Geology and the Genesis Flood - Dr Emil Silvestru - Creation Super Conference 2011

Geology and the Genesis Flood

The biblical Flood and geology—a closer look at plate tectonics and how they could explain the biblical Flood. An approach from world's mythology is also taken, proving the global character of the Flood. Evidence from the geologic and fossil records is analyzed and explained in accordance with the biblical account.

Presented by Dr Emil Silvestru
Streaming: Windows :: MAC/iPod/iPhone/iPad :: Website

Dr Emil Silvestru

Geologist/karstologist

Biography

Dr Silvestru earned his Ph.D in geology at the ‘Babes-Bolyai’ University in Cluj, Romania (where he has worked as an associate professor), in karst sedimentology including caves. (Karst is a term which initially referred to barren regions of mostly limestone and dolomite, noted for spectacular and distinctive landforms, and with substantial underground drainage features — caves, underground rivers, etc. It has come to refer more to the entire geosystem, above and below ground.)
A world authority on the geology of caves, he has published 41 scientific papers (see below), written one book (The Cave Book—see below) and co-authored two books. He was, until recently, the head scientist at the world’s first Speleological Institute (speleology = the study of caves) in Cluj. Since 1997 he has been a full-time researcher and speaker with CMI.
His areas of expertise include: Sedimentology of clastic deposits, stratigraphy of limestone terranes, general geology, karst genesis and functioning, cave climate and glaciology, show-cave assessment & designing, ore prospecting and exploration (surface and mining).
After becoming a Christian he quickly realized that the ‘millions of years’ interpretation, so common in geology, was not compatible with Genesis. ‘Once I became a Christian,’ Emil says, ‘I knew I had to “tune up” my scientific knowledge with the Scriptures.’

‘Although philosophically and ethically I accepted a literal Genesis from my conversion, at first I was unable to match it with my “technical” side.’

E-mail discussions with qualified creationist geologists, creationist books, Creation magazine and especially the Journal of Creation (formerly TJ) helped him realise what he calls two ‘essential things’:

1. Given exceptional conditions (e.g. the Genesis Flood) geological processes that take an extremely long time today can be unimaginably accelerated.
2. The Genesis Flood was global, not regional.

   ‘These factors were immensely important in my conversion and my Christian life. I am now convinced of six-day, literal, recent, Genesis creation. That doesn't mean that there are not still some unanswered problems, but researching such issues is what being a scientist is all about.’

He has over 30 years experience in climbing and spelunking, educating many young spelunkers and mountain climbing devotees as well as participating in mountain and cave rescue operations.
In January 2002 he immigrated to Canada from Romania with his wife and two daughters. In addition to doing research and writing for CMI, he now also on staff at CMI Canada as a Seminar Lecturer, and has written a number of articles for the Journal of Creation, Creation magazine and this website, and produced several DVDs.
In 2012 Emil suffered a stroke from which he has not yet fully recovered.

Interview

• See an interview with Dr Silvestru from CMI’s Creation magazine.

Dr Silvestru’s papers published in secular science journals

• Viehmann Iosif, SILVESTRU Emil, Fabian Calin (1979) La Grotte d'Iza, Monts de Rodna, Roumanie. Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XVIII:201–207.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil, Viehmann Iosif (1982) Etude de microtectonique comparée dans le karst des Monts de Rodna (Roumanie). Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXI:63–67.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1984) The Relationship Between Tectonics and Karstification in the Cave from Izvorul Tausoarelor (Rodna Mountains). Theoretical and Applied Karstology, Bucureşti, 1:35–42.
  
  
• Soritau Dan, Nicoara Dorel, SILVESTRU Emil, Demeter Janos, Popa Cristian, Viehmann Iosif (1984) Avenul din Stanul Foncii. Bull."Pestera", Cluj–Napoca, 1:79–88.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1985) Aspects of Karstification in the Crystalline Limestones on the Southern Slope of Rodnei Mountains. Theoretical and Applied Karstology, Bucureşti, 2:87–95.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1988) New Ideas on the Cretaceous/Tertiary Extinctions. Evolution and Adaptation, Cluj–Napoca, III:89–97.
  
  
• Mârza Ioan, SILVESTRU Emil (1988)First Mention of the Hydrothermal Karst Phenomenon Associated to Neogene Metasomatic Suplhide Ore deposits from Rodna Veche. Studia Universitatis “Babes-Bolyai”, Geologica-Geographica, Cluj-Napoca, XXXIII:77–81.
  
  
• Cocean Pompei, SILVESTRU Emil (1988)The Role of Magmatism in the Genesis of Isolated Massifs Karst Relief of the Trascau–Metaliferi Mountains. Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXVII:89–93.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1989) Several Considerations on the Tectonics of the Underground Fossil Glacier in the Cave Ghetarul de la Scarisoara (Romania). Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXVIII:77–86.
  
  
• Cociuba Ioan, SILVESTRU Emil (1989) Hypothesis on a genetical Relation Between the Actual Karst and the Bauxite-Bearing paleokarst at the Jurassic/Creatceous Boundary in the Piatra Craiului Mountains (Romania). Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti,t.XXVIII, p.87–90.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1990)Propositions pour une classification litho–génétiquedes formes karstiques et apparentées. Karstologia, La Rivoire, France. Nr.15:55–57.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1990) On the Genesis and Evolution of Mirabilite in the Cave Izvorul Tausoarelor (Romania). Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXIX:79–84.
  
  
• Racovita Gheorghe, Boghean Viorel, SILVESTRU Emil, Petrescu Mircea (1991) Etude thermométrique des substratums de la grotte de Scarisoara. Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXX:159–184.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil, Boghean Viorel (1992) Ultrasonic Investigations on the Underground Fossil Glacier in the Cave Ghetarul de la Scarisoara (Romania). Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXXI:151–154.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1993) Karst and Global Climate (a Gaian Approach). Proceedings of the European Conference on Speleology, Helecine, Belgium, 2:125–127.
  
  
• SILVESTRU, Emil (1993) Apusul gigantilor — o poveste cu dinozauri. In Petrescu Iustinian (coordinator) Terra — catastrofe naturale. Editura Dacia Cluj-Napoca, 259p.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1994) Karst and Environment — a Romanian Approach. Geological and Landscape Conservation (O'Halloran, D., Greene, C., Harley, M., Knill, J., editors) London, Geological Society, p.221–225.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil, Ghergari Lucretia (1994) On the Paleokarst in the Cave Ghetarul de la Scarisoara (Bihor Mountains, Romania). Theoretical and Applied Karstology, Bucureşti, 7:155–161.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1995)Can One Define Poljes? Acta Carsologica, Ljubljana, Slovenia, XXIV:501–508.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil, Tamas Tudor, Fratila Gheorghe (1995) Preliminary Data on the Hydrogeology of Karst Terrains Around the Springs of Somesul Cald River (Bihor-Vladeasa Mountains, Romania). Theoretical and Applied Karstology, Bucureşti, 8:81–89.
  
  
• Pourchet Michel, Mélieres Marie Antoinette, SILVESTRU Emil, Rajka Géza, Candaudap Froncois, Carbonnel Jean-Pièrre (1996) Radionuclides in a Cave Lake Sediment Core from Ghetarul de Sub Zgurasti (Romania). Theoretical and Applied Karstology, Bucureşti, 9:23–28.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil, Mátyási Sándor and Bucur I. Ioan (1996) Proposal for a series of formal lithostratigraphic units from the Lower Triassic to the Upper Jurassic in the Central Bihor Mountains (Apuseni Mountains, Romania). Studia Universitatis “Babes-Bolyai”, Geologia, XLI(2):131–136, Cluj.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1997) Stratigrafia si sedimentologia depozitelor clastice din exo– si endocarstul zonei Padis-Cetatile Ponorului. Teza de doctorat (PhD thesis) Universitatea “Babes-Bolyai” Cluj-Napoca, 240 pp.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1997) Dolines in the Padis Plateau (Bihor Mountains, Romania) — One Peculiar Case, Many Questions. Theoretical and Applied Karstology, Bucureşti, 10:127–132.
  
  
• SILVESTRU Emil (1998) Lithostratigraphic control of karstification: a Romanian example. Études de Géographie Physique, Supplément au nº XXVII:31–34, Arras, France.
  
  
• SILVESTRU, Emil (1999) Perennial ice in caves in temperate climate and its significance. Theoretical and Applied Karstology, Bucureşti, 11–12:83–94.

Articles in the Journal of Creation

• Neutrinos—the not-so-neutral particles
• Human and dinosaur fossil footprints in the Upper Cretaceous of North America?
• The Permian extinction: National Geographic comes close to the truth
• Bubbles of surprise
• Paleokarst—a riddle inside confusion
• The age of the Jenolan Caves, Australia
• North Sea Megaflood
• Mineral evolution: What’s next? Geobiology or biogeology?
• Eolian erosion exposé

Articles in the Creation Magazine

• Caves for all seasons
• Denied the prize
• The riddle of paleokarst solved
• Marvellous moth motif
• A river like no other
• Pollen Paradox

Articles on this website

• Human fossils from the Flood and ancient climate patterns
• The history of early life revisited (again)
• Of barons, bones, birds and dinosaurs
• The not-so-dark side of the Moon
• Rapid canyon formation and fossils
• ‘Rocking’ wrong geology
• Dinosaurs, day care and diluvium
• Flying dinosaurs, flightless dinosaurs and other evolutionary fantasies
• For whom the (alarm) bells toll?
• Water inside fire
• Communism and Capitalism both fear Creationism
• From weird to worthy: Bananas, clowns, gophers, bunnies…and creation
• Wild, wild floods!
• Rejecting Creation: A business decision
• The Canadian Oil Sands: a different story
• Rock layers and cave formations

Book

• The Cave Book

DVDs

• Rocks & Ages Do They Hide Millions of Years?
• Geology & Cave Formation: A Post-Flood Story
• Rocks Around The Clock

Emil Silvestru stroke recovery

Published: 5 July 2012 (GMT+10)

Canada’s Dr Emil Silvestru has unfortunately suffered a stroke. Although he is recovering remarkably well given the severity of the stroke, please pray for Emil’s full recovery and for CMI-Canada while Emil is unable to do any speaking.

Emil has fully recovered his musculo-skeletal functioning (the physiotherapy being performed by his wife Flory) but recovery of speech function is proceeding slowly.

Emil is currently receiving Employment Insurance but this only amounts to a little more than half of his regular modest salary. With the family having arrived from communist Romania penniless late in life, this leaves them in significant difficulty, and the ministry’s capacity to help is limited.

If you feel led to help the Silvestrus financially please send a cheque to them directly at:
45311 Spruce Dr Chilliwack, BC V2R 1E9

Please be aware of potentially high banking fees if sending cheques drawn on foreign banks.

Or via electronic transfer:

Cora Silvestru 008345022793

Royal Bank of Canada

Chilliwack, BC - Sardis Branch

45460 Luckakuck Way Chilliwack, BC V2R 3S9

SWIFT code: ROYCCAT2

Or via Paypal:

Genesis - The Missing Piece of the Puzzle - Calvin Smith - Creation Super Conference 2011

by Creation Ministries International

Genesis: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

Most church leaders agree that the western world is becoming ‘less Christian’ every year. Did this happen by chance, or is there a deeper issue? Like a giant puzzle, the church can’t seem to find the ‘missing piece’. Filled with relevant topics including science, ethics, evangelism, morality, history and Christian theology, this talk explains the key controversies surrounding the creation/evolution topic and equips Christians to understand why it is far from a side issue in the church.

Presented by Calvin Smith
Streaming: Windows :: MAC/iPod/iPhone/iPad :: Website

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Genesis and the Gospel Connection - Richard Fangrad - Creation Super Conference 2011

Genesis and the Gospel Connection

This is a general introduction to the origins issue and why it is important to Christian theology. It deals with common misconceptions about science, ‘facts’ and Genesis, and demonstrates that many moral and social problems are the result the rejection of God as creator. It also explains how accepting ‘millions of years’ and trying to add it to the Bible causes massive theological inconsistencies, as well as being inconsistent with science. The conclusion is that the Bible's history makes sense of the observations from science.
Presented by Richard Fangrad

Streaming: Windows :: MAC/iPod/iPhone/iPad

 

Debate Christian vs Atheist (Walter Martin vs Madalyn Murray O'Hair) - 1968

Part 1

1968 Radio Debate on the Long John Nebel Show.

Video produced by Creation Libery www.creationliberty.com.
Creation Liberty Youtube channel

Walter Martin (Christian) debates Madalyn Murray O'Hair (Atheist) on issues as the existence of God, historical person of Christ, and other general knowledge of religion.

Madalyn Murray O'Hair (April 13, 1919 – September 29, 1995) was an American atheist activist. She was the founder of the organization American Atheists and served as its president from 1963 to 1986. One of her sons, Jon Garth Murray, was the president of the organization from 1986 to 1995, while she remained de facto president during these nine years. She is best known for the Murray v. Curlett lawsuit, which led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling ending official Bible-reading in American public schools in 1963. This came one year after the Supreme Court prohibited officially sponsored prayer in schools in Engel v. Vitale. O'Hair later founded American Atheists and became so controversial that in 1964 Life magazine referred to her as "the most hated woman in America."^[1][2]

In 1995 she was kidnapped and murdered, along with her son Jon Murray and granddaughter Robin Murray O'Hair, by former American Atheist office manager David Roland Waters.

Part 2

Walter Martin Dr. Martin held four earned degrees and received his education at Stony Brook School and Shelton College. He completed his Master's degree at New York University, and his Ph.D. at California Coast University. He authored twelve books, six booklets, and scores of articles. His tracts have been translated into a number of languages and circulated in the millions of copies around the world. He was a recognized authority on religions having their origins in the United States and is widely accepted as the "father" of the modern Christian Counter-cult Movement. Dr. Martin was the Founder and President of the Christian Research Institute, author of the classic reference work, The Kingdom of the Cults, and the host of the nationally syndicated Bible Answer Man radio program.

Why is a Fundamentally Religious Idea that fails to explain the Evidence Taught in Science Classes? - 15 Questions for Evolutionists #15

15 Questions for Evolutionists

Why is a fundamentally religious idea, a dogmatic belief system that fails to explain the evidence, taught in science classes? Karl Popper, famous philosopher of science, said “Darwinism is not a testable scientific theory, but a metaphysical [religious] research programme ….”¹³ Michael Ruse, evolutionist science philosopher admitted, “Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today.”¹⁴ If “you can’t teach religion in science classes”, why is evolution taught? See: The religious nature of evolution, “It’s not science”.

13. Popper, K., Unended Quest, Fontana, Collins, Glasgow, p. 151, 1976. Return to text.
14. Ruse, M., How evolution became a religion: creationists correct? National Post, pp. B1,B3,B7 May 13, 2000.

Related Content

• The religious nature of evolution
• 'It's not science'
• Common structures = common ancestry?
• Atheism: A religion
• Atheism
• Atheism, agnosticism and humanism Q&A page
• Loving God with all your mind
• List of the 15 questions with supporting information

Why is Evolution, a Theory about History, Taught as if it is the Same as Operational Science? - 15 Questions for Evolutionists #14

Science involves experimenting to figure out how things work; how they operate. Why is evolution, a theory about history, taught as if it is the same as this operational science? You cannot do experiments, or even observe what happened, in the past. Asked if evolution has been observed, Richard Dawkins said, “Evolution has been observed. It’s just that it hasn’t been observed while it’s happening.”¹² See: A valid distinction: origins science versus operational science.

12. pbs.org/now/printable/transcript349_full_print.html, 3 December, 2004.

Related Content

• List of the 15 questions with supporting information
• Evolution: It's not science
• CSI and CMI
• Who's really pushing 'bad science'?

The Delk Track: Evidence of Dinosaur and Human Coexistence - Ian Juby

by Ian Juby

Uploaded by wazooloo on Aug 13, 2008

A number of criticisms have been leveled here on youtube. Read my response here:
http://ianjuby.org/delk/commentary.html
http://wazooloo.com
http://genesisweek.com
http://ianjuby.org

For more information on the Delk track:
http://creationevidence.org
http://linesden.com/cem/delk
http://ianjuby.org/delk

We analyze the "Delk slab," a Paluxy river rock containing a fossil human footprint upon which a dinosaur stepped. We explain the use of CT scanners in analyzing the rock and examine and interpret the CT scanner X-rays of the Delk slab. This was a practical approach, as the CT scan produced over 800 X-rays, making it a serious challenge to displaying the X-rays. And so video was the most practical application of displaying the X-ray images and their interpretation. The X-rays authenticate both tracks, making this slab of rock excellent evidence that dinosaurs and humans lived together.

Where are the Scientific Breakthroughs Due to Evolution? 15 Questions for Evolutionists #13

by Creation.com

Where are the scientific breakthroughs due to evolution? Dr Marc Kirschner, chair of the Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, stated: “In fact, over the last 100 years, almost all of biology has proceeded independent of evolution, except evolutionary biology itself. Molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, have not taken evolution into account at all.”⁹ Dr Skell wrote, “It is our knowledge of how these organisms actually operate, not speculations about how they may have arisen millions of years ago, that is essential to doctors, veterinarians, farmers … .”¹⁰ Evolution actually hinders medical discovery.¹¹ Then why do schools and universities teach evolution so dogmatically, stealing time from experimental biology that so benefits humankind? See: Is evolution relevant or helpful to real science?

Related Content

• Is evolution relevant or helpful to real science?
• Genetic algorithms—do they show that evolution works?
• Understanding the difference between micro and macro evolution
• What! ...no potatoes?
• "A Parade of Mutants"—Pedigree Dogs and Artificial Selection
• List of the 15 questions with supporting information

Evolution: Fact of Fiction? - Dr. Adrian Rogers

Adrian Rogers delivers a sermon on Creation and Evolution to his congregation at Bellevue Baptist Church in the Memphis, TN area. 

Get more of Adrian Rogers' sermons at Love Worth Finding Ministries and on OnePlace.com

Geneticist re: Christianity Today Denying Adam - Real Science Friday

* Answers in Genesis Molecular Geneticist on Real Science Friday for the Anniversary of CT's Fiasco: Real Science Friday's Bob Enyart interviews Georgia Purdom, Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from Ohio State University on Christianity Today's denial that God made Adam from the dust of the earth. One year ago CT published their cover story, The Search for the Historical Adam which rejected the truth of Scripture for the bizarre old-earth idea that God put human souls into perhaps a couple hundred, or a couple thousand, animals which had evolved from ape-like creatures. CT's story claimed that genetic science requires this reinterpretation of God's Word. Enter Dr. Purdom.

* Molecular Genetics Expert Rejects the Christianity Today Compromise: Dr. Georgia Purdom, Answers in Genesis molecular geneticist who has published papers in peer-reviewed journals including in the Journal of Neuroscience is qualified to speak to the issue. Dr. Purdom also invites folks to see AiG's Ark Encounter project a 500-foot long life-sized Ark out of wood just as Noah would have!

* Looking Back to RSF's 2011 Christianity Today Program: For our audience's convenience, here's the show summary from last year's RSF show on CT's Search for Adam:

* Christianity Today Denies that God Made Adam from the Dust of the Earth: Real Science Friday co-hosts Fred Williams and Bob Enyart rebut the CT story, The Search for the Historical Adam, revealing the science and Scripture that Christianity Today choose not to include. CT omitted the many discoveries published by evolutionists in refereed scientific journals that support the Genesis account of the special creation of Adam and Eve in the recent past. And the magazine also failed to warn readers that the liberal churches that affirm abortion and homosexuality, and that even deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all began their moral and spiritual downward slide by denying the historicity of the foundational book of Genesis. Christianity Today is following in their footsteps with their claim that God put a human soul into animals that had evolved from ape-like creatures.

* Christianity Today's Missing Science: Bob and Fred present discoveries that Christianity Today happened to leave out of their article including:
- a Y-chromosomal Adam only a few thousand years old
- a 6,000-year old Mitochondrial Eve calculated using exclusively human genetic data
- Haldane's Dilemma on the far-too-slow rate at which tens of millions of hominid mutations can propagate species-wide
- the enormous dissimilarity of chimps and humans
- now sponges genes are 70% the same as human genes
- and the newly-compared and 30% "horrendously" different chimp Y-chromosome

Actual measured mutation rates, in fact, as reported by Ann Gibbons in Science magazine indicate that, if these rates have been constant, "mitochondrial Eve… would be a mere 6000 years old." See the latest in the scientific observations on the genetic information about Adam and Eve in Bob's article, Why Was Canaan Cursed?

 

* Christianity Today's Missing Scripture: As for the Scriptural implications of CT's allegation, Bob and Fred point out that Moses, Paul, and Jesus all referred to Adam as a literal person and the creation account is presented as historical, with Jesus reminding people that "from the beginning of the creation [not after billions of years], God made them male and female," ( Mark 10:6 ). Today Real Science Friday explains something that Christianity Today left out of their article, that CT and those who reject the literal meaning of Genesis, who:
- do away with a literal Adam, also
- do away with the biblical teaching of no death before Adam, and
- do away with the six literal days of creation, and
- do away with the global flood, and
- do away with the Tower of Babel, and
- do away with the "order" of the days of creation, and
- do away with God making man from the dust of the ground, and
- by claiming that "Adam" may have been an incorporation of thousands of individuals, they even undermine the New Testament's genealogy of Jesus Christ; also, such compromised Christians typically also
- do away with the the fall of Jericho, and
- do away with the historicity even of Joshua's battles, and
- do away with the book of Jonah, and with many other events that the Bible and Jesus present not as parables or symbols but as actual history. And as the foundation goes, so goes the temple of the house of God, and Christians then begin to see even the resurrection of Christ as a metaphor.

Today’s Resource:  You'll just love the science DVDs, books, and written, audio and video debates offered by Real Science Friday! So have you browsed through our Science Department in the KGOV Store? Check out Bob most highly-recommended astronomy DVD, What You Aren't Being Told About Astronomy! And see Walt Brown’s great hardcover book, In the Beginning! You’ll also love Dr. Don Johnson's Programming of Life DVD and Dr. Carl Werner's Living Fossils DVD! And consider our RSF Science Pack; Bob Enyart’s Age of the Earth Debate; Bob's debate about Junk DNA with the infamous anti-creationist Dr. Eugenie Scott. And if you have young kids or grand kids, you owe it to them and to yourself to give them as a gift the SUPERB kids' radio programming on audio CD, Jonathan Park: The Adventure Begins! To order any of our RSF materials by phone, just call us at 1-800-8Enyart (836-9278).