Again, these speculative, ad hoc sets of assumptions - a non-tilted orbit coupled with a water canopy - could work, but (a) from a scientific perspective Occam's Razor would suggest there are simpler and more elegant explanations, and (b) they are not required by anything in the Biblical account, so why come up with them?

Except for the fun of speculation, I guess.

Recent creationism already has enough issues with scientific credibility given that its basic assumptions are different. Making that case for people - the people who need to be convinced - is made even harder when whole sets of unnecessary extra unscientific speculations are kicked into the discussion.

The Earth is fearfully and wonderfully made and positioned - its distance from the sun and its tilt are perfectly adapted for life. Why would God not have set it up that way from the start? Why would he set it up in a way that is much more complicated and less effective, only to move it at the time of the Flood?

I recognise that 'sola scriptura' and taking the Bible first is the underlying principle... so what in the text even *suggests* a non-tilted earth?

I would suggest that the fact that the life expectancy of man dropped from about 1000 years to about 100-200 year fairly quickly after the Flood would indicate a pretty radical change in terrestrial conditions, wouldn't you?

Graeme

Do you think there was summer and winter in the Garden of Eden? Would not a perfect, unchanging climate be better? Remember Adam and Eve were clothed only in God's glory.

I understand that fossils found in the artic regions indicate that it was previously inhabited with grass-eating animals. Wouldn't that indicate that a great change took place at the time of the flood?

Beryl

But see, that raises the question of our idea of 'perfection'. What counts as perfection? Is unchanging climate 'better' than seasons? many people love seasons and would have trouble living in a place where there were none, while others hate them.

I stick by my point: the Scripture does not require these theories, the science does not support them, so why use them? It's always fun to speculate, but I can as easily speculate that the earth was tilted even further but God used his hand daily to redirect light from the sun to where it was most needed...

Many understand the Scripture as saying there was not Summer and Winter before the Flood. The Scripture doesn't say that. It doesn't mention Summer and Winter until after the Flood and that is why some believe it didn't exist before the Flood. That coupled with the fact the Scripture says it didn't rain before the Flood leads to the speculation about how the environment was different.