16. Showdown at Twin Bridges, Part 2

This is part 2 of a two-part story.  Part 1 can be found here.

Plot Summary

The Brenan and Park families are spending a fun weekend on the Buchanan’s dude ranch. Unfortunately, Dillon Buchanan has a chip on his shoulder and his mean pranks put Jonathan’s life in danger! (Taken from here.)

The Study Guide for episodes 15-16 can be found here.

Topics:

• Horses and Evolution (as a Chance Process)
• Bats and Echolocation
• The Water Cycle
• The Need for Creation Scientists
• Romans 1:20 and Why People Reject Creationism

Review

Horses and Evolution (as a Chance Process)

Horse Evolution

The Story: Mr Buchanan says that it is too bad that most people believe that the horse is ‘an accident’ – that the horse is the result of random chance evolution. (3:42-4:01)

The Facts: This idea that evolution is a chance process (complete with sarcasm) is mentioned yet again!  So, once again, evolution is not a chance process.

The Story: Dr Park talks about the horse’s evolution and how many textbooks show evidence of horse evolution.  It is one of the best proofs evolutionists have for evolution.  He then goes to show how their ideas are wrong.  So, the ‘best’ that evolutionists can come up with is no good at all and that they are so desperate to show that evolution is right. (4:01-7:12)

The Facts: There is far too much information presented in this little segment for me to comment on individually.

Some of the answers to the claims can be found here.

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Bats and Echolocation

Bats and Echolocation

The Story: Bats are useful because they keep the mosquitoes away. Bats can eat up to one-half their weight in mosquitoes in one night. Bats use echolocation to locate their prey. A bat’s brain is so sophisticated that it can distinguish all the different sounds it hears and sort out only the one(s) it needs.

This is great evidence for Creation because if all the different parts evolved separately, the bat would have starved and/or died long before it had a chance to fully develop. Some bat fossils were found that were dated to be 50 million years old. These bats are exactly the same as they are today. This proves that they were created. (9:44-12:02)

The Facts: Bad logic!

The assumption is that different parts evolve separately. But that does not have to be so. This is explained in more detail here.

Yes, it is true that a 50-million-year-old bat fossil was found and that it is very similar to modern bats.  This does not disprove evolution.  Some creatures do not undergo any major changes for millions of years.

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The Water Cycle

The Water Cycle

The Story: The men talk about how the sun warms up the water on the earth. This waterevaporates and rises and forms clouds. When the clouds get too full, rain falls. Just by using the sun’s energy we have a water cycle. The size of the raindrops is also important. Any bigger and they would be harmful, any smaller and they would evaporate before hitting the ground. The perfect size for a raindrop is 2.5mm. Clouds also help to moderate the temperature of the earth. (13:35-15:28)

The Facts: The information here is factual and correct.

However, it must be a dull, dull, dull child not to realise that rain is not evenly distributed around the world. Some places get flooded and some places are desert. Oh, well, another topic for another day.

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The Need for Creation Scientists

The Story: Bonnie tells of how she would like to be a Creation scientist. She wants to make sure that her life counts for eternity. She admires people like Dr Park; without people like him, Christians would not know that the evidence fits perfectly with the Bible. The world needs more Christian scientists. We can’t let the world be fooled by evolution. (16:43-17:55)

The Facts: Bonnie, your life can count for eternity even if you don’t become a Creation scientist. Really.

The evidence does not fit a literal reading of the Bible.

The world needs more scientists with integrity. (Dr Park does not fit this description.)

That last statement about not letting the world be fooled by evolution is propaganda. Please don’t use propaganda, Bonnie. There are better ways to get your message across. Remember what I said about integrity.

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Romans 1:20 and Why People Reject Creationism

The Story: Romans 1:20 is quoted again and the words “they are without excuse” is emphasised. The characters smugly say that people don’t want to admit there is a God because then they would have to be accountable to Him and live by His rules. The later verses of Romans 1 are quoted as evidence that such people are caught up in their rebellion. (22:10-23:58)

The Facts: Here is Romans 1:20 again:

²⁰For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

We can understand God from the things that are made.  And the things that are made show that the world is a lot older than 6000 years.  You have no excuse!  If YECists reject the findings of many scientific fields that show the world to be old, then they are saying that we cannot understand God from the things that are made.  This verse is meaningless.  God is a liar.

Please give people more credit!  If someone rejects Young Earth Creationism, it may not be because he/she does not want to be accountable to God.  It could very well be that he/she finds problems with YECism.

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Conclusion

The information on bats and the water cycle is okay.  The rest was just YEC propaganda.  It might be a good exercise to let your children listen to it and get them to spot the logic problems.

Dillon Buchanan was one really disturbing character.  After losing to Jonathan in a gunslinging contest (the first time he had ever lost that contest), Dillon decides to play several mean tricks on Jonathan.  These tricks are spiteful and quite disconcerting to listen to.  They almost cost Jonathan his life.  The parents talk to Dillon but I think they should have taken him in for psychiatric counseling!

The Bible lesson in this episode is about forgiveness.  Jonathan forgives Dillon and at the end of the episode, the boys agree to be friends.  A pastor I know once said something which I think is applicable here: “You must forgive, but you don’t have to be stupid about it.”

There’s horses, and bats and rain
We’ve heard it again and again
Romans 1:20
Quoted aplenty
But the logic I cannot explain