Review: Jonathan Park: Ep. 43 – The Ancient City of the Jaguar, Part 2

This is Part 2 of a two-part review.  Click here to read the review for Part 1.

For more Jonathan Park reviews, click here.

Plot Summary:

The Jaguar thief has hidden the Beowulf manuscript in the Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá, a city of ancient temples and archeological wonders. The Creation Response Team pursues the artifacts thief through the village marketplace and the jungles of the Yucatán and ends in a treacherous passage that cuts between the giant pyramids of El Castillo and another hidden deep inside. Will the Creation Response Team recover the Beowulf manuscript from the Jaguar, or will they be outdone by their nemesis, Myles Morgan? (Taken from here.)

The Study Guide for episodes 42 and 43 can be found here: jp_vol4_study_guide_epi42-43

Background Information

The Jonathan Park CDs are produced by Vision Forum Ministries.  Through these CDs, VF hope to ‘provide children and adults with scientific evidence that is in harmony with the Word of God’.  [Which raises the questions, ‘What does “in harmony” mean?’ and ‘What do they do with scientific evidence that is not in harmony with the Word of God?’]

Tagline: This is our Father’s world, God created it; we can explore it, so live the adventure!

NOTE: The producers of this series neglect to reference their information in any form.  No references is ever given either on the CD or in the Study Guide for ANY information presented in the series.  Even the voice actors of the series are not given any credit anywhere.  We only know that the series is a production of Vision Forum Ministries.

Review

This episode sees the Creation Response Team roaming around the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula in search of the Jaguar and the Beowulf manuscript. They get held hostage when their plans go awry, but all goes well in the end when they are saved and Kayyam becomes a believer in the one true God.  Kayyam’s father also gets cataract surgery performed on his eyes so he can see again and be able to work and provide for his family.  The Jaguar and the manuscript, however, elude the Team yet again, which means audiences will have more hours of listening pleasure.

In this episode, the team members talk about armadillos, spider monkeys and yucca plants and moths.  Or rather, one or two people give information and the others marvel and exclaim how wonderfully designed by God it all is.  I have no problem with marvelling and feeling a sense of wonder.  It is indeed all very wonderful.

Questions for the Young-Earth Creationist

Here are some questions for the young-Earth Creationist with regards to the information presented in this program:

Armadillos

According to wikipedia, there are approximately ten extant genera and around 20 extant species of armadillo, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armor.

Were all these species and/or genera on the ark?  Did these species break off from an earlier species before or after the ark?

Armadillos are predominantly insectivores, ie they eat insects.

• Was this diet from the Beginning?  Or, was this diet developed later?  How much later?  Before the Flood or after?

Spider Monkeys

There are 264 species of monkeys, with the Spider Monkey being one of them.

• How many species of monkeys were there at the Beginning?
• How many species of monkeys were there at the Flood (200o years later)?

Yucca Plants and Moths

There is plenty of information on the internet on these two topics.  Here is one and here is another.

• Were there yucca plants and moths on the ark? Did the plants and moths grow in population on the ark?

These are questions that arose in my mind as I thought of the information from a YEC perspective.  Since everything from a YEC depends on a literal interpretation of Genesis, I believe these are pertinent questions and need answering.  Unfortunately, answers are not forthcoming from Jonathan Park.

Conclusion

Most of the information on the program (and other episodes) can be found on the internet.  Many times it will be from a mainstream source.  The sensitive reader will notice that even so-called ‘evolutionists’ can express wonder at the beauty and majesty and complexity that exists in the world.

This episode has raised more questions about the YEC position than answered them.

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