[asa] Old Earth/Young life creationism - (from Oklo as graveyard)

Here's a new one I came across today. I'm wondering if anyone else has
encountered this particular species of creationist.

I had passed on George's very interesting post about Oklo to a couple
creationists I know and am attempting to reason with. (To be honest I'm
beginning to lose heart - I think I've made more progress debating with
Moonies in the past).

One of them dismissed George's arguments out of hand because he said he
didn't believe in the Big Bang or Stellar Evolution, so the argument meant
nothing to him.

The other one came up with the theory that the earth had lain "void and
empty" for potentially billions of years before God spoke light into
existence on Day 1. It was his opinion that this time allowed for
radioactive decays to occur to explain radio-dating, and that Oklo could
have happened during this time. He said that the creation of light had
nothing to do with rocks. I rebutted this patently ridiculous argument by
pointing out that rocks and chemical elements can't exist without the
electromagnetic interaction mediated by the exchange of virtual photons -
that radioactive decays emit gamma photons, and even visible light in the
form of Cerenkov radiation is emitted (particularly with high energy beta
decays - I've seen the spent reactor ponds at Harwell to prove it!!). Hence
this theory means that light existed before it was created!

What I'm wondering is if this view, which he described as "Old Earth/Young
life Creationism" has any following in the mainstream creation/id camps, and
if so, whether there should be come swift rebuttal along the lines of "What
about Cerenkov radiation - which is light by any definition you care to
mention?".

Iain

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After the game, the King and the pawn go back in the same box.
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