Coal formation and Evolution?

Pathofreason
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Coal formation and Evolution?

A few days ago a Creationist asked me how does the formation of Coal confirms evolution? Im not 100 percent sure what he ment by that question but has anyone ever hear of any similar arguments?

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Yellow_Number_Five
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That's an argument?

That's an argument?


Pathofreason
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Coal argument

He said that the formation of Coal does not support evolution because it can be created so fast. This is a website he sighted. Has anyone seen anything similar?

http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/the_record_buried_in_coal

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I've never heard this claim

I've never heard this claim before. But that website doesn't take long to make a massive error. In the 5th paragraph it is stated that estimates for the age of the earth fluctuate between 8 and 20 billion years. I have to wonder what century this whole thing was written in, and with such an obvious lie so early on, the site has no credibility whatsoever.

I'd be interested in hearing some argument from this from a theist who actually had something to present, but these guys don't even listen to the science they're trying to refute. How amusing.

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triften
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Pathofreason wrote: He said

Pathofreason wrote:
He said that the formation of Coal does not support evolution because it can be created so fast. This is a website he sighted. Has anyone seen anything similar? http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/the_record_buried_in_coal

Personally, I've never heard the presence of coal used as an argument FOR evolution.

Seems like a bit of a strawman to argue for a young Earth. Sure, it may be possible for coal to form quickly, but it can't quickly get to some of the places we've found it.

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Sounds like those

Sounds like those creationists are mixing up two completely different scientific fields again.

Coal has nothing to do with evolution.  Geology != Biology. 

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Well, coal has something

Well, coal has something to do with evolution, because it shows the huge age of the earth.

 If these nutcase Christians want to go ahead and bury some wet vegetation, we'll see how quickly it takes coal to form.  According to that article it's a matter of a few years!!!

 Also it's riddled with fossils, including from the earliest winged insects, lots of which no longer exist (but fascinatingly also cockroaches almost unchanged from their modern descendants...)  I guess Noah didn't have enough room for dragonflies but somehow the 'roaches crept in...Smiling


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Pathofreason wrote: He said

Pathofreason wrote:
He said that the formation of Coal does not support evolution because it can be created so fast. This is a website he sighted. Has anyone seen anything similar? http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/the_record_buried_in_coal

 

It's ridiculous. Think for yourself: if we could create energy that quickly, why is there a concern for a future energy crisis? 

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"God" burns Anne Frank eternally. For that, theists call him 'good.'


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I agree with you guys

I completely agree with you guys! I didn't really understand his argument...then again I never really understand where they come up with some of the stuff they do.

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A short bit on coal and the

A short bit on coal and the Noachian flood:

 

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/polystrate/coal.html


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No idea what the guy was

No idea what the guy was talking about. Coal is formed by the pressure in an anoxic environment when sediment builds over dead organic material, eventually decaying it into hydrocarbons.  That is pretty much nothing to do with evolution. I dont see how it could be construed as an argument for a creationist. In fact, it helps the evolutionary theory because if the ridiculous timescale offered by the bible was correct, there would be no time for any fossil fuel to form. It proves the evolutionary notion of geochemical strata dating.

The guy must be a moron. 

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