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Thank you for the ping to your fascinating sidebar with King Prout!

It is my opinion that the point raised by Prout is the most accurate metaphysical division between the creationists and scientists: If God did make the universe, why did he lie? The answer presented by Prout is that God didn't lie, he made a work of art. And the mistake, according to this alternative point of view, is to have taken the indications in the art seriously.

I strongly agree with the metaphor of creation as a work of art made by God - which must be understood with the full appreciation not only of the physical but the Spiritual.

But, of a truth, I see the young earth creationist's difficulty as a matter of doctrine - most especially, how these passages are discerned:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. — Romans 5:12–14

So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit. Howbeit that [was] not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven. As [is] the earthy, such [are] they also that are earthy: and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.— I Corinthians 15:42–48

A number of confessions see Adam as the first ensouled man – while others see Adam as the first mortal man.

Of those who see him as the first mortal man, there are some who believe God created an old looking universe about 6,000 years ago (Gosse Omphalos hypothesis) and there are some who believe the physical evidence will comport with a 6,000 year age. But both are a statement of faith and facts cannot trump Truth.

For me there is no inconsistency with the time involved due to inflationary theory and relativity, i.e. 6 equivalent days at the inception space/time coordinates are equal to approximately 15 billion years at our space/time coordinates. Also I have no problem with Adam, since I discern Genesis 1 and 2 speaking of the creation of both the spiritual and the physical worlds – that Adam was banished to mortality in Genesis 4.