Is this how most Evangelicals think about science, reality, and the age of our Earth?

Question

You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years).........but you find NOTHING wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.

Answer 1

Jane's answer is rather unintentionally eloquent. It sums up in two sentences how we, as a society, have failed our young people. First she proudly announces her disdain for science while at the same time revealing that she doesn't know anything about it. Then in the next sentence she reveals the source of her backward ideas.

Answer 2

I can vouch for at least half a dozen evangelical Christians, my father and five out of seven siblings: No. (The other two sibs are agnostic.)

For one thing, your statement is rather sweepingly broad, and maybe that's intentional. But I don't often hear of evangelicals, or fundamentalists for that matter, making it their life's work to look for loopholes in this unless they're really passionate about the issue. There are such folks, of course, but they're comparatively few even if their voices are quite loud.

If the little slice of evangelicism represented by my extended family -- educated and articulate people, who are also well acquainted with Scripture -- can accept on various levels that the Genesis story and archaeological/geological evidence of the age of the earth aren't necessarily incompatible, then it's likely that many evangelicals share the viewpoint. It's really not something that keeps them up at night, you know? They realize that we don't *have* to have all the answers about this. The essentials of their faith don't hinge upon it.

Answer 3

I've said this before in a question so ...

I see science as us finding out how God did things. Lets face it, how many times have we had scientific ideas that have changed completely or had to be tweaked due to some "recent discovery."

Even though many seem to want to make the two mutually exclusive, that doesn't have to be the case.

Concerning the age of the earth, I can guess where you got something about that and I can guess that the answer is in the thousands of years old (of course this all depends on how this is translated and shoved together).

I disagree with those who translate those passages to mean that the earth is only a few thousand years old. I believe the point was that our time is NOT the same as God's time.

I see my faith in something bigger than myself no different than those who believe that life came from lifelessness (which supposedly has only happened once on this planet). My belief takes a leap of faith just as abiogenesis does.

Taking a quote from Wikipedia: "The modern concept of abiogenesis has been criticized by scientists throughout the years. Astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle did so based on the probability of abiogenesis actually occurring. Hubert Yockey did so by saying that it is closer to theology than science."

As much as Christians, Jews and Muslims can't "prove" their God in scientific ways, abiogenesis can't be proven either.

Answer 4

You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years).

Really? Is that how old the scientists of today claim the earth is? Some years ago they claimed that it was millions of years old. It's just like they used to believe that dead meat spontaneously generated maggots and now they believe that dead matter spontaneously generated life.

In any event, the Bible doesn't give an age for the earth, it only says that God made it and us and that if we don't turn to Jesus for our salvation we are doomed to spend eternity separated from God.

http://www.christianity.co.nz/science7.htm

What does Genesis 1 really teach? - seven different ways in which Genesis 1 is interpreted

As to your assertion that the authority of the Bible rests upon the writings of "Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old" that demonstrates your lack of education on what the Bible teaches and who the true divine author is.

http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/divine.htm

The Divine Inspiration
of the
Bible
by Arthur W. Pink
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table of Contents
About This Book

Title

Introduction

Chapter One: There Is a Presumption in Favor of the Bible

Chapter Two: The Perennial Freshness of the Bible Bears Witness to its Divine Inspirer

Chapter Three: The Unmistakable Honesty of the Writers of the Bible Attests to its Heavenly Origin

Chapter Four: The Character of its Teachings Evidences the Divine Authorship of the Bible

Chapter Five: The Fulfilled Prophecies of the Bible Bespeak the Omniscience of its Author

Chapter Six: The Typical Significance of the Scriptures Declare Their Divine Authorship

Chapter Seven: The Wonderful Unity of the Bible Attests its Divine Authorship

Chapter Eight: The Marvelous Influence of the Bible Declares its Super-Human Character

Chapter Nine: The Miraculous Power of the Bible Shows Forth That its Inspirer Is the Almighty

I. The Power of God's Word to Convict Men of Sin.
II. The Power of God's Word to Deliver Men From Sin.
III. The Power of God's Word Over the Human Affections.

Chapter Ten: The Completeness of the Bible Demonstrates its Divine Perfection

Chapter Eleven: The Indestructibility of the Bible Is a Proof that its Author Is Divine

Chapter Twelve: Inward Confirmation of the Veracity of the Scriptures

Chapter Thirteen: Verbal Inspiration

Chapter Fourteen: Application of the Argument

I. We Need to Seek God's Forgiveness.
II. It Is the Final Court of Appeal.
III. It Is the Ultimate Standard for Regulating Conduct.
IV. It Is a Sure Foundation for Our Faith.
V. It Has Unique Claims Upon Us.

Answer 5

scientifically established... exactly. How can someone, anyone, besides God, comprehend a few billion year, even 1 billion years. To err is human, so how can you or anyone for that matter say how old the earth is. Maybe the world is billions of years old, maybe is 7000, but while there are many different interpretations of the bible and how old the earth is, nobody but God can truely know. So i dont spend my life looking for loopholes. I recognize science is flawed, and pray that those who spend their life in trying to disprove the bible with science and instead pray that they will seek the real and only truth in the world today, God and the bible. So in essance i would take the bible over flawed science any day, of any time, of any year.

As far as evolution for me as a christian has not effected me much. The way i see it is that people came to be two ways. One - God created everything in the seven days
Two - God created small things that he lead in evolution to where we are now
The other type of evolution not involving God has been disproven and even scientists dont believe in that anymore, so i dont wory about that theory.

Answer 6

Well... - I am an Evangelical and I believe the Earth is 4.4 billion years old.
Does not conflict with the Bible or lessen God to any extent.

Answer 7

I don't spend my life looking for loopholes. I spend my life enjoying all the blessings that God has given me and trying to find ways to glorify Him in everything I do.

Answer 8

most? i don't know. but there are some who at least attempt to address scientific evidence in a more than superficial way, for example:

http://www.asa3.org/aSA/resources/CSRYoung.html
http://home.entouch.net/dmd/synop.htm

Answer 9

Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

Answer 10

There are too many big loopholes in Evolution to even bother looking for the little ones.

the earth's only about 7000 years old