TASC - Triangle Association for the Science of Creation

TASC endeavors to show Christians and others in the Triangle area that the facts of science are consistent with the Biblical account of origins and inconsistent with the evolutionary worldview. 

Hydroplate Theory - Problems for Trench Formation in the Pacific Basin

September, 2020

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The hydroplate theory is a model concerning events related to the global flood recorded in Genesis. For more information on the theory itself, see the following:

As with other models, there have been criticisms and questions raised regarding the theory. Edward Isaacs published an article questioning the theory’s proposed formation mechanism for the Pacific trenches. Isaacs’s article can be obtained here: https://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j32_3/j32_3_58-63.pdf 

Below is Bruce Armstrong’s letter to the editor [published in J Creation 33(2):61–62, 2019] in rebuttal to Isaacs’s article. It is presented here with Armstrong’s permission. Spelling, punctuation, and styles used in the original publication have not been edited.

I am responding to Edward Issacs’ paper: Hydroplate Theory - problems for trench formation in the Pacific Basin, J. Creation 32(3):58-63, 2018.

First, I would like to thank Issacs for his brief summary of Walt Brown’s Hydroplate Theory (HPT), which is mostly correct. However, Issacs’ entire paper is based on his incorrect claim that HPT requires a trench that is antipodal to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) system. As this letter will show, Walt Brown clearly illustrates in his book In the Beginning that this system is not part of HPT. 1

Issacs begins building his case by quoting passages from pages 155 and 159 of Brown’s book. He claims that they "identify two major locations for trench formation". He then claims that the trenches within the Pacific Plate must be antipodal to the MAR.

Brown simply says that much of the Pacific plate, centred around a position opposite the middle of the Atlantic floor, sank and cracked, forming "fractures in millions of places". These fractures are the same ‘trenches’ referred to in the earlier quote. He does not claim that this subsidence resulted in a major trench system being formed in exact antipodal positions to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) as Issacs proposes. In fact, Brown does not even mention the MAR in this context, but merely indicates the centre of the Atlantic floor. Brown goes on to explain that the deepest trenches opened up primarily around the west, north and east edges of this sinking plate, exactly as one would expect if a large three-sided ‘flap’ of the crust subsided and then later was lifted. This is why Brown has no illustrations showing a Central Pacific Trench system and Issacs has had to create his own graphics for his Figures 6, 7 and 8. Issacs could have easily seen that he had misinterpreted Brown by examining Brown’s own graphic (figure 83) on the previous page (p. 154), as shown below.

Figure 83: "Trenches of the Western Pacific. Sixteen ocean trenches are concentrated in the western Pacific. Four others are located elsewhere... . The white cross marks the centre of this concentrated trench region... . Why is the centre of this trench region almost exactly opposite the centre of the Atlantic Ocean, both in latitude and longitude?" (Mountain High Maps © 1992-2019 Digital Wisdom Inc.)

A Creationist Response to Race and Racism

August, 2020

The tragic and senseless death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 has seemingly changed American society forever. The explosion of race-related discussions, dialogues, debates, and demands along with protests, counter-protests, statue-topplings, and riots are all evidence of this fact. “Race” and “racism” have become two of the most charged words in the English language today, not only in this nation but across the globe as reverberations of the event in Minneapolis have literally been felt worldwide. These events in the larger culture naturally impact the church as well and demand an appropriate Christian and biblical response. Obviously the “Christian” response has not been a unified one as different denominations and churches have responded in different ways, and not all denominations have the Word of God as their final authority for faith and practice. In this newsletter, however, TASC strives to look at all issues from a specifically biblical and creationist perspective. It is my goal in this article to do just that with the issues of “race” and “racism,” particularly in light of the cultural context of 21st century America.

Review of The Stairway to Life: An Origin of Life Reality Check

July, 2020

 Figure 1: Front Cover

The Stairway to Life: An Origin of Life Reality Check (Fig. 1), 1 written by chemist Change Laura Tan and engineer Rob Stadler, is one of the most insightful and devastating books ever written about the problems with abiogenesis (the spontaneous formation of life from chemicals), especially the RNA world hypothesis. Written in 2020, the book is 268 pages long, is divided into three major parts and 21 chapters, has a glossary and index, is well illustrated with drawings and tables, makes well-reasoned arguments, and cites 227 articles from the scientific literature. Stairway is written clearly, concisely, and with penetrating insight into the various layers of information found in living cells, revealing the complete explanatory bankruptcy of abiogenesis. Tan (Fig. 2), 

Figure 2: Change Tan

Great Information Found in Inspiration from Creation

June, 2020

Figure 1b

Inspiration from Creation 1 was written by Stuart Burgess and his friend Dominic Statham to show us what an awesome Creator we have by citing just a few of the great things that have been invented by studying His marvelous creation. Six chapters in the book were written by Burgess, and Statham wrote the other three. Burgess has held academic posts at Bristol University and Cambridge University in the United Kingdom and at Liberty University in the United States. Most of all the highlights below came from the chapters penned by Burgess. This book inspired me to spend a lot more time looking for other things that have been developed by trying to copy what our Creator has done.

  • 1. Burgess S, Stratham D (2017) Inspiration From Creation, Creation Ministries International, Eight Mile Plains, QLD

Is Anthropogenic Climate Change Destroying the World?

May, 2020

Nowadays it is hard to escape the constant media bombardment of dire predictions for life on earth if human beings don't radically curtail the use of fossil fuels. 1 These sources claim that the nearly unanimous consensus of the scientific community is that the carbon dioxide (CO2) generated from the use of fossil fuels is destroying the planet and that only immediate and drastic changes to our way of life can save us (i.e., the “Green New Deal”). These dire assessments are said to be based upon “settled science” that is above question, yet hundreds of scientists are on record as skeptical of these claims. 2 Anyone doubting these views is labeled a “science denier.” However, there are many reasons to question all the doom and gloom.

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