[__ Science __ ] Age of earth

[Taafe]

I’m a new Christian but I have a few questions regarding the age of the earth.
I’ve heard people say the earth is approx. 6000 years old.
The problem with this statement is that scientists prove otherwise and I find it difficult to believe.

Would like to see other people's opinions on this new or long-term Christians.

Thanks

 

[WIP]

I’m a new Christian but I have a few questions regarding the age of the earth.
I’ve heard people say the earth is approx. 6000 years old.
The problem with this statement is that scientists prove otherwise and I find it difficult to believe.

Would like to see other people's opinions on this new or long-term Christians.

Thanks

I don't know that scientists have proved anything in this regard. More accurately, they present very strong evidence based on what is known or believed to be known or understood at this time from the evidence that has been found. We have a limited understanding so scientists and we can only understand within those limits. My best answer is that it really doesn't matter. God teaches us what we need to know and when we need to know it.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
1 Corinthians 13:11-12 NKJV

Just my .

 

[Who Me]

I’m a new Christian but I have a few questions regarding the age of the earth.
I’ve heard people say the earth is approx. 6000 years old.
The problem with this statement is that scientists prove otherwise and I find it difficult to believe.

Would like to see other people's opinions on this new or long-term Christians.

Thanks

The answer boils down to a matter of authority and how one interprets the bible.

Authority:- is the bible.e really the word of God or is Authority only in the views and opinions of men.
Interpreting the bible:- There are two ways of doing this, the first is to read what is there, while the other method is to read what one's preconceived ideas tell you it should say.

So if the bible says the world was made in 6 days, what scientists etc say about the age of the earth cannot be correct.

May I suggest that you investigate answersingenesis or creation.com for what they have to say about the science.

 

[Free]

I’m a new Christian but I have a few questions regarding the age of the earth.
I’ve heard people say the earth is approx. 6000 years old.
The problem with this statement is that scientists prove otherwise and I find it difficult to believe.

Would like to see other people's opinions on this new or long-term Christians.

Thanks

I, too, find it difficult to believe and hold to an old age view. There are at least three main frameworks which are used to understand what the Bible says about the creation of the universe, and each can lie on a spectrum. One of those is the six, 24-hr days about 6,000 years ago. The other two are understandings which allow for an old age of the earth. So, there are many different ways in which the creation accounts are understood. We have to keep in mind that the Bible and science do agree, somehow, but that the Bible is the ultimate authority.

The important points in the creation accounts are who they say created everything, and what they tell us about who God is, who humans are, why we were created, and what happened to get us into the state of sin we find ourselves in. That sets up the whole story of the Bible and shows us why we needed the Son of God to die for us.

 

[Eli1+]

I’m a new Christian but I have a few questions regarding the age of the earth.
I’ve heard people say the earth is approx. 6000 years old.
The problem with this statement is that scientists prove otherwise and I find it difficult to believe.

Would like to see other people's opinions on this new or long-term Christians.

Thanks

Don't worry about the people who say the Earth is 6000 years old or if the universe was created in precise 24-hour days.
You're in your journey and they are on theirs.

 

[Uncle J]

I’m a new Christian but I have a few questions regarding the age of the earth.
I’ve heard people say the earth is approx. 6000 years old.
The problem with this statement is that scientists prove otherwise and I find it difficult to believe.

Would like to see other people's opinions on this new or long-term Christians.

Thanks

I know you didn't ask for non-Christians to weigh in, so feel free to ignore my post.

From what I've seen over the years, it largely comes down to what sort of question you see "how old is the earth" to be. Do you see it as a scientific question, a theological question, or something else?

If you see it as a theological question, I can't help you much there since I'm not at all religious.

If you see it as a scientific question, then it's easy....the earth is most definitely older than 6,000 years. That's been scientifically known for about two centuries. Scientists back in the 1800's (most of whom were Christian btw) had already seen enough to realize that the earth was quite ancient. The main thing after that was pinning down an actual age, which was eventually determined to be 4.6 billion years old.

If you see it as "something else", I'd be quite interested to hear what that is. I typically don't debate young-earthism, because it's just barely above flat-earthism on the absurdity scale, but I'm always interested to hear new views and positions.

 

[Free]

If you see it as a scientific question, then it's easy....the earth is most definitely older than 6,000 years. That's been scientifically known for about two centuries. Scientists back in the 1800's (most of whom were Christian btw) had already seen enough to realize that the earth was quite ancient. The main thing after that was pinning down an actual age, which was eventually determined to be 4.6 billion years old.

And many current Christian scientists hold to an old age view of the earth.

 

[Uncle J]

And many current Christian scientists hold to an old age view of the earth.

Very true...good point.

 

[Enlightenedtruth]

My understanding is scientist present a theory; if other scientist agree with that theory; then they present that as the "mainstream belief" of what is. That in no way makes it true.

 

[JT4444]

I’m a new Christian but I have a few questions regarding the age of the earth.
I’ve heard people say the earth is approx. 6000 years old.
The problem with this statement is that scientists prove otherwise and I find it difficult to believe.

Would like to see other people's opinions on this new or long-term Christians.

Thanks

Have a look at the work of Dr. Gerald Schroeder, a PhD from MIT who is an expert in physics and the relationship between science and religion.

The Hebrew calendar begins with Adam receiving his "neshama" (soul), which happened midway through the sixth day of Creation. The first 5.5 days of Creation are not from a human perspective. This time expands to about 15 billion years with the expansion of space-time.

 

[JT4444]

My understanding is scientist present a theory; if other scientist agree with that theory; then they present that as the "mainstream belief" of what is. That in no way makes it true.

Scientists put their theories to the test. They use the scientific method and experimentation to establish what is true. It's not just the opinion of other scientists that is used to decide what is true.

 

[Barbarian]

Don't worry about the people who say the Earth is 6000 years old or if the universe was created in precise 24-hour days.
You're in your journey and they are on theirs.

Yes, it makes no difference to your relationship with God if you take the creation story as figurative or if you interpret it to be a literal account.

 

[Barbarian]

My understanding is scientist present a theory; if other scientist agree with that theory; then they present that as the "mainstream belief" of what is.

No. A hypothesis makes testable predictions about things. Scientists go out and test those predictions. If they are verified, then the hypothesis is considered an established theory. It depends on evidence.

That in no way makes it true.

In science, truth is always provisional on new evidence. Some creationists say the evidence for a very old Earth is "apparent age" or "virtual history", having been created 6,000 years ago to appear very old.

Dr. Aardsma

Biographical information about the founder of The Biblical Chronologist, Dr. Gerald E. Aardsma.

www.biblicalchronologist.org

The Omphalos hypothesis is one attempt to reconcile the scientific evidence that the Earth is billions of years old with a literal interpretation of the Genesis creation narrative, which implies that the Earth is only a few thousand years old.[1] It is based on the religious belief that the universe was created by a divine being, within the past six to ten thousand years (in keeping with flood geology), and that the presence of objective, verifiable evidence that the universe is older than approximately ten millennia is due to the creator introducing false evidence that makes the universe appear significantly older.

Omphalos hypothesis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

While that is consistent with the evidence, it is not consistent with God as being a God of truth.

 

[Enlightenedtruth]

While that is consistent with the evidence, it is not consistent with God as being a God of truth.

I do not know anything about this "carbon dating" or any other scientific process that they use in determining the age of this universe, to me these scientist do nothing except make guesses and say that is that. I am of the opinion that Father would never deceive us or try to mislead us in any fashion; it is the conclusions of men that will confuse and mislead.

 

[JT4444]

The answer boils down to a matter of authority and how one interprets the bible.

Authority:- is the bible.e really the word of God or is Authority only in the views and opinions of men.
Interpreting the bible:- There are two ways of doing this, the first is to read what is there, while the other method is to read what one's preconceived ideas tell you it should say.

So if the bible says the world was made in 6 days, what scientists etc say about the age of the earth cannot be correct.

May I suggest that you investigate answersingenesis or creation.com for what they have to say about the science.

Except for the fact that time is relative. You can reconcile what science says about the age of the universe and Genesis.

 

[Barbarian]

I do not know anything about this "carbon dating" or any other scientific process that they use in determining the age of this universe

You can't use C-14 to get the age of the Earth, much less the age of the universe.

to me these scientist do nothing except make guesses and say that is that.

Guess how I know you don't know what the evidence scientists find is like.

I am of the opinion that Father would never deceive us or try to mislead us in any fashion

This is why I accept that the Earth is very old. He wouldn't fake evidence to fool us.

 

[Barbarian]

You can reconcile what science says about the age of the universe and Genesis.

Today's winner.

 

[Who Me]

Except for the fact that time is relative. You can reconcile what science says about the age of the universe and Genesis.

Unfortunately that is nonsense.
Time is relative in relation to the speed one is traveling at. The closer to the speed of light the slower time is.
Time on earth is not relative, it passed at the same rate for Adam as it did for the pilgrim Father's, as it does for us.

How one understands scientific facts depends on the biases one brings to those facts.

 

[Enlightenedtruth]

This is why I accept that the Earth is very old. He wouldn't fake evidence to fool us.

Everything on this earth does serve a purpose, just because a person doesn't understand it doesn't mean it is a matter to "fool us".
I would like to know which scientific study or experiment has proven that carbon emissions are the primary reason for this global warming? And if carbon emissions are holding the heat in; why isn't that heat steadily increasing all over the planet? From reading the news some days are hotter than others (in the summer time of each hemisphere).

 

[Barbarian]

Everything on this earth does serve a purpose, just because a person doesn't understand it doesn't mean it is a matter to "fool us".

Sorry, not a good excuse. God is not deceptive. And "He had to do it to make things work" is just a dodge.

I would like to know which scientific study or experiment has proven that carbon emissions are the primary reason for this global warming?

For one thing, James Hansen accurately predicted today's warming about thirty-five years ago, using only atmospheric carbon dioxide.

And if carbon emissions are holding the heat in; why isn't that heat steadily increasing all over the planet?

It is. Weather varies, but climate continues to warm.

From reading the news some days are hotter than others (in the summer time of each hemisphere).

Weather isn't climate. But year after year, the temps rise.