Is the earth only a few thousand years old?

[Altfish]

A larger font would be more convincing...lol

It was copy and paste from the thread heading

 

[sayak83]

This came as a surprise for me, though I knew there are many people, especially Christians who believe the earth was somewhere like 6,000 years old due to the timelines provided in the Bible. The Bible does provide a time line and some have ventured to calculate the age of the earth. Well, it does seem like it is a 6000 plus year timeline. Though I know that this belief is there, unexpectedly in a conversation regarding Noah and the flood, a YEC doctrine came up again with carbon dating and the non-existence of carbon beyond a certain point. I am not a science major for sure, but as kids we all learn about carbon dating. So its pretty easy for anyone to understand it. Also, since carbon dating is extensively used in dating documents of old, it is a pretty well known subject. To make a claim like "Carbon 14 didnt exist" during a particular time (In this case 3000 years ago to be specific) one has to make the case that no living thing existed prior to that time. Wow. That was a surprise.

The method of carbon dating itself runs up to 60000 years in age. But the claim is the earth is 6000 years old. Also this is neglecting the other methodologies of radiometric dating.

Is the idea of a 6k year old earth absurd and absolutely unscientific? Or, do Christians who still have this idea have some solid foundation scientifically?

Please check out my posts in this thread as well.
Evidence for an ancient earth

 

[exchemist]

Don't even get me started on why Australians have not fallen off completely...

That called to mind this video:

 

[firedragon]

Please check out my posts in this thread as well.
Evidence for an ancient earth

Thank you. I will check for sure.

 

[Colt]

What aspects of the universe are eternal?

The eternal God and all substance associated with God. God inhabits the never beginning, never ending circle of infinity. Time is a shadow of the eternal.

 

[firedragon]

The eternal God and all substance associated with God. God inhabits the never beginning, never ending circle of infinity. Time is a shadow of the eternal.

I thought you spoke of the universe since you said the word "universe". But it seems like you are speaking of God now.

 

[Colt]

I thought you spoke of the universe since you said the word "universe". But it seems like you are speaking of God now.

I see, good point, God would be pre-universe but in existence none the less.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Not really if you read the book. It is speaking of nightfall, and morning, day and night, one day, the next day, and six days.

Read Genesis.



Not if you just read it without having a baggage and super impose it on the simple text.

Each religion goes through a dawn, sunrise, midday sun and then sunset. Or a spring, summer, autumn then winter.

 

[halbhh]

There is. You have to gather it, its not in one page.

I wouldn't buy that bridge for sale if I were you. Here's why:

'Young Earth' is actually manufactured by adding extra ideas not suggested in the text.

Here's one of those added extraneous ideas painted in by the 'young Earth' theory, but not in the text --

The invented extraneous idea (or illogical assumption) that little or no time passes during --

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

As anyone can see, the text doesn't specify how much time passes during verse 1... but after that unknown amount of time, eventually, there comes this special moment, which happens after the heavens and earth are in existence --

2 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.

Genesis 1

So, you can buy that bridge in Manhattan, 'young Earth', but I would not if I were you.

 

[firedragon]

Each religion goes through a dawn, sunrise, midday sun and then sunset. Or a spring, summer, autumn then winter.

But that's not what the text says.

 

[firedragon]

I wouldn't buy that bridge for sale if I were you. Here's why:

'Young Earth' is very similar to the 'flat earth' invention -- it depends on manufacturing a theory by adding extra ideas not suggested in the text.

I dont buy it. I was only quoting the book.

 

[halbhh]

I don’t know how old the earth is. I am ok with either young or old earth or middle age earth.

Since the 1950s we've had a pretty consistent estimate based on radioactive decay that Earth appears to be about 4.54 billion years old within about 1%. This fits Genesis chapter 1 perfectly well, as would 9 seconds or 30 billion years, since we learn in 1rst Samuel chapter 3 that such things as Genesis chapter 1 are given by visions, so much like Peter's vision in Acts chapter 10. While in the vision representative days are shown, perhaps in a representative way (as in a vision would by typical) of moments in time, or even days taken from the stream of eons of time. Regardless, Time itself is only like an object or plaything for the One Who is above it and timeless. For Him, perhaps a billion years is perhaps like a week long vacation, or perhaps like the blink of an eye should He chose. Or a day, or an afternoon. A moment to move among the stars.

 

[Vinayaka]

This came as a surprise for me, though I knew there are many people, especially Christians who believe the earth was somewhere like 6,000 years old due to the timelines provided in the Bible. The Bible does provide a time line and some have ventured to calculate the age of the earth. Well, it does seem like it is a 6000 plus year timeline. Though I know that this belief is there, unexpectedly in a conversation regarding Noah and the flood, a YEC doctrine came up again with carbon dating and the non-existence of carbon beyond a certain point. I am not a science major for sure, but as kids we all learn about carbon dating. So its pretty easy for anyone to understand it. Also, since carbon dating is extensively used in dating documents of old, it is a pretty well known subject. To make a claim like "Carbon 14 didnt exist" during a particular time (In this case 3000 years ago to be specific) one has to make the case that no living thing existed prior to that time. Wow. That was a surprise.

The method of carbon dating itself runs up to 60000 years in age. But the claim is the earth is 6000 years old. Also this is neglecting the other methodologies of radiometric dating.

Is the idea of a 6k year old earth absurd and absolutely unscientific? Or, do Christians who still have this idea have some solid foundation scientifically?

I am no longer surprised by what anyone says. In some minds, nonsensical belief is hard-wired, and as set as stone. There is absolutely no point entering a discussion with some folks. The proverbial brick wall awaits.

 

[halbhh]

Each religion goes through a dawn, sunrise, midday sun and then sunset. Or a spring, summer, autumn then winter.

Of course the person writing the text wasn't there. So, the chapter reads like a vision as one might expect since that's the way such as Genesis chapter 1 could be easily communicated. And, in the collection of scripture we call the 'bible' it's clear that visions are the normal way God communicates to us (we generally could not survive seeing Him face to face or such): e.g. -- "The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions." Words are given often in visions also, ala that of Peter in Acts chapter 10. None of this is hard to see once we read fully through the text and see the patterns and indications.

 

[firedragon]

I am no longer surprised by what anyone says. In some minds, nonsensical belief is hard-wired, and as set as stone. There is absolutely no point entering a discussion with some folks. The proverbial brick wall awaits.

There are times when some belief seems nonsensical, but I engage anyway because what I think nonsensical without consideration could be valid as well. It has happened before.

 

[halbhh]

I am no longer surprised by what anyone says. In some minds, nonsensical belief is hard-wired, and as set as stone. There is absolutely no point entering a discussion with some folks. The proverbial brick wall awaits.

There's a lot of opposition to God as shown in the bible, which is indicative that the text isn't trivial. It's a challenging text that confronts people because it shows humans -- each and all of us -- as being as likely to do evil actions as we are to do good actions, for one thing.

People like to imagine themselves as good, and don't want to see themselves as often having done wrongs such as ignoring others, slighting others, and so on. Most young people in America for instance don't like to have to admit they need something to improve their character. Add to that plenty of overly controlling parents, and you have commonplace rebellion, which isn't new, but is as old as the hills.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

It was copy and paste from the thread heading

That seems like a sane reason, but I'd much rather imagine you agonizing over 40 point vs 48 point font to REALLY get you point across, whilst chuckling maniacally.

 

[Vinayaka]

There's a lot of opposition to God as shown in the bible, which is indicative that the text isn't trivial. It's a challenging text that confronts people because it shows humans -- each and all of us -- as being as likely to do evil actions as we are to do good actions, for one thing.

People like to imagine themselves as good, and don't want to see themselves as often having done wrongs such as ignoring others, slighting others, and so on. Most young people in America for instance don't like to have to admit they need something to improve their character. Add to that plenty of overly controlling parents, and you have commonplace rebellion, which isn't new, but is as old as the hills.

I've never read the Christian bible, and it's irrelevant to my world view. Many young people in America are upstanding citizens, and they become doctors, honorable business folk, and more, despite the lack of guidance from some parents. In some cases, it is they who should be doing the guiding. But it's a vast diverse planet we live on, and it takes all kinds.

 

[Vinayaka]

There are times when some belief seems nonsensical, but I engage anyway because what I think nonsensical without consideration could be valid as well. It has happened before.

I used to engage more, but have become cynical (or wiser) due to the overall lack of movement of the brick wall.

 

[firedragon]

I used to engage more, but have become cynical (or wiser) due to the overall lack of movement of the brick wall.

Your prerogative.

Cheers.