If the Earth is only 6,000 years old, then how do you explain farming in China 7,700 years ago?

Question

Archaeologists have determined that Chinese farmers cultivated rice along the eastern coast as far back as 7,700 years ago and used fire and flood control measures to manage their fields. Wouldn't that have been rather hard to do if (according to some literal interpretations of the Holy Bible) the Earth is only 6,000 years old?

See the full article at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071002/sc_nm/china_rice_dc

Michelle, my supposedly "incorrect assumption" is based on hard scientific evidence. What is YOUR assumption based on? A controversial, literal interpretation an anachronistic myth that has no basis in reality? Touche!

Apparently I have asked a question that is too difficult for some Christian "fundies" to answer rationally so they're resorting to personal attacks. Guess I should have expected as much.

Robert Heinlein was right when he wrote, "The great trouble with religion - ANY religion - is that a religionist, having accepted certain propositions by faith, cannot thereafter judge those propositions by evidence."

I'm not upset. After all, it only took the Catholic Church 400 years to admit they were wrong about the whole geocentric thing . . .

Answer 1

haha....I just read this too.


the idea of a 6000 year old earth is humorous.

At the time the Christian universe was being formed the ancient Sumerian's were brewing beer.

Answer 2

This is a very simple example why Christians are different than from Atheists. Most atheist don't use their God given brains to think and test a claim. But they blindly believe and agree anything which is presented in the name of science. They don't even bother to test and verify the claim of the asker if bibles actually says so. That is how blind most of you are. The bible never said the world was created 6000 years ago. They same way you have judged the bible, you have judge Christianity and God because you never really want to know or find out. Christians believe in what they belief because they have tried and tested their faith. They have read the Bible and it speaks the Truth to them. I have no problem with science but I don't agree with every scientific claims because as you would know after few years some other scientist would claim otherswise. Until up to few decades ago, aircraft aerofoil theory was founded on completely flawed theory, scientist thought they understood how aerofoil produced lift and many of the aircraft in air even today were built with that flawed notion about aerofoil. What does that shows ? Science could be wrong but still would appear true, it would only appear true for a moment until the real truth be revealed in a matter of time. There is no recorded history beyond 6000 years ago, and there is not reason why the world should have existed about billions of years ago. I would not behave like any aethiest and swear that the earth is billions of years old as I have not read the evidence and qhat methods of carbon dating was used to determine that and I don't even know if the the method they used would produce the same esults everytime the test is done. For it to be scientifically correct the experiement must be repeatable and should always give the same result and should not give a range like between 4 and 5 billions years old.

Answer 3

You keep saying the Bible says how old the earth is. Where is the scripture for that? The Bible says nothing about the age of the earth. Many Christians have even been taken up with the age using the supposition of how long Adam and Eve were in the garden. We have nothing before the sin by Eve and then by Adam in the garden. They were undoubtedly there long enough for Eve to have children because you don't increase something that has never been. Pain in childbirth was to be increased, meaning it had already been. Take a little common sense and you will see how false the claims are.

By the way, I am a very strict Christian that does not believe anything man today tells me. I ONLY depend on the Bible. I guess I am one of your stupid Christians because I believe both true science and also the Bible. They agree. See the following site:
http://www.doesgodexist.org/

The above site is written by a science teacher that knows science, the true science. Again, I am sorry I am too stupid to read and study both science and the Bible. Scientists do not agree, you know.

Answer 4

The earth is a Chinese knock-off.

BTW, no where in the bible does it say that the earth is 6000 years old. The earth could have been millions of years old before the first day of creation. It does not say how long God hovered over the earth before the six days of creation began.

" Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."

Answer 5

"About 7,700 years ago, people started to burn woody crops and there's a very high concentration of charcoal there and a decline of woody tree pollen," said Zong Yongqiang of Durham University in the United Kingdom."

Notice the first word -
About = http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/about

If I am not mistaken the number 6,000, is {reasonably close to}, {on the verge of}, {in the vicinity of}, and {near}; 7,700 --- isn't it?

Edit:

Pasta girl --- You really need to 'read' what people are posting. In no way did Michelle say or imply that she "is" a Christian.

"So, for you to dogmatically attack Christians for being dogmatic in THEIR incorrect assumptions, by utilizing your incorrect assumption, in what ways are you better than "THEY" are?"

Edit #2:
Apparently, all you know how to do is break the guidelines of this forum, by bad-mouthing Christians. But that is okay, because I am not ashamed of my faith in the LORD God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). So, if it makes you feel better and superior to others - go right ahead and continue mocking people that you don't even 'personally' know.

Answer 6

Please we're not all dumb antiscience fundies!

Several posters make the excellent point that the Bible does not give an exact age or date for creation.

That whole 6000 years thing only dates back to Bishop Ussher in the 17th century anyway!

Many believers do understand the difference between a creation myth and a scientific theory!

Answer 7

The earth is a lot more than 6,000 years old. Most Christians and Jews realize this. Try to keep up, dear.

Answer 8

You need to forget about crap like this, there is so much religious dogma surrounding truth, that it is hard to see the forest through the trees. Why don't you just concentrate on what Jesus said, instead of the words of man. The parables are clear on how to be an appropriate human being, Jesus will take care of his own business. Get right with the Lord.

Answer 9

Not that I agree with the incorrect 6000year old inference, but I also take exception to the 'Archaeologists have determined that Chinese farmers cultivated rice along the eastern coast as far back as 7,700 years ago' statement.
Why? Because apparently you like to overlook the part of the statement 'as far back as" which is just as indeterminate as the poetic language of the Bible creation.
When a scientist says 'as far back as' it is not to be taken as carved on stone fact, but is suggestive that the particular reference 'may be as old as'.
So, for you to dogmatically attack Christians for being dogmatic in their incorrect assumptions, by utilizing your incorrect assumption, in what ways are you better than they are?

Answer 10

Ugh, they couldn't put a decent argument together if their herd depended on it.

Very good point btw :)