Do Christians still believe the earth is 5,000 to 6,000 years old?

Question

Even with all the fossils we have? And all the evidence of Ice Ages millions of years ago?

If not, then how old do they think the earth is?

I'm taking anthropology in college and I'm just wondering about this...

If you want proof, just take some college level classes on this subject and you'll get all the scholarly proof you need.

I'm astonished by these answers...

wow, whoever called me a bigot for asking this question needs to settle down. I was merely asking christians as a whole. Asking is the key word here. I wasn't saying anything about "Christians are stupid because they believe this and that." I was pretty much seeing seeing the different views of christians. Plus, I wanted to see how far the faith in the bible goes according to the different christian sects.You sir are an idiot.

I was brought up catholic. Done everything even confirmation.... so don't tell me that I've only gotten one source. I went to bible school for 6 years! so yes, I've had other sources (many) throughout my whole life.

Answer 1

I am a Christian and I believe that the earth is about 6,000 to 10,000 years old. Not millions.

Answer 2

I put the earth's age somewhere between 6000-10,000 years old based on our written records.

Older ages assigned are guesses based on radiological dating techniques that seem superficial to me, not real science. It's just too easy to come up with a math equation, apply it to the decay rate of an isotope and pretend that you can stretch back over millions or billions of years without noting any conditions that could affect the rate of decay during these long stretches of time, and it's beneath the thoroughness of science to do so.

(We're already beginning to have problems with carbon dating because of simple atmospheric phenomena that affect carbon levels in organic matter and these levels affect the ratios of carbon 12 to carbon 14.)

Another thing I don't like about the science of paleontology is that the framework directs the evidence, which is a big no-no in research. Evidence always dictates the framework, that's what evidence is for. But when we have an existing framework, and we make a discovery or test an object, we often mold the results or conclusions to fit into the existing "accepted" framework already established by others.

This, in my mind, eliminates all credibility of paleontology, and I'm left questioning every conclusion published.

We do the same thing in auditing corporations. First we test the controls that generate the numbers. Are the numbers accurately added? Are they classified correctly? Have the numbers been manipulated (have the books been "cooked")? We have to know how effective and skilled the bookkeepers and accountants are before we can offer an opinion on how accurate (and faithful) their financial statements are. Evidence of even a single fraud by one low-level employee is enough call others into question simply because the system used by the company didn't detect the event.

These are easy conclusions for me to come to, as a Christian, with regard to both science and accounting, because Christians practice and rely on honesty. Non-Christians often don't. They rely on politics, popularity, or simply whatever they can get away with. It takes a lot of self-discipline to live honestly, and it takes a lot of courage for a researcher to buck the system when he finds evidence contrary to accepted, main stream theories. Not everyone is up to the task.

Credibility is something you have to earn, and once you have it, you have to continually be worthy of keeping it.

Answer 3

Hi ozwald8. Acually the Bible tells us the earth is a little more than 13,000 years old. Definatly not billions of years old.

We need to remember that that written history only goes back to about 5,200 years ago. There is no proof of anything older than that.

Some people try to rely on carbon 14 dating, the problem is, if you are using carbon 14 dating, you have to assume that the carbon reservoir remained constant all the way back through history. This cannot be proven. Their conclusion will be a guess at best.

Carbon 14 dating is very accurate up to about 13,000 years. After that it varies, and it varies wildly.

I was at a musem a while back and there was a display of dinosaur bones. The sign said the bones were between 60,000 and 100,000 years old. That's a margin of 40,000 years for mistake. That is not science my friend, that's guess work.

For those who say that days or nights were thousands of hours long, that would be impossible. In Genesis 1:11-13 God tells us He created plants and fruits on the third day:

"Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so...13 So the evening and the morning were the third day."

On the forth day He created day and night. In Genesis 1:14-19 God tells us:

"Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and year...16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day."

Now if the days were thousands of hours long all of the vegetation on the earth would have burned up because of all the sunlight. If the nights were thousands of hours long all of the vegetation on the earth would have died because vegetation needs light to grow, but too much sun or too much darkness will kill the vegetation. God created 4 seasons and He created 24 hour days, just like it is now.

Answer 4

Yes, true Christians do. What is all of this 'proof' and 'evidence' of an old earth? Fossils that are dated differently by every scientist? Even if said fossil is classified in the same 'age' by scientists, your proof for time periods are rock layers. What about the Mount St. Helen erruption? There were hundreds of feet of layers that formed over a period of 5 days, not to mention a canyon that is a 1/40 model of the Grand Canyon that occured over the same time period. Yet if a scientist were to go to the area surrounding Mt. St. Helen without the knowledge of a volcanic erruption, they would say that the small stream running through the canyon caused gradual errosion over 10s of thousands of years to create the canyon. You ask about the fossils in the layers that occur in areas where no valcano has existed and how they got there. What about a massive flood that covered every mountain in the entire world? Yes, the Genesis flood that all nations and tribes have folk lore stories about.

Answer 5

>>>Scientists that believe in Creation.
Most of these individuals have a doctorate in a science related field.<<<

Firstly, most of the people on that list are neither biologists nor geologists. Dentists and engineers are as qualified to talk about evolution as biologists and geologists are to talk about fixing teeth or building a bridge.

Secondly, I have seen the list before. Many of the people on it are not Young-Earth Creationists but Christians who believe in an initial creation followed by evolution over the last 3.5billion years. They are genuine scientists who do not support your cause.

I could go on about the appalling lack of science shown by people like Baumgartner but why bother? You won't pay any attention but will carry on with your fairy stories.

You should read some science instead of the pseudo-scientific claptrap put out by organisations such as AiG and ICR.

Answer 6

Do you have any Idea how much of a bigot you are. DO you even know what the word means. A muslim man muged my grandmother does that make all muslims muggers> if I thought that I would be a Bigot and a racist and a pretty sleazy human being. YOUR grouping of all Christians togethere with one small sect of christians is very BIGOTED.
Your in College and your a young man and I know they have lowered there standards BUT not being a bigot is something your suppose to learn in kindergarden.

Answer 7

Some do, some don't. The majority of Young-Earth Creationists adhere to some form of Protestantism. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians tend for a more symbollic interpretation of Genesis.

Christians believe in an earth with the age of 6,000 years old to the scientific 4.5 billion years old. It's quite a wide spectrum, really.

I plan on majoring in anthropology in college.

Answer 8

Yes, many of them do. They're too frightened to hear about ANY evidence that contradicts their "safe" view of the world, cushioned from reality by lies and soft-pedaled evangelical tripe. You're fighting a losing battle, trying to reason w/them. I, too, majored in anthropology and took was a sociology grad student for awhile. You just learn to ignore the NON-BELIEVERS!!! (those who ignore physical evidence!). Don't waste your time...just go find the next Australopithecus, okay? I'm too old! :P

Answer 9

Honestly...I don't have a clue how old this earth is and I don't think anybody really does. HOW can you MEASURE the time frame of a MILLION years or more ??? How is that possible ? Scientists can't possibly determine that something is millions of years old because they just can't measure that. They're guessing and I just can't imagine that humans, animals, all life...has been here for millions of years. Thousands, yes...but not millions. I could be totally wrong here. This is just my opinion and intuition talking.

Answer 10

its several billion years old, but might I recomend reading some books against it. Just as I read orgin of species as well as the God delusion it would help for others to read literature that they disagree with.