, in its original manuscripts, is completely without error in all that it affirms. This doctrine flows directly from the nature of God Himself. Because God is truth (John 17:17; Titus 1:2), His Word cannot contain falsehood or mistake. Thus, Scripture is fully trustworthy in everything it teaches—whether matters of salvation, history, science, or morality.

Inerrancy is not limited to “spiritual truths” but extends to all areas where the Bible makes statements. If the Bible were only accurate in matters of faith and morals, but unreliable in its historical or scientific claims, then the foundation of the gospel itself would be undermined. For example, Jesus’ death and resurrection are rooted in historical events, and the doctrine of salvation depends on the literal truth of Adam and Eve, the Fall, and the reality of sin.

The significance of inerrancy is directly tied to biblical authority. If errors are admitted in Scripture, then autonomous human reason must become the judge of which parts are reliable. This elevates man’s opinions and thoughts to supersede God and His Word and this, opens the door to compromise. Rejecting the Bible’s plain teaching on Genesis—such as a six-day creation and a global Flood—leads many to question other core doctrines, because the same Scriptures that teach creation also affirm salvation through Christ.

The Word of the Holy Spirit is inerrant and this provides Christians with assurance. Because Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), Christians can rely on its promises without fear of deception. This certainty guards against theological drift and preserves the unity of the church around God’s revealed truth.

Inerrancy is vital because it protects the authority, reliability, and sufficiency of Scripture. To compromise on inerrancy is to undermine the foundation of the Christian faith itself.

Biblical Basis

The biblical basis for this doctrine can be ascertained by:

Divine Inspiration

The foundation of inerrancy is the belief that Scripture is God-breathed by a perfect God who doesn’t make errors. Thus, His Word is without errors when He originally transmits it to us.

·       “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV)

·       “...no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20–21 NKJV)

These verses show that Scripture originates from God, not from human ideas or initiative. Though it is not a problem for an all-powerful God to use man to write His revealed word. It is actually all-to-easy for God to communicate through His prophets and apostles.

God’s Nature Guarantees Truth

Because God is perfectly truthful and cannot lie, His Word must be without error:

·       “God is not a man, that He should lie...” (Numbers 23:19 NKJV)

·       “...in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” (Titus 1:2 NKJV)

·       “…that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:18 NKJV)

Since God is the ultimate source of Scripture, and He cannot lie, the Scriptures must be entirely true. This doesn’t mean that some people might mess up copying it (i.e., copyist mistakes) there are enough copies to know what was laid down in the original. God promised to preserve His Word (called “Preservation”) and has done so through the variety of copies that exist (called “textual criticism”).

Jesus Affirmed Scripture’s Truth

Jesus consistently treated the Scriptures as authoritative and accurate so Old Testament Scriptures were accurate in Christ’s day:

·       “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18 NKJV)

·       “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17 NKJV)

He affirmed even the smallest details of the Old Testament as enduring and reliable. This was expected:

·       “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (2 Samuel 22:31 NKJV)

The Apostles Trusted the Scriptures

New Testament writers affirmed and relied upon the truthfulness of the Scriptures:

·       “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26 NKJV)

·       “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 NKJV)

·       “...you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God...” (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV)

Chicago Statement Of Biblical Inerrancy

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, published in 1978, is a defining document that defends the doctrine of inerrancy. It was produced by over 200 evangelical scholars, pastors, and theologians under the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy (ICBI).

The statement affirms that the Bible, in its original manuscripts, is without error in all that it affirms—whether regarding doctrine, history, science, origins, or morality—because it is inspired by inerrant God, who cannot lie.

It consists of a short preface, a summary statement (19 articles of affirmation and denial), and an exposition. It includes:

• Scripture is the Word of God, written by human authors by the power of the God the Holy Spirit who guided the inspired text.
• Inspiration extends to all of Scripture (called: “verbal plenary inspiration”), not just to a few spiritual or moral teachings. To clarify:
• Verbal plenary inerrancy means all of the Bible is inspired down to the very words of Scripture in all matters—this is what the Chicago Statement affirms.
• Non-verbal plenary inerrancy would mean that not all the Bible is inspired, but only as to certain concepts—not all the words—meaning that it might contain historical, scientific, or moral errors. This is often held by those who respect the Bible, but do not necessarily follow and believe all of its assertions. By the way, non-verbal plenary inerrancy is a false doctrine and one should be cautious of those promoting this view.
• Inerrancy applies only to the original manuscripts, not to every copy or translation. People can accidentally mis-copy something (copyist mistakes) and some outright intentionally change things to fit with their respective cult for instance! With careful study of the thousands of manuscripts, scholars can easily see where those few copyist mistakes crept into certain families of copies. 
• Inerrancy allows for variety in literary form, figures of speech, and observational perspective language (e.g., "sunrise", “sunset”).
• The statement denies that human fallibility or cultural context invalidates inerrancy. People can make mistakes (be fallible) but God working through them still yields a perfectly revealed Scriptural book/Psalm such as Exodus (Moses), A Psalm of David (David), 2 Corinthians (Paul). Moses, David, and Paul all had their faults, yet God speaking through them produced an inerrant text of Scripture.

The Chicago Statement also distinguishes the doctrine of inerrancy from the doctrine of infallibility, clarifying that inerrancy is a stronger claim though, they are related doctrines: not only is the Bible incapable of teaching error, it actually does not contain any.

If one would think more deeply, they would also recognize that God is the very standard of right thinking and inerrant understanding. This is how He created and sustains all things. Thus, the concept of inerrant and errant as well as right and wrong are predicated on God and His Word revealing such things. In other words, non-biblical worldviews must borrow form the Bible to make sense of the concepts of right and wrong and inerrant and errant.

The Chicago Statement became a standard for conservative evangelical theology and is widely cited in debates over the doctrine of biblical authority or even infallibility.

In essence, it declares that the Bible is completely true and trustworthy and without contradiction in everything it teaches—including science, history, origins, doctrine, theology, etc.—and that this belief is vital for Christian growth by affirming the true word of the Holy Spirit for which one can attain both knowledge and wisdom.

Chicago Statement on Hermeneutics

Leading creationist and one of the most prominent Christian leaders at the time, Dr. Henry Morris was a part of this Statement on Inerrancy in 1977-1978. As a sidenote, there was also a follow up conference in 1982 on developing a “Statement of Hermeneutics” (i.e., interpretation of Scripture).

Dr. Henry Morris was powerful leader in the creationist movement calling men back to the Bible in Genesis

In this particular document, there was initially a point on the Flood being global as a proper exegetical hermeneutic (i.e., good interpretation based on Scripture’s clear context and meaning). But by the last iteration waiting for signatures, this Flood-being-global point was pulled out.

Dr. Morris and a few others had objected but the statement went forward without it. The main reason is that a global Flood destroys the idea of long ages and millions of years. Sadly, those ideas were already a commonplace in many Christian circles among leaders. Clarke Morledge writes,

“The movement towards accepting an Old Earth view of earth’s history and even a tempered acceptance of some form of evolution was given a wide berth in the discussions. Therefore, to sign the proposed statement that gives such loose principles for interpreting the Bible under the supposed rubric of “inerrancy” would undermine the very standard of that inerrancy that was so dear to Morris.

Even though he fully supported the original statement regarding inerrancy with respect to the Bible’s authority, Morris simply would not sign the new proposed document with respect to biblical hermeneutics, the Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics…”[1]

By having this point remain, then any old earth creationist would be in violation of the Statement of Hermeneutics. So those who mix millions of years and evolutionary ideas with the Bible were influential enough to have the point removed.

As a result, Dr. Morris refused to sign it and rightly so! This statement has been cast aside by those who actually believe the Bible’s account of the Flood. And thus, it never went on to have much of an impact and few today even realized it exists—unlike the Statement on Inerrancy which has gone on as a standard in evangelical circles.

Conclusion

The Doctrine of Inerrancy does not deny literary forms or human authorship and style, but rather, it affirms that the Scriptures are fully trustworthy and free from error or contradictions in the original texts, across all literary genres and teachings.

Based on its own testimony, the 66 books of the Bible are the inerrant, inspired, infallible, authoritative, and sufficient Word of God. Because it is breathed out by a perfect and truthful God, it is inerrant in all that it teaches.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council. 

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

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[1] Clarke Morledge, Henry Morris and the Case of the Missing Signature, Veracity, March 28, 2015, https://sharedveracity.net/2015/03/28/henry-morris-and-the-case-of-the-missing-signature/.

Living Fossils And Biblical Authority

Living Fossils And Biblical Authority

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, September 2, 2025 (Donate)

If you didn’t know already there is a huge debate over the rock layers that contain fossils. The believers in the secular humanistic religion suggests they are evidence of slow gradual accumulations over millions of years of evolutionary changes.

With this view, if fossilized creatures are buried in the same rock layer, then they lived together at the same time. But if not, then they didn’t. This is why the secular humanists insist that man and dinosaurs did not live at the same time.

Hosts of creatures are found in the fossil record that remain largely unchanged; Image from Presentation Library

Naturally, those who believe what God says in His Word—Genesis—believe that a global Flood, over the course of about a year, was responsible for the majority of those rock layers. With this view from the Cambrian to the Miocene[1] are largely Flood rock. This means that from the Cambrian to the Miocene, the fossilized creatures were living at the same time. So, when dealing with the issue of living fossils there are two starkly different views.

What Are Living Fossils?

“Living fossils” are plants or animals known from the fossil record that appear essentially unchanged in living form today, despite alleged millions of years of evolutionary time. From a biblical creation perspective, these organisms are powerful confirmations of the Bible’s Flood.

Image from Presentation Library

This is what we expect from a Genesis-based worldview compared to the evolutionary claims. The concept of living fossils undermines the evolutionary framework in an obvious way—if creatures are supposed to be changing in massive ways over “evolutionary time” then why didn’t these creature change—even a little?

Stasis To The Rescue?

The evolutionary response is that these living fossil examples are “stasis”. It’s a fancy word that means they didn’t change but stayed the same. Somehow the evolutionist manages to convince many that stasis is still good evidence for evolution. But it isn’t. Stasis is the opposite of what should happen in the evolutionary scenario—and is actually a creation position.

Evolutionists often claim “living fossils” have survived unchanged due to “stabilizing selection” or otherwise known as “evolutionary success.” However, this explanation is ad hoc. It is arbitrary and carries no weight. If evolution requires change, then when we find unchanged creatures, then it simply challenges the narrative.

Spiders have even remained unchanged; Image from Presentation Library

Evolutionary adherents teaches that vast spans of time allow gradual change and diversification. Yet living fossils look almost identical (sometimes minor variations within their respective kind) to their fossilized relatives that died in the Flood, supposedly separated by tens or even hundreds of millions of years.

Their stasis directly contradicts the expected evolutionary pattern of continual change. Instead, they match with what we expect from the biblical account where creatures reproduce within a boundary of their respective kinds (Genesis 1:11–25). Of course, “kinds” can have variation within their biological limits, but not change to entirely different kinds.

Confirmation Of Created Kinds

The fact that living fossils remain essentially the same reinforces the biblical teaching of fixity of “kinds” rather than evolutionary transitional forms. Rather than evolving into new creatures, these organisms remain stable, consistent with God’s design of life reproducing within the kind. It also makes sense in light of the Flood being a matter of thousands of years ago.

Image from Presentation Library

Confirmation of Flood Geology

Most fossils, including those of living fossils, are understood to have been formed during the catastrophic global Flood of Noah.[2] Their presence in Flood-deposited rock layers confirms both the reality of the Flood and that these creatures were alive at the same time as humans, not millions of years earlier.

A nice point to remember is that the Flood rock (Cambrian to Miocene) was laid down during Noah and Shem’s lifetime. So, all the creatures in the Flood’s fossiliferous rock were contemporary with man.

God’s Word Confirmed

The persistence of living fossils is a testimony that God’s Word explains the rocks and fossils consistently with real-world evidence, while evolutionary interpretations must constantly adjust and this shows the inconsistency in the position. Being that Scripture is the ultimate authority in all matters, this is to be expected.

Examples Of Popular Living Fossils

Coelacanth
Once thought extinct for 65 million years, the coelacanth was rediscovered alive in 1938. Quite a few have been caught by fishermen in Madagascar!

Evolutionists had presented it as a transitional form between fish and amphibians, but its rediscovery as a fully functional fish with no transitional features was a blow to evolutionary storytelling. The coelacanth can be used to illustrate how assumptions about fossils can be wrong and how living fossils confirm biblical history instead.

Coelacanth; Image from Presentation Library

Horseshoe Crab
Fossil horseshoe crabs appear in rock layers that evolutionists suggest is over 400 million years old, yet living specimens look nearly identical. They have survived supposedly multiple mass extinctions and alleged immense changes in climate and ecosystems, which evolutionists predicted would lead to major evolutionary changes. Instead, their stability reflects biblical reproduction restricted to their kinds.

Ginkgo Tree
The Ginkgo Biloba, often called a “living fossil tree,” is known from fossil layers suggested by evolutionists to over 200 million years ago. Yet modern ginkgo trees are virtually indistinguishable from fossilized examples. This stasis over such alleged deep time is inexplicable under evolutionary models but is expected from the biblical creation model.

Wollemi Pine
Discovered alive in Australia in 1994, the Wollemi pine tree had previously been known only from fossils in rock layers associated with the dinosaurs. The fact that it survived unchanged for so long contradicts the evolutionary expectation of extinction or drastic alteration.

Wollemi pine tree needles growing; Image from Presentation Library

This discovery as another reminder of the unreliability of evolutionary claims about the fossil record. Having these last two trees buried in the Flood a matter of thousands of years ago, and still living today with precious few changes is fully expected.

Dragonflies
Dragonflies appear in the fossil record from an alleged “300 million years ago” and look almost identical to modern dragonflies, though some fossils were much larger. This would only be changes within the dragonfly kind. Despite the supposed vast time and evolutionary opportunities, dragonflies have remained consistent. This is, again, strong evidence of created kinds maintaining their design within biological boundaries.

Conclusion

Living fossils are powerful evidence in the biblical authority debate because they show that life does not conform to evolutionary expectations. Instead, living fossils confirm the biblical account that creatures have limited variation within their created kind. Also living fossils help us understand in practical ways that the fossil record is largely the result of the global Flood, and that God’s Word is trustworthy from the very first verse.

Rather than millions of years of gradual change, the evidence of living fossils shows stasis (which is technically an outworking of a creationist viewpoint) and consistency. This is expected with biblical creation and in direct contradiction to historic evolutionary views.

By looking at examples such as the coelacanth, horseshoe crab, Ginkgo tree, Wollemi Pine, dragonflies, and more, believers can understand a little more about how fossil evidence is in line with biblical history as recorded in Scripture.

For more on Living Fossils, I suggest this amazing book by Carl Werner.

Living Fossils by Carl Werner

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council. 

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

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[1] Yes, I know creationists still debate over the precision of the post-Flood boundary in various locations. Since the mountains of Ararat were formed by Day 150 and contain Miocene and Eocene rock, then those layers were formed by that stage of the Flood.

[2] There were fossils after the Flood in local catastrophes for instance, but nowhere near the scale of the global Flood