This is the introduction to a ten-part series of articles on USA west coast fossil displays. In these articles I plan to present information on where various kinds of fossils can be seen displayed in the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Both secular and creationist interpretations will be represented with the biblical creationist interpretation contrasted to the philosophical secular view for fossils and their formation. I have personally visited each of the ten locations at least once and most of them multiple times.
Over the past twenty years I have been emphasizing in my talks, articles, and books the importance of fossils to Christians because fossils support the biblical origins descriptions as laid out in the Bible. The Bible’s historical narrative of creation followed by a catastrophic global Flood is scientifically superior to the atheistic story of life popping from a rock or from pond scum followed by billions of years of imagined evolution. Christians should be the ones interested in the study and collection of fossils, not the secularists, because we are the ones who have a reasonable explanation for their very existence. Most fossils are proof of and evidence from the global Flood at the time of Noah.
Here is the list showing the specific west coast fossil locations that I plan to describe and discuss (not necessarily in this order) within the series of articles:
- California: San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, CA-(Secular).
- California: Creation and Earth History Museum, Santee, CA-(Creationist).
- California: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA-(Secular).
- California: La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, Los Angeles, CA-(Secular).
- Oregon: Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR-(Secular).
- Oregon: Prehistoric, Lincoln City, OR-(Secular).
- Oregon: Oregon Paleo Lands Institute, Fossil, OR-(Secular).
- Oregon: Thomas Condon Paleontology Center at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument-(Secular).
- Washington: The Dinosaur & Fossil Museum at the Mount St. Helens Creation Center, Castle Rock, WA-(Creationist).
- Washington: Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park, Vantage, WA-(Secular).
As you may already know, museums that interpret God’s created universe from a biblical worldview are few and far between, especially in these three states. While the group of locations I have chosen have a ratio of four secular to one creationist, a collection of all the fossil galleries in the three states would result in a ratio of at least ten secular to one creationist. The total amount of monetary investment would be orders of magnitude greater for the secular compared to the creationist, probably at least 1,000 to one.
The biblical creationist must not despair over this unfair advantage given to the secular galleries and that is the result of governmental taxes and regulations, prejudiced public education, and biased media all being used to promote the philosophical position of millions of years of evolution and uniformitarianism. This is because the real truth can easily be seen in relatively small evidential displays if one is just willing to consider the proper presuppositions. This is what I hope to impress upon readers of these articles as we move through the ten locations and their fossil displays.
When making plans to visit any of the locations you will want to check in advance online for their hours of operation and the parking and entrance fees they charge, if any. (Some of the secular museums are quite expensive.)
See you soon and happy fossil hunting.
J.D. Mitchell
Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in it nostrils died. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him on the ark. (Genesis 7:21-23.)
