Religious perspectives on dinosaurs

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Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that first appeared on Earth approximately 230 million years ago, according to the scientific interpretation of the global fossil record. Scientists also claim that at the end of the Cretaceous Period, 65 million years ago, a catastrophic event caused the extinction of numerous dinosaur species, such as the famous giant Sauropods.

Although many specific dinosaur species are now extinct, scientists claim modern birds to be the direct descendants of theropod dinosaurs.[1] This claim regarding dinosaurs is supported by the continuous lineage of avian fossils, beginning with the animal Archaeopteryx.

Groups that believe in a literal interpretation of scripture may propose different interpretations of natural history, and thus of dinosaurs, in order to align the observable natural world more closely with their reading of sacred texts. Some religious groups state that evolution conflicts with their interpretation of sacred texts. Biblical literalists, for example, believe that the Earth was created only 6 to 10 thousand years ago and that all kinds of living things were created by God within six days, in a form similar to their present one.

Other groups, for example the Masorti school of Judaism, and, similarly, many Christians, hold that the ancient scriptures contain works which are to be interpreted in different ways, some being historic, some poetic, some law and much of the oldest scripture, metaphorical. Thus the writings in such texts are meant to be received as allegorical lessons on morality and therefore do not require any degree of historical accuracy. Where this conceptualisation of religious thought occurs, scientific scholarship on the creation and evolution of the Earth can also be accepted and examined in the light of the scientific evidence. Dinosaurs and fossil remains can be examined without apparent conflict.

Contents

[edit] Introduction

The origin of fossil animals was a subject of speculation in antiquity. Xenophon (570 – 480 BC), who posited a single deity that energized the world, described the belief that fossils indicated periodic flooding by the sea that wiped out mankind in the process.[2][3] and proposed that the evidence of such fossils indicated a different distribution of sea and and land in ages past. The French playwright Voltaire would suggest that fossil fish on mountain peaks were the remains of rotten fish dropped by pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. It has been argued that the giant and hybrid creatures that populated the myths of antiquity, and formed in part the religious beliefs of the Greeks and Romans, have as their origin the fossil remains of ancient animals.[4][5] This theory proposes that the discovery of fossil bone collections in antiquity, containing the remains of more than one creature, led the ancients to believe that they formed the skeleton of hybrid animals such as the Griffin and the Minotaur. Since it was self-evident that these creatures no longer existed, it led the ancients to believe that life was not fixed and that species could indeed become extinct. It is argued that the conventional interpretation of Aristotle's works on the fixity of the species, an idea that found support in Christianity, is based on a limited reading of his works. Claims have also been made that dragon myths, which form part of many cultures' religious beliefs, have their roots in dinosaur fossils.[6]

However, the belief that fossils were the remains of extinct animals was by no means universal in early historic times. An influential position, held by neoplatonists, saw the whole of the cosmos being held in related affinities that was expressed in strong similarities between living and non-living objects. The force that gave shape and life to the animate also shaped and moulded likeness's in the earth, i.e fossils.[7] This belief found support with Christians who saw in the theory a means to deal with apparent contradictions in the biblical account of creation.[8]

Early Christian observers were Tertullian (ca. 155–230 AD), who in recognising their organic origin saw evidence of the flood,[9] and Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 275 – May 30, 339 AD). Little attention appears to have been paid to the phenomena in in the Middle ages, the general opinion being that they were manifestations of the earths creative force.[10] Later Albert Magus and Leonardo Da Vinci held views that would in part be compatible to modern scientific interpretations.[11] Conrad Gessner published the first engravings of fossils in 1565. The organic origin of fossils was maintained by Robert Hook and John Ray in the 17th century. The consensus during this period, Johann Jakob Scheuchzer[12], being a prominent proponent, was that the evidence of fossils supported the biblical account of the flood.[13][14] In time modern measurement techniques would result in fossils being used as evidence against a literal interpretation of the biblical account of creation in contrast to their use from the time of the early church fathers as proof of the flood.

Many religious bodies have offered explanations that attempt to reconcile the conflict between their religion's dating of the earth and the dating of dinosaur fossils. [15] Other religious groups have found no conflict between traditional religious beliefs and modern scientific timelines, seeing the latter as adding a further dimension to the former, without contradicting the belief of "God as Creator". [16]

[edit] Christianity

[edit] Biblical Inerrancy

Some Christians, mainly evangelical and fundamentalist, seek to maintain a inerrantist interpretation of scriptures, and believe that dinosaurs are mentioned in the Old Testament, regarding this as evidence that the animals were still alive during early human history, thereby contradicting scientific teaching that dinosaurs pre-dated humankind.[17] The significance of this issue has its roots in an biblical interpretation of the fall of man that results in sin bringing death into the world, not just for mankind but for all creatures. This would be contradicted if whole species came and went, as fossil evidence suggests, long before man appeared.[18]

As it is a modern coinage derived from Greek, the Bible does not use the word "dinosaur",[19] but the Hebrew word tanniyn (/tan·ˈnin/) has been interpreted as referring to them by some Christians.[20]In English translations, tanniyn may be translated as “sea monster” or “serpent”, but it is usually translated as “dragon”. These creatures are mentioned nearly thirty times in the Old Testament and are found both on land and in the water. At another point, the Bible describes a huge creature called a "behemoth" (Job 40:15-24) whose "tail sways like a cedar"; the behemoth is described as ranking "first among the works of God" and as impossible to capture (vs. 24). Some Biblical scholars identify the behemoth as either an elephant a hippopotamus or a bull, but these animals have very thin tails that are not comparable to a cedar tree. Creationists therefore identify the behemoth with dinosaurs like Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus, and most commonly the Apatosaurus which has a huge, cedar-like tail.[20] Critics point out that the tail is described as swaying like a cedar.

The Leviathan is another creature referred to in the Bible's Old Testament; it is described as having a variety of dinosaur, dragon, and water-serpent-like characteristics. Some scholars identify the Leviathan in Job c. 41 with the crocodile, or point out that it has seven heads and is purely mythical. Some Bible readers, however, have tried to connect the creature with the dinosaurs.[21]

Young Earth creationism is another position based on a literal interpretation of scripture accounts. Young Earth creationists believe that the Earth is only 6,000 to 10,000 years old. Based on this assumption, they argue that the scientific dating of dinosaur fossils must be flawed. They advance the alternate explanation that dinosaur fossils date from the Noachian flood, and argue that humans and dinosaurs must have coexisted. Some Young Earth creationists contend that dinosaurs were present on board Noah's Ark, but became extinct after the Flood or from the flood.

One view proposed by some is that the serpent in the Garden of Eden may have actually been a dinosaur[citation needed]. The serpent was cursed to "crawl on its belly." This curse, according to this view, is the reason of the extinction of the dinosaurs and the now prevalent modern day reptiles[citation needed]. Some people who follow Young Earth Creationism point out that, according to Christian interpretation, God was speaking to the Devil when he cursed the serpent, not an ordinary snake. Some Young Earth creationists claim that dinosaurs survived in Australia, and that Aboriginal legends of reptilian monsters are evidence of this.[22]

Some Christians who also adopt a literalist position with regard to the Bible believe the Earth was created "with age"; in the same way that Adam was created as a fully grown being, God created the Earth as a fully-developed planet (Omphalos). In this view, Earth was called into being in an already ancient state, with the geological formations, oil deposits, fossils, etc, also known as Ex nihilo. Some religious critics contend that this view is blasphemous as it implies that God is deceitful [23]. See also Last Thursdayism.

[edit] The Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church in its official teachings has not taken a position regarding the age of dinosaurs. It claims that the bible does not teach science whilst still maintaining its inerrancy[24]. It does teach that there cannot be any real contradiction between legitimate science and matters of faith.[25] It is not restricted to literalist methods of interpretation of the book of Genesis and has maintained an essentially open position to the theory of evolution since the publication of Darwin's "Origin of the Species". It does maintain that each human person has an immortal soul created by God at conception and that all human beings are descended from the mankind's first parents --Adam and Eve. (See main article Evolution and the Roman Catholic Church).

[edit] Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses have not made any official statements about their faith's interpretation of dinosaurs. However, they believe that the "six days of creation" as stated in the Bible were not literally six Earth days nor 6000 days (as compared to some other Christian groups whose adherents equate one Godly day with 1000 modern Earth days). Jehovah's Witnesses argue that the Hebrew word for "day" as used in Genesis simply means a period of time (see Day-Age Creationism). Thus, many Jehovah's Witnesses feel that the mainstream scientific accounts of the dinosaurs' existence are largely accurate, except for the evolutionary theory aspects, which they reject. Their literature has featured articles that discuss the subject. [26]

[edit] Islam

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The Qur'an lacks a complete set of time markers in its references to creation[27], other than declaring that it took six days, and that "days" have been interpreted not just as literal twenty four hour periods but as stages or other periods of time to complete,[27][28] and therefore is not subject to the same level of debate as the Bible regarding scientific evidence and chronology. Skeptics point out there is no explicit mention of the extinction of whole species long before the creation of man in the Quran, whilst its inspiration is defended on the grounds that it is not a book of science. The bible is not held to be innerant by all Muslims and therefore has not presented the same level of difficulties in the Islamic world as in some sections of Christianity outlined above. However, in recent years, a movement has begun to emerge in some Muslim countries promoting themes that have been characteristic of Christian creationists and bible literalists in the past.[29][30][31] Dr Khalid Anees, president of the Islamic Society of Britain, at a conference, Creationism: Science and Faith in Schools, made points[32] including the following: There is no contradiction between what is revealed in the Koran and natural selection and survival of the fittest. However, Muslims do not agree that one species can develop from another.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Dinosauria. University of California Museum of Paleontology. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  2. ^ Desmond, Adrian (1975). "The Discovery of Marine Transgressions and the Explanation of Fossils in Antiquity". American Journal of Science 275: 692-707. 
  3. ^ “…in the mountains are found shells and in Syracuse in stone quarries are found the imprints of fish and seals (…) and on Malta impressions of fish of every sort”
  4. ^ Mayor, Adrienne (2001). The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times. Princeton University. ISBN 0691089779. 
  5. ^ Mayor, Adrienne. THE FIRST FOSSIL HUNTERS: PALEONTOLOGY IN GREEK AND ROMAN TIMES. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  6. ^ Mythological Creatures and Dinosaurs. Illinois State Geological Survey (2000). Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  7. ^ Bowler, Peter J (1992). The Fontana History of the Environmental Sciences. Fontana. ISBN 0006861849. 
  8. ^ The History of Fossils (2003). Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  9. ^ (1994) Ante-Nicene Fathers:10 Volumes. Hendrickson Publishers. ISBN 978-1565630826.  Yes, and the whole earth was changed once, being covered by all the waters. To this day, sea conchs and triton's shells are found as strangers on the mountains, desiring to prove to Plato that the heights have once flowed with water
  10. ^ A noteworthy exception is the Italian monk Restoro d'Arezzo who wrote "For we have picked up and excavated near the top of a very high mountain, quantities of shells of those fishes which we call cockles or mussels, similar to those which painters use to hold their colors. And in that place they are found mixed with sand, and with round stones among them, both large and small, as if they came from rivers; and this is a sign that that mountain was made by the Deluge."
  11. ^ He did not see in the fossil records evidence for a world wide flood since "if the shells had been carried by the muddy deluge they would have been mixed up, and separated from each other amidst the mud, and not in regular steps and layers -- as we see them now in our time." See also the Leicester Codex article.
  12. ^ Medieval and Renaissance Concepts of Evolution and Paleontology (1997). Retrieved on 2007-03-14. Scheuchzer argued that the fossil tree cones he had found being ""tender, young, vernal" suggested that the biblical flood had happened in the month of May.
  13. ^ The English naturalist John Woodward summed up the orthodox view on fossils during this period in An Essay toward a Natural History of the Earth that it "Vindicates, supports and maintains the Mosaick Account of things, as exactly agreeable to the Phaenomena of Nature."
  14. ^ Waagen, Lukas (1911). Catholic Encyclopedia: Palaeontology. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  15. ^ Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups FAQ-Does modern science (e.g., "big bang" theory, evolution, the age of the world) contradict traditional readings of the Torah? (2003). Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
  16. ^ Nanda, Meera (December 20, 2003 - January 02, 2004). "Postmodernism, Hindu nationalism and `Vedic science'". Frontline 20. Retrieved on 2007-03-14. 
  17. ^ Are Dinosaurs Mentioned in the Bible?. Institute for Biblical & Scientific Studies (2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  18. ^ Batten, Don. What happened to the dinosaurs?. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  19. ^ The term was first used by Robert Owen in 1842
  20. ^ a b Dinosaurs and the Bible. Clarifying Christianity' (2005). Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  21. ^ Claim CH711.1: Leviathan as a dinosaur. the TalkOrigins Archive. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  22. ^ Driver, Rebecca. Australia’s Aborigines ... did they see dinosaurs?. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  23. ^ Worrad, Jr., Lewis H (1977). "God does not deceive Man". Creation Research Society Quarterly Journal 13. 
  24. ^ Pope Leo XIII, Providentissimus Deus, no. 18
  25. ^ Pope Leo XIII, Providentissimus Deus, no. 18, cf. Augustine of Hippo, De Genesi ad Litteram
  26. ^ (January 8, 1990) "Life--How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or By Creation?". Awake!. 
  27. ^ a b The Origin of Life-an Islamic perspective. Islam for Today. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  28. ^ "Your Guardian Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days", Qur'an, Surah 7:54
  29. ^ Sayin, Ümit (1999). Islamic Scientific Creationism: A New Challenge in Turkey. National Center for Science Education. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  30. ^ Koning, Danielle (2006). "Anti-evolutionism amongst Muslim students". ISIM Review 18: 48. Retrieved on 2007-03-14. 
  31. ^ Campbell, Duncan (2006). Academics fight rise of creationism at universities. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  32. ^ Creationism: Science and Faith in Schools. Guardian Unlimited (2004). Retrieved on 2007-01-24.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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