Was the Biblical Flood Tranquil?
by Tim Chaffey
In the past, some Christians who sought to harmonize God's Word with the vast ages suggested by evolutionary beliefs have proposed that the flood during Noah's day was a tranquil event. This sort of thinking was popularized by James Hutton (1726 – 1797) of Scotland. Hutton was one of the fathers of modern geological study.
Believing that Hutton and others had proven the earth to be much older than a straightforward reading of Genesis allowed, many Christians sought to figure out a way to harmonize Scripture with these newly formed beliefs in an old earth. During the 19th century two major compromise views were promoted in the Church: the Gap Theory and the Day-Age Theory. The Gap Theory was first promoted by Thomas Chalmers during a lecture in 1814. This view posits a “gap” of billions of years between the first two verses of Genesis. Since its adherents believe in millions of years of death and suffering before Adam and Eve, the Gap Theory also proposes a worldwide flood during this gap to account for much of the fossil record. One of the consequences of this view is that the flood of Noah’s day was reduced to either a local event or a tranquil worldwide flood. Either way, according to this view, the biblical flood left little or no geological marks on our world.
The idea of a tranquil flood is laughable to anyone who has observed the erosive effects of water. Earlier this year, I watched a small flow of water from thawing snow completely washout driveways in my neighborhood. Last month, I visited the Atlantic Ocean and was amazed at the devastating power of ocean waves. It is literally impossible to have a flood that leaves no trace of its existence.
Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980 and completely changed the landscape of the surrounding area. A little bit later, a flow of mud and water carved out a canyon known as “Little Grand Canyon.” This canyon, about 1/40 the size of Grand Canyon was formed in a day as a result of the eruption of a small volcano. It is ludicrous to believe that a worldwide cataclysm as described in Genesis would leave no remnants of its fury. Genesis 7: 11 records, “all the fountains of the great deep were broken up.” If one little volcano could wreak the devastation witnessed in Washington, what would the eruption of all the fountains of the great deep do to this world?
[This paragraph added August 31, 2005] I just watched the evening news and I ache for those who have lost loved ones and homes as a result of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is completely flooded and millions are without power or any other basic necessities. I do not wish to detract from this tragedy in any way but after seeing the devastation wrought by this onslaught of water I realized this was yet further evidence against the tranquil flood theory. Homes and businesses along the Gulf Coast were completely washed away. This is definitely some of the worst flooding that I can remember but it pales in comparison to the worldwide cataclysm in Genesis that covered every portion of dry land on earth.
The concept of a tranquil flood is an oxymoron. A flood is not tranquil. Not only is this compromise at odds with true science, it makes a mockery of the biblical text. For more on the theological problems created by these old-earth compromises, please read "Other Views".
(8/14/05)