Pada Awal Penciptaan, dinosaurus tidak ganas atau berbahaya. Saat Tuhan selesai menciptakan seluruh manusia, Tuhan berkata “semuanya itu baik”. Kalau begitu bagaimana bentuknya? Seberapa besar perbedaannya dengan kerangka dinosaurus yang ditemukan terbunuh oleh air bah dengan dinosaurus pertama yang diciptakan Tuhan? Sayangnya, tidak ada seorangpun yang tahu bagaimana rupanya manusia atau dinosaurus (atau binatang lainnya) saat diciptakan Tuhan jaman dahulu.
Dinosaurus di bumi setelah air bah
Setelah air bah, dinosaurus dan seluruh binatang lain dibuat untuk takut terhadap manusia (Kejadian 9:2). Binatang tinggal sejauh mungkin menghindari manusia. Mereka tidak lagi jinak atau bisa dipercaya. Tuhan mungkin membuat hal ini untuk melindungi manusia dan binatang di bumi setelah air bah. Manusia dan dinosaurus hidup di wilayah yang terpisah—seperti manusia dan binatang liar saat ini.
Fosil tulang, gigi dan isi perut dari banyak dinosaurus yang terbunuh selama air bah banyak ditemukan. Sejauh ini, semuanya memperlihatkan bahwa dinosaurus saat itu pemakan tumbuhan dan tidak berbahaya—beberapa ratus tahun setelah manusia jatuh dalam dosa. Mereka mungkin tidak jauh berbeda dari gajah atau jerapah.
T-rex and friends
The sharp teeth and claws of some dinosaurs have made people think that they were mean, vicious animals. The Tyrannosaurus Rex is often pictured as a horrible killer, attacking every dinosaur in sight. But this may not be true at all.
New research suggests that the Tyrannosaurus would not be able to move very quickly. Most other dinosaurs could probably have gotten away from him easily. Fossil evidence indicates that Tyrannosaurus walked in a stooped-over (hunched) position and probably waddled like a duck.
The are other reasons to think that tyrannosaurs were not “super-killers.” Their teeth were not rooted very well and might have snapped off in any real battle. Tyrannosaurus rex's small front legs seem far too weak for grabbing and killing large dinosaurs. In fact, they were too short to even reach his mouth.
If some of the dinosaurs we find killed by the Flood did eat meat, they were probably scavengers (like vultures) that lived off the bodies of large dead animals.
If we look at three other dinosaurs very much like Tyrannosaurus, even more problems can be seen with the idea that they were “super-killers.”
1. Killing dinosaurs, biting through bones and tearing off hunks of meat should leave definite signs of tooth wear. Sometimes a tooth would have been broken or lost. An Albertosaurus (al-BERT-oh-SOR-us) was found with teeth that show almost no wear. The tips and delicate edge serration's are said to be in almost perfect condition. Yet this tyrannosaur was an adult.
2. The Dilophosaurus (die-LOAF- oh-SOR-us) had two high, paper-thin bone crests on its head! It doesn't seem very likely that this delicate head gear could keep from breaking off if the dinosaur made its living as a scavenger--greedily tearing into the insides of dead dinosaurs. If he was a fierce eater of live dinosaurs, the thin crests would have certainly been ruined.
3. The Spinosaurus (SPINE-oh-SOR-us) had long, delicate spines attached to its back bone. Some of these stood straight up in the air six-and-a-half feet high--taller than most men. These spines could have been very easy to damage in a fierce fight with a heavy dinosaur.
True fierce meat-eaters are smooth and sleek, like the tiger, lion, polar bear and wolf. They don't have any delicate spines or crests to get in their way and cause pain in a chase and fight. Perhaps the guess that tyrannosaurs were aggressive “brontosaur” killers is completely wrong.
Could it be that tyrannosaurs were mostly plant-eaters, not meat-eaters? The shape of their teeth alone can't tell us what they ate. Perhaps they used their sharp teeth and claws to tear up tough plants and fruits, not dinosaurs. Obviously sharp teeth can serve other purposes than simply cutting meat, just as kitchen knives can be used for cutting carrots as well as steaks.
Many sharp-toothed animals living today are plant-eaters and rarely (or never) eat flesh. A few of many examples include the Giant Panda, the large Australian fruit bat, and some apes and bears.
What were the ceratopians really like?
Some dinosaurs, like the Triceratops, had bony spikes on their heads. Others had spikes on their backs and elsewhere. If basic types of horns and spikes like these were originally created by God, then we know something about their purpose. They were not meant for fighting other dinosaurs.
The head horns may have been used for getting food by lifting thick foliage. They could be used for poking, rooting or turning plants. Dinosaurs like the Triceratops had very strong jaws and replaceable teeth. Using their extremely strong jaw muscles, they could slice through very tough plants--even good-sized branches and roots. Dinosaurs like this could even have chewed on tree trunks.
Some insects have horns similar to those of dinosaurs. It is interesting that scientists used to think that the big, sharp horns of some great horned beetles were meant for stabbing other beetles. Actually, the horns are mostly used to pry or lift.
Did any dinosaurs ever become terrible and ferocious?
The answer to this question remains a mystery. At this point, there is no proof that any of the dinosaurs were as mean and dangerous as shown in most dinosaur books. It will take many more discoveries before anyone can say for certain how dinosaurs behaved in the world before the Flood or after. However it is likely that more people killed dinosaurs than dinosaurs killed people.
Bible-believing Christians can be sure of one thing. When dinosaurs were originally created, they were peaceful and harmless just like all the other animals.
DINOSAURS AND YOU:
Important Things to Remember
The Bible. Dinosaurs fit in perfectly with the Bible's record of history. Dinosaur-like animals are even mentioned in the Bible.
Creation. These wonderful creatures did not evolve from reptiles or amphibians. God created them perfectly finished. Today we can only guess what dinosaurs were really like in that sinless paradise of long ago.
The Creator. God's Son, Jesus Christ, created the dinosaurs, the stars, and you (John 1:1-3). Since He made us, He owns us. He has the right to tell us what to do and how to live. God is the wisest and most loving being in the universe.
The Fall. Although everything God created was perfect, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. Their choice brought death as a punishment for sin (Rom. 5:12).
Disobedience. All people have disobeyed God. Everyone has sinned, young and old (Rom. 3:23).
Sin Always Brings Pain. Adam's body was more perfect than ours today. He lived for 930 years before he died (Genesis 5:5). During his long life, Adam saw many sad changes in the living things under his control. Nothing was as perfect and wonderful as when God created things (animals, plants, people or dinosaurs). In the years after Adam's death, things continued to grow worse. By the time of Noah, the whole world was full of terrible sins and problems.
The Flood. Dinosaurs fossils are reminders of the Great Flood when huge numbers of dinosaurs and millions of other animals were buried throughout the world.
God Punishes Sin. The Flood reminds us of God's punishment for sin--death.
God's Love. Jesus loves us more than we can understand. The Creator came down to this world He made and became a human being. He became the first person to ever live a perfect life without sin. Jesus did this so that He could die for Adam's sins and yours. He took the punishment for our sins--the penalty we deserve.
Forgiveness and Eternal Life. His amazing sacrifice can cover up each wrong we have done, so that God will forget them forever--even our worst sins. Then when we die, Jesus will welcome us to live forever with Him.
Creation will be perfect again. Jesus has something wonderful planned for those who are truly sorry for their sins and thankfully accept His gift of eternal life. God has promised to one day restore the Earth to the perfect, beautiful place it once was. The world will be the way God meant it to be.
There will be no death, suffering or evil. It will be a world full of love, beauty, peace and fun. God will be in charge.
The animals will be as harmless and perfect as when they were first made (Isaiah 11:6-9). We will see the dinosaurs (and all extinct animals) in the way God intended, not as dead bones, but as beautiful living creations designed for our enjoyment. And Man will once again be able to rule with love and wisdom over all the animals, even the dinosaurs.
The Decision is Yours. Don't be like the people at the time of the Flood that died in their sins. You can escape the punishment you deserve. By turning to Jesus, you can be forgiven and one day live forever in Paradise. There is nothing that you can do to save yourself. Only Jesus can save you.
Just believe Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins. Thank Him for His love and ask Jesus to come into your life forever.
If you haven't done this yet, why not do it today? There is no better decision anyone can make.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Now that you've made it to the end of our Dinosaur Discovery Trail, you might want some Rest & Relaxation…
By : Christian Answer.Net
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