Age of the Earth

[LittleFish]

I don't agree with that statement. I don't think we should say that either you believe this particular interpretation of this passage or you are undermining the entire Bible. You may not have known, but I have expressed my opinions about the age of the earth and the first chapters in Genesis some time ago, and I would have to say that it probably is a small minority view. I don't think I want to go over all of that again because I don't think it is really important. But you probably know that one of our favorite Bible teachers believed that the earth was probably billions of years old.

I don't agree with it either. And I'm sorry I missed that thread and your posts in it, Forty9er.

My first exposure to the gap theory was a Scofield Bible in my early 20's. I tried to search for the reference since I have lost track of that text, may have lent it out to someone, but anyway, it just made sense to me as an explanation of how things an be buried in the earth for thousands, millions, of years. I know the Holy Bible is true about the Creation account and all that has happened since, and the gap theory seemed to explain the rest. And, yes, I remember Dr. McGee believed in the old earth as well. In fact (coincidence?) he is mentioned in the article where I found this paragraph, with which I do agree:

It should be understood that the Bible is not a book about the heavens…but a book about how to get there. It is not intended to give a strict, scientific account of how the earth and the heavens were created. It is just stating the fact that God created and that’s enough for us to know. If God had wanted us to know exactly how old the earth is, then He would have given us more precise information. No one was alive to report to us the exact date and time of the creation. Does it really matter just how old the earth is? Should this be a divisive issue? I do not believe that it should.

Though it is still worthy of discussion, if parties are interested. I'll try to find the thread where you shared your views and link to it from this one. I didn't see a thread on the topic in my pre-post search, but I seem to not understand how to use search here all that well. Often have trouble finding something on the board and then someone else pulls it right up and links it.

[Sherree]

Thanks, LittleFish. The link is working now. However, I can't go along with this statement, either.

What is at stake here is the authority of Scripture, the character of God, the doctrine of death, and the very foundation of the gospel. If the early chapters of Genesis are not true literal history, then faith in the rest of the Bible is undermined, including its teaching about salvation and morality. I urge you to carefully read the other chapters in this book. The health of the church, the effectiveness of her mission to a lost world, and the glory of God are at stake.

I happen to believe the so-called "Gap" theory, and it doesn't undermine the authority of Scripture at all. Other Christians have differing views on the age of the Earth, which, in my mind at least, also doesn't undermine the authority of Scripture, God's character, or the Gospel.

As with so many other Christian writings, a viewpoint is offered up as truth, and judgement and condemnation is made on those who do not agree with said viewpoint.

[LittleFish]

I would enjoy talking about this, with anyone.

However, if some one is interested in listening to a debate on this subject I will list one below.

It's between Dr. Kent Hovind and Hugh Ross. Young earther, and old earther. I admit Hovind is a bit weird, but the facts he presents seem to be right on, even though I haven't listed to this debate, I have listened to him before. I also learn a lot from Hugh Ross.

Hummm I keep getting an error on the vid.

So you can google it, or search for it on youtube.com and there are a bunch of 'em, by various persons.

CaryC, about the post you made earlier that I didn't quote, I'm not calling you out. It's that your post made me think of this. I was giving you credit for posting something thought-provoking. Sorry if it seemed otherwise the way I typed it in the OP. Also, I didn't notice it was in the RC. I do 'new post' searches and go by title. I should start paying more attention to which sub-forum posts are in.

Now, if we're going into discussion, I'll go there, although posting might be sporadic today since we have a bit going on at the house. Probably not the best time for me to open a thread for discussion but I wasn't thinking about that earlier. Duh on me.

There is another explanation, possibly, that even some believers will laugh at once I state it. I do not expect anyone to support it, and it may not seem worthy of discussion at all. No hard feelings if that is the case.

That is, what if all of the older fossil records and discoveries are all artificial artifacts placed by the satan and his minions intended to tempt us to question God's Word? What if the same is true of the dating methods used to date them? Maybe it didn't take mountains and canyons millions of years to form but mere decades, years, days in some cases. Maybe that village with pottery carbon dated (or whatever method is used) isn't really 25,000 years old but 5,000. Maybe 100 -- placed by the great deceiver just in time to be discovered and falsely dated? That sort of thing.

Here's a link to the Ross-Hovind debate. It's more than 2 hours long, so I'll have to listen another day. I am familiar with the claims of Ken Ham, probably similar, but I will listen to it.

[LittleFish]

I hope no one minds me contributing.

Not at all -- everyone is welcome!

"With what matters did God concern Himself with for that eternity before He created anything?"

Sherree has mentioned war in heaven with a third of the angels being banned with the satan. There is no detail given on how long this lasted or what the satan did and how God responded other than the end result.

However, I do not think that we are necessarily God's first creation. Well, we clearly are not, for the angels are created beings and existed long before us. And I say long before us when I don't know if the duration of their existence was measured prior to the present age. So many questions.

God tells us what we need to know to be with Him after this age, and we are promised that all will be clear then. Some might say the secrets of all that is or ever was is a stretch for 1 Corinthians 13:12, but I'm hoping they're all included. At least most of them.

[Sherree]

CaryC, about the post you made earlier that I didn't quote, I'm not calling you out. It's that your post made me think of this. I was giving you credit for posting something thought-provoking. Sorry if it seemed otherwise the way I typed it in the OP. Also, I didn't notice it was in the RC. I do 'new post' searches and go by title. I should start paying more attention to which sub-forum posts are in.

LOL, Cary was just messing with you. Ya just got to know his sense of humor!

[Sherree]

However, I do not think that we are necessarily God's first creation. Well, we clearly are not, for the angels are created beings and existed long before us. And I say long before us when I don't know if the duration of their existence was measured prior to the present age. So many questions.

I also agree with you here, LF. Somewhere in Scripture it mentions the "Book of the Wars (plural) of the Lord". I've always seen that as things that happened in eternity past.

[LittleFish]

I'm a 'young earther'; but not too concerned either way...

Exo 20:11 “For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore יהוה blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart.

2Pe 3:8 But, beloved ones, let not this one matter be hidden from you: that with יהוה one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

I'm not too concerned either. The Word of God is Truth. We may speculate alongside a proper understanding of it so long as we first and always uphold the Truth.

[Forty9er]

I would enjoy talking about this, with anyone.

Although I don't really want to debate the issue, I can recommend a couple of books by Christians who believe in the Bible and are scientists who also believe in an old earth. The first one is "Creation and Evolution, Rethinking the Evidence from Science and the Bible", by Dr. Alan Hayward. And the second is "A Biblical Case for an Old Earth", by Dr. David Snoke.

I have both books and the back cover of Hayward's book has the following:

"Bowing neither to theistic evolution nor scientific creationism, Hayward writes from the perspective of a Christian physicist committed both to a high view of Scripture and to rigorous honesty with scientific data."

And in the preface to Snoke's book he writes the following:

"In this book I argue that the old-earth position is a valid, conservative, and orthodox interpretation of the Bible."

While I don't necessarily agree 100% with either author, I think you will find their ideas interesting.

[Forty9er]

I don't agree with it either. And I'm sorry I missed that thread and your posts in it, Forty9er.

Well, it was a while ago and I doubt you will be able to find it. BTW, I can almost never find what I search for in this forum although I know it exists, or used to. Maybe that is by design.

And, yes, I remember Dr. McGee believed in the old earth as well. In fact (coincidence?) he is mentioned in the article where I found this paragraph, with which I do agree:

It should be understood that the Bible is not a book about the heavens…but a book about how to get there. It is not intended to give a strict, scientific account of how the earth and the heavens were created. It is just stating the fact that God created and that’s enough for us to know. If God had wanted us to know exactly how old the earth is, then He would have given us more precise information. No one was alive to report to us the exact date and time of the creation. Does it really matter just how old the earth is? Should this be a divisive issue? I do not believe that it should.

Now that statement is something I can agree with too! Unfortunately, there have been way too many times in history where people have made statements about what they believe is scientific fact which they base on the Bible and it turns out not to be true.

[Look4Truth]

Truth In Genesis
Published on Aug 26, 2012


Description: Giving scientific evidence to prove a literal six-day creation, Dr. Kent Hovind refutes evolution's proposition that the earth has evolved over billions of years. The first of seven in the seminar series, The Age of the Earth, uncovers the follies of the Big Bang theory as well as exposing the religious beliefs of evolution.

This is the best documentary on the subject that I've found. The evidence points toward a young earth, not old. The great flood changed the planetary systems drastically and quickly, the video explains it in depth.