How does Christianity view the issues of dinasaurs?

Answer 1

Dinosaurs played a dominant role in life on earth during their age. But then they came to an end. The rock layers containing human fossils consistently occur above those layers containing dinosaur fossils. Because of this, scientists generally conclude that humans came on the earthly scene later. The book A Vanished World: The Dinosaurs of Western Canada states that “all of the 11 major kinds of dinosaurs . . . ceased to exist in the western interior at about the same time.” This, and the fact that human bones have not been found with dinosaur bones, is why most scientists conclude that the Age of Dinosaurs ended before humans came on the scene.

However, it should be noted that there are some who say that dinosaur bones and human bones are not found together because dinosaurs did not live in areas of human habitation. Such differing views demonstrate that the fossil record does not yield its secrets so easily and that no one on earth today really knows all the answers.

While the radioactive dating method is innovative, it is still based on speculation and assumption. In contrast, the Bible account in the first chapter of Genesis simply states the general order of creation. It allows for possibly thousands of millions of years for the formation of the earth and many millenniums in six creative eras, or “days,” to prepare the earth for human habitation.

Some dinosaurs (and pterosaurs) may indeed have been created in the fifth era listed in Genesis, when the Bible says that God made “flying creatures” and “great sea monsters.” Perhaps other types of dinosaurs were created in the sixth epoch. The vast array of dinosaurs with their huge appetites would have been appropriate considering the abundant vegetation that evidently existed in their time.—Genesis 1:20-24.

When the dinosaurs had fulfilled their purpose, God ended their life. But the Bible is silent on how he did that or when. We can be sure that dinosaurs were created by Jehovah for a purpose, even if we do not fully understand that purpose at this time. They were no mistake, no product of evolution. That they suddenly appear in the fossil record unconnected to any fossil ancestors, and also disappear without leaving connecting fossil links, is evidence against the view that such animals gradually evolved over millions of years of time. Thus, the fossil record does not support the evolution theory. Instead, it harmonizes with the Bible’s view of creative acts of God.

According to the Genesis account, animals were created during the fifth and sixth creative periods or ‘days.’ If the Hebrew expression translated “great sea monsters” [Hebrew, tan·ni·nim´] includes dinosaurs, which often inhabited swampy, watery areas, this would mean that dinosaurs were created on the fifth “day.” (Gen. 1:21) We do not know whether they continued to exist until man was created (toward the close of the sixth “day”). At the very latest it seems likely that they must have disappeared off the earth at the time of the flood of Noah’s day. Dinosaurs were reptiles, and some kinds of dinosaurs bear strong resemblance structurally and otherwise to lizards (sauros is, in fact, the Greek word for “lizard”; saura in Leviticus 11:29, LXX). Not all types of dinosaurs were of such gigantic size. Hence, even if they had survived till the Flood, this would not have required taking pairs of the mammoth varieties into the ark. Other smaller members of the particular family or “kind” to which these belonged would have sufficed to fulfill the divine command.—Gen. 6:19, 20; 7:14.

Some of the older translations of the Bible at times use the word “dragons” to translate the Hebrew tan·ni·nim´ (“sea monsters,” NW). (Ps. 74:13; 148:7; Isa. 27:1, Authorized Version) The term “dragon” (Greek, dra´kon) is found in the Christian Greek Scriptures. It has been suggested as possible that, rather than having a purely mythical source, this expression may originally have been applied to enormous creatures such as the dinosaurs, taking on mythical tones only after these mammoth creatures had long disappeared. Interestingly, many of the mythical depictions of the “dragon” strongly resemble certain types within the family of huge reptilian creatures that includes the dinosaur.

The fossil record of the dinosaurs supports not evolution but creation.

Answer 2

Trueful and peyeratemom have two of the best answers so far.
Yes if you read the Jewish Torah . It does say that at some period in time Great beasts walked the Earth. The Fossil evidence says that they either were drowned in one of the world floods as most fossils are found in caves were they were both drowned and crushed by other animals being swept into the same natural collection spots. others died of dehydration when the great swamps dried up.that is were you would find any survivors of the flood . nearer the top and spread out where they died.
The Christians would say that either GOD or SATAN placed them there to fool mankind into thinking there was animals older than a few thousand years old as that is how old the Earth is as man did not appear until then. Starting with the Garden of Eden as their starting point of how old the world is. The OLD TESTAMENT has been cut down to fit what ever "facts" the early Christian Church was willing to admit to from the Jewish religion which is older than them. could go on and on but best stop here before I start rambling on about the ins and outs. of creation.

Answer 3

Read the Old Testament Book of Job Chapter 40

Starting with verse 15 going through 24 you will read about an animal matching that description.

For one thing, the description of verse 17 mentions a tail like a cedar. Some have said this animal is a Hippopotamus, or horse, or cow...something. But I ask you, have you ever seen any of these animals with a tail the size of a cedar tree? A tail as large as the rest of its body?

Verse 23 also says if the river grows violent he is not disturbed; he is tranquil though the torrent surges about his mouth. Now, what other animal could this refer to as well? How big do you have to be that a raging violent torrential river has no effect on you standing in it?

Answer 4

Oh please. The fossil record does not at all support creationism. Ever read any science books on the subject written by actual scientists and not the so-called "christian scientists"? So silly.
I've read as others have stated that many creatonists assume that satan put dinosaur bones here to test the faith of humans.
Scientists spend much time and many years testing and re-testing their findings as opposed to christians who choose to ignore science and interpret the bible according to their desire to believe what they WANT to be true. Which is sad because the people who are most damaged by this are the creationists children who will grow up to promote the same thing and are unable to live their lives with reason and logic. Sometimes I feel like I am living in th 16th century.

Answer 5

Dinosaurs are a thorn in the toe of Christianity. They existed well before people started writing their stories about the world around us and how it came to be. Every culture has it's own story about Rainbow Serpents or Gods or Happy Hunting Grounds, but sometimes stories don't gel with facts.

Answer 6

Depends on the Christian. The Scriptures say that when one
is a babe, he needs milk. But to become a man, he needs strong meat. When one is a child in the Word. He needs Sunday school stories. But to mature in the Word, he must use
plain speech.
The Bible mentions so-called mythological creatures in Isaiah. Dragons, and unicorns, and satyrs. If a day to God is a thousand years to us, and that is just a figure of speech, trying to make a point. Why are they so hung up an the literal seven days of Creation. Scriture itself says not to fall for fables that turn from the truth. Book of James I think.

Answer 7

This is a very good question - the Bible does not mention the dinasaurs - but then again there are thousands of animals not mentioned in the Bible - Does this mean there is a flaw in the Bible - NO - the Bible was not written to name all the animals.

Answer 8

What do you want to know. Whether or not Christianity believed that dinosaurs existed or whether dinosaurs and humans coexisted on this planet at the same time? I really don't think Christianity has any specific opinion on it one way or the other except to say that God created the world and everything in it and that He did it all in seven days which we now know was simply a methaphor for billions of years.

Answer 9

only 500 years ago China had a title called: dragon keeper,

They have old paintings of the emporor being pulled along be dragons.

Many paintings have been found in many civilisations, with man killing dinosaurs, or men walking with dinosaurs etc. Most of these paintings picture dinosaurs with circle patterns on their skin.

recently, fossilesed dinosaur skin has been found, and sure enough it has circles all over it.

Think about all the lochness things, its quite possible they still roam the deep.

Answer 10

Dinosaurs mostly died in the flood, but the few that managed to survive on the ark were scarce, as the land grew less sustaining of large eaters. You hear of sightings such as from Job, and stories of dragon/dinosaur type creatures, as well as modern bunyip and lochness monster type stories...