Understanding Christian Perspectives on Dinosaurs
It’s hard to say what every Christian thinks about dinosaurs, but I think some might dismiss their existence for a couple of reasons. First, the Bible only references two creatures that resemble dinosaurs, and there’s no evidence of them today—perhaps they were just made up. Second, the existence of dinosaurs doesn’t quite fit with some beliefs about creation.
The creatures in question are Behemoth and Leviathan. Behemoth is mentioned in Job 40. In this context, Job is, well, grappling with some divine truths. God points out this creature, saying, “Look at the behemoth I made alongside you. It eats grass like an ox. Look at its strength and powerful body.” The description makes it seem like it’s similar to a hippopotamus or maybe a rhinoceros, but we don’t really call any animal by that name today.
As for Leviathan, it pops up in Psalm 74 and Psalm 104. These passages talk about God’s power, mentioning Leviathan as a kind of sea monster. It leaves one wondering—was this creature just a symbol to illustrate God’s might?
Those Christians who doubt the existence of Leviathan and Behemoth might conclude that dinosaurs never roamed the Earth, since those are the only extraordinary large creatures mentioned in the Bible. But that’s not entirely fair—there isn’t a comprehensive list of all the creatures God created or even all the animals that were on Noah’s Ark, after all.
If Christians adhere to a literal interpretation of a six-day creation, they might find themselves at odds with scientists who assert that dinosaurs existed millions of years before humans. After all, humans were created on the sixth day, according to Genesis. Plus, there’s that intriguing passage in 2 Peter 3:8 where it says, “With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years.” So, was it really just six days? Only God knows. For believers who consider the Bible infallible, interpreting those days literally can be problematic.
One organization, Answers in Genesis, claims the Earth is only about 6,000 years old. They argue that methods used for dating dinosaur fossils rely on incomplete data from radiometric techniques established over a century ago. They advocate for using radiocarbon dating as a more precise way to analyze fossils and rocks, which seems to back up the young Earth theory.
