Believing in Feather Tales, part 1
Ryan Cox • June 2, 2022
Believing in Feather Tales, part 1
The grand premiere came in the 1970s through the influence of Yale professor and paleontologist Dr. John Ostrom. He developed his ideas of dinosaurs being warm-blooded and evolving into birds in the 1960s and taught them to his doctoral student Robert Bakker, who would go on to publish the controversial and very influential “Dinosaur Renaissance” paper in the April 1975 issue of Scientific American. Theirs and the efforts of others greatly popularized the dino-to-bird evolution narrative in the paleontological community.
However, the blockbuster event that most affected the culture was the 1993 release of Jurassic Park. The fictional character Dr. Alan Grant shares in the movie his theory of dinosaurs evolving into birds. His character was based upon renowned paleontologist Jack Horner, who revealed in the behind-the-scenes features his desire to eliminate the reptilian stereotype of dinosaurs, encouraging people to see them instead as birds. Both Horner and Bakker served as advisors to Jurassic Park.
And finally, in 2022, to their and many others’ elation, the grand conclusion to the 6-movie saga, Jurassic World Dominion, displays the culmination of their efforts with the franchise premiere of a fully-feathered dinosaur named Pyroraptor. Tragically, throughout our travels we have seen more and more young people come to believe that dinosaurs were feathered, warm-blooded relatives of birds, convincing them that evolution is true and the Bible is false. THIS IS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO, travelling the country with our dinosaur fossil collection. Yes, it is cumbersome and time-consuming to haul in and set up dinosaurs, but it is absolutely worth it to have the opportunity to refute the dino-to-bird nonsense and share the incredible, undeniable reliability and accuracy of God’s Word. Our prayer in doing so is the ultimate reason – salvation found in Jesus Christ!
The scientific evidence for the dino-to-bird feather tale is severely lacking. As with many blockbusters, there are sequels, and we shall follow that pattern with this study. Exploring the evidence for feathers, warm or cold-bloodedness, and other anatomical comparisons, we will see how the historical record of God’s Word has and always will stand firm.
NEW VBS FOR 2026 Celebrating America 250
Summer of 2025 is two-thirds finished. We have taught at 7 different camp weeks along with 6 VBSes. Ryan and I have had a busy summer for the Kingdom. Our travels have stretched from Ohio to Colorado and all points in between. We have taught in churches and connected with many supporters and friends. This summer, as usual, ministry has taken us away from family for periods, but there has been great returns for the sacrifice - more than fifteen souls have been added to God’s eternal Kingdom and even more seeds planted with life-changing fruit produced, from the young to old. Again and again we encounter students that are fired up with a passion for knowledge of the Word of God. As these students have found answers to questions or faith-challenging issues, they are better equipped to share their faith. This summer we have had the opportunity to reconnect with many students whom we taught at a younger age. Now they are in their teens or heading to college. Their testimonies of strengthened faith because of the mission God has called us to is more than rewarding. It never gets old to meet grandparents, or even great-grandparents, during VBS that have lived their lives as followers of Christ yet have never seen the impact of Genesis to the Gospel. Just yesterday this happened with a grandmother who was overjoyed and appreciative of our teaching and message. Knowing more about dinosaurs Biblically allows for them to have new lines of communication with their cherished grandkids. Our ability to give these great warriors of the faith answers that can impact their families for eternity is priceless to us. Please continue to lift us up in prayer as our summer is not over yet. As always, know that your support is making an impact for the Kingdom that we are eternally grateful for. If you are thinking about having us come next summer, don’t hesitate to contact us as summers fill quicker than the rest of the year. Summer has and will continue to be a crazy busy time for Kingdom work. Blessings.