Widespread

Well Accepted, Widespread Support or Widespread Acceptance? What’s the Big Deal? Oard (2009a) Again Argues over Trivial Differences in Wording and Ignores Far More Serious Mistakes in Oard (1997)

Kevin R. Henke, Ph.D.

May 4, 2014

Rather than deal with the abundant misquotations of the scientific literature in Oard (1997) and avoid further misrepresenting pre-Pleistocene glaciations in Oard (2009a) (for example, see: “21st Century Science Continues to Support Late Precambrian Glaciations and Refute Flood Geology”), Oard (2009a; 2009b) attempts to divert the reader’s attention away from these mistakes by frequently choosing to concentrate on trivial issues involving my 1999 essay. For example, Oard (2009a, p. 119) is upset that I used the phrase “widespread support” in my essay instead of “well accepted” to summarize one of his minor statements in Oard (1997, p. 27). To see the origin of this dispute, Oard (1997, p. 27) contains the following statements:

“Since Schermerhorn's paper of 1974, which Young (1993, p. 675) considered a benchmark paper, geologists became more careful to document diagnostic features. As a result, more diagnostic features have since been discovered, and the late Precambrian 'ice age' now has become well accepted (Hambrey, 1992). For example, there were few striated pavements associated with late Precambrian diamictites in 1974, but striated pavements have since been discovered in the Mineral Fork diamictite in Utah...[reference omitted] and in many other places of the world...[reference omitted]. Even exotic features, such as chattermarks, crescentic gouges, and roches moutonnées are associated with one striated pavement in the Kimberley region of Western Australia...[reference omitted]. Figure 4.4 shows a beautifully striated and polished pavement from the late Precambrian, near Adelaide, South Australia. [my emphasis]”

In my 1999 essay, I came to the following conclusions about his statements:

“Oard ([1997] p. 27) admits that there is widespread support for Late Precambrian glaciations and that chattermarks, crescentic gouges, roches moutonnees, and a number of other glacial features have been found in the deposits.” [my emphasis]

Oard (2009a, p. 119) then complains:

“Henke again misunderstands what I said when he claims that I believe there is widespread support for Precambrian ‘glaciation.’ I actually said that there is widespread acceptance of the late Precambrian ‘ice age.’”[my emphasis in bold, Oard’s emphasis in italics]

Actually, Oard (1997, p. 27) says “well accepted” and not “widespread acceptance” as he claims in Oard (2009a, p. 119), but who cares? Of course, I never meant to indicate in my 1999 essay that young-Earth creationists (YECs) support or accept the existence of Late Precambrian glaciations. Such support would violate their biblical oaths and other faith commitments. Indeed, Oard (1997) frequently disparages Late Precambrian glaciations by misquoting many references (see my 1999 essay for examples). What I meant to say was that Oard (1997, p. 27) recognizes that the existence of Late Precambrian glaciations has widespread support in the Earth science community. Oard (2008b, p. 6) even admits:

“Uniformitarian scientists have not invented ancient ice ages out of thin air. They really do have evidence.”

So, Mr. Oard needs to stop arguing about trivial differences in wording and explain why the 21^st century geological literature continues to present “rock solid evidence” that supports pre-Pleistocene glaciations and unanimously refute his Flood geology.

References

Hambrey, M. 1992. “Secrets of a Tropical Ice Age,” New Scientist, February 1, p. 42-49.

Oard, M.J. 1997. Ancient Ice Ages or Gigantic Submarine Landsides? Creation Research Society, Monograph No. 5, Chino Valley, AZ.

Oard, M.J. 2008b. "The Eocene Ice Age - Example of a Geological Challenge," Creation Matters, v. 13, n. 6, Nov.-Dec., pp. 1, 6-8.

Oard, M.J. 2009a. “Landslides Win in a Landslide over Ancient 'Ice Ages'“, chapter 7 in M.J. Oard and J.K. Reed (editors). 2009. Rock Solid Answers: The Biblical Truth Behind 14 Geological Questions, Master Books: Green Forest, AR, pp. 111-123.

Oard, M.J. 2009b. “Do Varves Contradict Biblical History?”, chapter 8 in M.J. Oard and J.K. Reed (editors). 2009. Rock Solid Answers: The Biblical Truth Behind 14 Geological Questions, Master Books: Green Forest, AR, pp. 125-148.

Schermerhorn, L.J. 1974. “Late Precambrian Mixtites: Glacial and/or Nonglacial?”, American Journal of Science, v. 274, pp. 673-835.

Young, G.M. 1993. “Impacts, Tillites, and the Breakup of Gondwanaland: A Discussion,” Journal of Geology, v. 101, p. 675-679.