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How old is the earth?
AiG ^ | Bodie Hodge

Posted on 02/21/2009 6:03:46 PM PST by GodGunsGuts

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

The question of the age of the earth has produced heated discussions on debate boards, classrooms, TV, radio, and in many churches, Christian colleges, and seminaries. The primary sides are:

*Young earth proponents (biblical age of the earth and universe of about 6,000 years)1

*Old earth proponents (secular age of the earth of about 4.5 billion years and a universe about 14 billion years old)2

The difference is immense! Let’s give a little history of where these two basic calculations came from and which worldview is more reasonable...

(Excerpt) Read more at answersingenesis.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: archbishop; arthurholmes; charleslyell; comtedebuffon; condomanus; creation; dpetavius; drfloydnolanjones; drwilliamhales; efaulstich; egreswell; ereinholt; eusebius; evolution; georgescuvier; georgesyncellus; goodgodimnutz; hspondanus; intelligentdesign; jacobsalianus; jameshutton; jcappellus; jeanlamarck; johnjackson; jricciolus; juliusafricanus; marianusscotus; martinanstey; mmichaelmaestlinus; notthisshiitagain; notthisshitagain; pirrelaplace; radiometric; spam; thomaslydiat; uniformitarian; unreliable; ussher; wlange
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To: mad_as_he$$; metmom
"King James gave the translator's very specific instructions on how certain words were to be dealt with."

That just is not true. King James mostly arranged the funds. The KJV and the Geneva are almost word for word the same, except for a few notable places where better knowledge was obtained through weeks of prayer, and dilligent study, such as 1John 5:7,8.

221 posted on 02/22/2009 1:09:21 PM PST by editor-surveyor (The beginning of the O'Bummer administration looks a lot like the end of the Nixon administration)
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To: editor-surveyor
I know that you can read better than that. - There are several hundreds of verses that discuss the creation, and taken together, they are all in agreement with the six day creation.

There are zero statements in the Bible that indicate how old the earth is. Genesis 1 states that the universe was created. It is not a science book. So there is really nothing in the Bible that indicates how creation occurred or how long ago it happened. In any event how old the earth is doesn't really matter.

222 posted on 02/22/2009 1:27:54 PM PST by plain talk
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To: plain talk
"There are zero statements in the Bible that indicate how old the earth is"

That is just flat out wrong!

The geneologies do tell us quite well how old the Earth is, Your failure to understand not withstanding.

223 posted on 02/22/2009 1:31:46 PM PST by editor-surveyor (The beginning of the O'Bummer administration looks a lot like the end of the Nixon administration)
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To: editor-surveyor
Then you can go edit wiki and the hundred other places where it is true.

The Authorized King James Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible begun in 1604 and first published in 1611 by the Church of England. The Great Bible was the first "authorized version" issued by the Church of England in the reign of King Henry VIII.[4] In January 1604, King James I of England convened the Hampton Court Conference where a new English version was conceived in response to the perceived problems of the earlier translations as detected by the Puritans, a faction within the Church of England. The king gave the translators instructions designed to guarantee that the new version would conform to the ecclesiology and reflect the episcopal structure of the Church of England and its beliefs about an ordained clergy. The translation was by 47 scholars, all of whom were members of the Church of England. In common with most other translations of the period, the New Testament was translated from the Textus Receptus (Received Text) series of the Greek texts. The Old Testament was translated from the Masoretic Hebrew text, while the Apocrypha were translated from the Greek Septuagint (LXX), except for 2 Esdras, which was translated from the Latin Vulgate

224 posted on 02/22/2009 1:35:05 PM PST by mad_as_he$$ (Chevron 7 will not engage!)
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To: editor-surveyor
"There are zero statements in the Bible that indicate how old the earth is"

That is just flat out wrong! The geneologies do tell us quite well how old the Earth is,

LOL. Why? Because you said so? That is your opinion. You are free to believe what you want and free to be wrong as well. What's sad is people like you trying to ram your theology down other's throats like some Pharisee. There are zero statements in the Bible that indicate the age of the earth.

225 posted on 02/22/2009 2:20:27 PM PST by plain talk
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To: editor-surveyor

Even your creationist websites disagree with you. Give it up and go do some research.


226 posted on 02/22/2009 2:28:50 PM PST by ColdWater
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To: plain talk; editor-surveyor
"There are zero statements in the Bible that indicate how old the earth is" That is just flat out wrong!

The geneologies do tell us quite well how old the Earth is, Your failure to understand not withstanding.


Fine, then in your esteemed understanding E-S, please tell us exactly where in the Bible does it say that creation of the Earth occurred at the beginning of the night which preceded the 23rd of October 4004 BC.

A very reasoned and well reserached rebuttal to Ussher’s Chronology and the use of Biblical genealogies to date the age of the Earth:

Genealogy and Chronology
227 posted on 02/22/2009 2:34:32 PM PST by Caramelgal (When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.)
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To: editor-surveyor
Absolute dates cannot be obtained by any radiometric means, only relative differentials.

Ok. The earth is at least 4.5 billion years old, relatively speaking. At least a few mill more than 6,000, anyway.

228 posted on 02/22/2009 2:55:56 PM PST by ColdWater
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To: Caramelgal; plain talk
"Fine, then in your esteemed understanding E-S, please tell us exactly where in the Bible does it say that creation of the Earth occurred at the beginning of the night which preceded the 23rd of October 4004 BC"

Of what value is the answer to that question to you?

I believe that the date you give would be the Feast of Trumpets of that year (Yom Kippur). Whatever the year that the Earth was born, it is likely that it was the date of Trumpets. I wouldn't take Ussher as an absolute authority, although he was a great scholar. At his time most churches practiced "Replacement Theology" which was a total denial of Israel, and most prophecies, thus he was essentially ignorant of the Lord's Appointed Times.

229 posted on 02/22/2009 3:15:56 PM PST by editor-surveyor (The beginning of the O'Bummer administration looks a lot like the end of the Nixon administration)
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To: mad_as_he$$

Wiki is sooo reliable as we all know (NOT!)


230 posted on 02/22/2009 3:17:36 PM PST by editor-surveyor (The beginning of the O'Bummer administration looks a lot like the end of the Nixon administration)
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To: GodGunsGuts
I wouldn’t be to sure about that!

Indeed. It was a purposely leading statement, aimed at those who claim to fix a date certain, and not too long ago, for the Earth's beginning -- this, in a world where God controls both time and the process of creation.

The point of the claim is simple: you cannot prove to me that the world did not begin, and will end, with me. You could point to things that had to have existed before me -- and I could in turn accuse you (or God) of "planting" evidence that makes the world seem older than I am. In fact, I could make the very same arguments that the "young Earthers" generally make to the "old Earthers," and you would be left in the position of either agreeing with me, or having to argue (essentially) the "old Earth" position.

231 posted on 02/22/2009 3:23:35 PM PST by r9etb
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To: editor-surveyor
Whatever the year that the Earth was born, it is likely that it was the date of Trumpets.

Likely? Based on what? He did not ask for your "opinion". He asked you where in the Bible does it state when creation of the Earth occurred.

thus he was essentially ignorant of the Lord's Appointed Times.

As are all of us my friend. Even Jesus Christ himself said he did not know when the end was coming. Only the Father. Something to consider as you pretend to instruct us when the Earth was created.

232 posted on 02/22/2009 3:44:29 PM PST by plain talk
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To: plain talk
" Even Jesus Christ himself said he did not know when the end was coming. Only the Father."

That is the very statement that tells us to watch for the feast of trumpets, because that was the nature of Trumpets; It required astronomical observation at Jerusalem to pinpoint the time.

If you study the Hebrew idioms, you will be surprised at how much you can know.

233 posted on 02/22/2009 3:58:32 PM PST by editor-surveyor (The beginning of the O'Bummer administration looks a lot like the end of the Nixon administration)
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To: count-your-change

I looked up each one of the Bible verses you provided, and I don’t see how any one of them changes the fact that Creation Week took place over seven normal earth days, just as it is written. The sabbath day that is set aside each week for the LORD is based on the pattern that God laid down during Creation Week. The other sabbaths you mentioned have nothing to do with the weekly sabbath, other then they are set aside as a day of rest, but they are set aside for different reasons then the weekly sabbath. In short, I really don’t see how any of the verses you provided inhibit a straightforward reading of the days of creation in any way. Have you ever asked yourself why the old-earthers are going through all these exegetical contortions to read long ages into the days of creation? This wasn’t even an issue until the advent of uniformitarianism and evolution. If you asked me, the old-agers are placing the fallible “science” of men above the infallibility of the Bible when the two come into conflict. But the Bible tells us that our faith is not to rest on the wisdom of men, but rather on the Word of God. And the Word of God tells us that He created the Universe and everything in it in six days. God makes it clear that these are normal Earth days by defining them as having an evening and a morning. As such, in the conflict between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of mere mortals, I will chose God every time.


234 posted on 02/22/2009 4:14:23 PM PST by GodGunsGuts
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To: r9etb

I can prove that the Bible says the world does not begin and end with your life. The debate is what the Bible tells us about the creation of the Universe and everything in it. If you want to believe that you create the same, then you reject the Bible.


235 posted on 02/22/2009 4:35:51 PM PST by GodGunsGuts
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To: editor-surveyor
Dude THAT IS WHY I SAID "THE HUNDRED OTHER PLACES!!! You Bible thumbers cannot argue without the sarcasm. Really makes a good case. Here are some CHRISTIAN references to the "errors" and how it was done

http://www.dogpile.com/rescuefctb/ws/results/Web/king%20james%20translation%20error/1/417/TopNavigation/Relevance/iq=true/zoom=off/_iceUrlFlag=7?_IceUrl=true

236 posted on 02/22/2009 4:56:26 PM PST by mad_as_he$$ (Chevron 7 will not engage!)
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To: editor-surveyor
Oh and no wonder you are so confused if your reading and comprehension skills are no better than you demonstrate on this thread. If you think the church did not slant the KJV to their dogma I have ocean front property to sell you in Elko, NV.
237 posted on 02/22/2009 4:59:08 PM PST by mad_as_he$$ (Chevron 7 will not engage!)
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To: mad_as_he$$
"If you think the church did not slant the KJV to their dogma..."

The Lord slanted it to his 'dogma.'

238 posted on 02/22/2009 5:26:34 PM PST by editor-surveyor (The beginning of the O'Bummer administration looks a lot like the end of the Nixon administration)
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To: CottShop

“Thank you kindly, but I’ll keep exploring the intelligent Design that is obvious in nature- others can ignore it if htey like- but like God said- they will be without excuse when the judgement day roll around.”

That’s funny. Today our Gospel reading was on the last judgement.

“Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.”

God must have forgotten to add the line, “you thought the Earth was greater than 8k years old based on the best science of the time. Even though you did everything else, to hell with you.”

“Love the Lord with all your might . . . but even if ye do this, your soul shall be lost if you dare believe the Earth is greater than 8k years old.”

Ridiculous and blasphemous. You make up your own Bible to condemn those who disagree with your spurious exegeses.


239 posted on 02/22/2009 5:28:03 PM PST by cizinec (The truth is . . . . . 127!)
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To: GodGunsGuts
Well, the words of the apostle Paul are not just the words of mere mortals and his comments about that 7th. day of rest, shabath, is not without relevance to the Genesis account seeing that 7th. day is not said to end and Paul
ties it to his own day. Anyhow. I'm not going to repeat each and every point. No need.

But to reason from your point of view, of the different meanings of the word “day” you've chosen what you've termed “a straightforward reading” of literal 24 hrs. though the use of “day” doesn't require that at all.

If those 7 days were 24 hrs., then the 7th. is long over by anyone’s reckoning and Paul's words must mean something else there in Hebrews 4:4,5 and elsewhere.

Now pointing to such may seem to you “exegetical contortions” but Paul wrote under God's inspiration and his words about that 7th. Genesis day do not fit a 24 hr. day long past and completed nor must they given the meaning of “day”.

How long do I think those days were? I don't know since 24 hr. days consist of evening to evening while that 7th. day is not spoken as ending and the other six went from evening to morning not evening to evening.

In none of my comments have I appealed to the ‘fallible science of old-agers’ (using words like that will have AARP tossing stones) because I don't think the Bible indicates how much time passed between “In the beginning..” and the start of that first day.

What is meant by long ages you'll have to define since I've not used that term in describing the creative day.

240 posted on 02/22/2009 5:44:16 PM PST by count-your-change (You don't have be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
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