A Biblical flood also would not result in the distribution of bones that are seen in the fossil record. A flood will stratify objects according to their size: the biggest objects will be at the bottom and the smallest objects will be at the top. Thus, a Biblical flood would create a fossil record in which the largest animals (e.g., big dinosaurs) are at the bottom and the smallest animals (e.g., small dinosaurs) are at the top. This is the opposite of what is found in the fossil record: smaller, less evolved animals are found at the bottom, and larger, more advanced animals are found above them. Moreover, within any given geological layer, animals of many different sizes are found, but a flood would fill each layer with animals of roughly the same size. Thus, absent the miraculous intervention of a supernatural deity, a global flood could not possibly have created the known fossil record.

Dan also observes: “…there is the rejoinder that God created the world and universe with billions of apparently ancient clues to mislead and distract people from His Truth.”

I’ve heard Christians make that suggestion, too. Unfortunately for them, the Bible makes it very clear that all deceptions come from Satan and that God never lies or misleads. Accordingly, the suggestion that God is trying to distract people from His Truth is heretical.

Perhaps the above are some reasons why the last two Catholic popes have both determined that there is no conflict between evolution and Christian faith (see, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II).