Young earth creationists: how do you explain coal and oil?

carbon deposits are from life being trapped under the earth's surface. you tell me what makes sense to you - billions of years of settlement, or a catistrophic event that would have trapped it - like a flood. also mt. st. helen proved that some of the scientific dating methods are screwey. they tested some of the volcanic rock because we knew that it was days old when it erupted. go figure the dating systems said that the rocks were thousands of years old. so there are clearly a few errors in our methods of dating. canyons can be described the same way. catastrophe like a worldwide flood could erupt volcanoes that could carve out mive paths instantly. honestly it all depends on what you wanna believe. you have to believe something, even if your something is nothing. i'd rather place my belief in God than nothing. take you pick, and good luck. bottom line - i have peace about death and i feel bad for those who don't.