Context: The Confederation Report
Host: Steven R. Martins
Language: English
This is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a Biblical worldview.
Part I: Evolution, Creation, and the Chicago Archaeopteryx (0:05-6:48)
A visit to the Royal Tyrrell Museum highlights the stark contrast between evolutionary claims and the biblical account of creation, with recent fossil discoveries further affirming the authority of God’s Word over secular interpretations.
Part II: Understanding Science and Faith (6:52-11:26)
The perceived conflict between science and faith is not about evidence, but about competing worldviews—one rooted in autonomous human reason, the other in the authoritative Word of God.
Part III: The Archaeopteryx, Again (11:29-15:06)
Dr. David Menton contends that both Scripture and science affirm birds and dinosaurs were created separately, and that the evolutionary claim linking them—especially through Archaeopteryx—is anatomically flawed and chronologically inconsistent.
Did You Know? (15:12-16:07)
Alberta’s rich dinosaur history began with Joseph B. Tyrrell’s 1884 skull discovery, leading to iconic finds like the Albertosaurus and massive fossilized tracks that showcase the province’s primeval legacy.
Recommended Reading (16:09-16:43)
This week’s recommended resource is Evolution’s Dangerous Ideas by Dr. Jerry Bergman, a revealing look at 17 harmful ideologies rooted in Darwinism that have caused lasting damage under the guise of science.
Transcript:
It’s Week 21 of 2025, and this is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a biblical worldview. I’m Steven R. Martins, and each week, we deconstruct the headlines, challenge secular narratives, and apply Scripture to the issues that matter. Because Christ is Lord—over Canada, over culture, over all of life.
Part I: Evolution, Creation, and the Chicago Archaeopteryx (0:05-6:48)
A few years ago, I had the privilege of visiting with my wife and kids the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta. Nestled in one of the world’s most fossil-rich regions, the museum has garnered global recognition for its expansive displays and engaging scientific exhibitions. Of all the museums we’ve visited, it remains one of our favourites. Yet, like many secularized institutions, it stands in the midst of an irreconcilable tension: the timeline of life on Earth as presented by naturalistic evolution stands in stark contrast to the timeline revealed in the Word of God. On the museum walls, charts and fossil sequences depict a slow, progressive development of life over billions of years—from stardust to sea creatures to sapiens. In contrast, Scripture provides a concise, authoritative, and sufficient account of creation: God made all things by His Word in six literal days, sustaining them ever since by His sovereign power.
The secular narrative is well known: 13.8 billion years ago, the universe allegedly began with the Big Bang; Earth formed 4.6 billion years ago; simple life evolved around 4 billion years ago; and over time, this life diversified into fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and finally, man. According to this view, Homo sapiens are the end result of millions of years of blind, unguided evolutionary processes—a cosmic accident. Yet Scripture tells a far different and far more purposeful story. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). On the sixth day of the creation account, God made mankind in His own image (Gen. 1:26–31), placing them at the pinnacle of His creation. The genealogies in Scripture trace history back roughly 6,000 years. This timeline—Creation, Fall, Flood, Babel, and the covenant with Abraham—is not subject to scientific revision or reinterpretation, it’s divinely revealed and historically grounded.
This conflict between worldviews is not merely “academic”—it’s foundational. Attempts to reconcile the biblical timeline with the evolutionary one always end up compromising the authority of Scripture and the integrity of the empirical sciences rightly interpreted. On the one hand, we find man’s autonomous reasoning, exalting speculative models and uniformitarian assumptions. On the other, we have the infallible Word of the sovereign, self-revealing God, who makes known the beginning from the end. The evolutionary view promotes the myth of progress from molecules to man; the biblical worldview affirms the Creator-creature distinction, the historicity of Adam, the origin of sin, and mankind’s need for redemption in Christ. And it is in this light that two recent fossil discoveries prove significant—not because they support evolution, but because they expose the flawed assumptions that undergird it and instead bolster confidence in the biblical account.
The recent unveiling of the “Chicago Archaeopteryx” fossil was widely celebrated by secular media as confirmation of Darwinian theory. Exceptionally preserved, the fossil features long tertial feathers and skeletal traits commonly associated with flight. Evolutionary scientists claim these features point to a transitional form between dinosaurs and birds. However, such interpretations are driven not by raw data (as a matter of fact, what is a “brute fact”? They don’t exist, all facts are God’s facts), but by deeply entrenched evolutionary presuppositions. The fact that Archaeopteryx exhibits both avian and reptilian features does not make it a transitional form; rather, it highlights the incredible variety within God’s created kinds. As Genesis 1 affirms, God created every creature “according to its kind,” each with unique and purposeful design, not with some sort of evolutionary baggage.
Even more striking is the discovery of soft tissues—including collagen, blood vessels, and amino acids—in poorly preserved dinosaur fossils from Alberta. These materials were found in fossils dated by evolutionary models to be 75 million years old. In response, some scientists have proposed iron-induced preservation as a mechanism for such extraordinary longevity. Yet, as Answers in Genesis has thoroughly documented in their research, protein decay rates under natural conditions render such explanations highly implausible. Laboratory studies may demonstrate preservation over short periods under ideal conditions, but extrapolating this to tens of millions of years defies empirical evidence. Instead, these discoveries fit far better within a young-earth model, one that includes rapid burial and fossilization during a global catastrophic event—namely, the Flood of Noah’s day.
In light of these findings, we are reminded once again that our understanding of the world must not be grounded in the ever-shifting theories of man, but in the unchanging Word of God. The Reformed tradition rightly upholds the sufficiency and authority of Scripture in every sphere of life, including the history of creation. Scientific observations, when interpreted within a biblical framework, do not erode the Christian faith—they strengthen it. As we examine fossil records and the latest technological breakthroughs, we must remember that true knowledge begins not with human speculation, but with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7). When all is said and done, it will not be bones or biology that settle the matter, but the sure and enduring Word of the living God.
Part II: Understanding Science and Faith (6:52-11:26)
The commonly asserted conflict between science and the Christian faith is often rooted, not in scientific evidence itself, but in a person’s worldview. This tension was brought into public focus during the 2005 Dover Case, in which a Pennsylvania school district attempted to introduce Intelligent Design as an alternative to Darwinian evolution in public school biology classes. Despite acknowledging the imperfections in evolutionary theory, the court ruled against the district, declaring Intelligent Design a religious, and therefore unscientific, viewpoint. This case exemplified the larger cultural assumption that science must be conducted apart from biblical revelation—a false dichotomy, given that many of history’s greatest scientists were devout Christians who saw no conflict between their faith and their scientific work.
The myth of a science-faith conflict has led some, like Dr. John Walton, to reinterpret Genesis in ways that undermine the authority and clarity of Scripture. Walton’s proposal to read Genesis 1 as an ancient cosmological temple text rather than a historical account effectively renders the biblical narrative culturally bound and scientifically irrelevant. However, Scripture’s authority does not rest on the scientific sophistication of its human authors, but on the infallible God who inspired it. To claim that early Hebrews were incapable of receiving accurate revelation about creation undermines not only biblical inerrancy but the character of God Himself. No, contrary to popular thought, we must understand that God’s Word is true and trustworthy in all it affirms—including the creation of the natural world. Furthermore, we’re not saying that the Bible is a science textbook, but it does provide us with the necessary parameters from which we could interpret creation.
The deeper issue here is really not one of scientific data, but as I had mentioned, of competing worldviews. Both creationists and evolutionists use scientific methods and language, yet each reach different conclusions because they begin with different starting assumptions. The naturalist begins by excluding God, interpreting all evidence through his lens of materialism and deep time. The Christian, by contrast, begins with God’s revelation, interpreting nature as His creation and acknowledging the noetic effects of sin on human reasoning. Both are biased, but only one bias is rooted in divine truth. Thus, the real question is not whether bias exists, but which bias corresponds to reality.
This becomes particularly evident in the case of soft tissue discoveries in dinosaur fossils—findings that defy the standard evolutionary timeline. From Mary Schweitzer’s discovery of soft blood vessels in a supposed 70-million-year-old T. rex bone to Mark Armitage’s research on Triceratops horn tissue, these findings are far more consistent with a young-earth framework than with long-age models. Secular scientists struggle to explain how delicate biological material could persist for millions of years, while creationists see such discoveries as confirming the biblical account of a recent global flood and rapid burial of organisms. These observations align with Scripture, affirming its historical reliability.
Ultimately, the debate is not about whether science works, but who has the rightful authority to interpret reality. The Bible, again, is not a scientific textbook, but it is the authoritative revelation of the One who made all things and sustains them by His word. Science, as a cultural endeavor, is not inherently secular or neutral—it is either conducted in submission to Christ or in rebellion against Him. As Abraham Kuyper famously said, Christ lays claim to every square inch of creation—including the sciences. Therefore, Christians must boldly affirm that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7), and that true understanding of the world begins not with autonomous reason (for what “reason” is truly autonomous? It is nothing but a farce to help prop up secular humanism), but rather it begins with the Word of God.
Part III: The Archaeopteryx, Again (11:29-15:06)
Circling back to this supposed icon of evolution, the Archaeopteryx, Dr. David Menton, a biologist, has challenged the prevailing evolutionary narrative that birds evolved from dinosaurs, arguing both from Scripture and scientific evidence that birds and dinosaurs were created separately. According to Genesis, birds were created on Day Five, and land animals—including dinosaurs—on Day Six. This divinely revealed order contradicts evolutionary claims. The Bible further supports multiple created “kinds” of birds, as seen in Leviticus, suggesting that birds did not all descend from a single ancestor, much less from reptiles. Menton emphasizes that accepting the biblical account rules out the possibility that birds evolved from dinosaurs or shared a common ancestor with them.
From a scientific standpoint, Menton outlined numerous anatomical and physiological discrepancies between birds and dinosaurs. For example, birds are warm-blooded creatures, possessing a high metabolic rate and a complex respiratory system with air sacs; while reptiles, including dinosaurs, are cold-blooded and breathe differently—though dinosaurs could be neither cold- or warm-blooded according to a paper by Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell. Even well-preserved dinosaur fossils, such as Sinosauropteryx, show features resembling reptilian, not avian, respiration. Moreover, Menton highlights inconsistencies in skeletal development: the three digits retained in bird wings differ from those in theropods, suggesting an evolutionary mismatch. Notably, even the supposed feathered dinosaurs often exhibit scales or filamentous structures likely to be collagen, not protofeathers. Renowned paleontologist Alan Feduccia, who does not support biblical creationism, also rejects the dino-to-bird hypothesis, citing weak anatomical evidence.
Menton also critiques the widely accepted interpretation of Archaeopteryx as a transitional fossil. Though it had features like teeth and a tail, these are found in other fossilized birds and even in living species like the hoatzin chick. Evolutionists essentially face a chronological dilemma: Archaeopteryx, recognized as a true bird, is dated earlier than the supposed feathered dinosaurs that are claimed to be its ancestors. This reverses the expected evolutionary order. Additionally, the design of theropod dinosaurs—with small forelimbs and heavy tails—makes them poor candidates for evolving into creatures capable of flight. What Menton noted was that evolutionists must posit that flightless birds, like penguins for example, evolved after flying birds, further compounding the logical inconsistencies in the evolutionary timeline.
In conclusion, Dr. Menton argues that neither Scripture nor science supports the idea that dinosaurs evolved into birds. No transitional forms—such as a “sceather” (a scale transforming into a feather)—have been found, and the fossil evidence aligns better with the biblical model of distinct created kinds. As a matter of fact, the appearance of fully formed birds before the supposed “ancestors” undermines evolutionary theory. As Menton humorously concluded, according to both the Bible and observable science, those enjoying a chicken dinner can rest assured they are not eating a feathered descendant of a T. rex.
Did You Know? (15:12-16:07)
Alberta’s dinosaur history began on August 12, 1884, when Joseph B. Tyrrell uncovered a dinosaur skull near what is now the Royal Tyrrell Museum. This remarkable discovery marked the first of its kind in the region and opened the door to one of the richest fossil beds in the world.
While Alberta has no official dinosaur, the Albertosaurus is widely recognized as its most iconic. Interestingly, the province also lacks an official fossil, though petrified wood—technically a type of fossil—is its official stone. Alberta has even yielded tracks of tyrannosaurs and supergiant sauropods, estimated at 10 to 20 tonnes, though no bones of the latter have yet been unearthed. From legendary skulls to massive footprints, Alberta’s primeval past continues to fascinate scientists and visitors alike.
Recommended Resource (16:09-16:43)
This week’s recommended resource is Evolution’s Dangerous Ideas by Dr. Jerry Bergman, published by Cántaro Publications. In this sobering follow-up to his earlier work on Darwinism and scientific racism, Dr. Bergman exposes 17 harmful ideologies and hoaxes—ranging from eugenics and lobotomies to misguided Nobel Prize-winning experiments—that were either born from or justified by the Darwinian worldview. With clarity and conviction, he documents how these ideas, often dressed as scientific progress, inflicted deep physical, psychological, and societal harm.
Closing Words
Thanks for listening to The Confederation Report, this podcast is brought to you by the Cántaro Institute. Visit our website at cantaroinstitute.org for more information. For books to read on worldview, philosophy, and theology, visit our store at cantaroinstitute.store
We’ll meet again next week.
Documentation and Additional Reading
Earth.com (Eric Ralls)
Archaeopteryx fossil found with preserved soft tissue proves Darwin was right all along
CBC News (Emily Chung)
Dinosaur blood cells, proteins found in crummy Alberta fossils
Answers In Genesis (David Menton)
Did Dinosaurs Turn into Birds?
Answers In Genesis (Elizabeth Mitchell)
Dinosaurs May Have Been Neither Warm- Nor Cold-Blooded