"Darwin's theory required the earth to be several hundred years old."
I suppose you meant "several hundred million years old."
I believe Crick (of Watson and Crick fame) currently thinks life must have originated off earth, as he believes there was not enough time for life to originate on the earth.
You've clearly given this some thought. If dating methods differ, what does this imply about dating methods? Do you think there is a reliable way to date the earth? If so, what? And how old? I'd be curious to know your views.
Several hundred, several hundred million -- what's the difference among friends?