The document discusses the conflict between scientific understanding of the Earth's age and the Biblical creation account in Genesis, presenting various interpretations of creation, including young earth and old earth views. It cites perspectives from notable scientists and theologians regarding the compatibility of science and religion, emphasizing the role of personal belief in interpreting evidence. Ultimately, it argues that the debate over creation should not impede faith and outlines different orthodox views related to the Genesis creation narrative.

2. THE QUESTION: Science tells us that the earth is billions of years old, but the creation account in Genesis seems to indicate that the earth is really just thousands of years old. How can the Bible be true if it can’t get that right?

3. “ The problem is get [people] to reject irrational and supernatural explanations of the world, the demons that exist only in their imaginations, and to accept a social and intellectual apparatus, Science, as the only begetter of truth.” - Richard Lewontin, Harvard Geneticist “ I am all in favor of a dialogue between science and religion, but not a constructive dialogue. One of the great achievements of science has been, if not to make it impossible for an intelligent person to be religious, then at least to make it possible for them not to be religious. We should not retreat from this accomplishment.” - Steven Weinberg, Physicist “ Any debate with creationists would give them the oxygen of respectability.” - Richard Dawkins, Evolutionist/Atheist

4. “ In some ways these chapters [Genesis 1-11] are the most important ones in the Bible, for they put man in his cosmic setting and show him his peculiar uniqueness. They explain man’s wonder and yet his flaw. Without a proper understanding of these chapters we have no answer to the problems of metaphysics, morals, or epistemology, and furthermore, the work of Christ becomes one more upper-story “religious” answer.” - Francis Schaeffer, Genesis in Space and Time

5. Primary Cause Secondary Cause Theism Naturalism Theistic Creation Theistic Evolution Naturalistic Creation Naturalistic Evolution

6. Naturalistic Evolution – No God involved in creation; things emerged by pure, natural processes. Naturalistic Creation – No theistic Creator beyond the world; only a creative Mind within the universe that creates. Theistic Evolution – God directly created the universe, but living things emerged under His control by largely natural processes. Theistic Creation – God directly created the universe, living things, and human beings. How many things were originally created and how much time it took to create them is debated 4 Basic Views of Origins

7. Time Force Action Space Matter “ In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1 Spencer was an evolutionist and coined the phrase “survival of the fittest” Herbert Spencer on categories of reality Time Force Action Space Matter

8. Young Earth – Earth is thousands of years old. Standard Six-Day Creation Ideal-Time Old Earth – Earth could be millions/billions of years old. Long ‘Days’ Revelatory-Days Day-Age Literary Framework Gap View 7 Orthodox Views of Theistic Creation

9. Young earth category Interprets Genesis literally and chronologically Natural reading of the text presents the case that the six days in Genesis 1 are six normal 24-hour days The normal use of the word ‘Yom’, the numbered series, and the repetition of ‘evening and morning’ support six days of creation Comparison with a six-day work week (Ex. 20:11) supports six days of creation Six-Day Creation View

10. Young earth category All things were created with the appearance of age. For example, Adam may have looked 30 years old when he was created but was only seconds old Applies to all things including the earth, trees, etc. Would cause certain scientific tests to arrive at incorrect conclusions Ideal-Time View

11. Old earth category Proposes both biblical and scientific evidence to support the view that the ‘days’ of Genesis are actually long periods of time ‘ Yom’ (Hebrew word for day) often means more than just a 24-hour period of time. “Day” is from God’s perspective "This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven." (Genesis 2:4) Seventh “day” has been thousands of years long (God still resting Long ‘Days’ View

12. Third day may be longer than 24 hours. "The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:12). Process seems to be natural, not supernatural Sixth day may be longer than 24 hours. Land animals, man, woman created, and Adam names the animals Speed of light and rate of expansion of the universe Scientific dating of rocks and the rate that salt runs into the sea and the amount of salt there seems to indicate long ‘days’ Long ‘Days’ View

13. Old earth category Asserts that the six days were 24-hour days of revelation that God gave to Moses who wrote Genesis Just as God used visions to reveal future events to his prophets, this view asserts that God revealed a past series of events to Moses regarding creation Some say “asah” used in Exodus 20:11 can mean “reveal: “ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:11) Revelatory Days View

14. Old earth category Asserts that the six days were 24-hour days of actual creation Between each day there was a long period of time where things took place Third day indicates a process may be involved that took longer than 24 hours. "The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:12) Day-Age View

15. Old earth category Asserts that the six days were an ancient literary device that was sometimes used to frame certain periods of time in order to encapsulate them in literary form much like we use a ‘chapter’ in a book to do the same “ Morning” and “Evening” were natural ways to point to a beginning and an end Held by Augustine who believed God created everything instantly, but used a allegorical framework to convey His work However, Genesis doesn’t seem to be the genre of poetry Literary Framework View

16. Old earth category Thomas Chalmers early champion States that there is a gap of time either between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 or there was a gap of time that occurred prior to 1:1 Lucifer was originally given dominion of the earth as the ‘covering cherub’, but when he sinned, God judged both him and his domain The six days of creation in Genesis are not an original creation, but a reconstruction of the earth God then granted a new steward – man – to be in charge of the remade earth Gap/Ruin-Reconstruction View

17. Original creation of Heavens and earth; Lucifer given dominion Untold number of years Fall of Lucifer; he and earth judged by God Gen. 1:1 Untold number of years God remakes earth and gives it to Adam Gen. 1:2-31 Is. 14:12-14 Ez. 28:12-17 2 Peter 3:3-6 Human history up until now… Fall of man; Satan regains earth ?of years Gen. 3 Gap/Ruin-Reconstruction View

18. " In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void , and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (Genesis 1:1-2) “ formless” = “tohuw”; literally “a wreck/chaos” “ void” = “bohuw”; literally “a waste” "For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it “tohuw” , but formed it to be inhabited), “I am the Lord, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:18) Only used in 2 other places (Jer. 4:23, Isa. 34:11); describes divine judgment Gap/Ruin-Reconstruction View

19. " In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void , and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (Genesis 1:1-2) “ formless” = “tohuw”; literally “a wreck/chaos” “ void” = “bohuw”; literally “a waste” "I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the Lord, before His fierce anger." (Jeremiah 4:23-26) Only used in 2 other places (Jer. 4:23, Isa. 34:11); describes divine judgment Gap/Ruin-Reconstruction View

20. " In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep , and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (Genesis 1:1-2) “ darkness” = “hosek”; never used in Bible for good “ deep” = “tahom”; ancient symbol for chaos "Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:6-10) Lexicons define it as ‘flood’, ‘deluge’, Gap/Ruin-Reconstruction View

21. "For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water , through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water." (2 Peter 3:5-6) Goes back to Gen. 1:6 Could go back to Gen. 1:2 Gap/Ruin-Reconstruction View

22. "Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty . “ You were in Eden , the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. “You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. “You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. “By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you." (Ezekiel 28:12-17) When did Lucifer fall? Gap/Ruin-Reconstruction View

23. Young Earth – Earth is thousands of years old. Standard Six-Day Creation Ideal-Time Old Earth – Earth could be millions/billions of years old. Long ‘Days’ Revelatory-Days Day-Age Literary Framework Gap View 7 Orthodox Views of Theistic Creation

25. “ There are not many options – essentially just two. Either human intelligence ultimately owes its origin to mindless matter; or there is a Creator. It is strange that some people claim that it is their intelligence that leads them to prefer the first to the second.” - John Lennox, God’s Undertaker The Only Options

26. Naturalistic/Evolutionist View Creation An eternal universe An eternal Creator Ultimate reality is impersonal matter – no God Ultimate reality is an infinite, personal, loving God Everything we know came about by chance, with no ultimate purpose Universe lovingly created by God for a specific purpose Man is the product of impersonal matter plus time plus chance. Consequent result is that man has no ultimate dignity nor any meaning than what is subjectively derived Man is created by God in His image and is loved by God; therefore all men are endowed with eternal value and dignity which is not derived from themselves but from the Source, transcending themselves Morality is defined by every individual according to his views and interests. It is ultimately relative as every person is the final authority for their own views Morality is defined by God and is immutable because it is based on God’s unchanging and holy character. The afterlife brings personal annihilation and extinction for everyone The afterlife involves either life with God or separation from them. The Core Positions

27. Evolution contributes nothing to answering this question as it involves the supposed change that occurs in already existing biological entities. Evolution tries to explain how something works, not why something exists. “ It is self-evident that only mind can create mind.”, J. S. Mill Such as case violates what we know from the study of causation, namely that a cause cannot give what it doesn’t have. The Big Questions…

28. Everything that begins to exist must have a cause The universe began to exist Therefore, the universe had a cause “ I never asserted so absurd a proposition as that anything might arise without a cause.” - David Hume, Scottish Skeptic “ Nothing can come into being from that which is not”- Demokritos, Greek Philosopher The Cosmological Argument

29. "By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible ." (Hebrews 11:3) Rebuke to Platonic cosmogony (Demiurge forming the world from pre-existent matter) Rebuke to theistic evolution The Cosmological Argument

30. Creation is the best and most reasonable stance to hold when examining how everything we know came to be Primary reason natural man rejects creation is because an impersonal universe cannot call him into moral account like a personal Creator can The seven orthodox views of Genesis should not be a test for faith and do not violate any core Christian doctrine Young vs. Old Earth should not be a stumbling block you put before a person considering Christianity Conclusions