Warmaker has taken the words right out of my mouth. You cannot recite Bible scriptures as though they are facts, because the Bible is a work of man, not God. There may have been a time when the Bible was the Word of God, but man has had several thousand years to twist those words into something that justifies the means to their end. You cannot refute that man has tampered with the Bible. There is documented evidence they we have. The fact that there are numerous versions of the Bible further substantiates this fact. In the end, the Bible as it is cannot be counted as a valid source of factual data.

With that said, and more on topic, I do not believe dinosaurs and man walked this Earth at the same time. I believe the widely-accepted idea that dinosaurs walked this planet 60 million years ago is the truth. Carbon dating supports this theory and refutes any Biblical claims that state otherwise. As for the mention of 'Giant Beasts' in the Bible, the Leviathan and Behemoth, it is my understanding that the widely accepted theory is that Leviathans are whales and behemoths are elephants or hippos. If this has changed in recent years, please feel free to correct me.

Kefka : While science is not one of my stronger subjects, I do believe most of what you said regarding carbon dating is factual. However, I feel the need to point out that I am reasonably sure scientists take variables such as energy and pressure into consideration when applying carbon dating to fossils. It is a form a measurement that has been in use for quite a few decades, after all, I am sure they have had more than enough time to iron out all the kinks. (Note: I just looked it up. Carbon dating was developed at the University of Chicago in 1949. That means it was been in practice for roughly 63 years.)

Before I go, I just want to touch on one more topic. This relates to both my general feelings on science and religion as well as to one of the notion brought up in this discussion. When people speak of studies or theories and their role in obtaining a higher understanding, I always keep one thing in mind. When a person chooses to perform research on a topic, ninety-nine times out of one hundred, they go into their study with a pre-determined notion of what the outcome should be, based on what their opinions are going into said study. They can claim an unbiased attitude, but it is human nature to want to be proven right. Ergo, when I person performs a study, it is likely their personal views will reflect on their findings in some way, great or small.

Now apply this understanding to the theory of dragons being mentioned in the Bible. Many people wish to believe that creatures of fantasy may have once existed on this planet. The reasons for this vary, but I think it largely boils down to man's desire to believe that the world we live in is  or was a far more exciting place than it actually is. The idea that there are things on this planet that we have yet to discover entices us and makes us feel a sense of anticipation for future findings. However, in the end, all this amounts to is man's refusal to believe that the largely bland reality that we know is all that there is here. It is fun to surmise, but it is best not to get one's hopes up. I do not believe that magic was ever are real force wielded by man. I do not believe in ghosts or the supernatural. I do not believe in the existence of mythical creatures, such as dragons. These are all just works of fantasy. If you think you have found proof in the Bible or in any other source, you are likely tricking yourself into seeing what isn't there, because you wish it was true.

There is a book called 'Wizard's First Rule'. A fantasy novel written by a man named Terry Goodkind. In it, he relates a very poignant message:

"People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People's heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it all true. People are stupid; they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and so are all the easier to fool."

These words, I feel, ring true in any aspect of life, and they have found their way to the very core of my own belief structure. A sort of gentle reminder that even I can be stupid from time to time, if you will. Please do not take offense. I am not calling anyone stupid, I simply felt the quote appropriate to the topic.

In the end, I doubt that anyone will truly ever be able to solve the great mysteries of life. In the end, all we can do is just live this life as we will and see what lies at the end of the road.