If you believe that the earth is only a few thousand years old, like the Bible states. How do you explain the age of the earth being approx. 4.5 billion years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth
Doesn't just this one fact negate the creationist claims?
2006-07-31 08:11:39 · 28 answers · asked by Brendan B 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, that and many, many other things. =)
2006-07-31 08:14:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 4⤋
The creationist theory, that God created man, could very well still be true. God could have created the very first proto-human creatures who then later Evolved into the most modern version of mankind dubbed, Homo sapiens sapiens. Remember, the bible was written by people. Not by God. Ancient people did not have the ability to calculate time and age as we are able to do today. The bible is a collection of stories, memories, and historical events that occurred during those time periods described. But perhaps more importantly, it is a record of the way these events and experiences were perceived and understood by the people who lived through those times and then recorded them. We know for a scientific, verifiable fact that the earth as a planet is roughly, and at least 5+ billion years old. The earliest form of mankind known was born 3-4 million years ago. However, written histories have only been around for about 7,000 years...though that changes with new discoveries all the time. In any case, any statement, biblical or otherwise, to the effect that the Earth is only thousands of years old must be incorrect based upon what we know to be true through scientific discovery and research. Remember, science does not negate God or his presense, it may in fact one day verify it...wouldn't that be amazing?
2006-07-31 15:38:33 · answer #2 · answered by K B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who was around to see the Earth is 4.5 billion years old? How can you know that? Does not negate anything but that it is just someone's guess. If you ask any reputable person that does the carbon dating, they can tell you that it is no good when you have water that has been in the mix. Also, if you check it out, there is a silt layer that is around all the Earth that only a flood or water if you will, could have put there. So if you try to date anything that is under that layer, it is going to give a false reading anyway. The author of the bible was there to see the making of this Earth but where were the scientists that try to tell you about it? I think the One that made it should know a lot more than some that have been around only a few decades at most. Don't you?
2006-07-31 15:19:37 · answer #3 · answered by ramall1to 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Creationists forget or ignore how the age of the Earth has been calculated in multiple ways--with the same number (about 4.5 billion years) being the result each time. They simply can't wrap their heads around such big numbers, I suppose, and those number contradict their Bible.
So, they throw out half-baked arguments ("God made the Earth, so only she knows" -- by analogy, I made a cake last night, so only I know how old the cake is, right?) or just plain make stuff up (a "chemical shift"?), when we can date the solar system, we can look at old meteorites, we can use radiometric dating (*not* carbon dating, as creationists don't seem to realize), we can use incremental dating methods, and so on. We can even tell that the universe is *older* than 4.5 billion years by looking at light that has been traveling for longer than that--as long as 15 billion years. Creationists would have to explain that by saying that God made light without making the events (billions of years old) that the light depicts--essentially saying that their God is a liar!
It's willful neglecting of evidence they don't want to see.
2006-07-31 15:26:29 · answer #4 · answered by Minh 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In the Buy-Bull, there is an entire chapter that is used to date the age of the earth based on all the begets going back from the mythical Jesus to the mythical Adam. There is roughly 4000 years of generations listed + the first six days before Adam + the 2000 years since the mythical Jesus = roughly 6000 years. Of course this is all crap written down from stories told around the campfire while god was leading the Jews out of Egypt to the only piece of land in the Middle East where there is no oil.
2006-07-31 15:28:02 · answer #5 · answered by iknowtruthismine 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus was on earth approx. 2000 years ago, that doesn't mean the earth is only a few thousand years old. I wouldn't say that it's billions of years old, but definately more than only a few thousand years old. You see, when God created the world in 7 days, a day to Him isn't the same as a day to us. To Him, it could be thousands of years.
2006-07-31 15:15:30 · answer #6 · answered by BeeFree 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope, both are theories which contain no "proof". Some scientists believe that there was a major chemical shift in the earth's atmosphere, causing many of the tests done to approximate the earth's age to be flawed.
The truth is that we really don't know how old the earth is.
We're just guessing based on our primitive tests.
2006-07-31 15:15:56 · answer #7 · answered by gg 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can actually find creation in the Bible, if you know how to look for it. Here are just two examples which I have researched recently:
GENESIS 1 (In its entirety.)
A clear statement of the process of evolution. To read that the world was created in 7 days is not to be taken literally, as we read in Psalm 90:4 “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by.” Other versions read, “For a day on earth is like a thousand years with God.” If 7 days can be referred to and calculated later as 7,000 years, then certainly throughout the loss of accuracy from one translation to the next over 2,000 or so years, one could interpret this “7 days” as 70,000 or even 70,000,000 years.
GENESIS 2:7 “And the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground… and the man became a living being.”
Further reference to the evolutionary process. Man was not created within the first week, but appeared on earth afterward. The Bible does not state how many “days” after the earth formed and the plants and animals appeared that man actually appeared. A “day” later? 30 “days”? There is a time frame missing of possibly tens of thousands of years (using Psalm 90:4 again as a reference to the translation of time). Also to be noted, in ancient Sumerian texts, what is there referred to as the “food of life” by definition runs parallel to the “tree of life” in Eden - the Tree of Life also being born of Celtic polytheistic religions.
2006-07-31 16:10:13 · answer #8 · answered by Jylsamynne 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it cannot be explained, thus the separation between the facts of science and the belief in the bible. evolution and the biblical creation of the world have since been at respectful terms, even if many side either theories. personally, science presents hardcore evidence of the earth's age...but, i also believe that God had a lot to do with placing the evidence there : )
2006-07-31 15:19:48 · answer #9 · answered by ruforeal? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Brandon...Remember that many don't consider the 4.5 billion year old earth to be fact despite science proving the fact through method and practice. PEACE!
2006-07-31 15:14:44 · answer #10 · answered by thebigm57 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bible is a book...its supposed to teach you whats right. It has been based on nothing buy heresay. Humans have compiled it. I respect it but i wouldnt believe things like the earth's age or being saved or all that jazz
2006-07-31 15:24:40 · answer #11 · answered by Syd 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋