Re: [asa] YEC--What can we offer them?

>
> > Christine, are you really asking how 'we' can
> >
> For example, as a geologist, Christine, is there ANY
> possibility you would consider either a 'young'
> earth,' a 'young' birth of Adam and Eve (within the
> last 10,000 years) or a view of 'science' that
> accomodates (or at least doesn't disqualify)
> 'interventions' by (a) creator God in 'natural
> processes'? In other words, are you 'closed' on the
> viewpoint of an 'old' earth? Further, what are you
> willing to do to either avoid or appease conflict?
>
> >
> G. Arago

I will answer Gregory. A geologist as a scientist should have a questioning
and quizzical attitude to the age of the earth and thus must be "open".

One of the joys of doing the history of geology is that you can see how this
open attitude worked itself out over 350 years or so. They began with a
young earth - in an open way - as there was no evidence against it and by
1680 because of open minds many realised that the earth was older than young
i.e 6000 years. The evidence convinced them.

During the 18th century more evidence convinced these open minded geologists
Christian or not and so by 1800 it was seen to be either 100000 yrs or so or
even millions. By the 1820s when geology was dominated by devout clergy
millions or "trillions" was the order of the day. (trillions from Conybeare
an evangelical) In 1905 radioactivity was applied to dating coming up first
with 2 billion and since 1946 the age has remained constant at 4.6 billion.

So today can I or anyone else consider a young earth . Well theoretically
YES, but there have to be good arguments that geologists have been wrong for
the last 300odd years and good evidence put in its place. So far all the
arguments against an old earth and for a young earth have been shown too be
fallacious or even fraudulent, so we can say that there is no possibility
that the earth is young.

We could apply much the same type of argument to consider the possibility
that the earth is flat. The answer again is NO for reasons which should be
so obvious.

This frankly is why any suggestion that the earth is young - 10000yrs - is
simply absurd

Michael

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Received on Sat Jun 30 13:50:43 2007