Answers in Genesis and Reasons to Believe?

Question

What do people who agree with one of these sites think of the other? Both are sites that seek to teach the creation in accordance with the Bible. However one (AiG) is "young earth" and argues that the Bible teaches us that the world is around 6,000 years old. The other has as "Today's new reason to believe" evidence that the universe is over 13.3 billion years old.

It would seem that we have three, completely incompatible, views:
1. Evolution
2. Answers in Genesis type creation
3. Reasons to Believe type creation

Now if you agree with, say, 2 do you think BOTH 1 and 3 are appaling heresies or do you have some way of "accomodating" one whilst still believing the other is "lies"

Answer 1

I agree with #2, that the Earth is about 6,000 years old. I do believe that 1 and 3 are "appalling heresies". #3 is just a fence-sitting position that is illogical. It is impossible for both the Bible AND evolution to be correct. They are two totally opposing beliefs. Also, there are several scientific and logical ways to prove that the Day/Age theory and the Gap Theory are not plausible. There is no reason to usurp a perfectly good Bible with a dumb theory like evolution.

Answer 2

# 3 has been around for nearly 100 years. It is an attempt to compromise. At that time there were so many "missing links" being presented as proof for evolution that some theologians began to look for a way to reconcile the Bible and science. Enter the "Gap Theory". This is a fore runner of "Progressive Creationism" that Physicist Hugh Ross believes in. As it turned out, all those so called missing links turned out to be intentional frauds. But, deliberate misrepresentation within the scientific community does not get much press.However, many scientist fall into the #3 group, but #2 has many scientist also. The last poll I saw about 9 years ago places about 55% of scientist in #1, about 8% in #2, and the balance about 37% non committal, either way.
One of the biggest problems with 1&2 is time. We have no way to date things over about 5500 years and "verify" it without serious dispute. All very old dates are based on the geologic column and the index fossil. This is the standard that all radio-metric methods must meet. I don't care what method you use-if it does not match the geologic column, then it is considered faulty data. So, what I am saying is-there is no way to date bones and rocks that can be verified. Time will kill evolution.

Answer 3

The answer is in the first two verses of Genesis.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Period, end of sentence. It did not say how long ago God created the heaven and the earth.

Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

In the Hebrew verse two reads;

And the earth became waste, and empty; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

God destroy the First Earth Age due to Satan's rebellion.

Answer 4

OK I WASN'T THERE AT THE CREATION, SO I CAN'T SAY HOW OLD THE EARTH IS. I HAVE HEARD THAT WRITTEN HISTORY HAS ONLY BEEN AROUND ABOUT 12,000 YEARS. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE EARTH WASN'T AROUND LONG BEFORE THAT. I AM A CHRISTIAN AND I DO BELIEVE IN GOD'S CREATION. AND I HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS HYPOTHESIZING THE 6 DAY CREATION, BECAUSE IT ALSO STATES IN THE BIBLE THAT GOD CONSIDERS A DAY LIKE A THOUSAND YEARS. WHAT YOU THINK?

Answer 5

What would be wrong with two and three.. Just how long is a day to God? Could it last a thousand years or just a few seconds? That is what I see in my reading:
Psalms 90:4
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
So what is the big deal about how old everything is. It doesn't seem to make any difference to God... Jim

Answer 6

This is what gripes my grits. Trying to apply human standards to things superhuman. 24 hour days only exist on earth. It is different on every other planet in the solar system. The "creative days" started before there was an earth. Even on earth we refer to back in "grandfather's day" referring to not just one day but years. There is reason to believe those creative days were maybe 7000 years long. There is no clue how long it was BETWEEN the days since it did say one day ended and then another began. Sometimes in creation, you have to wait till something dries or cools, then come back to it. There is no reason to believe 24 hr creative day.

Answer 7

The bible can be interprited in many different ways. If scientists find out that the universe is let's say 50 billion years old, then the theologians would just accomodate that into their beliefs.

Answer 8

Truth doesn't break down all that easily, does it? We have scientific truth, which has compiled a great deal of evidence in support of evolution, and the mythical truth of Genesis. Genesis does not offer the same sort of truth as science.

Bruno Bettelheim once wrote a book called "The Uses of Enchantment," which described the importance of fairy tales to children. It may well be that many adults need "fairy tales" as well, to help them deal with the unanswered questions about "why we are here." This is the sort of "truth" supplied by Genesis. It is the truth of myth, which Joseph Campbell found so powerful.

We tend, we humans, to divide things into dualities. "Us vs Them," "Good Guys vs Bad Guys" and form opposing parties.

It may well be that this is a mistake when it comes to truth, and that we need both sorts.

Answer 9

I believe in 2, and believe that theories 1 and 3 are both incorrect.

Answer 10

this is nothing new...bible has been tampered by man that is the reason it has sooo many things that contradicit each other..one should only believe in a book which has not been tampered by humans..(after all, to err is human)...and is the true book of God and does not contradict with itself in any way...not even a word...what does logic say?