Noah's Flood

Some thoughts I've been having over the past couple of days about Young Earth Creationism (YEC) and a universal flood.

Here's a thought: It doesn't matter if you're a young earth creationist, old earth creationist, framework theory advocate, analogous day theory advocate, mature creationist, some modified "warp" creationist, etc., by the time you get to the flood all distinctions really are made moot. That is, if you believe in a universal flood.

See, if you believe in a universal flood, whether or not the earth has been around some billions of years makes no difference. Why? Because working under the assumption that we can estimate when the flood happened, we would see that the counter goes back to zero in terms of created things. The earth's been around for millions of years? Doesn't matter, only two of each kind of animal is preserved (and seven couples for the clean ones).

Now you have to argue that microevolution can work so quickly as to account for all the life forms we have to day in such variegated locations from the flood until now, which is VERY little time. This means that the microevolution you embrace really is not that much different from macroevolution (e.g., ape to human) since it entails such great change in so little time. Thus, you're not that far from theistic evolution. So belief in a young earth creation and a universal flood actually nearly becomes a "defeater" to one's rejection of evolution (in a sense).

Hrmmmm....as of now I affirm a universal flood but I find it extremely scientifically deficient. Still, if Scripture teaches it I would have to somehow trust God about it.

But I've also reflected on the idea of a local flood and I do find it intriguing. Consider:

1) When we say that the flood covered the earth, we think of the modern conception of earth like that big globe we see in NASA pictures. Also, we generally know what the "whole" earth is (like the whole sphere and all the land and water on it).

2) This was not the way the ancient Hebrew pictured the earth. For them, "earth" was below, much like a plain. Also, "earth" was that spatial region of which they had knowledge of.

3) So for the Hebrew to say that the flood covered the whole earth and killed all the animals and all people really could be interpreted to say that this is certainly true from the recorder's point of view.

4) How far had people and animals spread out at this time? Remember that Babel hadn't even happened yet so God could have conceivably judged "the whole earth" with a local flood.

5) What are we to believe about the aftermath of the "universal" flood? That in about 4,000 years animals multiplied from two of each kind to what we have today? That somehow many different types of fish survived (did they not die in this judgment?) and "microevolved" to such an extent that they occupy the deep sea in really fascinating environment with incredible adaptations?

6) Apart from saying "miracle" to every minute question about the universal flood (which itself can also get tiresome), there seem to be only flimsy attempts at defending such an event.

I'm not too sure what to think about this at this point. But what's great about this is that it does not form my bedrock of faith and thus will not hinder my spiritual walk in any way. There can be legitimate disagreement here and there but, as in many cases, I will withhold judgment until I have much more information.