Atheists accept facts and theories which come from many years of scientific study about our natural world. Atheists do not believe that a supernatural deity was present to set the universe in motion or to design life on earth. Although scientists do not know all the answers, many questions from the past 200 years HAVE been answered by empirical, repeatable evidence. and there will many more answers to come. Why use the argument of ignorance to place a supernatural in an unknown question when science is answering those questions, one by one?
From A Creationist: When Did Dinosaurs Live?
The story we have all heard from movies, television, newspapers, and most magazines and textbooks is that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. According to evolutionists, the dinosaurs ‘ruled the Earth’ for 140 million years, dying out about 65 million years ago. However, scientists do not dig up anything labeled with those ages. They only uncover dead dinosaurs (i.e., their bones), and their bones do not have labels attached telling how old they are. The idea of millions of years of evolution is just the evolutionists’ story about the past. No scientist was there to see the dinosaurs live through this supposed dinosaur age. In fact, there is no proof whatsoever that the world and its fossil layers are millions of years old. No scientist observed dinosaurs die. Scientists only find the bones in the here and now, and because many of them are evolutionists, they try to fit the story of the dinosaurs into their view.
Other scientists, called creation scientists, have a different idea about when dinosaurs lived. They believe they can solve any of the supposed dinosaur mysteries and show how the evidence fits wonderfully with their ideas about the past, beliefs that come from the Bible.
The Bible, God’s very special book (or collection of books), claims that each writer was divinely inspired to write what the Creator of all things wanted him to write down so that we can know where we (and dinosaurs and other animals) came from, why we are here, and what our future will be. The first book in the Bible—Genesis—teaches us many things about how the universe and life came into existence. Genesis tells us that God created everything—the Earth, stars, sun, moon, plants, animals, and the first two people.
God made everything in six days. He did this, by the way, to set a pattern for mankind, which has become our seven day week (as described in Exodus 20:11). God worked for six days and rested for one, as a model for us. Furthermore, Bible scholars will tell you that the Hebrew word for day used in Genesis 1, can only mean an ordinary day in this context.
We are told God created the first man and woman—Adam and Eve—on Day Six. Many facts about when their children and their children’s children were born are given in Genesis. These genealogies are recorded throughout the Old Testament, up until the time of Christ. They certainly were not chronologies lasting millions of years.
As you add up all of the dates, and accepting that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to Earth almost 2000 years ago, we come to the conclusion that the creation of the Earth and animals (including the dinosaurs) occurred only thousands of years ago (perhaps only 6000!), not millions of years. Thus, if the Bible is right (and it is!), dinosaurs must have lived within the past thousands of years.
Studies and web links:
Here are some results from a recent study on Americans views on creation and evolution,
I believe:
The universe was created in six days as described in Genesis. 29%
Evolution is true, but God began and/or directs it. 43%
Evolution is true, and religion has nothing to do with it. 28%
May 31-2007
BeliefNet
Here is result of a recent study which I find frankly embarrassing to mention about the views of the American people.
Which statements reflect your views on the origin of human beings?
1. We evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, and God did not directly guide this process.
2. We evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, but God guided this process.
3. God created us in our present form.
Websites to visit:
Talk Origions http://www.talkorigins.org and http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/list.html#CC
www.newscientist.com/channel/life/dn13620
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/
http://nsmserver2.fullerton.edu/departments/chemistry/evolution_creation/web/
Call State Fullerton http://nsmserver2.fullerton.edu/departments/chemistry/evolution_creation/web/
Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnJX68ELbAY or search youtube for Foundational Falsehood of Creationism
How the universe began – a Creationists view
On the religious side:
Answers in Genesis
http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dont_use.asp
http://www.answersingenesis.org/Docs/2.asp/