How come there is such disagreement over the age of the earth?

Question

Why is there such disagreement about the age of the earth given the vast scientific data and fossils supporting the fact that it is billions of years old? Where in the Bible does it say different, and can it be proven?

Answer 1

The bible is in harmony with Science saying earth is billions of years old.

Some fundamentalists claim that creationism rather than evolution explains pre-human history. They assert that all physical creation was produced in just six days of 24 hours each sometime between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. But in doing so, they promote an unscriptural teaching that has caused many to ridicule the Bible.

Is a day in the Bible always literally 24 hours in length? Genesis 2:4 speaks of “the day that Jehovah God made earth and heaven.” This one day encompasses all six of the creative days of Genesis chapter 1. According to Bible usage, a day is a measured period of time and can be a thousand years or many thousands of years. The Bible’s creative days allow for thousands of years of time each. Further, the earth was already in existence before the creative days began. (Genesis 1:1) On this point, therefore, the Bible account is compatible with true science.—2 Peter 3:8.

Man is 6000 years old.

Answer 2

The Bible does not actually say the AGE of the earth is differ rent!
It uses the word DAY the same way as your grandparents did. FOR INSTANCE..( In MY DAY we never wore our shirts untucked)
That word day does not mean a literal 24 hours, it means a time period.
Also the bible in its description of creation, WHAT CAME FIRST! it completely agrees with science, you know day, rain, dirt , worms etc. That description in Genesis is the same list that the scientist have and in the same order.

THE DISAGREEMENT IS IN THE APPEARANCE OF HUMANS.
see the creationist believe that Adan and then Eve were Created 6 thousand years ago.
Before them Earth, but no humans, Yes there were dinosaurs, NO humans.
The evolutionist try to go back much farther with evidence of sub-human species. Like Lucy found in Africa. Carbon dating and the rest.
Well for me, personally, I do believe the Earth is on its Billionth or so year. But I believe humans are a new creation, Lucy is a monkey and I will be a monkey's Uncle if someone could prove the THEORY of evolution by finding all those STILL missing links.
Carbon dating has also proved to be less than efficient!
The shroud of Turan is case in point!

Genisis 1:3-31 is NOT discussing the originial creation of Matter or of the heavenly bodies. It describes the preparation of the all ready existing earth for human habitation. This includes the creation of the basic kinds of vegitations, marine life ,flying creatures, land animals, and the first HUMAN pair.And do not forget the idea of DAY alows for a thought of a long period of time,.

Answer 3

Ultimately, the age of the earth cannot be proven. Whether 6,000 years or 4.6 billion years – both viewpoints (and everything in between) rests on faith and assumptions. Those who hold to 4.6 billion years trust that methods such as radiometric dating are reliable, and that nothing has occurred in history that may have disrupted the normal decay of radio-isotopes. Those who hold to 6,000 years trust that the Bible is true, and that other factors explain the “apparent” age of the earth, such as the global flood, or God creating the universe in a state that “appears” to give it an very long age. As an example, God created Adam and Eve as fully-grown adult human beings. If a doctor were to have examined Adam and Eve on the day of their creation, the doctor would have estimated their age at 20 years (or whatever age they appeared to be) - when, in fact, Adam and Eve were less than one day old. Whatever the case, there is always good reason to trust the Word of God over the words of atheistic scientists with an evolutionary agenda.

Answer 4

For a good example of disagreement, look at the post above me saying how the whole billions of years old thing can't be proven. Okay, but its better than adding up random lifespans and not even getting a conclusive number. You're right, the 6000 year earth can't be proven, but various (more than one) methods of dating have given evidence to point to an really old old earth.

Answer 5

Why do you say it's billions of years old? Could it be because that's what you believe?
According to science - NEITHER can be proven. Both theories (billions of years / 6000 or so years) are based on presupposed conclusions. If you say carbon dating proves it, you would be wrong - it doesn't.
So we are in a quandry aren't we? The bible only tells us that God created the world and all that is in it in 6 days..... then it recounts the story of man up to and beyond Jesus.

The only biblical verse that supports a young earth is in Romans
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

blessings :)

Answer 6

According to the Bible the Earth is around 6,000 years old. Some Christians refuse to believe that it is actually billions of years old because that would also be admitting that the Bible was wrong. If the Bible is wrong about the Earth then it is obviously wrong about many other things and Christians don't want to believe or admit to that.

Answer 7

If you add the life spans of the endless genealogies in the Bible, you arrive at somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 years.

These people can't even agree on simple addition, as both camps discount some lists and others add imaginary ones to arrive at different numbers.

Answer 8

The Bible was written 2000years or so back before they know about evolution. Its like the Greek and Roman Gods - now much is just myths and leagues

Answer 9

cause the bible is retaurded